Abstract: A low observable, brass ammunition cartridge casing with an exterior surface having a colored coating which renders the cartridge casing low observable. The colored coating may be deposited onto the exterior surface by various processes, such as electroplating, chemical deposition, and spray painting. The colored coating may be selected from a variety of different colors such as, black, olive green, silver, brown, tan, gray, and white. The colors are typically obtained using conventional pigments and colorants, such as metal oxides. The brass casing exterior surface may be roughened to reduce the gloss or sheen of the casing on the colored coating. The invention includes ammunition cartridges containing a low observable brass casing described above.

Abstract: A steel propellant casing includes a substantially cylindrical casing body provided with a casing bottom at one end thereof and with a shoulder cone at an opposite end thereof. The shoulder cone terminates in a casing neck, and has an essentially uniform wall thickness. The shoulder cone wall thickness is, within a range of up to several tenths of a millimeter, less than the wall thickness of the casing body adjacent the shoulder cone between the shoulder cone and the casing bottom.

Abstract: An air bag explosive container device for use in inflating an air bag upon receipt of a sensor signal that indicates a collision. The container device includes a lower cylinder portion and an upper cap portion, threadedly connected together and enclosing a chamber for an explosive material. The lower cylinder portion and upper cap portion each consist of (a) carbon iron alloy base material and an outer protective oxide coating located thereon thereby providing both high strength and anticorrosion properties, ease of manufacture, and much lower cost of manufacture.

Abstract: High strength, high precision thin-walled cartridge cases are manufactured from a metal of interest selected from low alloy and carbon steels utilizing an extrusion and heat treating process. The cartridge blanks are extruded to a length greater than that necessary for the finished cartridge case and are provided with one or more peripheral grooves close to the open end of the extruded cartridge blank to prevent warpage during subsequent heat treatment.

Abstract: When cartridges are introduced into a weapon there exists the danger that the conical shoulder of the cartridge case or sleeve will be deformed to an undesired degree. To avoid such disadvantage the wall of the conical shoulder is constructed to be thicker than the wall of the case or sleeve body of the cartridge case. For producing such a cartridge case an extruding mandrel is used which contains a recess at the region of the conical shoulder in order to generate a region of increased wall thickness in the wall of the cartridge case or sleeve.