BULLET

• US 20140318406A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sme Engineering (Pty)., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sme Engineering (Pty)., Ltd.
• Inventors: RALL, Adriaan, VAN ROOYEN, Como
• Granted Patent: US 9,316,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/510
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/34 expanding before or on impact, i.e. of dumdum or mushroom type
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/001 Devices or processes for assembling ammunition, cartridges or cartridge elements from parts

Abstract

The invention provides a bullet. The bullet comprises a bullet-shaped body of a first metal composition, which body has a hollow cavity defined therein along the axis of the bullet with an opening at the point of the bullet shaped body. The bullet further comprises a plunger of a second composition, preferably metal, which metal is harder than the first metal, and shaped generally complementary to the hollow cavity. Hollow empty cavities may preferably be provided between the plunger and the hollow.

Claims

1. A bullet, which comprises:

a bullet-shaped body of a first metal composition, which body has a hollow cavity defined therein along the axis of the bullet with an opening at the point of the bullet shaped body;

a plunger of a second composition, which is harder than the first metal, and shaped generally complementary to the hollow cavity;

wherein the hollow cavity and the plunger have a generally complementary conical shape widening towards the point of the bullet; and

wherein the plunger is dimensioned in such a way that when it is inserted into the hollow, the plunger will not reach the far end of the hollow to define an empty cavity.

2. A bullet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plunger is of metal.

3. A bullet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the hollow body is generally conical or cylindrical or combinations thereof and provided with one or more shoulder formations, which taper outward towards the opening at the point of the bullet.

4. A bullet as claimed in claim 3, wherein each shoulder formation of the plunger does not reach its complementary bearing formation on the inside surface of the hollow to also define one or more further circular empty cavities.

5. A bullet as claimed in claim 4, wherein a number of successive cavities are defined of which the volume decreases towards the point of the bullet.

6. A bullet as claimed in claim 1, wherein an exposed surface of the plunger is flat and flush with the rim of the opening in the bullet body to define a typical flat nosed “

meplat”

bullet shape.

7. A bullet as claimed in claim 6, wherein multiple cavities are incorporated with the shoulder and bearing formation being at an angle of between 20 and 40 degrees.

8. A bullet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plunger is shaped to protrude past the rim of the opening in the bullet body and continues and complete the shape of the bullet body into a typical spitzer type bullet point.

9. A bullet as claimed in claim 8, wherein one circular cavity is defined between the plunder and a first shoulder of the hollow and a second cavity at the end of the hollow is preferable.

10. A bullet as claimed in claim 9, wherein one cavity is defined at the end of the hollow with no cavity formed between the shoulder of the hollow and corresponding shoulder formation of the plunger, which is at an angle of between 10 and 20 degrees.

11. A bullet as claimed in claim 1, wherein he plunger is from a brass-alloy and the bullet body is of copper in a half-hard condition.

12. A bullet as claimed in claim 11, wherein the copper bullet body is annealed.

13. A bullet as claimed in claim 1, which comprises three or more axially spaced cannelure bands, which extends radially past the bore diameter of the bullet into the rifling groove diameter to engage the rifling of a rifle barrel.

14. A bullet as claimed in claim 13, wherein the leading edge of the cannelure band is angled at between 9 to 13 degrees of the axis and the trailing edge of the band is perpendicular to the axis or undercut.

15. A method for making a bullet as claimed in claim 1, which method comprises the steps of:

forming a bullet body; and

inserting a plunger, into the hollow defined in the hollow bullet body.

16. A bullet shaped body of a first metal composition, which body:

has a hollow cavity defined therein along the axis of the bullet with an opening at the point of the bullet shaped body; and

which is configured to receive a plunger of a second metal composition and which plunger is shaped generally complementary to the hollow cavity.

17. A plunger for use with a hollow bullet body, wherein the plunger is of a harder metal than that of the body, which plunger:

is configured to be received, substantially complementary, within a bullet shaped body as claimed in claim 16.