METAL INJECTION MOLDED AMMUNITION CARTRIDGE

• US 20170089674A1
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: True Velocity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: True Velocity, Inc.
• Inventors: Burrow, Lonnie
• Granted Patent: US 10,041,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0046 Details relating to the filling pattern or flow paths or flow characteristics of moulding material in the mould cavity
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/02 Cartridges, i.e. cases with charge and missile
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/26 Cartridge cases F42B5/18 takes precedence ; manufacturing of cartridge cases B21K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/285 formed by assembling several elements
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/36 modified for housing an integral firing-cap

Abstract

The present invention provides a metal injection molded ammunition cartridge comprising a molded metal bottom portion comprising a primer recess in communication with a primer flash hole that extends into a propellant chamber; a molded metal top portion comprises a projectile aperture at a first end and mates to the molded metal bottom portion at a second end to enclose the propellant chamber; and a neck to connect the transition from the projectile aperture to the diameter of the propellant chamber.

Claims

1. A metal injection molded ammunition cartridge comprising:

a metal injection molded metal bottom portion comprising

a nose connection surface at a first end opposite a primer insert end at a second end connected by a cylindrical propellant chamber wherein the primer insert end comprises a primer flash hole that extends from the propellant chamber into a primer recess adapted to accept a primer;

a metal injection molded metal nose portion that mates to the metal injection molded metal bottom portion comprising

a projectile aperture at a first end adapted to receive a projectile,

a neck that extends from the projectile aperture to a shoulder region, and

a bottom connection surface the extends from the neck and mates to the nose connection surface to enclose the propellant chamber, to form a metal injection molded ammunition cartridge.

2. The metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the metal injection molded metal bottom portion, the metal injection molded metal nose portion or both comprises stainless steel, brass, ceramic alloys, copper/cobalt/nickel/custom alloys, tungsten, tungsten carbide, carballoy, ferro-tungsten, titanium, copper, cobalt, nickel, uranium, depleted uranium, alumina oxide, zirconia and aluminum.

4. The metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the projectile aperture is adapted to fit a projectile selected from a full metal jacket, expanding full metal jacket, spritzer, jacketed spritzer, armor piercing, and armor piercing incendiary.

5. The metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the ammunition cartridge is a 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, 308, 338, 3030, 3006, 50 caliber, 45 caliber, 380 caliber, 38 caliber, 9 mm, 10 mm, 12.7 mm, 14.5 mm, 14.7 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 57 mm, 60 mm, 75 mm, 76 mm, 81 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 105 mm, 106 mm, 115 mm, 120 mm, 122 mm, 125 mm, 130 mm, 152 mm, 155 mm, 165 mm, 175 mm, 203 mm, 460 mm, 8 inch, or 4.2 inch ammunition cartridge.

6. The metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the metal injection molded metal bottom portion, the metal injection molded metal nose portion or both comprises 102, 174, 201, 202, 300, 302, 303, 304, 308, 309, 316, 316L, 316Ti, 321, 405, 408, 409, 410, 415, 416, 416R, 420, 430, 439, 440, 446 or 601-665 grade stainless steel.

7. The metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the metal injection molded metal bottom portion, the metal injection molded metal nose portion or both comprises

a) 2-16 w % Ni;

10-20 w % Cr;

0-5 w % Mo;

0-0.6 w % C;

0-6.0 w % Cu;

0-0.5 w % Nb+Ta;

0-4.0 w % Mn;

0-2.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

b) 2-6 w % Ni;

13.5-19.5 w % Cr;

0-0.10 w % C;

1-7.0 w % Cu;

0.05-0.65 w % Nb+Ta;

0-3.0 w % Mn;

0-3.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

c) 3-5 w % Ni;

15.5-17.5 w % Cr;

0-0.07 w % C;

3-5.0 w % Cu;

0.15-0.45 w % Nb+Ta;

0-1.0 w % Mn;

0-1.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

d) 10-14 w % Ni;

16-18 w % Cr;

2-3 w % Mo;

0-0.03 w % C;

0-2 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

e) 12-14 w % Cr;

0.15-0.4 w % C;

0-1 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

f) 16-18 w % Cr;

0-0.05 w % C;

0-1 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

g) 3-12 w % aluminum, 2-8 w % vanadium, 0.1-0.75 w % iron, 0.1-0.5 w % oxygen, and the remainder titanium;

or

h) about 6 w % aluminum, about 4 w % vanadium, about 0.25 w % iron, about 0.2 w % oxygen, and the remainder titanium.

9. The metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the metal injection molded metal bottom portion, the metal injection molded metal nose portion or both comprises brass or a brass alloy.

