Liquid propellant weapon system

A fixed round of ammunition comprising:

• a cartridge case having a side wall defining a tube;
• a base, having a relatively low mass, closing the aft end of said tube, and having an interior forward face and an exterior aft face,
• a gas generating means communicating with said aft face of said base,
• a projectile means, having a relatively high mass, disposed at least in part within said tube and obturating the forward end of said tube
• said base serving as a differential piston means movable along said tube towards said projectile means, and its aft face having a relatively large cross-sectional area and its forward face having a relatively small cross-sectional area,
• said base having a passageway therethrough communicating between said aft and forward faces of said base, and
• pressure sensitive obturating means for obturating said passageway and for opening said passageway upon a predetermined pressure being provided on said forward face of said base.

A fixed round of ammunition comprising:

• a side wall defining a tube,
• a base, having a relatively low mass, closing the aft end of said tube, and having an interior forward face and an exterior aft face,
• a gas generating means communicating with said aft face of said base,
• a projectile means, having a relatively high mass, disposed at least in part within said tube and obturating the forward end of said tube,
• said base serving as a differential piston means movable along said tube towards said projectile means, and its aft face having a relatively large cross-sectional area and its forward face having a relatively small cross-sectional area,
• said base having a passageway therethrough communicating between said aft and forward faces of said base, and
• pressure sensitive obturating means for obturating said passageway and for opening said passageway upon a predetermined pressure being provided on said forward face of said base.

A weapon system comprising:

• a gun;
• and
• a round of ammunition;
• said gun having a firing bore closed by a breech face;
• and
• said round of ammunition is disposed in said firing bore adjacent said breech face;
• said round of ammunition including a gas generating means disposed adjacent said breech face;
• a relatively high mass projectile means disposed within and obturating said open end of said bore;
• a relatively low mass differential piston means disposed within said firing bore longitudinally spaced from and aft of said projectile means and journaled for longitudinal movement in said firing bore, and having
• an aft face of relatively large cross-sectional area and a forward face relatively small cross-sectional area,
• a passageway therethrough communicating between said aft and forward faces of said piston means, and
• pressure sensitive obturating means for obturating said passageway and for opening said passageway upon a predetermined pressure being provided on said forward face;
• said gas generating means providing gas aft of said piston means;
• said piston means coupled to said projectile means for joint longitudinal displacement with respect to said firing bore and for relative longitudinal displacement with respect to said projectile means upon functioning of said gas generating means.