Tandem nested projectile assembly

A projectile assembly for penetrating and damaging targets, the projectile assembly capable of being fired from a weapon having at least a barrel, a bore, a chamber, and a muzzle, the projectile assembly comprising:

• an individual projectile defining an anti-personnel projectile having a pre-determined structure, the individual projectile being made from a soft metal, both of the soft metal material and the structure of the individual projectile having properties that contribute to increasing the deformation of the individual projectile when the projected anti-personnel projectile impacts on a target, the increased deformation increasing the capability of the anti-personnel projectile to damage soft targets, and the individual projectile having a cavity therein, the cavity having a scored surface having multiple scores, the scores increasing the likelihood that the individual projectile will separate into multiple fragments upon impact with a target, the separation of the individual projectile into fragments upon impact with a target further increasing the capability of the anti-personnel projectile to damage soft targets, and the projection of the anti-personnel projectile causing the anti-personnel projectile to travel along a ballistic trajectory, both of the ballistic trajectory and the speed at which the anti-personnel projectile travels along the ballistic trajectory being changeable in response to a change in the diameter and/or the length and/or the weight and/or the shape of the anti-personnel projectile;
• a composite projectile defining an anti-personnel flechette bundle comprising:
• a core flechette having a conical tip;
• and
• a plurality of side flechettes each having chisel tips, and wherein the six side flechettes are attached to the core flechette using a low strength adhesive, the adhesive being capable of withstanding the centrifugal forces of spinning and high-speed projectile flight but not capable of withstanding impact with a target, such that upon impact with a target, the six side flechettes separate from the core flechette and each disperse and travel along separate paths through the target, wherein the chisel tip of each side flechette increases the capability of the side flechette to separate from the core flechette and to disperse throughout the target, wherein the separation and the dispersion of the side flechettes increases the capability of the composite projectile to damage the impacted target;
• wherein both the conical and all of the side flechettes are made from Tungsten, the use of Tungsten as the material for the flechettes increasing the capability of the flechettes to damage their target;
• wherein the core and side flechettes have at least one of a predetermined size and projection speed that increase the capability of the flechettes to penetrate their target, and wherein the core and side flechettes have a predetermined mass that increases the likelihood that the flechettes will come to rest while still inside their target as opposed to traveling entirely through their target;
• wherein the composite projectile is at least partially contained within the cavity of the individual projectile prior to projection, and wherein the side flechettes fit into the scores of the individual projectile such that when the individual projectile is rotated, the composite projectile is rotated as well, and the projection of the composite projectile causing the simultaneous projection of the individual projectile and causing the composite projectile to travel along a ballistic trajectory that is the same as the ballistic trajectory of the individual projectile, the result of both of the projectiles having the same ballistic trajectory being that both of the projectiles impact upon the same target at the termination of their ballistic trajectories, both of the ballistic trajectory of the composite projectile and the speed at which the composite projectile travels along its ballistic trajectory being changeable in response to a change in the diameter and/or the length and/or the weight and/or the shape of the composite projectile;
• a propellant housed within the cavity of the individual projectile and located between the individual projectile and the composite projectile that is capable of being detonated, the detonation of the propellant causing an increase in the pressure of the cavity of the individual projectile, the increased cavity pressure applying a force in the forward direction of the bullet's trajectory to the individual projectile and applying a force in the opposite direction of the projectile assembly's trajectory to the composite projectile, causing the composite projectile to withdraw from the cavity of the individual projectile immediately after the projectile assembly has left the bore of the weapon, the withdrawal of the composite projectile from the cavity defining an increase in the separation between the individual projectile and the composite projectile, the detonation of the propellant causing the propellant to burn, and the amount of the propellant and/or the burn rate of the propellant being changeable, the changing of the amount and/or the burn rate of the propellant having the capability to change the ballistic trajectories of both of the anti-personnel projectile and the composite projectile and the speeds at which those projectiles travel along their respective trajectories;
• a base bleed gas generated by the burning of the propellant, the propellant defining a base bleed gas generator, the base bleed gas being released into the cavity of the individual projectile and subsequently filling the cavity and expanding outwards from the cavity, the base bleed gas increasing the pressure of any space that it fills, and the base bleed gas causing the anti-personnel projectile to experience less drag while the anti-personnel projectile is in motion, the anti-personnel projectile being capable of travelling a farther distance due to experiencing less drag;
• a primer that is capable of being detonated, the primer housed within the cavity of the individual projectile and located adjacent to the propellant, the detonation of the primer causing the detonation of the propellant, the detonation the primer being caused by the projecting of the composite projectile, due to the projecting of the composite projectile causing the composite projectile to make contact with the primer, and the primer defining an explosive sensitive enough to detonate as a result of the composite projectile making contact with the primer.