BULLET AND METHOD

Abstract

Provided is a hybrid expanding hollow-point bullet with a very hard, brittle, frangible insert shaped and positioned to facilitate expansion of the hollow-point portion while also fragmenting into sharp pieces upon the bullet impacting a target. A kit is also provided for converting standard hollow-point ammunition, as well as methods of assembly and use.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/960,737 to Jonathan Lawrence Bray, filed Aug. 6, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein. This application also claims priority to and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/742,181 to Jonathan Lawrence Bray, filed Aug. 6, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to improvements to bullets.

BACKGROUND

Potential advantages of frangibility in a bullet are known and are discussed throughout U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,819, entitled Obstacle Piercing Frangible Bullet, issued to Huffman on Jun. 9, 1998 (“Huffman”), which patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all that it teaches. Frangibility, however, may undesirably limit the penetration ability of a bullet, especially hollow-point bullets, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,485 B2, entitled Method Of Making A Non-Lead Hollow-point Bullet and issued to Vaughn, et al., on Oct. 7, 2003 (“Vaughn”), which patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all that it teaches. In fact, Vaughn at Col. 2, lines 47-49 expressly teaches-away from introducing frangibility into hollow-point bullets.

Potential advantages of hollow-point bullets, which are designed to expand in diameter during penetration of the target, are known and discussed throughout the background section of U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US20050126422 A1 filed by Lamm, entitled Bullet With Booster Filling And Its Manufacture and published on Jun. 16, 2005 (“Lamm”), which publication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all that it teaches. Lamm suggests inserting a cylinder of relatively soft elastomer inside the concave portion of a hollow-point bullet to improve its expansion in hard targets by hydraulically transmitting pressure outward to the interior surfaces of the concave portion, while also preventing clogging of the concave portion with debris from intermediate barriers. Lamm notes at paragraph [0039] that frangibility as discussed in Huffman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,819) teaches away from Lamm's radially-expanding hollow-point bullets.

As noted throughout the art, there remains much room for improvement in bullet design, since improvements in one aspect (such as frangibility or expansion), often tend to reduce performance in another aspect (such as penetration).

SUMMARY

Provided are new and improved bullets, which may comprise in certain example embodiments a hybrid bullet comprising both a highly frangible portion comprising very hard and brittle material adapted to fragment into sharp pieces upon impact with a target, and a hollow-point portion adapted to radially expand upon impact with the target. In certain example embodiments a hard, frangible insert may be at least partially inserted into the concave portion of a hollow-point bullet, wherein the insert may be adapted to urge the radial outward expansion of the hollow-point portion while also being adapted to fragment inside a target. In certain example embodiments the hollow-point portion may comprise a conventional hollow-point bullet, such as a copper-jacketed lead bullet having a partially hollowed-out leading end portion, for instance. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise a generally conical or wedge-shaped portion extending longitudinally into the concave portion of the hollow-point bullet, such that the insert would tend to apply a radially-outward force on one or more interior surfaces of the concave portion when the bullet impacts a target.

In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of at least 5. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 6. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 6 to about 7. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 7. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 7.5 to about 8. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 8. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 8.5. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 9 to about 9.5. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 9.5 to about 10. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 10. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of greater than 10.

In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: orthoclase, titanium, manganese, germanium, niobium, rhodium, uranium. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: glass, fused quartz, iron pyrite, silicon, ruthenium, iridium, tantalum, opal, peridot. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: osmium, quartz, rhenium, vanadium. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: emerald, hardened steel, tungsten, spinel. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: topaz, cubic zirconia. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: chrysoberyl, chromium, silicon nitride, tantalum carbide. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: corundum, silicon carbide (carborundum), tungsten carbide, titanium carbide. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: boron, boron nitride, rhenium diboride, stishovite, titanium diboride. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: diamond, carbonado. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of one or more of the following materials: nanocrystalline diamond (hyperdiamond, ultrahard fullerite). In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a gemstone, either naturally-occurring or man-made.

