Method and apparatus for producing large-caliber ammunition

A large-caliber, one-piece ammunition unit including a projectile having a tail section inserted into a front end of a propelling charge casing filled with propelling charge powder and having a base with an ignition tube fastened to said base and extending along a longitudinal axis of said base and wherein:

• said propelling charge casing, at least in its substantially longitudinally extending regions, is formed of a thin-walled, combustible material having a comparatively low strength, and is composed of a forward, combustible propelling charge casing part into which said projectile has been inserted from the front, and a rearward at least partially combustible propelling charge casing part including said ignition tube fastened to said casing base, with both of said propelling charge casing parts being fastened with one another to form a one-piece charge casing;
• approximately 35% to about 80% of the loose propelling charge powder of the total propelling charge is compacted around said ignition tube with the compacted portion being adjacent said base and disposed in and substantially filling said rearward part of said propelling charge casing;
• the remaining portion of the propelling charge powder is disposed on the compacted portion of the propelling charge powder in said forward propelling charge casing part and extends to said tail section of said projectile;
• and
• said remaining portion of said propelling charge powder disposed in said forward propelling charge casing part has a density in the vicinity of said projectile which at most approximately corresponds to a density slightly higher than that of loosely poured-in propelling charge powder.

A large-caliber, one-piece ammunition unit including a projectile having a tail section inserted into a front end of a propelling charge casing filled with propelling charge powder and having a base with an ignition tube fastened to said base, and extending along a longitudinal axis of said base, and wherein:

• said propelling charge casing, at least in its longitudinally extending regions, is composed of a thin-walled, combustible material having a comparatively low strength;
• approximately 35% to about 80% of the loose propelling charge powder of the total propelling charge is compacted around said ignition tube with the compacted portion being adjacent said base and with the remaining portion of the propelling charge powder being disposed on the compacted portion of the propelling charge powder and extending to said tail section of said projectile;
• and
• a closeable fill opening disposed in said combustible portion of said propelling charge casing adjacent its front end for pouring in loose propelling charge powder.