Projectile with reduced running load

Abstract

The invention relates to a projectile for ammunition, in particular with a caliber of less than 20 mm, in particular less than 13 mm, comprising a projectile body with a tapering projectile front, in particular an ogive-shaped projectile front, which forms the outer skin of the projectile, and a guide band, in particular a substantially cylindrical guide band, which adjoins the projectile front and which is structured so as to form at least one cavity that is open towards the outside, and comprising a casing that surrounds the guide band and is designed to deform when the projectile is fired such that the casing spreads into the cavity, wherein the casing is made of a harder material than the projectile body.

Description

[0001] Bullet with reduced barrel load

[0002] The present invention relates to a projectile for ammunition, particularly for hunting, military, and / or government use. For example, the caliber is less than 20 mm, in particular less than 13 mm. Furthermore, the present invention relates to such ammunition and a method for producing projectiles according to the invention.

[0003] Pure lead has the advantage that it has excellent dry lubrication properties, even as a solid material. Pure lead (bullet is made exclusively of it) cannot be used in modern weapons systems for several reasons. In this case, we must always refer to a "conventional" jacket construction with a lead core as the "filling." Lead bullets are only used in rimfire and air rifle applications. This minimizes friction in the barrel and achieves high projectile velocity. Because the inner core of conventional jacket constructions (with a lead core) is very ductile, the field-rifling profile is easier to press in because the soft core yields. Since all lead-free substitute materials are less ductile than lead, they offer more resistance to deformation and thus increase wear on the field-rifling profile.The ductility of lead also ensures reliable pressing into the groove-field profile of the firearm barrel, so that the firearm barrel is subjected to minimal stress. For ecological and health reasons, especially on practice firing ranges, the use of lead as a material for bullets is becoming increasingly unsuitable. When choosing materials for bullets, there is therefore a conflict of interest, particularly between good accuracy and flight range and environmental compatibility. Alternative materials to lead, such as tin, zinc, and copper, have proven less suitable due to their low density. While this would ensure better environmental compatibility, this results in significant losses in terms of precision, flight range, and terminal ballistics. Furthermore, alternative solutions such as solid steel or brass projectiles also have significant disadvantages with regard to barrel life and resistance to penetration by the firearm barrel.This results in unfavorable internal ballistics. Such solid-body projectiles, especially steel projectiles, have two major disadvantages in terms of surface area and barrel stress. Firstly, the base material is less ductile, resulting in increased barrel stress, and secondly, combinations of steel (barrel) and steel (projectile) are unsuitable from a tribological perspective.

[0004] A significant problem with bullets made with lead substitutes is the buildup of deposits in the firearm barrel and the high level of wear on the barrel, which impairs the bullet's performance in terms of accuracy and velocity. These deposits and the high level of wear lead to significant cleaning effort for firearm barrels. Abrasive cleaning methods are particularly laborious and become necessary when wear or deposits reach a certain level.

[0005] Initial attempts to reduce the contact area between the bullet and the firearm barrel, and thus the barrel load, are being pursued with the so-called guide-band bullets, which are known in the state of the art. These include relief grooves or guide bands in the cylindrical area of ​​the bullet that essentially only come into contact with the firearm barrel. However, it has been shown that the problem of bullet abrasion in the firearm barrel persists and, furthermore, the firearm barrel is subjected to exceptional wear, which in turn has a negative impact on accuracy in the short to medium term.

[0006] Furthermore, so-called sabot bullets are known in the state of the art. These bullets do not exhibit the described effect of barrel wear because the bullet is embedded in the sabot and thus does not come into contact with the firearm barrel. The sabot falls out of the firearm barrel as waste after the bullet is fired. Such designs are certainly not permitted for civilian or hunting use.

[0007] US 9,470,494 B2 deals with reducing the impact of the rifle-field profile of the firearm barrel on the bullet with regard to its accuracy and performance. US 9,470,494 B2 proposes a multi-part bullet consisting of two cores arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the bullet, which are circumferentially housed in a rear-end case and have circumferential recesses on their outer circumference into which the case deforms as it is forced through the firearm barrel in order to adapt to the contour of the cores. This means that when the bullet is fired, the case is pressed radially inward by the fields in the firearm barrel, so that the case occupies the recesses in the cores. In this respect, US 9,470,494 B2 purely coincidentally describes a design possibility for reducing the abrasion contact surface between the bullet and the firearm inner barrel.In US 9,47 0,494 B2, however, the problem of increased bullet wear in the barrel and increased barrel stress, particularly when using alternative materials to lead, was not recognized.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide a bullet with reduced barrel load and / or less barrel abrasion, wherein in particular its precision and / or speed is not impaired as far as possible compared to a lead bullet.

