Bullet with spherical nose portion

• US 20050183616A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gerald T. Eberhart, Richard A. Hayes
• Original Assignee: Gerald T. Eberhart, Richard A. Hayes
• Inventors: Hayes, Richard A., Eberhart, Gerald T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/510
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/34 expanding before or on impact, i.e. of dumdum or mushroom type
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/74 of the core or solid body

Abstract

A bullet includes a frontward facing aperture. Contained within the aperture is a relatively hard bullet frontal element that provides advantageous bullet impact performance. In one embodiment, the frontal element is a steel sphere that provides advantageous penetration and weight retention when the bullet impacts laminated glass., such as an automobile windshield.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method for manufacturing a bullet, comprising the acts of:

impact extruding a copper alloy to form a body comprising a sidewall and a transverse partition separating front and rear compartments;

inserting a rear core aft of the partition and being of a material denser and more deformable than the body; and

inserting a frontal element partially protruding from the front compartment and being of a material harder than the body.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the insertion of the rear core comprises inserting the rear core as a slug compressing it into the rear compartment.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein:

the insertion of the frontal element comprises;

dropping the frontal element into a die;

inserting the body into the die; and

punching a heel of the bullet to depress the bullet in the die and inwardly deform a nose portion of the body so as to bring a surface of the front compartment into engagement with the frontal element, said engagement being effective to retain the frontal body; and

during said punching, the frontal element is at least partially supported by an ejection pin; and

after said punching, the ejection pin is raised to eject the bullet from the die.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising notching the body along the front compartment.

27. A method for manufacturing a bullet, comprising the acts steps of:

providing a metallic precursor;

impact extruding the metallic precursor to form a body comprising a sidewall and at least a front compartment; and

inserting a spherical frontal element partially protruding from the front compartment.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the metallic precursor has a length to diameter ratio of between 0.5 and 3.0.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the providing step comprises:

cutting a length of metal wire;

consolidating said length to a more cylindrical form; and

annealing the consolidated length to soften it.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the impact extrusion forms a transverse partition separating the front compartment from a rear compartment; and

the method further comprises inserting a rear core into the rear compartment, the rear core having a density higher than a density of the precursor.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the impact extrusion forms the front compartment along a majority of a length of the body; and

the method further comprises inserting a core into the front compartment, the core having a density higher than a density of the metallic precursor and a mass at least half that of the metallic precursor.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the impact extrusion includes the acts of:

punching a first indentation in a front end of the metallic precursor, the first indentation having a first depth and a first maximum diameter;

punching a second indentation to extend rearward from a base of the first indentation, the second indentation having a second depth and a second maximum diameter the second depth being greater than the first depth and the second maximum diameter being less than the first maximum diameter; and

coning the punched metallic precursor to smooth a transition between areas defined by the first and second indentations so as to substantially form said front compartment.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising cutting a plurality of longitudinal grooves in at least a portion of an interior surface defining said front compartment.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein:

the impact extrusion includes providing a rear compartment which includes punching a third indentation in a rear end of the precursor;

the method further comprises inserting a rear core into the rear compartment, the rear core being of a material denser and more deformable than the body.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein:

the third indentation is punched simultaneously with said coning.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the insertion of the frontal element comprises:

placing the frontal element within a die; and

engaging the body with the die to inwardly deform a frontal portion of the body into compressive engagement with the frontal element.

37-38. -38. (canceled)