ADVANCED MUZZLE LOADER AMMUNITION

• US 20100275487A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Bandel, Jeffrey, Quesenberry, Richard, Worrell, William J., Goodlin, Drew Lee
• Application Number:
  US12/789,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20100275487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/51
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 14/064 Sabots enclosing the rear end of a kinetic energy projectile, i.e. having a closed disk shaped obturator base and petals extending forward from said base
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 30/02 Bullets
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/067 Mounting or locking missiles in cartridge cases F42B5/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/182 Caseless cartridges characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/192 Cartridge cases characterised by the material of the casing wall cartridge bags F42B5/38

Abstract

A fixed round of ammunition for a muzzle loader firearm. The round has a bullet within a sabot that is engaged to a consumable cartridge case. The case is filled with propellant that is precisely calibrated to provide optimal ballistic properties with the particular bullet it is engaged to. The consumable cartridge case can be more tailored to respectively increase or decrease the burn rate of the consumable cartridge case. The consumable cartridge case can be constructed out of nitrocellulose or other energetic materials. A wide range of propellant formulas can be used that are safe because the burn rate is precisely calibrated for the bullet used. The propellant can contain pyrotechnic material and/or other ingredients to reduce the burn rate of a smokeless propellant and can contain a stabilizer to increase the shelf life of the ammunition round.

Claims

1. A muzzle loaded ammunition round comprising:

a fixed round comprising a bullet and a cartridge case;

the cartridge case is hollow and is filled with at least one propellant composition;

the bullet is commonly engaged to the propellant composition at least via the cartridge case;

when the bullet is fired, the energy with which the bullet exits the firearm is a ratio proportional at least to the burn rate, the charge weight, and at least one physical property of the bullet, the burn rate being proportional to the combustibility of both the propellant and the cartridge case;

the burn rate and the at least one physical property of the bullet are precisely calibrated to each other so as to yield ballistic properties in which the bullet is fired with a desired amount of kinetic energy and within the design constraints of the firearm.

2. The muzzle loaded ammunition round of claim 1 in combination with a firearm.

3. The muzzle loaded ammunition round of claim 1 wherein the cartridge case is constructed out of an energetic consumable material, and having a burn rate which can be selected by selecting the density of the consumable material of the cartridge case.

4. The muzzle loaded ammunition round of claim 1 wherein the propellant composition has a charge weight.

5. The muzzle loaded ammunition round of claim 1 further including an igniter which extends into the propellant composition inside the case at the time of ignition.