[0009] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a projectile for ammunition is provided, in particular with a caliber of less than 20 mm, in particular less than 13 mm. The ammunition is, in particular, hunting and / or civilian ammunition.

[0011] The projectile comprises a projectile body with a tapered, in particular ogive-shaped, projectile front. It should be understood that the projectile front tapers in the direction of the projectile's longitudinal axis in the direction of flight or firing direction. The projectile front forms an outer skin of the projectile. In other words, the projectile front is not jacketed, but rather exposed to the environment. The projectile body further comprises a guide band, in particular a substantially cylindrical one, adjoining the projectile front. The guide band can be designed to engage the rifling-field profile of a corresponding firearm barrel or to contact a jacket.

[0012] The guide band is structured to form at least one cavity open to the outside. This means that the guide band has structures such as grooves, ridges, pockets, depressions, or the like that are open to the environment and, for example, only become completely enclosed when the projectile body is combined with a jacket surrounding the guide band, which is designed to deform upon firing of the projectile such that it can at least partially deflect into the cavity.For example, the jacket is so deformation-resistant, or made of a material that is so deformation-resistant, that the forces resulting from the bullet being fired and being forced through the firearm barrel cause the jacket to at least partially deform and escape into the open cavity structure in the guide band. This crumple zone effect ensures that the outer surface of the jacket that is in frictional contact with the firearm barrel is reduced in absolute size, effectively resulting in a smaller friction surface and thus less frictional resistance, which ultimately has a positive effect on barrel abrasion and smearing in the barrel. Another advantage of the bullet structure according to the invention is that the abrasion contact surface is minimized automatically, namely during firing as a result of the high forces acting.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the invention, the jacket consists of a harder material than the bullet body. Furthermore, the jacket material can be selected such that its tendency to smear the firearm barrel and to bake into the firearm barrel under the influence of temperature and / or pressure is lower than the tendency or property of the projectile body material. The bullet according to the invention can combine two essential findings and advantages of the invention. Firstly, the selection of a harder material for the jacket means that the jacket material bakes less into the firearm barrel and smears it.However, this is accompanied by the fact that the harder material of the jacket yields less when forced through the firearm barrel as a result of the bullet being fired, which would increase abrasion on the firearm barrel or damage to the firearm barrel. To avoid this, the deformation of the jacket provided by the invention is crucial. As already described, the deflection of the jacket into the hollow structures in the guide band reduces the relevant abrasion contact surface and thus the total surface of the bullet relevant for abrasion of the firearm barrel. This reduces both the tendency to smear or caking and the abrasion of the firearm barrel, and in particular, it reduces it.Since no flight ballistics-relevant measures, such as geometric changes and / or projectile components, are necessary, the projectile according to the invention does not have to suffer any losses in terms of precision and / or speed.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, the at least one cavity is configured in the manner of a winding with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile and / or in a spiral shape. In other words, the cavity extends in a winding or spiral shape around the projectile body on the outer surface of the guide band facing the surroundings with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile. According to an exemplary development, the spiral shape comprises at least one, in particular two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten turns. It should be understood that a material web of the projectile body delimiting the cavity in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the projectile is shaped according to the course of the cavity.

[0015] In a further exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, the jacket and the projectile body are designed such that the jacket plastically deforms when the projectile is fired, while the projectile body remains essentially undeformed. It should be understood that slight deformations of the projectile body may occur when the jacket is pressed into the cavity structure of the projectile body, particularly at the edges bordering the cavities. However, these deformations are considerably smaller or even negligible compared to the degree of deformation of the jacket. For example, the jacket is plastically flattened, particularly in the region of a support web separating two adjacent cavities.In other words, the forcing of the bullet through the firearm barrel results in those jacket regions associated with the cavities shifting into the cavities, while those jacket regions associated with the edges or material webs adjacent to the cavities are compressed in a somewhat particularly plastic manner.

[0016] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the bullet according to the invention, the total cavity volume defined by all cavities lies in the range of 60% to 140% of the jacket volume that escapes into the cavities upon firing. Thus, the bullet can be designed such that, even after the bullet has passed through the firearm barrel, a certain cavity area remains that is not occupied by the deformed jacket. On the other hand, the bullet can also be designed such that the jacket deformations also result in material displacement in the bullet body and / or that the cavity is completely occupied or filled with the jacket.

