Multi-component bullet with core retention feature and method of manufacturing the bullet
First Claim
1. A bullet, comprising:
- a jacket having a first end and a second end;
a malleable core seated within the jacket and having a section with a first end and a second end; and
a non-rigid locking band surrounding the jacket, at least a portion of the locking band embedded along an inward projecting circumferential depression defined in a wall of the jacket;
wherein a hinge area is defined in the wall of the jacket and in the malleable core adjacent the circumferential depression, the hinge area configured to control deformation of the jacket during expansion of the bullet; and
wherein the locking band comprises a deformable material such that upon impact, the locking band at least partially dislocated from the circumferential depression, exposing the hinge area defined adjacent the circumferential depression sufficient to facilitate expansion of the bullet.
19 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A three component bullet with an improved core retention feature and a method of manufacturing the bullet includes 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, 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 non-rigid locking band. A relatively tight-fitting punch enters the open end of the pre-form, to radially swell the core and subsequently portions of the jacket fore and aft of the non-rigid locking band, thereby securing the non-rigid locking band in place. An inwardly-extending annular band of jacket material embeds itself into the core material to lock the core inside the jacket.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A bullet, comprising:
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a jacket having a first end and a second end; a malleable core seated within the jacket and having a section with a first end and a second end; and a non-rigid locking band surrounding the jacket, at least a portion of the locking band embedded along an inward projecting circumferential depression defined in a wall of the jacket; wherein a hinge area is defined in the wall of the jacket and in the malleable core adjacent the circumferential depression, the hinge area configured to control deformation of the jacket during expansion of the bullet; and wherein the locking band comprises a deformable material such that upon impact, the locking band at least partially dislocated from the circumferential depression, exposing the hinge area defined adjacent the circumferential depression sufficient to facilitate expansion of the bullet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19)
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12. A bullet, comprising:
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a malleable core having a section with a first end and a second end; a jacket surrounding the malleable core, the jacket having a first end and a second end; and a locking band surrounding a portion of the jacket configured to retain the malleable core with the jacket during use, at least a portion of the locking band extending along a circumferential depression in a wall of the jacket and the malleable core; wherein the locking band comprises a deformable material having a selected thickness and strength to retain the core and jacket together upon impact and penetration of the bullet to a selected depth within a target, whereupon the locking band will dislocate from the circumferential depression, exposing a hinge area defined adjacent the circumferential depression and about which at least a portion of the jacket folds to facilitate a substantially controlled expansion of the bullet. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method of manufacturing a bullet, comprising:
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filling a jacket with a core material; applying a deformable locking band about the jacket; forming a circumferential depression about the jacket and the core material within the jacket with the locking band being received within the circumferential depression formed in the jacket and the malleable core; and expanding the core material and jacket adjacent the circumferential depression such that the jacket and the malleable core material are retained together with the locking band positioned within the circumferential depression formed around the jacket; wherein forming the circumferential depression comprises compressing the core material and urging portions of the jacket and core material inwardly to define a hinge area at a selected location along the body of the bullet below an ogive portion thereof and adjacent the circumferential depression, whereby upon impact of the bullet, the ogive portion of the bullet folds about the hinge area to facilitate expansion of the bullet. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification