Lightweight Ammunition and Firearm Systems With Primerless Ignition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional metallic case ammunition is heavy, limiting the amount of ammunition that can be carried by law enforcement and military personnel, and necessitates a reduction in other essential supplies.
Innovation Solution
Development of primerless ammunition with lightweight polymer cases and a gas piston or laser ignition system to replace traditional mechanical firing pins, enabling efficient ignition without a primer and reducing overall weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional metallic case ammunition is used, then reliability and structural strength are improved, but weight increases limiting carrying capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional metal to polymer composite, fundamentally altering the weight-to-strength ratio. The polymer case maintains sufficient structural strength while reducing weight by approximately 50% compared to traditional metallic cases, directly resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and strength maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction for the ammunition case, combining polymer materials with enhanced mechanical properties. This composite approach allows the case to achieve the necessary structural integrity and strength requirements while significantly reducing the overall weight, thereby resolving the technical contradiction between strength and weight.
2Weight of moving object
If primerless ammunition with polymer cases is used, then weight is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the primer function into the polymer case structure itself, eliminating the need for a separate primer component. The case is designed with integrated ignition features, combining multiple functions into a single component, which simplifies the overall manufacturing process despite the advanced material requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the traditional primer component from the ammunition system, removing the need for separate primer manufacturing and assembly processes. This extraction simplifies the manufacturing workflow by reducing the number of parts and assembly steps, offsetting the complexity introduced by polymer case fabrication.
3Device complexity
If traditional mechanical firing pins are used, then ignition reliability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical firing pin system with an electrical or electronic ignition mechanism. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical moving parts, reducing device complexity and weight, while maintaining or improving ignition reliability through more consistent electrical activation of the propellant.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the firing pin component from the ignition system, eliminating the mechanical impact-based ignition mechanism. This extraction simplifies the overall system by removing a complex mechanical subsystem, reducing both weight and complexity while relying on alternative ignition methods that achieve comparable or superior reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A firearm system includes a bolt carrier with an internal cavity, a piston disposed within the internal cavity, a forward configuration where the piston is in a forwardmost position relative to the bolt carrier, and an aft configuration where the piston is in a rearmost position relative to the bolt carrier. The piston slides forward and aft relative to the bolt carrier. In the forward configuration, the entire piston remains disposed within the bolt carrier.