Short-range discarding-sabot training practice round and self-destruct subprojectile therefor

Claim 2

In a short-range training practice round for simulating a long-range prototype ammunition round of given caliber including an elongated armor-piercing fin-stabilized sub-projectile and a discarding-sabot of said given caliber mounted on said sub-projectile and adapted to be launched from a gun barrel; a self-destruct fin-stabilized practice sub-projectile for simulating said armor-piercing sub-projectile, comprising: an elongated body made up of a plurality of contiguous mating segments; releasable means for holding said segments together during launch and during flight prior to release thereof; and means for releasing said releasable means at a desired substantial distance in flight, thus permitting said segments to separate from each other and rapidly decelerate by tumbling in air, said distance being sufficient to simulate a substantial portion of the trajectory of said prototype round but substantially short of the full range thereof prior to self-destruct of said practice subprojectile.

Claim 3

A subprojectile as in claim 1, wherein said means comprise a heat-sensitive nose cap having a side wall clamping portions of said segments together; said cap being adapted to disintegrate in flight at a predetermined aerodynamic temperature to release said segments.

Claim 4

A subprojectile as in claim 2, wherein said side wall of said nose cap is formed with two diametrically-opposed longitudinal slits extending from the open end thereof nearly to the base thereof, and the base of said cap is formed with an annular groove intersecting said longitudinal slits.

Claim 5

A subprojectile is in claim 2, wherein said means further comprises an axial rod having a forward end threaded into said nose cap and a headed rear end seated in a similarly-shaped axial bore in said body segments.

Claim 6

A subprojectile as in claim 4, wherein the underside of said rod head has a concave surface fitting a complemental surface on said body segments for clamping said segments together, and the axial length of the head of said bore is sufficiently greater than the head of said rod to permit outward swinging of said elements after disintegration of said cap.

Claim 7

A subprojectile as in claim 1, wherein: said body comprises at least two identical elongated segments having radial and longitudinal mating surfaces; said releasable means comprises first means for holding the rear ends of said segments together, and second means for holding the forward ends of said segments together; and said releasing means comprises means for disabling said second means at a predetermined point in flight.

Claim 8

A subprojectile as in claim 5, further comprising a tail section axially aligned with said body and attached thereto by means forming a part of said first means, said tail section having axially and radially extending fins for fin-stabilizing said subprojectile during flight.

Claim 9

A subprojectile as in claim 7, wherein said attaching means comprises: a forwardly-diverging conical recess in the forward end of said tail section: a complemental conical surface on the rear ends of said body segments; and an axial rod, having a rear end threaded into an axial bore in said tail section and a headed forward end seated in a similarly shaped axial bore in said body, for clamping the conical parts together during flight.

Claim 10

A subprojectile as in claim 8, wherein the head of said rod has an under surface that is chamfered, and the axial bore in said body is flared ourwardly, to permit the outward swinging of said segments upon release of the forward ends thereof.

Claim 11

A short-range training practice projectile, for smiulating a long-range prototype ammunition projectile of given caliber including a elongated armor-piercing subprojectile and discarding sabot mounted on said subprojectile and adapted to be launched from a gun barrel, including an annular discarding-sabot of said caliber and an elongated self-destruct subprojectile axially mounted within said sabot; said sabot comprising a plurality of identical contiguous elongated mating parts having radial and longitudinal mating surfaces, and frangible means for holding said parts together until after launch; said subprojectile comprising a plurality of identical contiguous elongated mating segments having radial and longitudinal mating surfaces that are circumferentially staggered with respect to the mating surfaces of said sabot parts, releasable means for holding said segments together during launch and during flight prior to release thereof, and means for releasing said releasable means at a desired point in flight, thus permitting said segments to separate from each other and rapidly decelerate by tumbling.

Claim 12

A short-range training practice projectile, for smiulating a long-range prototype ammunition projectile of given caliber including a elongated armor-piercing subprojectile and discarding sabot mounted on said subprojectile and adapted to be launched from a gun barrel, including an annular discarding-sabot of said caliber and an elongated self-destruct subprojectile axially mounted within said sabot; said sabot comprising a plurality of identical contiguous elongated mating parts having radial and longitudinal mating surfaces, and frangible means for holding said parts together until after launch; said subprojectile comprising a plurality of identical contiguous elongated mating segments having radial and longitudinal mating surfaces that are circumferentially staggered with respect to the mating surfaces of said sabot parts, releasable means for holding said segments together during launch and during flight prior to release thereof, and means for releasing said releasable means at a desired point in flight, thus permitting said segments to separate from each other and rapidly decelerate by tumbling.

Claim 13

A projectile as in claim 10, wherein said releasable means and said releasing means comprise a heat-sensitive nose cap clamping the forward ends of said segments together; said cap being adapted to disintegrate in flight at a predetermined aerodynamic temperature to release said segments.

Claim 14

A projectile as in claim 11, wherein: the prototype ammunition projectile being simulated is a 105mm high-velocity projectile including a full-caliber discarding-sabot and a high energy type armor-piercing subprojectile having an average range of about 30 miles; and said short-range training practice projectile is designed to cause its subprojectile to follow substantially the same trajectory as the subprojectile for the first 5 miles thereof and then self-destruct.