Also provided in various example embodiments is a kit adapted to allow a user to modify a conventional hollow-point bullet, such as a copper-jacketed lead bullet, to become a hybrid bullet. In various example embodiments a kit may comprise one or more hard, frangible inserts that may comprise generally conical or wedge-shaped portions sized and shaped to extend longitudinally into the hollow-point concave portion, such that the insert would tend to apply a radially-outward force on one or more interior surfaces of the hollow-point concave portion when the hybrid bullet impacts a target. In various example embodiments a kit may comprise means for attaching hard, frangible inserts into the concave portions of conventional hollow-point bullets. In various example embodiments said means may comprise liquid silicone, glue, a pliable polymer or any suitably deformable material having adhesive qualities.

Further provided in various example embodiments is a method of creating hybrid bullets as described herein. The hard, frangible inserts may be affixed or removably affixed into the concave portions of hollow-point bullets using any appropriately strong means, such as liquid silicone, glue, or a pliable polymer or any suitably deformable material having adhesive qualities. Alternatively or additionally, the hard, frangible insert may be affixed to the bullet by crimping or otherwise mechanically deforming at least a portion of the bullet, such as an outer jacket, to mechanically engage the hard, frangible insert with the bullet. A method is also provided including the steps of providing a bullet, forming a concave portion in a leading end of the bullet, providing a hard, frangible insert adapted to be at least partially inserted into the concave portion, and affixing the insert at least partially into the concave portion using any of the means described above.

Further details regarding example embodiments of the invention are provided below with reference to the accompanying example figures. Additional aspects, alternatives and variations as would be apparent to persons of skill in the art are also disclosed herein and are specifically contemplated as included as part of the invention, which is limited not by any example but only by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following figures illustrate certain aspects of the design and utility of example embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example frangible member and example hollow-point member being assembled into an example bullet assembly according to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the example bullet assembly of FIG. 1, showing the parts assembled.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the example bullet assembly of FIG. 2 being assembled into an example shell casing according to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the example bullet assembly of FIG. 3 showing the parts assembled into an example cartridge.

FIG. 5 is a rotated side elevation section view of the example bullet assembly of FIG. 2 shown after being fired toward an example soft target.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation section view of the example bullet assembly of FIG. 5 shown beginning to impact the example soft target.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation section view of the example bullet assembly of FIG. 6 shown beginning to enter the example soft target.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation section view of the example bullet assembly of FIG. 7 shown continuing to enter the example soft target.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Reference is made herein to some specific examples of the present invention, including any best modes contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the described or illustrated embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Particular example embodiments of the present invention may be implemented without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, device features well known to persons of skill in the art have not been described in detail in order to not obscure unnecessarily the present invention. The invention is scalable, and is not limited to any particular dimensions or characteristics except where specifically claimed.

Example aspects, components and features of various embodiments of the present bullets and their methods of assembly are illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 8 and are described below. Turning first to FIGS. 1 and 2, depicted is an example bullet 100 comprising a frangible member 200. Frangible member 200 may comprise or consist of material of sufficient hardness and brittleness that the material is adapted to fragment into sharp pieces 290 upon the bullet 100 impacting a target 1000, an example of which is depicted in FIGS. 5 through 8. Target 1000 may be any suitable target that allows at least partial penetration of the bullet 100, such as a soft target, for instance ballistic gel. Sharp pieces 290 may have a thin edge or a fine point suitable for or capable of cutting or piercing target material 1000.