[0017] According to an exemplary development of the projectile according to the invention, a height transverse to the longitudinal direction of the projectile in the radial direction of the cavity corresponds at least to the height, in particular at least 105%, 110%, or 115% of the height, of a field of a rifling-field profile of a firearm barrel intended for the ammunition. By coordinating the cavity height and the field dimensions of the rifling-field profile of the firearm barrel, the desired degree of the jacket's ability to escape into the cavity structure can be adjusted. This utilizes the knowledge that the field of the firearm barrel is largely responsible for how much jacket material is displaced and thus also how much escape volume must be available for the displaced jacket material in order to achieve the desired crumple zone effect.

[0018] In a further exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, a particularly sharp-edged contour projection is provided in the area of ​​a transition from the guide band to the projectile front, which forms a projectile-front support shoulder for the jacket, extending in particular substantially in the radial direction. The defined contour jump forms a predefined mounting and support position for a projectile-front end of the jacket. Furthermore, the support of the jacket against the contour jump can ensure that when the projectile strikes a target, the impact energy is transferred directly into the jacket, in particular without any accompanying axial relative movement between the jacket and the projectile body.

[0019] According to an exemplary development of the bullet according to the invention, a maximum outer dimension of the contour jump corresponds to a maximum outer dimension of the jacket. This ensures that the contour jump is also guided in the rifling-field profile of the barrel, in particular simultaneously, and does not impair the guidance of the jacket in the rifling-field profile of the firearm barrel. This simultaneous guidance also prevents twisting of the jacket relative to the bullet body during the firing process. The anti-twist device ensures that the spin from the rifling-field profile is effectively transferred to the bullet.In a further exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, in the region of a transition from the guide band to the projectile front, a support surface for the jacket, which is formed by an outer side of the projectile body facing the environment, is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile, in particular adjacent to the contour jump. In particular, the support surface is inclined such that the jacket engages behind the projectile body, or the guide band, in a radial direction transverse to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the projectile. For example, a front-side jacket section is bent conically radially inward, in particular by cold forming.Due to the inclined contact surface of the bullet body for the jacket, the jacket can be pressed onto the bullet body in such a way that a positive connection can occur, so that the holding forces between the jacket and the bullet body are increased, thus more reliably ensuring that the fastening of the jacket and the bullet body can withstand the massive forces that occur during firing.

[0020] In another exemplary embodiment of the bullet according to the invention, the bullet front, the guide band, and optionally a bullet tail adjoining the guide band along the bullet's longitudinal direction are made of a single piece, particularly from copper or a copper alloy. The advantage of copper is that the material is closest to lead in many respects and is characterized by its excellent processing properties. In particular, similar precision and ballistic results can be achieved as with lead.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a projectile for ammunition is provided, in particular with a caliber of at most 20 mm, in particular of at most 13 mm.

[0022] The projectile comprises a projectile body with a tapered, in particular ogive-shaped, projectile front. It should be understood that the projectile front tapers in the direction of the projectile's longitudinal axis in the direction of flight or firing direction. The projectile front forms an outer skin of the projectile. In other words, the projectile front is not jacketed, but rather exposed to the environment. The projectile body further comprises a projectile tail adjoining the projectile front and a jacket enclosing the projectile tail, which is shaped such that it covers no more than 90%, in particular no more than 80%, no more than 70%, no more than 60%, or no more than 50%, of the projectile body's outer surface.Because the bullet jacket does not completely enclose the bullet tail, but the bullet body is at least partially exposed to the environment, a reduction in the abrasion contact surface with respect to the firearm barrel is achieved, which leads to reduced barrel load and reduced barrel abrasion.

[0023] In a further exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, the jacket is configured in the manner of a coil with respect to the projectile's steering axis and / or is spiral-shaped. For example, the spiral shape has at least one, in particular at least two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten, coils. The pitch can, in particular, decrease continuously toward the rear of the projectile and / or have a width of each coil section, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the projectile, of at least 10% of the caliber diameter, in particular in the range from at least 0.5 mm to a maximum of 3 mm.

[0024] According to an exemplary development of the projectile according to the invention, the jacket has a hollow cylindrical shape with at least one, in particular at least two, three, or four, bead-like depressions, particularly evenly distributed in the longitudinal direction and / or radial direction of the projectile. The plurality of depressions can also be designed such that they expose the projectile body to the surroundings.

[0025] According to an exemplary development of the projectile according to the invention, the recesses are open in the projectile front direction and / or in the projectile rear direction. In other words, the recesses have no boundary on their front side oriented in the projectile front direction and / or on their rear side oriented in the projectile rear direction.

