the propellant charge 25 a sub caliber payload cup 27 is disposed within the smooth bored cartridge barrel 15 adjacent the low pressure chamber 23 alternatively a single propellant chamber can be used wherein the propellant is ignited and propels the payload cup down the barrel venting at the muzzle the sub caliber payload cup 27 is comprised of a flechette retaining means 29 for retaining flechettes and for sealing propellant case within the cartridge barrel and a plurality of flechettes 31 retained therein the flechette retaining means 29 is generally formed of a plastic or composite material but may be formed of a metallic material and has a structure containing numerous protrusions therein for frictionally retaining the flechettes 31 as called for in the eighth embodiment of the present invention herein and as illustrated in fig1 the low velocity flechette cartridge 1 may further comprise a metal disk 43 disposed within the smooth bored cartridge barrel 15 between the low pressure chamber 23 and the sub caliber payload cup 27 this metal disk 43 acts to separate and evenly disperse the pressure produced by the propellant gases so as to prevent damage to the flechettes and the flechette retaining means during firing preferably the sub caliber payload cup 21 further comprises a payload cup stripping means 33 as illustrated in fig2 3 and 5 the payload cup stripping means 33 generally comprised of a string or line as called for the in the fourth embodiment above to attach the sub caliber payload cup 27.