Muzzle-loader projectile with a plastic insert

• US 6,405,654 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tim T. Smith
• Original Assignee: Tim T. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Tim T.
• Primary Examiner(s): TUDOR, HAROLD JAY
• Application Number:
  US09/778,647
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 102/501, 102/507-511, 102/514-517, 102/529, 102/524-527
• US Class Current: 102/517
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/34 expanding before or on impact, i.e. of dumdum or mushroom type
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/745 the core being made of plastics; Compounds or blends of plastics and other materials, e.g. fillers
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 30/02 Bullets

Abstract

The invention is an improved ammunition for use in muzzle-loader guns, where the invention is a muzzle-loader projectile that is substantially conventional in overall appearance to prior art, black powder projectiles, but differs significantly in that it has a plastic center that extends to the tip of the projectile, therein producing a lighter, streamlined projectile that has a higher muzzle velocity, and a truer, flatter trajectory than conventional solid lead projectiles; and, where said invention, on impact, mushrooms extensively, efficiently transferring all of its kinetic energy to the target.

Claims

1. A high velocity muzzle-loader projectile having a conical head, where said projectile, having a length that is not greater than twice its diameter, is a unified assembly comprising:

a metal socket where said socket is substantially a banded cylinder, having an open-ended coaxial cavity, extending at least halfway down said socket and a solid base, wherein, circumscribing said cylinder, there are bearing bands and at least one intervening channel for storing and metering a lubricant, where the bearing band nearest the conical head is a rifling band which is sufficient in diameter that it is graved upon loading, and bearing bands below the rifling band having diameters which are less than the diameter of the rifling band so that the projectile can be easily aligned and loaded in a barrel of a muzzle-loader; and

a plastic insert, which is substantially a solid cylinder having a conoid;

where said plastic insert substantially fills the coaxial cavity, and wherein said conoid is coextensive and projecting beyond the socket forming at least a major portion of the conical head.

2. A muzzle-loader projectile as claimed in claim 1 where the metal socket is substantially comprised of lead.

3. A muzzle-loader projectile as claimed in claim 1 where the plastic insert is comprised of an engineering plastic selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates, acrylics and methacrylics, urethanes, harder polyolefins and vinyls, polyimides, epoxies, styrenics, acetals, and ketals.

4. A muzzle-loader projectile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plastic insert is of sufficient size and density as to effect an overall reduction of weight of at least 10%, as compared to a solid lead projectile of similar overall dimensions.

5. A muzzle-loader projectile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conoid of the plastic insert terminates in a pointed tip, and therein has significantly less aerodynamic drag than a conventional hollow point bullet of similar overall dimensions and therein, on impact, mushrooms more than the conventional hollow point bullet.

6. A muzzle-loader projectile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projectile is lighter, and with a similar charge of black powder attains a weight proportional higher muzzle velocity than a solid lead projectile of similar overall dimensions.

7. A muzzle-loader projectile as claimed in claim 5, and where the projectile is lighter than an all lead bullet, wherein said projectile has a flat trajectory and mushrooms more than the conventional hollow point bullet.