3. A metal injection molded ammunition cartridge comprising:

a metal injection molded metal bottom portion comprising

a nose connection surface at a first end opposite a primer insert end at a second end connected by a cylindrical propellant chamber wherein the primer insert end comprises a primer flash hole that extends from the propellant chamber into a primer recess adapted to accept a primer;

a metal injection molded metal nose portion that mates to the metal injection molded metal bottom portion comprising

a projectile aperture at a first end adapted to receive a projectile,

a neck that extends from the projectile aperture to a shoulder region, and

a bottom connection surface the extends from the neck and mates to the nose connection surface to enclose the propellant chamber, to form a metal injection molded ammunition cartridge wherein the metal injection molded metal bottom portion, the metal injection molded metal nose portion or both comprise;

a) 2-16 w % Ni;

10-20 w % Cr;

0-5 w % Mo;

0-0.6 w % C;

0-6.0 w % Cu;

0-0.5 w % Nb+Ta;

0-4.0 w % Mn;

0-2.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

b) 2-6 w % Ni;

13.5-19.5 w % Cr;

0-0.10 w % C;

1-7.0 w % Cu;

0.05-0.65 w % Nb+Ta;

0-3.0 w % Mn;

0-3.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

c) 3-5 w % Ni;

15.5-17.5 w % Cr;

0-0.07 w % C;

3-5.0 w % Cu;

0.15-0.45 w % Nb+Ta;

0-1.0 w % Mn;

0-1.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

d) 10-14 w % Ni;

16-18 w % Cr;

2-3 w % Mo;

0-0.03 w % C;

0-2 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

e) 12-14 w % Cr;

0.15-0.4 w % C;

0-1 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

f) 16-18 w % Cr;

0-0.05 w % C;

0-1 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

g) 3-12 w % aluminum, 2-8 w % vanadium, 0.1-0.75 w % iron, 0.1-0.5 w % oxygen, and the remainder titanium;

or

h) about 6 w % aluminum, about 4 w % vanadium, about 0.25 w % iron, about 0.2 w % oxygen, and the remainder titanium.

10. A unitary metal injection molded ammunition cartridge comprising:

a projectile aperture at a first end adapted to receive a projectile opposite a primer insert end at a second end connected by a cylindrical propellant chamber, wherein the primer insert end comprises a flange around a circumference of the primer insert end, a primer recess in the primer insert end, and a primer flash hole positioned in the primer recess that extends into the propellant chamber.

8. The unitary metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 10, wherein the metal injection molded metal bottom portion, the metal injection molded metal nose portion or both comprises

a) 2-16 w % Ni;

10-20 w % Cr;

0-5 w % Mo;

0-0.6 w % C;

0-6.0 w % Cu;

0-0.5 w % Nb+Ta;

0-4.0 w % Mn;

0-2.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

b) 2-6 w % Ni;

13.5-19.5 w % Cr;

0-0.10 w % C;

1-7.0 w % Cu;

0.05-0.65 w % Nb+Ta;

0-3.0 w % Mn;

0-3.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

c) 3-5 w % Ni;

15.5-17.5 w % Cr;

0-0.07 w % C;

3-5.0 w % Cu;

0.15-0.45 w % Nb+Ta;

0-1.0 w % Mn;

0-1.0 w % Si and the balance Fe;

d) 10-14 w % Ni;

16-18 w % Cr;

2-3 w % Mo;

0-0.03 w % C;

0-2 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

e) 12-14 w % Cr;

0.15-0.4 w % C;

0-1 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

f) 16-18 w % Cr;

0-0.05 w % C;

0-1 w % Mn;

0-1 w % Si and the balance Fe;

g) 3-12 w % aluminum, 2-8 w % vanadium, 0.1-0.75 w % iron, 0.1-0.5 w % oxygen, and the remainder titanium;

or

h) about 6 w % aluminum, about 4 w % vanadium, about 0.25 w % iron, about 0.2 w % oxygen, and the remainder titanium.

11. The unitary metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 10, wherein the molded metal unitary cartridge is 40 mm, 57 mm, 60 mm, 75 mm, 76 mm, 81 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 105 mm, 106 mm, 115 mm, 120 mm, 122 mm, 125 mm, 130 mm, 152 mm, 155 mm, 165 mm, 175 mm, 203 mm, 460 mm, 8 inch, or 4.2 inch.

12. The unitary metal injection molded ammunition cartridge of claim 10, wherein the molded metal unitary cartridge comprises stainless steel, brass, ceramic alloys, copper/cobalt/nickel/custom alloys, tungsten, tungsten carbide, carballoy, ferro-tungsten, titanium, copper, cobalt, nickel, uranium, depleted uranium, alumina oxide, zirconia and aluminum.