[0026] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each depression covers at least 0.5%, in particular at least 1%, at least 1.5% or at least 2%, of the projectile body outer surface.

[0027] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a projectile for ammunition is provided, in particular with a caliber of at most 20 mm, in particular of at most 13 mm.

[0028] The projectile comprises a single-piece metallic projectile body with a projectile front oriented in the firing direction and a projectile tail adjoining the projectile front, in which a deformation core is integrated. This core is made of a softer, particularly more deformation-resistant, material than the projectile body. The monolithic structure of the projectile allows for particularly simple production, particularly through purely forming techniques such as cold forming or deep drawing.The deformation core is designed to at least partially absorb the pressing force transmitted to the projectile by the field of a rifling-field profile when the projectile is pressed through the firearm barrel, in particular by allowing the latter to deflect, in particular to be displaced, in particular in the radial direction, thereby achieving a reduction in the abrasion contact surface, which leads to a minimization of the barrel load and to a minimization of barrel abrasion.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, the deformation core is 10% to 80% softer than the bullet body based on Vickers hardness. The inventors of the present invention have identified this ratio in terms of Vickers hardness as particularly preferred with regard to the desired deformation behavior with regard to reducing the abrasion contact area.

[0030] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the deformation core has a length in the longitudinal direction of the projectile of at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, at least 50%, or at least 60%, of the longitudinal extent of the projectile body. The deformation core can be flush with a rear base of the projectile tail, protrude outwardly in this respect, or be offset inwardly.

[0031] In another exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, the deformation core is manufactured by a casting or pressing process. Alternatively or additionally, its material can be a mixture of metal powder and plastic. For example, the deformation core is manufactured lead-free, i.e., without the addition of lead. The plastic used can be capable of absorbing the metal content, particularly evenly. The plastic can also be selected such that it allows for good processing and is not too brittle.

[0032] According to an exemplary development of the bullet according to the invention, the mixture comprises between 85 and 98 percent by weight metal powder and / or between 2 and 15 percent by weight plastic. It has been discovered that by using a specific weight proportion of 2 to 15 percent by weight plastic, an optimum of density, in particular high density, and ductility is achieved, thereby enabling improved precision. The metal can be present, for example, in an amount of 93 to 97 percent by weight, 94 to 96 percent by weight, or approximately 95 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the deformation core. The presence of the high weight proportion of metal increases the density of the bullet, which has a positive effect on precision.

[0033] In a further exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, the projectile body consists of a non-ferrous metal, in particular a non-ferrous metal, in particular copper or a copper alloy. Alternatively or additionally, the projectile body has a hardness in the range of 30 HV to 300 HV, in particular in the range of 40 HV to 280 HV or in the range of 50 HV to 260 HV.

[0034] According to a further exemplary development of the projectile according to the invention, the jacket is configured to deflect radially inward upon firing of the projectile and to form a force-locking and / or positive-locking connection with the projectile body. The connection can be achieved by material displacement of the projectile body or by an existing geometric structure that allows deformation, in particular deflection, of the jacket into a corresponding shape within the projectile body.

[0035] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a projectile for ammunition, in particular with a caliber of at most 20 mm, in particular of at most 13 mm, is provided.

[0036] The projectile comprises a projectile body with a projectile front oriented in the firing direction and a projectile tail adjoining the projectile front, with a particularly concentric cavity at the rear and a jacket delimiting the cavity for engaging the rifling-field profile of the firearm barrel. The jacket is deformable, particularly designed to be deformably soft, so that when the projectile is fired, it is displaced into the cavity by the rifling-field profile. Furthermore, the jacket material can be more deformably soft than the projectile body material. For example, the projectile is made from a single piece, particularly a so-called monolith.Due to the cavity or free space present in the area of ​​the engagement profile with the rifling-field profile of the firearm barrel, there is an escape possibility when the bullet is forced through the firearm barrel, which is realized by a particularly radial deformation, which causes the jacket surrounding the cavity to escape, so that the abrasion contact surface in contact with the firearm barrel is reduced.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment of the projectile according to the invention, a height in the radial direction of the cavity corresponds at least to the height, in particular at least 105%, 110%, or at least 115%, of a field of the rifling-field profile of a firearm barrel intended for the ammunition. For example, the present invention thus also relates to a system comprising a firearm barrel and a projectile designed according to the invention.

[0038] In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the rear-side cavity has a length in the longitudinal direction of the projectile of at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50% or at least 60% of a longitudinal extension of the projectile.

