Barrier defeating projectile for firearm cartridges

Abstract

A projectile includes a cylindrical body having an outer bearing surface, an ogive extending from the cylindrical body and terminating in a meplat, and a plurality of flutes formed in an outer surface of the ogive. The plurality of flutes begins at a start position spaced apart from the meplat and extends longitudinally toward the cylindrical body. A meplat portion includes the meplat and a portion of the ogive extending from the meplat to the start position.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention generally relates to barrier defeating projectiles for firearm cartridges. More particularly, the present invention relates to barrier penetrating projectiles with increased effective energy transfer.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Barriers to projectiles from firearms are often an impediment to law enforcement and military objectives. These impediments can reduce the effectiveness of personnel and can increase the risks to which they are subjected. To overcome various barriers such as vehicle bodies, window glass, and the like, walls and panels of structures and the like, and body armor, projectiles have been developed to penetrate these barriers. These projectiles, often referred to as armor piercing, typically include a jacketed penetrator. The penetrator is a pointed mass of high-density material designed to retain its shape and carry the maximum possible amount of energy as deeply as possible into the barrier. While effective at punching a hole through a barrier, these projectiles are less effective with tissue damage and transferring energy to the target behind the barrier. Specifically, these projectiles will pass through wet targets, such as a person or animal without providing effective energy transfer.

[0003] Additionally, since the energy of conventional armor piercing projectiles is not effectively dispersed, and the projectile generally retains its shape, the projectile will often proceed directly through the barrier and the wet target, endangering anything in its path. Therefore, armor piercing bullets are less effective at damaging a wet target and are dangerous to use since the chance of collateral damage is high.

[0004] Projectiles that fragment or expand, such as hollow point bullets, provide increased energy transfer due to tissue damage and efficient transfer of energy to the target. However, these projectiles typically do not pass through barriers effectively. Thus, these specialized projectiles are somewhat limited in their applicability. This can be a problem for law enforcement, military and like applications that often require effective energy transfer as well as the ability to defeat barriers.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Briefly, to achieve the desired objects and advantages of the instant invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment, provided is a cylindrical body having an outer bearing surface, an ogive extending from the cylindrical body and terminating in a meplat, and a plurality of flutes formed in an outer surface of the ogive. The plurality of flutes is spaced radially about a longitudinal axis of the ogive and each of the plurality of flutes begins at a start position spaced apart from the meplat and extending longitudinally toward the cylindrical body. A meplat portion includes the meplat and a portion of the ogive extending from the meplat to the start position.

[0006] In another aspect, the projectile for a firearm cartridge, includes a base, a meplat spaced apart from the base, a cylindrical body extending from the base toward the meplat, an ogive extending from the cylindrical body to the meplat, and a circumferential groove formed in the projectile differentiating the cylindrical body from the ogive. At least three flutes are formed in an outer surface of the ogive, the at least three flutes are spaced radially about a longitudinal axis of the ogive and each of the at least three flutes begins at a start position spaced apart from the meplat and extending longitudinally toward the circumferential groove. A meplat portion includes the meplat and a portion of the ogive extending from the meplat to the start position.

[0007] In a specific aspect, the projectile includes the meplat and ogive being work hardened.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Specific objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a side view of a projectile according to the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a meplat end view of the projectile illustrated in FIG. 1; and

[0011] FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the projectile illustrated in FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Turning now to the drawings in which like reference characters indicating corresponding elements throughout the several views, attention is first directed to FIG. 1 which illustrates a projectile 10 for use in a firearm cartridge. A firearm cartridge is well known in the art and while not specifically shown, includes an annular casing having a primer disposed at a first end and an open second end into which the projectile 10 is inserted during manufacture and assembly. The casing is filled with a propellant (e.g., gunpowder) that is ignited by the primer. This ignition discharges projectile 10 from a firearm, such as a handgun.

[0013] Projectile 10 includes a base 12 and a spaced apart meplat 14. A cylindrical body 16 extends from base 12 toward meplat 14 to an ogive 17 terminating in meplat 14. Cylindrical body 16 and ogive 17 are delineated by a circumferential groove 18 located at the mouth of the case in a loaded cartridge. Cylindrical body 16 includes a bearing surface 20 having a substantially uniform diameter corresponding to the caliber of the projectile desired and is thus the largest diameter present in projectile 10. Ogive 17 is generally a truncated cone shape, with an end 22 adjacent groove 18 having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of bearing surface 20 of cylindrical body 16. This slightly reduced diameter provides a transition from ogive 17 of projectile 10 to cylindrical body 16. This transition between ogive 17 and bearing surface 20 is a tangent radius which aids in the alignment and transition for equal and concentric engraving surfaces as the projectile enters the rifling of a firearm after discharge.

