Ring airfoil glider expendable cartridge and glider launching method

A munition for launching in a barrel of a breech loading gun, comprising:

• a circular base supported within the breech;
• a rod protruding from the center of said base and extending toward a muzzle of the barrel, said rod having a rifled outer surface;
• a ring airfoil projectile adapted and configured to be launched from within the barrel, said projectile having a maximum outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the barrel;
• a sabot having a central passage that accepts therein said rod, said sabot being guided by the rifling of said rod, said sabot being adapted and configured to push said projectile;
• and
• a source of compressed gas;
• wherein compressed gas provides a pressure force to push said sabot along said rod, the rifling of said rod interacting with the central passage to spin said sabot, said sabot spinning said projectile and pushing said projectile through the barrel, said sabot and said projectile separating from each other within the barrel.

A reduced lethality munition for launching in a barrel of a breech loading gun, comprising:

• a circular base supported within the breech, said base having a periphery in contact with the barrel;
• a generally cylindrical rod extending toward the muzzle of the barrel from the center of said base;
• a ring airfoil projectile adapted and configured to be launched from within the barrel, said projectile having a maximum outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the barrel, the maximum diameter being more than about 35 millimeters and less than about 40 millimeters, the projectile having a weight that is less than about fifteen grams;
• a sabot having a central passage that is in sliding contact with said rod, said sabot being adapted and configured to push said projectile;
• and
• a source of compressed gas;
• wherein the compressed gas provides a pressure force to push said sabot along said rod such that said projectile exits the muzzle with a velocity of more than about ninety meters per second;
• wherein said projectile separates from said sabot prior to reaching the muzzle end of the barrel.