Projectile construction and method of making the projectile

Abstract

A projectile particularly for automatic firearms in high performance machine guns comprises a cylindrical projectile body which has an annular groove around its circumference with rib portions extending radially outwardly of the bottom of the groove which are of radial extent no greater than the outer surface of the projectile body. The groove has end walls which are substantially perpendicular to the exterior surface of the body. A plastic rotating band has its inner periphery anchored in the groove with the rib portions extending to receiving recesses or grooves of the band. The ribs are advantageously radially extending elements which have their outer ends bent in axial directions and they are arranged so that there are portions of the groove of the body on each side thereof. In accordance with the method of manufacturing a projectile body, a form tool is used to effect the recessing of the projectile body or jacket to produce the intermediate ribs which are of substantially rectangular cross section. Thereafter the ribs are bent in a desired direction under a pressure application while simultaneously producing knurls or a roughened surface on the ribs. Thereafter the rotating band is formed in the groove and projects outwardly from the surface of the projectile body. The band is formed by injecting a preferably fiber filled sooth pigmented plastic into the projectile body grooves and around the ribs which are formed in the groove.