[0014] Meplat 14 is a generally flat leading surface of projectile 10 that defines a plane P, which is substantially orthogonal to an axis A of projectile 10. A meplat portion 25 includes meplat 14 and an adjacent portion of ogive 17. In the preferred embodiment, projectile 10 includes three ribs 26 that are spaced from each other by, and define, a corresponding number of longitudinal flutes 28. Other numbers of ribs and flutes are contemplated. Flutes 28 begin at a start position 29 adjacent meplat portion 25, extend towards groove 18 and are spaced from meplat 14. In the preferred embodiment, flutes 28 are each defined by two curved surfaces 30 that also form surfaces of ribs 26. Each curved surface 30 may be substantially constant in radius of curve time along its length (from meplat portion 25 towards base 12 of projectile 10). Curved surfaces 30 intersect at an inner intersection curve 32 that is radially equidistant from adjacent ribs 26. As such, flutes 28 are symmetrical. Flutes 28 are formed in a curved outer surface 34 of ogive 17.

[0015] Each flute 28 has an included angle α, which can vary as required or desired for a particular application, projectile caliber, and so on. The number of ribs 26 may further limit the size of the included angle α. Each flute 28 may be defined by a flute volume Vf, which is defined by a number of real surfaces and reference surfaces. Flute volume Vf is defined by the two curved surfaces 30 and a reference surface which is the continuation of curved outer surface 34 if it were present but for the presence of flute 28. As such, these curves, edges, real surfaces, and reference surfaces substantially define the flute volume Vf.

[0016] Projectile 10 described herein are made from monolithic solid copper or copper alloy and like materials. The manufacturing process includes cold impact forming to final shape. Cold impact forming is used to both form projectile 10 from a blank and to selectively harden the exterior of the Copper or Copper Alloys through the process of work hardening. This creates a non-deforming or non-fragmenting projectile. Work hardening can significantly impact the mechanical properties of metallic materials, including strength, ductility, and toughness. Increased strength and hardness due to this hardening mechanism is generally accompanied by a decrease in ductility. Areas which experience greater force in the process of impact forming, i.e. where the most pressure is applied to the surface are rendered harder than those which experience lesser pressure. Therefore, cylindrical body 16, which has parallel walls and a cylindrical form, is fabricated to be softer (more ductile) and ogive 17 and meplat 14 to be harder in order to better resist deformation on impact with a barrier. Thus, the front of the projectile is hardened while the rear portion is more ductile to prevent the projectile from breaking up when impacting hard targets.

[0017] Meplat portion 25, being hardened by a cold impact forming method and having a relatively small diameter meplat 14, enables projectile 10 to penetrate hard surfaces during flight. Thus, projectile 10 described herein is barrier-blind to hide, hair, bone, clothing, drywall, car doors, glass, fabric body armor, composite body armor and the like. Barriers that would destroy a lead or lead-core projectile are easily breached with a projectile manufactured as described herein. Additionally, while able to defeat barriers due to meplat portion 25, projectile 10 also has effective energy transfer for soft or wet targets. Flutes 28 of projectile 10 generate large amounts of hydraulic force when projectile 10 hits a so-called wet target. Wet targets include, for example, animals and persons, as well as water (in discharge testing tanks), and gel ordnance test blocks. As projectile 10 moves forward within a wet target, fluid (water, blood, etc.) that enters flutes 28, travels along within flutes 28. More accurately, as projectile 10 moves forward in the wet target, fluid that is within the path of travel of projectile 10 (e.g., within the flute volume VF) is thrown violently outward due to hydraulic pressure as that fluid reaches the rearward portions of flutes 28. Thus, fluid that enters flutes 28 is ejected therefrom by a strong hydraulic force. As such, the fluid is projected substantially radially outward from the axis A of projectile 10, creating a larger wound cavity and resulting in greater energy transfer. In addition, flutes 28 not only increase the wound cavity formed by the projectile passage through hydraulic forces, but flutes 28 serve to apply equal drag pressure radially which increases the tendency of projectile 10 to travel in a straight line in fluids without yawing until the rotation imparted by the weapon's rifled barrel and forward velocity of the projectile decrease substantially through resistance in the target media.

[0018] As described, projectile 10 of the present invention includes an innovative frontal area design. Specifically, the shape of ogive 17 and meplat 14, are constructed in a particular shape with the function of penetration of barriers and greater energy transfer. While some barriers such as glass and car doors, as specific examples, are relatively easily pierced, fabric and composite body armor are more difficult and require special consideration. Defeating these barriers is accomplished by meplat portion 25 of projectile 10 concentrating the impact force and parting or severing a small number of fibers of the body armor. Additionally, the frontal area is hardened during fabrication by work hardening. After initial penetration by meplat portion 25, the initial penetration is expanded into the full diameter of projectile 10 by ogive 17 and cylindrical body 16. Drag friction is reduced during this expansion by the reduced surface area of ogive 17 due to flutes 28. Thus, reduced force is required for penetration of a barrier by projectile 10. These features also facilitate weight retention and lack of projectile deformation. Thus, meplat portion 25 functions as a penetrator element to pierce barriers.

