LIMITED RANGE LETHAL AMMUNITION

• US 20160231095A1
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John M. Storm
• Original Assignee: John M. Storm
• Inventors: Storm, John M.
• Application Number:
  US14/560,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231095A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 8/14 disintegrating in flight or upon impact
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 13/04 operated by radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/184 using a slidable carrier
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 9/10 the timing being caused by combustion F42C9/14 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a projectile that is designed to be lethal to an average human for a predetermined time or a distance after being fired and then rendered less than lethal. The projectile can include a detonating charge and optionally a fuze wherein the detonating charge fragments the projectile to render the projectile less than lethal. The projectile can also include a mechanism to disable the fragmentation of the projectile after it strikes a target.

Claims

1. A limited range fragmenting lethal projectile, comprising a projectile that if it does not earlier impact an object, fragments into substantially solid pieces a predetermined time or a predetermined distance after being fired and each of said pieces imparts an energy density of no more than ten J/cm² into an impact area.

2. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said energy density is no more than six J/cm².

13. The projectile of claim 1, 3, 4, 8, or 9 wherein said projectile further comprises a detonating charge.

14. The projectile of claim 13 further comprising a fuze configured and arranged to initiate said detonating charge.

15. The projectile of claim 14 wherein said fuze is initiated via the combustion of propellant used to propel said projectile.

16. The projectile of claim 14 wherein said fuze is initiated via the acceleration of said projectile at greater than ten thousand g.

17. The projectile of claim 1, 3, 4, 8, or 9 further comprising a mechanism to prevent the fragmentation after said projectile strikes a solid surface.

18. The projectile of claim 17 wherein said mechanism is the deformation of said projectile after said projectile strikes a solid surface.

19. The projectile of claim 17 wherein said mechanism ejects a fuze from said projectile after said projectile impacts said solid surface.

20. The projectile of claim 17 wherein said mechanism inhibits the interaction of a fuze with a detonating charge.

21. The projectile of claim 1, 3, 4, 8, or 9 wherein said projectile'"'"'s diameter is less than thirteen and a half millimeters.

22. The projectile of claim 1, 3, 4, 8, or 9 wherein said projectile further comprises fracture initiating features.

3. A limited range fragmenting lethal projectile, comprising a projectile that if it does not earlier impact an object, fragments into substantially solid pieces a predetermined time or a distance after being fired and said pieces are each less than lethal to an average adult human.

4. A limited range fragmenting lethal projectile, comprising a projectile that if it does not earlier impact an object, fragments into substantially solid pieces a predetermined time or distance after being fired and said pieces have an average mass of less than five grains.

5. The projectile of claim 4 wherein each piece has a mass of less than five grains.

6. The projectile of claim 4 wherein said pieces have an average mass of less than two grains.

7. The projectile of claim 6 wherein said pieces have an average mass of less than one grain.

8. A limited range fragmenting lethal projectile, comprising a projectile that if it does not earlier impact an object, fragments into substantially solid pieces a predetermined time or a distance after being fired and each of said pieces are on average dictated by the equation ln(M*d)>

ln(m*v²)−

7.5;

wherein;

M=a mass of 45 kg,

d=the largest cross sectional dimension of said piece in cm,

m=the mass of said piece in g, and

v=the velocity of said piece in m/s.

9. A limited range fragmenting lethal projectile, comprising a projectile that if it does not earlier impact an object, fragments into at least one hundred substantially solid pieces a predetermined time or distance after being fired.

10. The projectile of claim 9 wherein the projectile fragments into at least five hundred substantially solid pieces.

11. The projectile of claim 9 wherein the projectile fragments into at least ten substantially solid pieces for each millimeter of diameter of said projectile prior to its fragmentation.

12. The projectile of claim 11 wherein the projectile fragments into at least thirty substantially solid pieces for each millimeter of diameter of said projectile prior to its fragmentation.

23. A limited range lethal projectile with solvent, comprising a projectile and a solvent;

wherein said projectile is lethal at a range after fired from a gun and nonlethal beyond said range.

24. The projectile of claim 23 wherein the projectile further comprising a bonding agent wherein said solvent dissolves said bonding agent to render said projectile nonlethal.

25. The projectile of claim 24 further comprising a fuze configured and arranged to initiate said dissolution of said bonding agent.

26. A limited range nonlethal projectile, comprising:

a base having an aperture,

a fuze that is initiated by contact with gasified propellant that travels through said aperture,

a detonating charge whose detonation is triggered by said fuze,

a member attached to said base and partially surrounding said detonating charge;

wherein the detonation of said detonating charge fragments said member into pieces having average mass of less than two grains.

27. A limited range projectile comprising:

A first mechanism activated after the projectile is fired if the projectile does not strike an object within a predetermined time or distance and that substantially precludes such activation if the projectile strikes an object before said predetermined time or distance.

28. The projectile of claim 27 wherein the projectile is configured and arranged to be fired from a barrel by the activation of propellant that is substantially consumed when the projectile leaves the barrel.

29. The projectile of claim 28 additionally comprising a casing containing propellant adjacent said projectile.