For example but not by way of limitation, frangible material of sufficient hardness and brittleness to function as claimed may comprise or consist of materials having a hardness on the Mohs scale of at least 5. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 5, such as apatite (tooth enamel), cobalt, zirconium, palladium, obsidian (volcanic glass). In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 5.5, such as beryllium, molybdenum, hafnium. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 6, such as orthoclase, titanium, manganese, germanium, niobium, rhodium, uranium. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 6 to about 7, such as glass, fused quartz, iron pyrite, silicon, ruthenium, iridium, tantalum, opal, peridot. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 7, such as osmium, quartz, rhenium, vanadium. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 7.5 to about 8, such as emerald, hardened steel, tungsten, spinel. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 8, such as topaz, cubic zirconia. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 8.5, such as chrysoberyl, chromium, silicon nitride, tantalum carbide. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 9 to about 9.5, such as corundum, silicon carbide (carborundum), tungsten carbide, titanium carbide. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 9.5 to about 10, such as boron, boron nitride, rhenium diboride, stishovite, titanium diboride. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 10, such as diamond, carbonado. In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a material having a hardness on the Mohs scale of greater than 10, such as nanocrystalline diamond (hyperdiamond, ultrahard fullerite). In certain example embodiments the hard, frangible insert may comprise or consist of a gemstone. All references to gemstones, minerals, or other substances include both naturally-occurring or manufactured versions unless otherwise stated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 through 7, in certain example embodiments the frangible member 200 may have an outer surface 210 tapering from a larger thickness (or diameter) 220 leading end portion 230 to a smaller thickness (or diameter) 240 trailing end portion 250. In this description the term “leading end” means the end positioned toward the target 1000 when the bullet 100 is fired toward the target 1000, while the “trailing end” means the end positioned away from the target 1000 when the bullet 100 is fired toward the target 1000. In certain example embodiments the tapering outer surface 210 may define a conical, wedge, or similarly-shaped portion 250. In certain example embodiments the frangible member 200 may comprise a body defining a brilliant cut diamond shape 280, as that term is broadly understood in the art of gemstones, with a plurality of facets 282. While certain example shapes and materials are shown and described herein to illustrate general concepts, frangible member 200 may have any suitable outer profile, shape, and dimensions, such as a wedge, diamond, cone, tapered cylinder, trapezoid, or any other suitable shape, and may comprise any suitable materials, as long as frangible member 200 provides the claimed functionality when used in connection with the hollow-point member 300, described below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 8, in certain example embodiments bullet 100 may comprise a hollow-point member 300. In certain example embodiments hollow-point member 300 may comprise a partially hollowed-out leading end portion 310 defining a concave cavity 320 therein having an inner surface 330. In certain example embodiments hollow-point member 300 may comprise a non-hollowed-out trailing end portion 340, for instance, a solid portion. In certain example embodiments the leading end portion 310 may be adapted to expand radially outward upon the bullet impacting a target 1000, as depicted in FIGS. 5 through 8. One or more reliefs 312 may be cut or formed into leading end portion 310 to facilitate expansion or “mushrooming” upon impact.

