Three component bullet with core retention feature and method of manufacturing the bullet

• US 8,752,484 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ammunition Operations, LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RA Brands LLC (RA Factors, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burczynski, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US13/190,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20130025490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 102/439, 102/514, 86/55
• US Class Current: 102/439
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 1/025 of bullets
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 25/00 Uniting components to form integral members, e.g. turbine wheels and shafts, caulks with inserts, with or without shaping of the components uniting by interference- or press-fitting B23P11/02, B21K19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/02 characterised by the warhead or the intended effect
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/74 of the core or solid body
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/78 of jackets for smallarm bullets ; Jacketed bullets or projectiles
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 14/02 Driving bands; Rotating bands F42B14/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 30/02 Bullets
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/00 Manufacture of ammunition; Dismantling of ammunition; Apparatus therefor F42B5/188 takes precedence; manufacturing processes for hollow charges F42B1/036; manufacture of blasting cartridge initiators F42B3/195
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/02 Cartridges, i.e. cases with charge and missile
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/025 characterised by the dimension of the case or the missile
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/067 Mounting or locking missiles in cartridge cases F42B5/18 takes precedence

Abstract

A three component bullet with an improved core retention feature and a method of manufacturing the bullet is described including a cylindrical jacket having an open end and a closed end containing a malleable metal core which is forced into a forming die having a bottleneck shaped interior resulting in a bottleneck shaped pre-form wherein the outside diameter of the open-ended forward portion of the jacket is smaller than the outside diameter of its closed rearward portion. The open end of the pre-form may be dropped through or forced through a malleable locking band of appropriate height, diameter and wall thickness. A relatively tight-fitting punch enters the open end of the pre-form generating sufficient axial force against the face of the metal core to radially swell the core and subsequently portions of the jacket fore and aft of the locking band, thereby securing the locking band in place while at the same time producing an inwardly-extending annular band of jacket material which embeds itself into the core material with the result that the core is permanently locked inside the jacket.

Claims

1. A bullet comprising:

a malleable core having a section with a first end and a second end;

a jacket comprising malleable material surrounding the malleable core, the jacket having a first end and a second end, a wall, and an inwardly extending annular band embedded into the malleable core and forming a circumferential depression in the wall of the jacket, and which forms a mating circumferential depression in the malleable core; and

a locking band surrounding a portion of the jacket configured to retain the malleable core with the jacket during use; and

wherein the locking band is engaged between shoulders defined in the jacket fore and aft of the locking band, and wherein the locking band and jacket are subjected to swelling so as to radially expand the jacket and locking band so that the locking band is compressively engaged within the circumferential depression in the wall of the jacket, the shoulders of the jacket being in compressive engagement with the locking band.

2. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the circumferential depression in the wall is circumferentially embedded in circumferential depression of the malleable core.

3. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the malleable core has a central recess in the first end of the core.

4. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the locking band is metal.

5. The bullet of claim 4, wherein the metal of the locking band comprises at least one of copper, gilding metal, brass and steel.

6. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the locking band is a polymer.

7. The bullet of claim 6, wherein the polymer of the locking band comprises at least one of polycarbonate, polyamide, and high density polyethylene.

8. The bullet of claim 1, wherein an outside diameter of the locking band has a greater diameter than the outside diameter of the outermost portion of the bullet jacket.

9. The bullet of claim 1, wherein an outside diameter of the locking band has a smaller diameter than the outside diameter of the outermost portion of the bullet jacket.

10. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the first end comprises a bullet tip and the second end comprises a bullet base and the bullet base is open-ended.

11. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the first end comprises a bullet tip and the second end comprises a bullet base and the bullet base is closed.

12. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the circumferential depression in a wall of the jacket comprises one of a groove having upper and lower edges, a single edge, and a reduced diameter portion.

13. The bullet of claim 1, further comprising jacket weakening features configured in the first end of the jacket.

14. The bullet of claim 13, wherein the jacket weakening features comprise a plurality of longitudinally projecting spaced slits forming spaced petals.

15. A cartridge comprising the bullet of claim 1.

16. A bullet comprising:

a malleable core having a first end and a second end;

a jacket surrounding the core and comprising a wall, a first and a second end, and a circumferential depression formed in the wall and which forms a mating circumferential depression in the malleable core; and

a locking band comprising an upper side and a lower side that are compressively engaged within the circumferential depression formed within the wall of the jacket to retain the core within the jacket and assist in controlling expansion of the jacket and malleable core, and

wherein an outside diameter of the locking band is substantially the same diameter as an outside diameter of the outermost portion of the jacket.

17. A method for manufacturing a bullet, comprising:

arranging a band of material about a circumference of a jacket containing a malleable core; and

forming an indention around a circumference of the jacket by holding the band of material around the circumference of the jacket while compressing the malleable core within the jacket and forming at least one shoulder by pressing the malleable core outwardly proximate the band of material

wherein the jacket and malleable core are retained together with the band of material positioned within the indentation around the circumference of the jacket during impact at a desired velocity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the malleable core has a diameter at one or more locations, above or below the indention, greater than the diameter of the jacket at the indention, thereby assisting locking the core to the jacket.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of forming a smaller circumference in a portion of a length of the jacket.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of forming a smaller circumference is preformed with the malleable core within the jacket, locking the malleable core in place at one end.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising configuring jacket weakening features in a first end of the jacket.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming petals in the first end of the jacket and the core.

23. A cartridge comprising the bullet produced by the method of claim 17.

24. A bullet, comprising:

a jacket formed from a malleable material and having a first end, a second end and a side wall defining an internal cavity;

a malleable core received and seated within the internal cavity of the jacket, with the core being expanded into coupling engagement with the side wall of the jacket; and

a locking band comprising a polymer and applied about a portion of the jacket spaced between the first and second ends thereof;

wherein the locking band comprises fore and aft side edges that are compressively engaged between fore and aft shoulders of a circumferential depression formed in the side wall of the jacket and projecting onto the core created by expansion of the malleable core and jacket to assist in controlling expansion of the jacket and the malleable core and retention of the malleable core with the jacket.

25. The bullet of claim 24, wherein the polymer of the locking band comprises at least one of polycarbonate, polyamide, and high density polyethylene.

26. The bullet of claim 24, wherein an outside diameter of the locking band is substantially the same diameter as an outside diameter of the outermost portion of the jacket in final assembly.

27. The bullet of claim 24, further comprising jacket weakening features configured in the first end of the jacket, and wherein the jacket weakening features comprise a plurality of longitudinally projecting spaced slits forming spaced petals.