[0039] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the bullet according to the invention, its cavity is produced by bulk forming, in particular by cold forming, such as deep drawing or extrusion. Furthermore, the bullet can be manufactured by bulk forming, in particular by cold forming, such as deep drawing or extrusion. This makes the bullet suitable for mass production, and precise and simple manufacturing technologies can be used without generating waste.

[0040] In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the cavity in the area of ​​a rear base of the projectile tail is closed, particularly by deformation. It may be advantageous to close the cavity, for example, to prevent inclusions such as dirt or grime, and to combine gas pressure influences on the projectile's performance during firing.

[0041] According to a further exemplary development of the projectile according to the invention, the wall thickness of a projectile section in contact with the firearm barrel, in particular a jacket or projectile body section, is in the range of 2% to 20%, in particular in the range of 3% to 15% of the caliber diameter.

[0042] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the material of the projectile body is a mixture of metal powder and plastic. According to an exemplary development of the projectile according to the invention, the mixture comprises between 85 percent by weight and 98 percent by weight metal powder and / or between 2 percent by weight and 15 percent by weight plastic. It has been found that by using the specific weight proportion of 2 to 15 percent by weight plastic, an optimum of density, in particular high density, and ductility is achieved, thereby enabling improved precision to be achieved. The metal can be contained, for example, in an amount of 93 to 97 percent by weight, 94 to 96 percent by weight, or at approximately 95 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the deformation core. The presence of the high weight proportion of metal increases the density of the projectile, which has a positive effect on precision.

[0043] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the jacket is made of a ferrous metal and / or has a hardness in the range of 90 to 650 HV. For example, steel is used for the jacket. It has been found that ferrous metal is advantageous in that it does not smear or cake in the firearm barrel, and is also harder than comparable other metals.

[0044] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the projectile front opens with a substantially central opening into a cavity extending axially from the projectile front towards the projectile rear.

[0045] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects of the invention and exemplary embodiments, the projectile according to the invention is used as a deformation or partial fragmentation projectile. The projectile further comprises a jacket enclosing the projectile tail, which, according to the further aspects of the invention, is shaped such that it covers at most 90%, in particular at most 80%, at most 70%, at most 60%, or at most 50%, of the projectile body's outer surface.

[0046] Preferred embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

[0047] In the following, further properties, features and advantages of the invention will become clear by describing preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying exemplary drawings, in which:

[0048] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram in sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a projectile according to the invention in combination with an ammunition casing and a firearm barrel;

[0049] Figure 2 shows a detailed view according to section II in Figure 1;

[0050] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0051] Figures 4 -6 show further exemplary embodiments of a projectile according to the invention.

[0052] In the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a projectile according to the invention, which is intended for example for ammunition, in particular hunting ammunition, with a calibre of less than 20 mm or less than 13 mm, is generally provided with the reference numeral 1.

[0053] Figure 1 schematically shows an ammunition 3 of a projectile 1 according to the invention in the inserted state in a firearm barrel 5. In addition to the projectile 1, the ammunition 3 comprises an ammunition case 7 holding the projectile 1, which has a receptacle 9 for a primer cap for activating or initiating a propellant powder 11 arranged within the ammunition case 7, by means of which the gas expansion necessary for firing and accelerating the projectile 1 is generated. The projectile i according to the invention shown in Figure i is an exemplary embodiment in which the projectile i is provided with a central opening 13 on the front side of the projectile, into which an insert 15 is inserted.Basically, the projectile 1 according to the invention is divided into a projectile front 17 pointing in the projectile flight direction F, which tapers in the projectile flight direction F, in particular in an ogive shape, an adjoining guide band 19 and a projectile tail 21 arranged to the rear of the guide band 19. As can be seen in Figure 1, the guide band 19 and the projectile tail 21 are covered by a jacket 23 which is designed to contact the firearm barrel 5 and to engage in its rifling-field profile.

[0054] Figure 2 shows a detailed view of the projectile 1 according to the invention shown in Figure 1, in which a first aspect of the present invention is shown in more detail. The guide band 19 is structured to form at least one cavity 25 which is open to the outside, i.e. towards the jacket 21. The cavity 25 can be formed either by a plurality of depressions or grooves, in particular of identical design, running around the outer circumference of the guide band 19, or by a single spiral or helical cavity 25 which runs around the outer circumference of the guide band 19 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the projectile. Any two adjacent cavities 25 or cavity sections with respect to the closed longitudinal direction are separated from one another by a support web 27 which is in contact with the jacket 21.

