Patent ID: 8109212

Claim:
A projectile for use with barrel assemblies having a plurality of projectiles axially disposed within a barrel having a bore and a muzzle, the projectiles being associated with discrete propellant charges for propelling said projectiles sequentially through the muzzle of the barrel, the projectile comprising: a sleeve for engagement with the bore of the barrel; and a projectile core about which the sleeve is disposed, wherein the sleeve surrounds and engages with a trailing portion of the projectile core; a spacer tube extending rearwardly from the sleeve for extending over a portion of a trailing projectile, the spacer tube abutting a sleeve of the trailing projectile to form a column of sleeves and spacer tubes of said projectiles, the spacer tube having an end portion with a load transferring face for operatively transferring a load applied to the spacer tube to the abutting sleeve of the trailing projectile; and a discrete propellant charge contained in the spacer tube to facilitate propelling of the projectile core and sleeve from the barrel, wherein the sleeve is retained about the projectile core and the spacer tube is carried away with the projectile when the projectile is propelled from the barrel.