In certain example embodiments the hollow-point member 300 may comprise a conventional, off-the-shelf copper-jacketed hollow-point lead bullet, as is known in the art of firearms. Alternatively, any suitable style of hollow-point bullet in any suitable caliber can be used as member 300, such as, for example: .17 Remington Fireball; 204 Ruger; 218 Bee; 22 Hornet; 22 Long Rifle; 22 PPC; 22 Short; 22-250 Remington; 220 Swift; 221 Remington Fireball; 222 Remington; 223 Remington; 223 WSSM; 224 Boz; 243 Winchester; 243 WSSM; 25 ACP; 25 WSSM; 25-20 Winchester; 250-3000 Savage; 256 Winchester Magnum; Winchester; WSM; 280 British; 280 Remington; 30 Carbine; 30 Herrett; 30-06 Springfield; 30-30 Winchester; 30-40 Krag; 300 Ruger Compact Magnum; 300 Savage; 300 Winchester Magnum; 300 WSM; 303 British; 307 Winchester; 308 Marlin Express; 308 Winchester; 32 H&R Magnum; 32 NAA; 32 rimfire; 32 S&W; 32 S&W Long; 32 Winchester Self-Loading; 32-20 Winchester; 325 WSM; 327 Federal Magnum; 338 Lapua Magnum; 338 Ruger Compact Magnum; 348 Winchester; 35 Remington; 35 Winchester Self-Loading; 351 Winchester Self-Loading; 357 Magnum; 357 SIG; 375 Holland & Holland Magnum; 375 Ruger; 375 RUM; 38 Long Colt; 38 S&W; 38 Special; 38 Super; 38-55 Winchester; 40 S&W; 400 Corbon; 400 H&H Magnum; 401 Winchester Self-Loading; 408 Cheyenne Tactical; 41 Action Express; 41 Remington Magnum; 416 Barrett; 416 Remington Magnum; 416 Rigby; 42 Berdan; 44 AMP; 44 Henry; 44 Magnum; 44 S&W American; 44 Special; 44-40 Winchester; 444 Marlin; 45 ACP; 45 Colt; 45 GAP; 45 Magnum; 45-70; 450 Adams; 450 Marlin; 450 Nitro Express; 454 Casull; 455 Webley; 458 Winchester Magnum; 46 rimfire; 460 S&W Magnum; 460 Weatherby; 465 H&H Magnum; 470 Nitro Express; 476 Enfield; 480 Ruger; 50 Action Express; 50 BMG; 50 Remington; 50-90 Sharps; 500 S&W Magnum; 577 Snider; 577/450 Martini-Henry; 600 Nitro Express; 700 Nitro Express; 10 mm Auto; 11 mm Gras; 11×60 mm Mauser; 11×60 mm Murata; 2 mm Kolibri; 300 AAC Blackout; 5 mm Remington Rimfire Magnum; 5.45×39 mm; 5.56×45 mm NATO; 5.56×45 mm NATO SS109; 5.6 mm Gw Pat 90; 5.8×42 mm DBP87; 6 mm PPC; 6.5 Grendel; 6.5 mm JDJ; 6.5×50 mmSR Arisaka; 6.5×52 mm Mannlicher-Carcano; 6.5×55 mm; 6.5×68 mm; 6.8 mm Remington SPC; 7.35×51 mm Carcano; 7.5×55 mm Swiss; 7.5×57 mm MAS; 7.62×38 mmR; 7.62×39 mm; 7.62×51 mm NATO; 7.62×54 mmR; 7.63×25 mm Mauser; 7.65 mm Browning; 7.65×21 mm Parabellum; 7.7×58 mm Arisaka; 7.92 mm DS; 7.92×33 mm Kurz; 7.92×57 mm Mauser; 7 mm Remington Magnum; 7 mm WSM; 7 mm-08 Remington; 7×57 mm Mauser; 8 mm Lebel; 8×53 Rmm Murata; 8×68 mm S; 9.3×62 mm; 9 mm Browning Short; 9 mm Mars; 9×19 mm Parabellum; 9×57 mm Mauser; FN 5.7×28 mm; HK 4.6×30 mm, or any other caliber or style of bullet, jacketed or not, already having a concave hollow-point cavity 320 or capable of having a hollow point cavity 320 cut, swaged, or otherwise formed therein as is known in the art. Some of the foregoing ammunition is mentioned by brand name; all trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 through 7, in certain example embodiments bullet 100 may comprise the smaller thickness 240 trailing end portion 250 of the frangible member 200 extending into the cavity 320 in the leading end portion 310 of the hollow-point member 300. The frangible member 200 may be affixed or removably affixed into the cavity 320 using any appropriately strong means, such as liquid silicone, glue, or a pliable polymer or any suitably deformable material having adhesive qualities, a suitable amount of which (not shown) may be placed into the cavity 320, and the frangible member 200 inserted at least partially therein. Alternatively or additionally, frangible member 200 may be affixed into the cavity 320 by crimping or otherwise mechanically deforming at least a portion of the leading end portion 310 of the hollow-point member 300, such as an outer jacket (not shown) or edge 325, to mechanically engage the larger thickness (or diameter) 220 leading end portion 230 of the frangible member 200 to the hollow-point member 300. No specific examples of crimping are shown since this general technique is well known in the art.