[0055] Between the jacket 21 and the guide band 19, in particular a cavity base 29 which forms the outer skin of the guide band 19 in the region of the cavity 25, there is a gap in the radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile, which gap can also be referred to as a crumple zone or deformation space. The structuring of the guide band 19 and its coordination with respect to the jacket 21 ensure that when the projectile 1 is fired, the jacket 21 can deform in such a way that it deflects into the cavity 25. As can be seen in Figure 2, jacket sections 31 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the projectile deflect into respectively assigned cavities 25 or cavity channel sections 25, which are respectively assigned in the radial direction.The deformation of the jacket 21 can occur when the bullet 1 is forced through the firearm barrel, being displaced from the groove-field profile and, as a result of the deformation clearance, being able to deflect radially through the cavities 25, so that the jacket 21, in particular its deformation sections 31, at least partially occupy or fill the cavity 25. This reduces the effective abrasion contact surface with the firearm barrel 5, thus reducing barrel abrasion and barrel stress.

[0056] In the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2, the jacket 21 is furthermore made of a harder material than a projectile body 33 which is designed as a single piece in the exemplary embodiment and which comprises the projectile front 17, the guide band 19 and the projectile rear 21.

[0057] In the area of ​​a transition from the guide strip 19 to the projectile front 17, a sharp-edged contour jump 35 is provided, which forms a support shoulder for the casing 21, in particular its projectile-front holding section 37, extending radially with respect to the projectile's longitudinal axis and protruding from the guide strip 19. In the exemplary embodiment in Figure 2, a projectile-front end face 39 of the casing 21 rests directly against the support shoulder 35.

[0058] Furthermore, Figure 2 shows that, at the rear of the contour jump 35, the projectile body 33 has a support surface 41 inclined at an angle β with respect to the longitudinal direction of the projectile for the jacket section 37, which is bent radially inward to increase the holding force between the jacket 21 and the projectile body 33, in order to engage behind the guide band 19 in the radial direction, thereby achieving axial securing. Furthermore, Figure 2 shows that the support shoulder 35 can be inclined at an angle γ with respect to the radial direction. The projectile front 17, which is particularly ogive-shaped, tapers at least in sections at an angle α in the direction of a projectile nose 43.

[0059] Figure 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a projectile 1 according to the invention, in which the projectile body 33 has the projectile front 17 and an adjoining projectile tail 21 with a concentric cavity 45 introduced at the rear. The cavity 45 is surrounded by a jacket 47, which is made in one piece with the projectile body 33 and is intended to engage with the rifling-field profile of the firearm barrel. According to this exemplary embodiment, the jacket 47 is deformable such that, when the projectile 1 is fired, it is at least partially and / or sectionally displaced from the rifling-field profile into the cavity 45. This, in turn, makes it possible to minimize the abrasion contact surface to reduce barrel stress and barrel deposits.As can be seen in Figure 3, the cavity 45 has a substantially sleeve-shaped structure surrounding a central, particularly cylindrical, projectile body portion 49, which can be manufactured in one piece with the remaining projectile body 33. In this way, a deformation clearance or crumple zone can be created, particularly easily in terms of production, into which the jacket portion 47 can deform in order to minimize abrasion on the firearm barrel.

[0060] Figure 4 depicts a further embodiment of a projectile 1 according to the invention, in which a deformation core 51 made of a softer material than the rest of the projectile body 33 is integrated into the projectile tail 21. In other words, a cavity 53 extending in the longitudinal direction of the projectile over approximately 60% of the projectile length is introduced, into which cavity the deformation core 51 is inserted. When the projectile 1 is fired, and in particular when it is forced through the firearm barrel, wherein engagement of the guide band provided in the region of the projectile tail 21 is accompanied by the rifling-field profile of the firearm barrel, the more deformation-softening deformation core 51 creates the possibility for the jacket 21 to deflect at least partially or sectionally in the radial direction. This is achieved by the harder projectile jacket 21 displacing the softer, in particular more deformation-softening, deformation core 51.

[0061] The exemplary embodiments of the projectile 1 according to the invention according to Figures 5 and 6 are constructed according to the same basic principle and have the same projectile body 33, which is designed essentially analogously to the embodiment of the projectile 1 according to Figure 1, but does not have a structured guide band 19 incorporated into the projectile body 33. According to the embodiments according to Figures 5 and 6, the structured guide band 19 is formed by the jacket 23. In both embodiments, the jacket 23 is shaped such that it covers at most 90% of the projectile body outer surface and otherwise exposes the projectile body outer surface to the environment.

