ARMOR-PENETRATING AMMUNITION ASSEMBLY WITH MOLDED PROTECTIVE CAP

摘要

An armor-penetrating projectile assembly 10 is provided with a molded protective cap 28. The cap 28, which is preferably molded from Nylon 6/6, is provided with a plurality of longitudinal stress grooves 34 formed in the interior surface of the cap 28 for aiding cap break-up as the projectile assembly 10 exits the muzzle of a cannon, and with an integral centering band 32 for ensuring a desired fit of the projectile assembly 10 inbore and, to control the angular velocity of the cap 28 about its axis of symmetry 46 for better separation after being fired. The cap 28 is fastened to the sabot 18 of the projectile assembly 10 by means of a grooved extension 36 on the sabot 18 within which a plurality of ramped projections 38 of cap 28 are received. The ramped projections 38 are molded into the inner surface of the cap 28 aft of each window 40. The windows 40 and ramped projections 38 permit the cap 28 to be readily separated from the mold in which cap 28 is formed using a pull mold even when cap 18 is formed of a high strength non-resilient material such as Nylon 6/6.