In certain example embodiments the tapered outer surface 210 of the frangible member 200 may be adapted to transmit radial outward force to the inner surface 330 of the cavity 320 upon the bullet 100 impacting a target 1000, for instance a radial outward force tending to wedge open the hollow-point cavity 320 during impact, even as the frangible member 200 tends to fracture, as depicted in FIGS. 6 through 8. In certain example embodiments the tapered outer surface 210 may define a conical, wedge, or similarly-shaped portion 250 extending into the cavity 320 in the leading end portion 310 of the hollow-point member 300. For example, in certain example embodiments the tapered outer surface 210 may define a generally conical portion 250 of a brilliant cut diamond shape 280 or other shape extending into the cavity 320 in the leading end portion 310 of the hollow-point member 300, where the leading end portion 230 of the frangible member 200 may be larger in thickness (or diameter) 220 than the thickness (or diameter) 325 of the opening of the cavity 320 as defined by its sidewall(s) 330.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, also provided in various example embodiments are example methods of assembling a bullet 100, which methods may comprise providing a hollow-point member 300 comprising a partially hollowed-out leading end portion 310 defining a concave cavity 320 therein having an inner surface 300, and a non-hollowed-out trailing end portion 340, wherein the leading end portion 310 is adapted to expand radially outward upon the bullet 100 impacting a target 1000, using any suitable technique or geometry as is known in the art of hollow-point bullets. In various embodiments example methods may further comprise inserting at least partially into the cavity 320 a frangible member 200 comprising material of sufficient hardness and brittleness that the material is adapted to fragment into sharp pieces 290 upon the bullet 100 impacting a target 1000, where the frangible member 200 may have an outer surface tapering from a larger thickness 220 leading end portion 230 to a smaller thickness 240 trailing end portion 250.

In various embodiments example methods may further comprise affixing the frangible member 200 with the hollow-point member 300 in a position where: the smaller thickness 240 trailing end portion 250 of the frangible member 200 extends into the cavity 320 in the leading end portion 310 of the hollow-point member 330; and the tapered outer surface 210 of the frangible member 220 is positioned to transmit radial outward force to the inner surface 330 of the cavity 320 upon the bullet 100 impacting a target 1000. This may be accomplished in certain example embodiments by providing the leading end portion 230 of the frangible member 200 with a larger thickness (or diameter) 220 than the thickness (or diameter) 325 of the opening of the cavity 320 as defined by its sidewall(s) 330, as depicted in FIGS. 1 through 8. Specific dimensional relationships among diameters 220, 325 can be optimized by testing using various materials and geometries in view of desired properties of the bullet 100, such as penetration, expansion, and frangibility.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in use, the bullet 100 may form part of a live firearm cartridge 400 by being placed in a shell casing 410 along with propellant 420 such as gunpowder (not shown), and a primer 430 (not shown), as known in the art of firearm ammunition. Such a bullet 100 may then be placed in a firearm (not shown) and fired as depicted in FIGS. 5 through 8, causing the bullet 100 to strike a target 1000, whereupon the frangible member 200 tends to fracture into sharp pieces 290 that tend to be pushed into the target 1000 by the hollow-point member 300, which itself tends to expand radially outward similar to a regular hollow-point bullet, assisted in its expansion by the radial outward urging of the wedging action of the frangible member 200, as depicted in FIGS. 6 through 8. Alternatively, the bullet 100 may be used in a dummy firearm cartridge for decoration or similar purposes by omitting the propellant.

Also provided in various example embodiments is a kit adapted to allow a user to modify a conventional hollow-point bullet 300, such as a copper-jacketed lead bullet, to become a hybrid bullet 100. In various example embodiments a kit may comprise one or more hard, frangible inserts 200 as described herein, sized appropriately for one or more specific standard hollow-point bullet(s) 300 to cause the said bullet(s) 300 to function as described and shown herein in FIGS. 6 through 8 when used as described herein. The kit may further comprise means for attaching the hard, frangible inserts 200 into the concave portions 320 of the conventional hollow-point bullets 300. In various example embodiments said means may comprise liquid silicone, glue, a pliable polymer or any suitably deformable material having adhesive qualities. The kit may further comprise written instructions for inserting the inserts 200 at least partially into the concave portions 320 of the conventional hollow-point bullets 300 as described herein.

