ARMOR PIERCING PROJECTILE CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

A firearm projectile including a penetrating central body, a tip at the forward end of the body. An outer encasement component around a portion of the central body. A displacement shroud around the outer encasement arranged to provide force specific energy transfer and projectile stabilization during integral flight from a firearm.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to ammunition, specifically ammunition used in small arms having armor piercing capabilities.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art armor piercing projectiles have been developed for use on a variety of weapons specifically by the military in a number of user specific requirements. Such military projectiles use a depleted uranium core due to its dense properties. Examples of projectile ammunition can also be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,166, 6,105,506, 7,520,224, and U.S. Pat. 8,161,886.

In U.S. Pat. 5,009,166 is directed to a low cost penetrator projectile having a hard metal core with a hollow conical shape formed from low carbon steel in a series of progressive dies to achieve a Rockwell hardness of C50 and C55.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,506 claims a bullet body and an nonrotable sabot slug for shotguns with a jacketed bullet with a forward end hollow point and a metal sabot that comes in contact with the rifling in the gun barrel.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,224 discloses an advanced armor piercing projectile having a precision machine outer and inner component. The inner component is of a higher density than the outer and higher than that of armor plate such as tungsten.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,886 is directed to a short magnum shot shell cartridge and firing assembly wherein a sabot retaining shot shell cartridge chamber has a sub-caliber projectile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An armor piercing projectile cartridge having a composite penetration core of hardened steel within a steel jacket formed socket. A stabilization sabot of synthetic resin material with elastic base insert surrounds the jacketed composite projectile defining a twelve-gauge armor piercing projectile within a cartridge hull having a propellant and primer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of the composite armor piercing projectile cartridge of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view of the composite armor piercing projectile during deployment.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the composite armor piercing projectile.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the composite armor piercing cartridge.

FIG. 6 is an exploded assembly view of the composite armor piercing projectile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a composite armor piercing projectile cartridge 10 of the invention can be seen which is adapted to be fired in an appropriate gauge firearm F. The composite armor piercing cartridge 10 comprises a cylindrical hollow cartridge hull 11 with a brass head 12 and a center primer 13 with a propellant charge 14 as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The cylindrical hull 11 has an open end front portion 11A which is crimped inwardly at 11A around its free edge to retain the composite projectile and sabot as will be discussed hereinafter and a base portion 11B closed by the brass head 12. The cartridge hull 11 is typically made of synthetic resin plastic or treated cardboard as is commonly used within the art.

A composite projectile assembly 10 of the invention is capable of penetrating AR500 grade designated armor plate AP graphically illustrated for reference purposes in broken lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The projectile assembly comprising a bi-metal projectile 16, a sabot 26, a resilient seat insert 18 and a contoured synthetic resin separation wad 19.

The bi-metal projectile 16 has a monolithic cylindrical body member 20 with a conical engagement end portion 20A and oppositely disposed base end surface 20B. The projectile 16 is formed of hardened steel which in this example 4142 steel hardened C58/62 and is illustrated as a twelve-gauge shell dimension.

The projectile 16 conical engagement end portion 20A is of a length L1 greater than that of its overall length indicated at L2 in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

It will be evident that dimensional variances are not limited to the preferred embodiment designation, but can vary depending on application user venue.

A steel projectile jacket 21 encases the cylindrical portion of the overall body member 20 forming a projectile receiving pocket 22 therein having a uniform continuous upstanding integrated sidewall 23 and a base 24 of increased dimensional thickness in comparison thereto.

The sidewall 23 has a free annular upper edge 25 tapered to be aerodynamically compliant with the conical end portion 20A of the projectile 16, when assembled. The composite assembly bi-metal projectile 16 and jacket 21 is in turn fitted within the stabilization sabot 26 made from plastic, in this example, defining a shroud thereabout. The sabot 26 has an annular sidewall 26A with multiple spaced cuts C thereabout, an offset annular base 26B of increased dimension mass. The sabot 26 will thus support and stabilize the composite bi-metal projectile 16 during its initial flight and then separate and split open as seen in FIG. 6 of the drawings induced by the sabot velocity for deployment.

Referring back now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the resilient seat insert 18 within the sabot 26 engaged by the composite bi-metal projectile 16 is formed from a synthetic/rubber material and is of an annular disk shape with oppositely disposed planar surfaces 18A and 18B. The resilient seat insert 18, as noted, is fitted in the sabot 26 prior to the composite projectile 16 insertion to form a shock cushion thereto as the cartridges fire prior to sabot separation deployment, as noted.

The contoured cartridge wad 19, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6 of the drawings, abuts the bottom of the sabot 17 during cartridge assembly having an oppositely disposed spaced concave surface 19A effacing the cartridge propellant charge 14 which in this application is smokeless gun powder infilling the remaining hull interior area in direct contact with the hereinbefore described cartridge primer 13.

The armor piercing projectile cartridge 10 will therefore provide for optimum ballistic performance co-efficiency of the composite bi-metal projectile 16 for maximum piercing impact with the targeted armor plate AP, as described.

It will thus be seen that a new and novel composite armor piercing cartridge 10 of the invention has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, I claim:

Claims

1. An armor penetrating projectile cartridge comprising,

a cylinder cartridge hull having an open end in an oppositely disposed brass head closure,

a bi-metal projectile within said cartridge hull having a hardened steel central core and a hardened steel jacket thereabout,

said steel jacket having a central cylindrical opening partially within,

said bimetal projectile having a cylindrical body portion engaged within said steel jacket's central cylindrical opening and a fusto conical portion extending from said steel jacket,

a one-piece sabot engaged around and abutting said steel jacket and extending there beyond,

a resilient pad between said steel jacket and sabot,

a cartridge wad in abutment with sabot and a propellant in said cartridge hull,

said central core having a higher density than armor plate for penetration thereof.

2. The armor piercing projectile cartridge of claim 1 wherein said steel jacket has an annular sidewall and an integral base of increased dimensional thickness to that of said sidewall.

3. The armor piercing projectile cartridge of claim 1 wherein said cartridge wad in abutment with said sabot has an oppositely disposed concave surface.

4. The armor piercing projectile cartridge of claim 1 wherein said one-piece sabot comprises, an annular sidewall, annular spaced cuts in said sidewall, an integral solid base of a dimensional thickness equal to that of said know cartridge wad.

5. The armor piercing projectile cartridge set forth in claim 2 wherein said steel jacket annular sidewall has a tapered free edge in angular registration with said central core frustro conical portion.

6. The armor piercing projectile cartridge set forth in claim 2 wherein said composite bi-metal projectile frustro conical portion end is in planar alignment with said sabot's annular sidewall upper free edge.

7. The armor piercing projectile set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylinder cartridge hull has a crimped free annular open end engaging said sabot.

8. An armor penetrating firearm projectile comprises, in combination, a cylindrical outer hull,

a bi-metal projectile within said hull comprising a hardened steel center core and a hardened steel jacket partially there about,

a sabot having a face and an integral upstanding sidewall receiving said bi-metal projectile,

a resilient pad between said steel jacket and sabot base,

a cartridge was in abutment with said sabot,

a propellant and primer in said hull in communication with said wad,

said steel center core having a fusto conical target engagement end portion.