Abstract <p>The study of the dynamic response mechanism of the charge during the process of projectile penetration into concrete targets was carried out to address the issue of the projectile’s charge safety. Firstly, a theoretical model of the non-linear response of the projectile with charge containing a clearance is established by combining the typical characteristics of the actual projectile structure. The local response amplification of the structure under different clearances or different loading frequencies is revealed through theoretical analysis and calculation. Then finite element numerical simulations are used to verify the correctness of the theoretical calculation results. Finally, vibration tests are designed to further verify the realism of the theoretical and simulation results. The results show that when the projectile penetrates the multi-layer concrete target, the vibration generated by the projectile structure has a great influence on the mechanical response and the stability of the charge. There is a certain vibration response amplification phenomenon in the projectile structure.</p>