Multiple effect ammunition

An explosive light armor penetrating projectile for launching through a rifled gun barrel, which round comprises;

• a copper jacket for engaging the barrel rifling;
• a tubular hard heavy metal projectile body having a front end and rear end, said body disposed immediately inside said jacket and having sufficient weight and hardness to penetrate light armor upon impact with a target at expected impact velocity;
• a high explosive mixture disposed within said body for explosively fragmenting said body;
• an igniting mixture located within the jacket forward of said high explosive mixture for igniting said explosive after a predetermined measurable delay so as to allow said projectile body to penetrate a target prior to detonation of said explosive;
• a lightweight metal base plug located within the jacket behind the explosive and behind the body and consisting essentially of pyrophoric material which is adapted to burn over a relatively long period so as to increase the fire-starting ability of the rounds, and
• a non-flammable sealant layer behind said base plug for preventing ignition of base plug or high explosive mixture by the burning propellant during projectile launch.