Frangible projectile

1. A frangible projectile comprising a sintered mass of a plurality of particles, the particles having a core of iron or an iron alloy between about 30 μm and about 175 μm diameter, and a plating of copper or copper alloy between about 1 μm and about 4 μm thick.

2. The frangible projectile according to claim 1 , wherein the average thickness of the copper or copper alloy plating is about 3 μm thick.

3. A frangible projectile comprising a sintered mass of a plurality of particles, the particles having a core of iron or an iron alloy, and a plating of copper or copper alloy between about 1 μm and about 4 μm thick.

4. The frangible projectile according to claim 3 , wherein the average thickness of the copper or copper alloy plating is about 3 μm thick.

5. The frangible projectile according to claim 3 , wherein the iron core particles are generally spherically shaped.

6. A round of ammunition comprising a shell casing containing a propellant and a primer, and having a frangible projectile according to claim 3 disposed in a shell casing.

7. The frangible projectile according to claim 3 , wherein the sintered mass further includes at least one of copper particles, copper alloy particles, iron particles and iron alloy particles.

8. The frangible projectile according to claim 3 , wherein the projectile comprises at least 50% by the mass of the copper or copper alloy plated iron or iron alloy core particles.

9. The frangible projectile according to claim 8 , wherein the sintered mass further includes at least one of copper particles, copper alloy particles, iron particles and iron alloy particles.

10. The frangible projectile according to claim 3 , wherein the iron or iron alloy core particles are between about 10 μm and about 330 μm diameter.

11. The frangible projectile according to claim 10 , wherein the iron or iron alloy core particles are between about 30 μm and about 175 μm diameter.