Tracer training projectile

• US H770 H
• Filed: 08/11/1989
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1989
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roy W. Kline, Sung-Kwong Chung
• Original Assignee: Roy W. Kline, Sung-Kwong Chung
• Inventors: Kline, Roy W., Chung, Sung-Kwong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tudor, Harold J.
• Application Number:
  US73/931,51
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• 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

Abstract

A tracer training bullet which can be assembled into a conventional cartre case and fired in a conventional M2 machine gun is disclosed. The bullet consists of a main body of relatively low strength material which is segmented so that, if not restrained, it will bend under the centrifugal rotational force imparted to the segments by the spinning action of the projectile when fired. The bending of the projectile segments away from their central axis is ordinarily prevented by a retainer in the form of a spider. The spider is made of a relatively low temperature melting material, preferably aluminum, having a given thermal mass. The burn of the tracer material during the flight of the bullet toward a target weakens the retainer to the point of rupture after the bullet has travelled a given distance toward a target position. After the target position is passed, the securement member is destroyed by the high temperature burning action and the segments of the projectile bend or flex apart. This destroys the aerodynamic characteristics of the bullet and reduces its maximum range beyond the target distance.

Claims

1. A reduced range bullet for a training cartridge;

said bullet having a main elongated body having a nose end and a rear end;

said rear end being adapted for mounting in a cartridge case;

said main body having a central bore extending along its axis from its said rear end for a given axial distance and having a plurality of longitudinal slots which extend along at least a portion of the length of said body and separate said body into a plurality of longitudinal segments which are joined together at at least the nose end of said body;

said central bore being at least partly filled with a high temperature burning tracer material; and

a retainer member fixed to said body and holding said segments together and in a position to form a smooth aerodynamically shaped projectile profile;

said retainer member having a melting temperature and thermal mass which is such that the mechanical integrity of said retainer member is destroyed after a predetermined burn time of said tracer material whereby said retainer member is thereafter incapable of preventing the outward bending of said segments due to the centrifugal force of the spin of said projectile induced by the firing of said projectile from a rifled barrel.

2. The bullet of claim 1 wherein said main body is made of a material having a mechanical strength such that said segments will readily bend outwardly from the axis of said body due to said centrifugal force when the restraining force of said retainer member is removed.

3. The bullet of claim 1 wherein said retainer member is made of aluminum.

4. The bullet of claim 2 wherein said retainer member is made of aluminum.

5. The bullet of claim 1 wherein said retainer member is spider-shaped in lateral cross-section and has peripherally extending heads at the ends of each of the arms of the spider;

the outer surface of each of the said heads being smoothly continuous with the outer surface of said body.

6. The bullet of claim 5 wherein said retainer member is made of aluminum.

7. The bullet of claim 5 wherein said longitudinal slots extend from the peripheral center of each of said heads and toward said nose of said body.

8. The bullet of claim 7 wherein said main body is made of a material having a mechanical strength such that said segments will readily bend outwardly from the axis of said body due to said centrifugal force when the restraining force of said retainer member is removed.

9. The bullet of claim 8 wherein said retainer member is made of aluminum.