Limited range rifle projectile

• US 9,157,713 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Cartridge Company (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Bryan P., Edel, Joshua L., Head, Lawrence P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Jonathan C
• Application Number:
  US14/213,061
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 102/439, 102/444, 102/498, 102/501, 102/502, 102514-517, 102/529, 102/293
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 10/32 Range-reducing or range-increasing arrangements; Fall-retarding means
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 10/48 Range-reducing, destabilising or braking arrangements, e.g. impact-braking arrangements; Fall-retarding means, e.g. balloons, rockets for braking or fall-retardingF42B10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/36 for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 8/00 Practice or training ammunition
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 8/14 disintegrating in flight or upon impact

Abstract

Ammunition comprising bullets having destabilizing mechanisms that, under ballistic phase conditions, create instability in the bullets resulting in failure of the trajectory of the bullet and/or the sustainable velocity of the bullets.

Claims

1. A projectile used in a cartridge, the projectile having an elongated body with a nose at one end and a base at another end, the base mounted in a cartridge case, wherein the nose and the base are aligned along a central longitudinal axis of the elongated body, the projectile comprising:

a jacket having a first end, a second end, an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface of the jacket defines a cavity and wherein the first end of the jacket forms at least a portion of the base of the projectile, the first end of the jacket having a plurality of apertures formed therein; and

a core situated at least partially within the cavity of the jacket, the core being an elongated body with a first end at the base of the projectile and a second end, the core comprising a first core material, the first core material having a melting point that is no greater than ballistic phase temperatures resulting from firing said projectile,

whereby, when the projectile is in a ballistic phase of a firing of said projectile, the first core material is at least partially discharged from the projectile through the plurality of apertures due to melting of the first core material by heat generated during the ballistic phase and as a result thereof the projectile loses mass and has an accelerated loss of forward velocity.

2. The projectile of claim 1, the core second end at least partially forming the nose of the projectile, the core further comprising a second core material fixed to the jacket, wherein the melting point of the first core material is less than the melting point of the second core material, the first core material and the second core material being substantially distinct and each being substantially linearly aligned along the longitudinal axis of the projectile with the first core material forming the first end of the core and the second core material forming the second end of the core,

whereby, when the projectile is in a ballistic phase of a firing of said projectile, the first core material is at least partially discharged from the projectile through the plurality of apertures due to melting of the first core material by heat generated during the ballistic phase and as a result thereof the center of gravity of the projectile moves adjacent to the center of pressure causing the projectile to become unstable and lose linear velocity.

3. The projectile of claim 2, wherein total open area defined by all of the at least one apertures is asymmetrically spaced around the longitudinal axis of the projectile.

4. The projectile of claim 1, wherein total open area defined by all of the at least one apertures is asymmetrically spaced around the longitudinal axis of the projectile.

5. The projectile of claim 1, the second end of the jacket at least partially forming the nose of the projectile, wherein the cavity of the jacket comprises an open cavity portion between the core and the nose along the longitudinal axis of the projectile.

6. The projectile of claim 5, wherein the core comprises at least one channel formed in the first core material, the at least one channel being longitudinal aligned relative to the longitudinal axis of the projectile and opening at an end into the open cavity portion.

7. The projectile of claim 6, wherein the at least one channel is positioned radially within the first core material.

8. The projectile of claim 6, wherein the at least one channel is positioned between the first core material and the inner surface of the jacket.

9. The projectile of claim 5, wherein total open area defined by all of the at least one apertures is asymmetrically spaced around the longitudinal axis of the projectile.

10. The projectile of claim 5, wherein a portion of the jacket which is positioned radial around the first core material of the core increases in thickness in the direction of nose to base.

11. The projectile of claim 1, further comprising a second core material, wherein the second core material is radially fully within the first core material.