Subcaliber projectile with pivotally separable drive cage

摘要

A subcaliber projectile has a small-diameter projectile body extending along and centered on an axis, having a radially outwardly directed outer surface, and adapted to move in a predetermined axial back-to-front direction, and a sabot formed of a plurality of similar segments annularly surrounding at least a portion of the body, the segments forming an inner surface generally on the outer surface of the body and having an extreme front end and an extreme rear end. This projectile is formed on one of these surfaces at the extreme rear end of the sabot with a radially projecting ridge of generally semicircular shape having a center of curvature. The other of the surfaces is formed at the extreme rear end of each segment of the sabot with a radially open recess complementary to and receiving the ridge. In addition the segments are pivotal about the center of curvature without the ridge leaving the recess from a position with the respective inner surface lying on the outer projectile-body surface and a position with the inner surface projecting at an angle away therefrom.