Reduced-contaminant deformable bullet, preferably for small arms

• US 6,971,315 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RUAG Ammotec GmbH (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: RUAG Ammotec GmbH (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Krause, Bernd, Schikora, Irene, Riess, Friedrich, Knappworst, Jürgen, Muskat, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bergin, James S.
• Application Number:
  US10/221,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20040025737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 102/507, 102/508, 102/509, 102/510, 102/501, 102/511, 102/514, 102/516, 102/518, 102/439, 102/398, 102/517, 102/515
• US Class Current: 102/510
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/34 expanding before or on impact, i.e. of dumdum or mushroom type

Abstract

Currently, 9 mm×19 mm caliber cartridges in the form of full-jacketed round-head bullets are used for small arms, especially for arms used by police. For safety reasons, efforts are being made to replace these bullets with a type of bullet that is prevented from passing straight through the target medium. Known deformable bullets from the prior art vary considerably in terms of the energy that they release in the target medium of density (1), especially in the human body. The invention therefore provides that the bullet (1) consists of a jacketless bullet body (2), that a cavity (5) extends centrally in relation to the longitudinal axis (15) of the bullet (1) in the tapered front part (6) of the bullet body (2), said cavity consisting of a cylindrical part (16) and at least one conical part (19) adjoining said cylindrical part; that a pusher (3) which forces the projectile open forms the bullet tip and that said pusher consists of a head (7) which seals the opening (4) of the cavity (5) and a shaft (8) which extends into the cavity (5).

Claims

1. A deformable bullet having a front part tapering towards the tip of the bullet and a rear, substantially cylindrical part, the bullet comprising a jacketless bullet body, in the tapering, front part of which there extends a cavity centrally relative to the longitudinal axis of the bullet, characterised in that the cavity comprises an opening at the front part of the bullet having a chamfered edge, a cylindrical part extending rearwardly therefrom, and at least one conical part adjacent thereto and extending rearwardly therefrom, in that a forcing-open plunger forms the bullet tip, in that the forcing-open plunger comprises a head sealing the opening of the cavity, the head having a rearwardly facing conical part, and a shank extending into the cavity and in that the head is supported with its conical part on the chamfered edge of the opening to the cavity.

2. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the part of the head of the forcing-open plunger sealing the opening of the cavity is conical in shape with a cone angle of from approximately 40°

to 75°

.

3. A deformable bullet according to claim 2, characterised in that the angle of the conical part of the cavity is approximately between 50°

and 70°

.

4. A deformable bullet according to claim 3, characterised in that the angle of the conical part of the cavity is a few degrees larger than the cone angle of the conical part of the head of the forcing-open plunger.

5. A deformable bullet according to claim 2, characterised in that the angle of the conical part of the cavity is approximately 60°

.

6. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the cylindrical part of the cavity exhibits a length of from approximately 2 mm to 7 mm, and in that its diameter is approximately between 4 mm and 6 mm.

7. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the conical part of the cavity is approximately 1 mm to 2 mm long.

8. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the shank of the forcing-open plunger is held in a blind hole by a press fit.

9. A deformable bullet according to claim 8, characterised in that the shank of the forcing-open plunger is approximately 2 mm to 7 mm long.

10. A deformable bullet according to claim 9, characterised in that the blind hole is adapted to the length of the shank and is a few tenths of a millimeter longer.

11. A deformable bullet according to claim 8, characterised in that the shank of the forcing-open plunger is approximately 1 mm to 3 mm long.

12. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the bullet rear comprises, centrally relative to the longitudinal axis, a conical recess with a cone angle of approximately between 70°

and 120°

.

13. A deformable bullet according to claim 12, characterised in that the depth of the recess amounts to approximately 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

14. A deformable bullet according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterised in that the recess is closed off at the base by a circular surface with a diameter of up to approximately 2 mm.

15. A deformable bullet according to claim 12, characterised in that the depth of the recess amounts to approximately 1 mm to 2 mm.

16. A deformable bullet according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterised in that the recess is closed off at the base by a circular surface with a diameter of approximately 1 mm.

17. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the material composition of the bullet body comprises 55% to 100% copper, 0% to 45% zinc and 0% to 4% lead.

18. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the tensile strength Rm of the material of the bullet ranges from 250 N/mm² to 450 N/mm² and the yield point R_p0.2 thereof from 150 N/mm² to 250 N/mm².

19. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the forcing-open plunger consists of a lead-free material.

20. A deformable bullet according to claim 19, characterised in that the materials of the forcing-open plunger are plastics, or metals.

21. A deformable bullet according to claim 20, characterised in that the forcing-open plunger is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, tin, zinc, aluminum and copper.

22. A deformable bullet according to claim 19, characterised in that metal powder is added to a head of the forcing-open plunger of non-metals.

23. A deformable bullet according to claim 22, characterised in that the metal powder is barium sulfate (BaSO₄).

24. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the forcing-open plunger further comprises a cap having a forwardly opening cylindrical or conical or cone-shaped or rounded bore central relative to the longitudinal axis of the bullet body, said bore having a diameter of from approximately 0.5 mm to 4 mm, and a depth of from approximately 0.5 mm to 4 mm.

25. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the bullet body is tinned and in that the tin layer exhibits a thickness of from approximately 1 μ

m to 150 μ

m.

26. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the part of the head of the forcing-open plunger sealing the opening of the cavity is conical in shape with a cone angle of from approximately 50°

to 65°

.

27. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the cylindrical part of the cavity exhibits a length of from approximately 3 mm to 5 mm, and in that its diameter is approximately between 5 mm and 5.5 mm.

28. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the conical part of the cavity is approximately 1.5 mm long.

29. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the bullet rear comprises, centrally relative to the longitudinal axis, a conical recess with a cone angle of approximately 90°

.

30. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the forcing-open plunger comprises in its cap a cylindrical or conical or cone-shaped or rounded bore central relative to the longitudinal axis of the bullet body, said bore having a diameter of approximately 2 mm, and a depth of from approximately 1 mm to 2 mm.

31. A deformable bullet according to claim 1, characterised in that the bullet body is tinned and in that the tin layer exhibits a thickness of from approximately 2 μ

m to 5 μ

m.