[0062] According to Figure 5, the jacket 23 is spiral-shaped and winds in a spiral or helical manner with respect to the longitudinal direction of the projectile around the projectile body 33, forming several complete turns, with a turn width b lying in particular in the range from 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The spiral-shaped jacket 23 results in a particularly spiral or helical groove pattern from the outer surface 33 of the projectile body, the radial extension of which is reduced with respect to the projectile jacket 23, so that the effective abrasion contact surface in contact with the firearm barrel, in particular its rifling-field profile, is reduced, since a defined guide band structure 19 is created by means of the jacket 23.

[0063] In the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 6, the jacket 23 has a substantially cage-like sleeve structure with a plurality of bead-like depressions 57 or so-called pockets, which expose the projectile body 33 to the environment.

[0064] The features disclosed in the above description, the figures and the claims may be important both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in the various embodiments.

[0065] List of reference symbols

[0066] 1 floor

[0067] 3 ammunition cases

[0068] 5 firearm barrel

[0069] 7 ammunition casings

[0070] 9 Holder for propellant powder

[0071] 13 Cavity

[0072] 15 deployment

[0073] 17 storey front

[0074] 19 Guide band structure

[0075] 21 storey rear

[0076] 23 Coat

[0077] 25 cavity

[0078] 27 Support bar

[0079] 29 Cavity base

[0080] 31 Sheath section

[0081] 33 projectile bodies

[0082] 35 support shoulder

[0083] 37 Sheath holding section

[0084] 39 front side

[0085] 41 support surface

[0086] 43 Nosepiece

[0087] 45 cavity

[0088] 47 Coat

[0089] 49 Projectile body section

[0090] 51 Deformation core

[0091] 53 Cavity

[0092] 55 groove

[0093] 57 Deepening

[0094] F Projectile flight direction a, ß, Y Angle b Winding width

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Projectile (1) for ammunition, in particular with a caliber of less than 20 mm, in particular less than 13 mm, comprising a projectile body (33) with a tapered, in particular ogive-shaped, projectile front (17), which forms an outer skin of the projectile, and a guide band, in particular a substantially cylindrical one, which adjoins the projectile front (17) and is structured to form at least one cavity (23) open to the outside, and a jacket (23) surrounding the guide band, which is designed to deform when the projectile is fired in such a way that it deflects into the cavity (23), characterized in that the jacket (23) is made of a harder material than the projectile body (33).

2. Projectile (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity (23) is designed in the manner of a winding with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile and / or spirally, wherein in particular the spiral shape has at least one, in particular two, three or four, turns.

3. Projectile (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at least two, in particular at least three, four or at least five, in particular identically formed cavities, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the projectile at a particularly uniform distance from one another and / or are formed circumferentially closed.

4. Projectile (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the jacket (23) and the projectile body (33) are designed such that the jacket (23) is plastically deformed when the projectile is fired and the projectile body (33) remains substantially undeformed, wherein in particular the jacket (23) is plastically flattened in the region of a support web separating two adjacent cavities from one another.