The above devices, structures, methods, and functionalities are set forth to illustrate general concepts. Numerous other devices, structures, methods, and functionalities, and combinations and permutations thereof, are contemplated, and are inherently and necessarily disclosed to persons of ordinary skill in the art by the description and drawings herein.

Although exemplary embodiments and applications of the invention have been described herein including as described above and shown in the included example Figures, there is no intention that the invention be limited to these exemplary embodiments and applications or to the manner in which the exemplary embodiments and applications operate or are described herein. Indeed, many variations and modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The invention may include any device, structure, method, or functionality, as long as the resulting device, system or method falls within the scope of one of the claims that is allowed by the patent office based on this or any related patent application.

Claims

1. A bullet comprising:

a frangible member having a hardness on the Mohs scale of at least 5 and adapted to fragment into sharp pieces upon the bullet impacting a target, the frangible member having an outer surface tapering from a larger thickness leading end portion to a smaller thickness trailing end portion;

a hollow-point member comprising: a partially hollowed-out leading end portion defining a cavity therein having an inner surface; and a non-hollowed-out trailing end portion; the leading end portion adapted to expand radially outward upon the bullet impacting a target;

the smaller thickness trailing end portion of the frangible member extending into the cavity in the leading end portion of the hollow-point member;

the tapered outer surface of the frangible member adapted to transmit radial outward force to the inner surface of the cavity upon the bullet impacting a target.

2. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the hollow-point member comprises a copper-jacketed hollow-point lead bullet.

3. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the tapered outer surface of the frangible member defines a conical portion extending into the cavity in the leading end portion of the hollow-point member.

4. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises a body defining a brilliant cut diamond shape, with a conical portion thereof extending into the cavity in the leading end portion of the hollow-point member.

5. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the material of which the frangible member is comprised has a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 6 to about 7.

6. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the material of which the frangible member is comprised has a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 7.5 to about 8.

7. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the material of which the frangible member is comprised has a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 8.5.

8. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the material of which the frangible member is comprised has a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 9 to about 9.5.

9. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the material of which the frangible member is comprised has a hardness on the Mohs scale of about 9.5 to about 10.

10. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the material of which the frangible member is comprised has a hardness on the Mohs scale greater than 10.

11. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: orthoclase, titanium, manganese, germanium, niobium, rhodium, uranium.

12. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: glass, fused quartz, iron pyrite, silicon, ruthenium, iridium, tantalum, opal, peridot.

13. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: osmium, quartz, rhenium, vanadium.

14. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: emerald, hardened steel, tungsten, spinel.

15. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: topaz, cubic zirconia.

16. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: chrysoberyl, chromium, silicon nitride, tantalum carbide.

17. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: corundum, silicon carbide (carborundum), tungsten carbide, titanium carbide.

18. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: boron, boron nitride, rhenium diboride, stishovite, titanium diboride.

19. The bullet of claim 1, wherein the frangible member comprises one or more of the following materials: diamond, carbonado, nanocrystalline diamond, hyperdiamond, ultrahard fullerite.

20. A method of assembling a bullet, comprising the steps of:

providing a hollow-point member comprising: a partially hollowed-out leading end portion defining a cavity therein having an inner surface; and a non-hollowed-out trailing end portion; the leading end portion adapted to expand radially outward upon the bullet impacting a target;

inserting at least partially into the cavity a frangible member having a hardness on the Mohs scale of at least 5 and adapted to fragment into sharp pieces upon the bullet impacting a target, the frangible member having an outer surface tapering from a larger thickness leading end portion to a smaller thickness trailing end portion;

affixing the frangible member with the hollow-point member in a position where: the smaller thickness trailing end portion of the frangible member extends into the cavity in the leading end portion of the hollow-point member; and the tapered outer surface of the frangible member is positioned to transmit radial outward force to the inner surface of the cavity upon the bullet impacting a target.