Lead-free frangible ammunition
First Claim
1. A frangible ammunition comprising:
- (a) a powder selected from the group consisting of copper, tungsten, bismuth, ceramic, bronze and stainless steel and combinations thereof, wherein the powder is at least 85% by weight of the ammunition;
(b) a polyester resin; and
(c) an ionomer resin.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to lead-free frangible ammunition wherein the bullets are made of from 85% to 93% by weight of powders of copper, tungsten, ceramic, bismuth, stainless steel or bronze, or blends/alloys of the identified materials, the powder present in a polyester matrix with a small amount of ionomer. The bullets are injection molded under pressure to produce a projectile of appropriate size and weight and comparable to similarly sized live ammunition. The consistency of the bullet is such that it is frangible and will break upon impact with any hard surface, such as sheet steel. Polyester is a preferred polymeric matrix material in that it is a far more dense polymer than previously used nylons. The specific gravity of polyesters is ˜1.30, as compared with ˜1.02 for nylons. This enables the fabrication of a bullet with a greatly increased weight, for while the copper/polymer ratio remains at approximately the 90/10 range, the increased density allows for more actual copper by weight.
175 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A frangible ammunition comprising:
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(a) a powder selected from the group consisting of copper, tungsten, bismuth, ceramic, bronze and stainless steel and combinations thereof, wherein the powder is at least 85% by weight of the ammunition; (b) a polyester resin; and (c) an ionomer resin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification