Abstract: A composite armor 10 and method for making it. The armor 10 has a honeycomb core 12 that is provided with polygonal openings 14 and oppositely facing sides 16, 18. Inserts 20 are placed within at least some of the openings. A pair of sheets 22, 24 are respectively secured to the oppositely facing sides of the honeycomb core to close the openings, thereby containing fracture debris after impact, and to provide reinforcement. One method of making the composite armor includes: providing a honeycomb core having polygonal openings; adhering a sheet to cover the polygonal openings that are located on one side of the honeycomb core; at least partially filling at least some of the openings with a resin; placing one or more inserts within at least some of the openings; and adhering a front sheet to the oppositely facing side of the honeycomb core. A preferred manufacturing practice involves resin infusion.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for reducing the danger of harm caused by the accidental discharge of a bullet from a firearm, including an attachment for engaging the muzzle end of a firearm barrel; a substantially tubular body having a cavity and coaxially attachable at one of its ends to the barrel via the attachment; an impact disc having upper and lower surfaces, slidably disposed in the cavity of the tubular body; an energy-absorbing and storing element interposed in the tubular body between the upper surface of the impact disc and an abutting member, the absorbing and storing element acting on the impact disc to maintain contact with the abutting member inside the body, and a body made of a material at least as hard as the material of the bullets to be used with the fiream, the body being affixed at the lower surface of the impact disc, for substantially preventing a bullet from piercing through the impact disc; whereby, upon the discharge of a bullet, the bullet impacts the body, transferring some of

Abstract: A device for preventing the accidental discharge of a bullet from a firearm, suitable for use with blank cartridges, the device including an attachment member adapted to engage the muzzle end of a firearm barrel, a substantially tubular body having a cavity and coaxially attachable at one of its ends to the barrel via the attachment member, a bullet-pierceable insert having a portion traversing the axis of the barrel and tubular body, an impact disk slidably disposed in the cavity of the tubular body, and an energy-absorbing and storing unit interposed in the tubular body between the impact disk and an abutting element, acting on the impact disk to maintain contact with the insert inside the body, wherein, upon the discharge of a bullet, the bullet pierces the insert and hits the impact disk, transferring some of its kinetic energy to the energy-absorbing and storing unit and is thereby prevented from being discharged from the firearm.

Abstract: The invention provides a composite armor plate for absorbing and dissipating kinetic energy from high velocity, armor-piercing projectiles, the plate comprising a single internal layer of high density ceramic pellets which are directly bound and retained in plate form by a solidified material such that the pellets are bound in a plurality of adjacent rows, characterized in that the pellets have an Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 content of at least 93% and a specific gravity of at least 2.5, the majority of the pellets each have at least one axis of at least 12 mm length and are bound by the solidified material in a single internal layer of adjacent rows, wherein a majority of each of the pellets is in direct contact with at least 4 adjacent pellets, and the solidified material and the plate are elastic.