[0019] This process is enhanced by the proportions of the meplat which are between 0.03 to 0.3 calibers of the projectile caliber (defined by the largest diameter at bearing surface 20), and the concave or convex ogive which is described as a radius between 0.5 and ∞ (infinity / straight line i.e, a conical shape described in outline by the formula y=mx+b), with the addition of a truncated cone flattened tip. These factors are important features in the ability of projectile 10 to penetrate fabric or composite armor. Meplat portion 25 is defined between meplat 14 and the start position 29 of flutes 28. Flutes begin between 0.04 to 0.5 calibers from meplat 14. The length of flutes 28 are 0.4 to 1.15 calibers.

[0020] The present invention is described above with reference to illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made in the described embodiments without departing from the nature and scope of the present invention. Various changes and modifications to the embodiments herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A projectile for a firearm cartridge, the projectile comprising:a cylindrical body having a bearing surface;an ogive extending from the cylindrical body and terminating in a meplat;a plurality of flutes formed in an outer surface of the ogive, the plurality of flutes spaced radially about a longitudinal axis of the ogive and each of the plurality of flutes beginning at a start position spaced apart from the meplat and extending longitudinally toward the cylindrical body; anda meplat portion including the meplat and a portion of the ogive extending from the meplat to the start position.

2. The projectile as claimed in claim 1 wherein the projectile includes the meplat and ogive being work hardened.

3. The projectile as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bearing surface includes a substantially uniform diameter corresponding to the caliber of the projectile, and the ogive having an end adjacent to the cylindrical body with a diameter less than the diameter of the bearing surface of the cylindrical body.

4. The projectile as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of flutes is at least partially defined by two curved surfaces, wherein the two curved surfaces intersect at an intersection curve defined by the radius of curvature.

5. The projectile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the meplat has a diameter in the range of 0.03 to 0.3 calibers.

6. The projectile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the start position is spaced 0.04 to 0.5 calibers from the meplat.

7. The projectile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least three flutes are each in the range of 0.4 to 1.15 calibers in length.

8. A projectile for a firearm cartridge, the projectile comprising:a base;a meplat spaced apart from the base;a cylindrical body extending from the base toward the meplat;an ogive extending from the cylindrical body to the meplat;a circumferential groove formed in the projectile differentiating the cylindrical body from the ogive;at least three flutes formed in an outer surface of the ogive, the at least three flutes spaced radially about a longitudinal axis of the ogive and each of the at least three flutes beginning at a start position spaced apart from the meplat and extending longitudinally toward the circumferential groove; anda meplat portion including the meplat and a portion of the ogive extending from the meplat to the start position.

9. The projectile as claimed in claim 8 wherein the projectile includes the meplat and ogive being work hardened.

10. The projectile as claimed in claim 8 wherein the cylindrical body includes a bearing surface having a substantially uniform diameter corresponding to the caliber of the projectile, and the ogive having an end adjacent to the circumferential groove with a diameter less than the diameter of the bearing surface of the cylindrical body.

11. The projectile as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the at least three flutes is at least partially defined by two curved surfaces, wherein the two curved surfaces intersect at an intersection curve defined by the radius of curvature.

12. The projectile as claimed in claim 8, wherein the meplat has a diameter in the range of 0.03 to 0.3 calibers.

13. The projectile as claimed in claim 8, wherein the start position is spaced 0.04 to 0.5 calibers from the meplat.

14. The projectile as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least three flutes are each in the range of 0.4 to 1.15 calibers in length.

15. A projectile for a firearm cartridge, the projectile comprising:a base;a meplat spaced apart from the base;a cylindrical body extending from the base toward the meplat;an ogive extending from the cylindrical body to the meplat;a work hardened meplat portion, the meplat portion including the meplat and a portion of the ogive extending from the meplat to a start position spaced rearwardly from the meplat; anda plurality of flutes formed in an outer surface of the ogive, the plurality of flutes spaced radially about a longitudinal axis of the ogive and each of the plurality of flutes separated by a work hardened rib, each of the plurality of flutes beginning at the start position and extending longitudinally toward the cylindrical body.

16. The projectile as claimed in claim 15, further including a circumferential groove formed intermediate to and differentiating the cylindrical body from the ogive.

17. The projectile as claimed in claim 16 wherein the cylindrical body includes a bearing surface having a substantially uniform diameter corresponding to the caliber of the projectile, and the ogive having an end adjacent to the circumferential groove with a diameter less than the diameter of the bearing surface of the cylindrical body.

18. The projectile as claimed in claim 15, wherein the meplat has a diameter in the range of 0.03 to 0.3 calibers.

19. The projectile as claimed in claim 15, wherein the start position is spaced 0.04 to 0.5 calibers from the meplat.

20. The projectile as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of flutes are each in the range of 0.4 to 1.15 calibers in length.

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