5. Projectile (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the total cavity volume defined by all cavities is in the range of 60-140% of the volume of the jacket escaping into the cavities upon firing. Projectile (i) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a height transverse to the longitudinal direction of the projectile in the radial direction of the cavity (23) is at least the height, in particular at least 105%, 110% or at least 115% of the height, of a field of a rifling-field profile of a firearm barrel intended for the ammunition. Projectile (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the region of a transition from the guide strip to the storey front (17) a particularly sharp-edged contour jump is provided, which in particular extends substantially in the radial direction on the storey front Forms a support shoulder for the jacket (23). Projectile (1) according to claim 7, wherein a maximum outer dimension of the contour jump corresponds to a maximum outer dimension of the jacket. Projectile (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the region of a transition from the guide band to the projectile front (17), a support surface for the jacket (23), which adjoins the contour jump in particular, is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile, in particular is inclined such that the jacket (23) engages behind the guide band in the radial direction. Projectile (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the projectile front (17), the guide band and optionally a projectile tail (21) adjoining the guide band in the longitudinal direction of the projectile are made from a single piece, in particular from copper or a copper alloy.Projectile (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for ammunition, in particular with a calibre of at most 20 mm, in particular of at most 13 mm, comprising a projectile body (33) with a tapered, in particular ogive-shaped, projectile front (17) forming the outer skin of the projectile and a projectile tail (21) adjoining the projectile front (17), and a jacket (23) enclosing the projectile tail (21) and shaped in such a way that it covers at most 90%, in particular at most 80%, at most 70%, at most 60% or at most 50%, of the projectile body outer surface. A projectile (1) according to claim 11, wherein the jacket (23) is configured in the manner of a winding with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile and / or is spiral-shaped, wherein in particular the spiral shape has at least one, in particular at least two, three or four, turns, wherein in particular the pitch decreases continuously towards the rear of the projectile (21) and / or a width of each turn section, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the projectile, has at least 10% of the caliber diameter. A projectile (1) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the jacket (23) has a hollow cylindrical shape with at least one, in particular at least two, three or four, bead-like depressions, particularly evenly distributed in the longitudinal direction of the projectile and / or in the radial direction, wherein in particular the plurality of depressions expose the projectile body (33) to the environment.Projectile (1) according to claim 13, wherein the depressions are open in the projectile front direction and / or in the projectile rear direction. Projectile (1) according to one of claims 12 to 14, wherein each depression covers at least 0.5%, in particular at least 1%, at least 1.5%, or at least 2% of the projectile body's outer surface. Projectile (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for ammunition, in particular with a caliber of at most 20 mm, in particular of at most 13 mm, comprising a metallic projectile body (33) produced in one piece, with a projectile front (17) oriented in the firing direction and a projectile rear adjoining the projectile front (17), in which a deformation core (51) made of a softer material than the projectile body (33) is integrated. Projectile (1) according to claim 16, wherein the deformation core (51) is 10% to 80% softer than the projectile body in terms of Vickers hardness.Projectile (1) according to one of claims 16 to 17, wherein the deformation core (51) has a length in the longitudinal direction of the projectile of at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, at least 50% or at least 60% of a longitudinal extent. of the projectile body, wherein in particular the deformation core (51) ends flush with a rear base of the projectile tail (21). Projectile (1) according to one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the deformation core (51) is produced by a casting or pressing process and / or its material is a mixture of metal powder and plastic. Projectile (1) according to claim 19, wherein the mixture comprises between 85 wt.% to 98 wt.% metal powder and / or between 2 wt.% to 15 wt.% plastic. Projectile (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the projectile body (33) consists of a non-ferrous metal, in particular a non-ferrous metal, in particular copper or a copper alloy, and / or has a hardness in the range from 30 HV to 300 HV, in particular in the range from 40 HV to 280 HV or in the range from 50 HV to 260 HV.Projectile (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the jacket (23) is designed to deflect radially inwards during firing and to form a force-fitting and / or form-fitting connection with the projectile body (33). Projectile (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for ammunition, in particular with a calibre of at most 20 mm, in particular of at most 13 mm, comprising a projectile body (33) with a projectile front (17) oriented in the direction of fire and a projectile tail (21) adjoining the projectile front (17) with a cavity (23) introduced at the rear, in particular a concentric cavity, and a jacket (23) delimiting the cavity (23) for engaging in a rifling-field profile of the firearm barrel, wherein the jacket (23) is deformable in such a way that it is displaced into the cavity (23) by the rifling-field profile when the projectile is fired.Projectile (1) according to claim 23, wherein a height in the radial direction of the cavity (23) corresponds at least to the height, in particular at least 105%, 110% or at least 115%, of a field of the groove-field profile of a firearm barrel provided for the ammunition. - Projectile (i) according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the rear-side cavity (23) has a length in the longitudinal direction of the projectile of at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, at least 50% or at least 60% of a longitudinal extent of the projectile. . Projectile (1) according to one of claims 23 to 25, whose cavity (23) is produced by massive forming, in particular by cold forming, such as deep drawing or extrusion, wherein in particular the projectile (1) is produced by massive forming, in particular by cold forming, such as deep drawing or extrusion. . Projectile (1) according to one of claims 23 to 26, whose cavity (23) is produced by an abrasive manufacturing process, in particular by milling, turning, sawing or electroerosion. . Projectile (1) according to one of claims 23 to 27, the cavity (23) of which is closed in the region of a rear-side floor of the projectile tail (21), in particular by deformation.Bullet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall thickness of a bullet section in contact with the firearm barrel, in particular a jacket or bullet body section, is in the range from 2% to 20%, in particular in the range from 3% to 15%, of the caliber diameter. . Bullet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the material of the bullet body is a mixture of metal powder and plastic, wherein in particular the mixture comprises between 85% by weight and 98% by weight metal powder and / or between 2% by weight and 15% by weight plastic. Bullet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the jacket (23) consists of a ferrous metal and / or has a hardness in the range from 90-650 HV. . Bullet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the. Storey front (17) with a substantially central opening into a opening into a cavity (23) extending axially from the projectile front (17) toward the projectile (1). Use of a projectile constructed according to one of the preceding claims as a deformation and / or partial fragmentation projectile, particularly as hunting ammunition.

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