Sabot for chambering conventional bullets in a shotgun

• US 5,214,238 A
• Filed: 03/23/1992
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Christopher G. Young
• Original Assignee: Christopher G. Young
• Inventors: Young, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/856,356
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 102/520, 102/521, 102/522, 102/524, 102/439, 102/448
• US Class Current: 102/520
• 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

Abstract

A sabot for retaining therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet when the sabot is seated in place in a shotgun shell casing, so that the shotgun can be used to fire conventional lead or copper jacketed lead bullets in a shotgun. The sabot includes a unitary body having a cylindrical portion and a truncated conical portion, the cylindrical portion and the truncated conical portion sharing a common longitudinal axis, the conical portion having a wide diameter at one end thereof and a narrow diameter at the other end thereof, the narrow diameter end being adjacent to the cylindrical portion, the unitary body having longitudinally disposed therein a chamber, the longitudinally disposed chamber for receiving therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, the unitary body being distortable such that the wide diameter of the conical portion can assume a diameter substantially the same as the interior diameter of the shotgun shell casing when the unitary body is inserted therein, the distortion of the unitary body causing impingement of the longitudinal chamber on the tapered-nose of the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, said distortion for retaining in the longitudinal chamber the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, release of the unitary body from the shotgun shell causing the unitary body to return to the undistorted shape thereof so as to release the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet.

Claims

1. A sabot for retaining therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet when said sabot is seated in place in a shotgun shell casing, said sabot comprising a unitary body having a cylindrical portion and a truncated conical portion, said cylindrical portion and said truncated conical portion sharing a common longitudinal axis, said conical portion having a wide diameter at one end thereof and a narrow diameter at the other end thereof, said narrow diameter end being disposed adjacent to said cylindrical portion, said unitary body having longitudinally disposed therein a chamber, said longitudinally disposed chamber for receiving therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, said unitary body being formed of a distortable material such that said wide diameter of said conical portion can assume a diameter substantially the same as the interior diameter of the shotgun shell casing when said unitary body is inserted therein, the distortion of said unitary body causing impingement of said longitudinal chamber on the tapered-nose of the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, said distortion for retaining in said longitudinal chamber the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, release of said unitary body from said shotgun shell causing said unitary body to return to the undistorted shape thereof so as to release the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet.

2. A sabot in accordance with claim 1, wherein said wide diameter end of said conical portion is conically tapered inwardly toward said chamber.

3. A sabot in accordance with claim 1, further comprising spiral rifling in the outer surface of said unitary body.

4. A sabot in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one annular groove disposed in said unitary body.

5. A sabot in accordance with claim 4, wherein said at least one annular groove is disposed where said narrow diameter end of said truncated conical portion is adjacent to said cylindrical portion.

6. A sabot in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cylindrical portion of said unitary body has formed a gas seal in the end thereof not adjacent to said conical portion of said unitary body.

7. A sabot in accordance with claim 6, wherein said cylindrical portion of said unitary body is flared outwardly adjacent to said recess to form said gas seal.

8. A sabot in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unitary body has at least one radially disposed slot extending from the outer wall of said unitary body into said chamber, said at least one radially disposed slot facilitating the distortion of said unitary body.

9. A sabot in accordance with claim 8, wherein said at least one slot extends longitudinally from said wide diameter end of said conical portion into said cylindrical portion.

10. A sabot in accordance with claim 8, wherein said at least one slot comprises a plurality of radially disposed slots spaced equally about the longitudinal axis of said unitary body, said at least one radially disposed slot facilitating the distortion of said unitary body uniformly.

11. A sabot in accordance with claim 10, wherein the longitudinal axis of said longitudinally disposed chamber coincides with the longitudinally axis of unitary body.

12. A sabot for retaining therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet when said sabot is seated in place in a shotgun shell casing, said sabot comprising a unitary body having a cylindrical portion and a truncated conical portion sharing a common longitudinal axis, said conical portion having a wide diameter at one end thereof and a narrow diameter at the other end thereof, said narrow diameter end being disposed adjacent to said cylindrical portion, said unitary body having longitudinally disposed there a chamber, said longitudinally disposed chamber for receiving therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, said unitary body having at least one radially disposed slot extending from the outer wall of said unitary body into said chamber, the longitudinal axis of said longitudinally disposed chamber coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said unitary body, said at least one slot extending longitudinally from said wide diameter end of said conical portion into said cylindrical portion, said wide diameter end of said conical portion being conically tapered inwardly toward said chamber, said unitary body having disposed therein at least one annular groove where said narrow diameter end of said truncated conical portion is adjacent to said cylindrical portion, said unitary body being formed of a distortable material, such distortion being facilitated by said at least one radially disposed slot and said at least one annular groove such that said wide diameter of said conical portion can assume a diameter substantially the same as the interior diameter of the shotgun shell casing when said unitary body is inserted therein, the distortion of said unitary body causing impingement of said longitudinal chamber on the tapered-nose of the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, said distortion for retaining in said longitudinal chamber the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet, release of said unitary body from said shotgun shell causing said unitary body to return to the undistorted shape thereof so as to release the conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet.

13. A sabot in accordance with claim 12, wherein said at least one slot comprises a plurality of radially disposed slots spaced equally distant about the longitudinal axis of said unitary body.

14. A sabot in accordance with claim 12, further comprising spiral rifling in the outer surface of said unitary body.

15. A sabot in accordance with claim 12, wherein said cylindrical portion of said unitary body has formed a gas seal in the end thereof not adjacent to said conical portion of said unitary body.