Ammunition for pistols and carbines

Abstract

The invention relates to improved ammunition for pistols and carbines to provide a cartridge that may be used within the restricted dimensions of these weapons while increasing the effective range normally associated with such ammunition. Additionally, the velocity increase creates sufficient projectile cross-sectional energy to allow the perforation of certain body armor types. The invention provides a cartridge which by means of diameter reduction of the case in the area of the front and the application of a sabot or bore carrier assembly allows a small diameter projectile, typically 5.56 millimeters, to be fired from a short compact ammunition that may be employed in a pistol size weapon. A weapon chamber is dimensioned to accept the cartridge as described at a tolerance between approximately 3 and 9 one thousandths of an inch.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to devices, systems, and processes related to improved ammunition for pistols and carbines, and more particularly that for small arms. [0003] 2. Brief Description of the Related Art [0004] Many ammunition types are known in the prior art, especially those designed to fit larger weapons firing a projectile, such as rifles. These larger weapons typically seek to increase the velocity of the projectile by using a reduced case diameter at the front of the case where the projectile is fitted. This technique leads to a case that is usually described as “necked”. For compact cartridges in pistols, this technique has been employed and to some degree achieves the required velocities with small projectiles, where small projectiles typically have a diameter of between 5 and 6 millimeters. However, current designs of a necked pistol cartridge which achieve the required velocities with small project...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] The invention relates to improved ammunition for pistols and carbines to provide a cartridge that may be used within the restricted dimensions of these weapons while increasing the effective range normally associated with such ammunition. Additionally, the invention may provide an increase in projectile velocity to impart sufficient projectile cross-sectional energy to allow the perforation of certain body armor types. The invention further provides

Problems solved by technology

However, current designs of a necked pistol cartridge which achieve the required velocities with small projectiles typically have a short, large diameter case with a very large change in diameter between the case and the neck.

In such a cartridge design, two inefficiencies occur that actually prevent the cartridge from achieving the desired effect.

First, as the volume within the cartridge is limited by the requirement for compact dimensions it is necessary to employ an energetic propellant which by its nature will release combustion products quickly.

However the large ratio of cartridge diameter to neck diameter will only allow combustion products to pass into the barrel and hence propel the projectile at a certain rate, the cartridge being effectively choked.

For the small cartridge these two constraints oppose one another and it becomes very difficult to provide a propellant that will release energy sufficiently slowly to not burst the weapon but still have enough energy within the given volume to achieve the required velocity.

This problem generally becomes unsolvable with normally available propellants for cartridges intended to operate in a variety of environmental conditions, such as those typical for a military application.

In particular, many military weapons must be able to operate in temperatures ranging from minus forty to one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit, and currently known cartridge designs have generally not achieved a sufficient release of energy within a small cartridge volume in such a wide range of temperatures using available propellants.

The second inefficiency resulting from having a necked cartridge is again related to the large changes in diameter required in the cartridge case.

Because this transition area is large the force generated is now typical of that generated within a rifle cartridge and is generally m

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