Patent ID: 7581484

Claim:
An apparatus for retaining a propellant in the firing chamber, within an elevated gun tube of a weapon system, the propellant having a back side disposed closest to and facing the breech of the gun, the gun tube having a longitudinal axis, and a breech ring with an opening therein, the apparatus comprising; a plunger that reciprocates in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber; a housing fixed in the opening in the breech ring, the housing holding the plunger; a non-recoil surface; and means for reciprocating the plunger in the opening in the breech ring and the chamber, the means includes a compression spring disposed around the plunger and a solenoid fixed to the non-recoiling surface such that, when activated, the solenoid is operable to move the plunger into the chamber and, when deactivated, the compression spring moves the plunger out of the chamber; whereby, said plunger reciprocates into said chamber and contacts therein the back side of said propellant, thereby holding said propellant in place until prior to firing, at which time the plunger is withdrawn from said chamber and said weapon system is fired.