Reduced lethality gun

• US 8,516,729 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hayes Less Lethal LLC
• Original Assignee: Brejon Holdings (BVI), Ltd.
• Inventors: Hayes, John, Lovinger, David J. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US13/102,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20120279106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 42/690.1, 42/760.1, 42/78, 89/14.1, 89/147
• US Class Current: 42/69.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/21 having only one trigger
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/23 rotatable about an axis parallel to the barrel axis for firing subsequent barrels
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 21/02 Composite barrels, i.e. barrels having multiple layers, e.g. of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 3/16 Hinge-frame revolvers

Abstract

A gun that has a plurality of frangible barrels. At the proximal end of each barrel is a chamber that receives a cartridge. The cartridge has a reduced charge as compared to a conventional cartridge. Each barrel may have an inner sleeve formed from a malleable material. The out member of each barrel is comprised of a rigid material such as, but not limited to, a filled plastic. The inner sleeve is rigid enough to withstand the pressure of the reduced charge cartridge when fired, but is malleable enough to expand from the pressure generated by a standard charge cartridge. When the inner sleeve expands, the outer member fragments and destroys the weapon. The expansion of the inner sleeve and fragmentation of the outer member upon firing a standard charge reduces the propelling force in the bullet. As a result, the weapon is destroyed and the bullet is fired with a greatly reduced force. The barrels on the gun don not rotate. The hammer is mounted in a revolving mechanism that is rotated in a circular path from one barrel to the next when the trigger is pulled. Pulling the trigger also compresses and then releases a revolving member that forces the hammer into contact with one of the firing pins.

Claims

1. A less than lethal firearm comprising:

a hand gun having a molded barrel member including a plurality of barrels formed as a unitary member, and a main housing supporting said unitary member, each barrel having a muzzle at a distal end and firing chamber at a proximal end, the proximal end of each one of said plurality of barrels being adapted to receive a shell cartridge comprising less than 3 grains of gun powder which can be fired from said hand gun, said unitary member being sufficiently strong to withstand the pressures generated by the firing of said shell cartridge comprising less than 3 grains of gun powder;

a sliding trigger mounted for reciprocating movement with said main housing, said sliding trigger including a trigger latch pivotally mounted on said sliding trigger;

a revolving member mounted within said main housing, said revolving member having a hammer located thereon, said revolving member being mounted to enable revolving and reciprocating motion such that the hammer will move in a circular path sequentially impacting a firing pin in successive order in response to successive pulls of the sliding trigger, said revolving member includes cam pins that are in operative engagement with slots formed on a stationary helical member.

2. The less than lethal firearm of claim 1, wherein said unitary member will fragment if a standard cartridge is fired therein from one of said plurality of barrels, thereby rendering the firearm unusable to fire a projectile.

3. The less than lethal firearm of claim 1, wherein as said sliding trigger is pulled backwards the trigger latch will catch and then release the revolving mechanism via lead-in and lead-out ramps formed on the revolving member, said less than lethal firearm further including a drive spring that is compressed as the sliding trigger and revolving member are moved backwards until such time as the lead-in and lead-out ramps are disengaged from the trigger latch thereby releasing the energy stored in the compressed drive spring, wherein as the energy in the drive spring is released the revolving member will move forward and rotate to position the hammer in alignment with a firing pin of the next cartridge to be fired.

4. The less than lethal firearm of claim 1, wherein said unitary member is made from a fiber reinforced plastic.

5. The less than lethal firearm of claim 4, wherein rifling grooves are molded into the surface of each of said plurality of barrels.

6. The less than lethal firearm of claim 1, wherein said pressure generated within said firing chamber by firing said reduced charge shell cartridge does not exceed 2,000/psi, preferably in the range of 500 to 1000 psi.

7. The less than lethal firearm of claim 1, wherein the muzzle velocity of said projectile leaving the firearm using said reduced charge shell does not exceed 600ft/ sec, in the range of 300 to 600 ft./second.

8. The less than lethal firearm of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of barrels has a malleable sleeve molded therein.

9. The less than lethal firearm of claim 8, wherein rifling grooves are cut into the surface of each of said malleable sleeves.

10. A less than lethal firearm comprising:

a hand gun having a molded barrel member including a plurality of barrels formed as a unitary member, and a main housing supporting said unitary member, each barrel having a muzzle at a distal end and firing chamber at a proximal end, the proximal end of each one of said plurality of barrels being adapted to receive a shell cartridge comprising less than 3 grains of gun powder which can be fired from said hand gun, said unitary member being sufficiently strong to withstand the pressures generated by the firing of said shell cartridge comprising less than 3 grains of gun powder;

a sliding trigger mounted for reciprocating movement with said main housing, said sliding trigger including a trigger latch pivotally mounted on said sliding trigger;

a revolving member mounted within said main housing, said revolving member having a hammer located thereon, said revolving member being mounted to enable revolving and reciprocating motion such that the hammer will move in a circular path sequentially impacting a firing pin in successive order in response to successive pulls of the sliding trigger, said sliding trigger is pulled backwards wherein the trigger latch will catch and then release the revolving mechanism via lead-in and lead-out ramps formed on the revolving member, said less than lethal firearm further including a drive spring that is compressed as the sliding trigger and revolving member are moved backwards until such time as the lead-in and lead-out ramps are disengaged from the trigger latch thereby releasing the energy stored in the compressed drive spring, wherein as the energy in the drive spring is released the revolving member will move forward and rotate to position the hammer in alignment with a firing pin of the next cartridge to be fired.

11. The less than lethal firearm of claim 10, wherein said revolving member includes cam pins that are in operative engagement with slots formed on a stationary helical member.

12. The less than lethal firearm of claim 10, wherein said unitary member is made from a fiber reinforced plastic.

13. The less than lethal firearm of claim 12, wherein rifling grooves are molded into the surface of each of said plurality of barrels.

14. The less than lethal firearm of claim 10, wherein said pressure generated within said firing chamber by firing said reduced charge shell cartridge does not exceed 2,000/psi, preferably in the range of 500 to 1000 psi.

15. The less than lethal firearm of claim 10, wherein the muzzle velocity of said projectile leaving the firearm using said reduced charge shell does not exceed 600ft/ sec, in the range of 300 to 600 ft./second.

16. The less than lethal firearm of claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of barrels has a malleable sleeve molded therein.

17. The less than lethal firearm of claim 16, wherein rifling grooves are cut into the surface of each of said malleable sleeves.