Abstract: Devices and methods for shotshell cartridges, particularly shotshell cartridges with biodegradable components. One or more of the casing, shot wad, spacer, and powder wad may be formed of biodegradable materials. A biodegradable shot wad is manufactured of cellulosic fibers and wax to provide obturation and gas seal properties at high pressures with high reliability.

Abstract: A rupture mechanism is integrated into a plastic casing used for low velocity projectile rounds. The casing incorporates a cylindrical wall having a top mouth end that fixedly receives a projectile to be launched, and a bottom base head at the bottom end. A low-pressure chamber is formed by a first interior space between the cylindrical wall and the bottom base head. A high-pressure chamber formed on the bottom base head extends into the first interior space. The high-pressure chamber is formed with a second interior space to receive an ammunition cartridge. A top portion of the high-pressure chamber has an integrated burst area wall with a thickness selectively formed based on a type of projectile fixed at the top mouth end. Detonation of propellant gas from the cartridge builds up pressure to rupture the integrated burst area wall with a delay time in rupturing the integrated burst area wall based on the thickness of the integrated burst area wall.

Abstract: Two methods of making subsonic ammunition articles are provided that size the cavity to the propellant charge. The first method includes molding a core sleeve comprised of a unified neck, cavity sized to the propellant charge volume and a trailing end with an ejector ring, primer seat and flash hole; then, molding a polymer based casing over the core sleeve except the neck and a portion of the trailing end; then, inserting the primer, propellant charge and projectile; thereby, completing a subsonic ammunition article with a rigid core and a polymer casing. The second method includes injection molding a polymer sleeve within the casing of an ammunition article around a core pull positioned within the casing to form a thicker casing wall and a propellant cavity the volume of which corresponds to a desired propellant charge.

Abstract: An improved shotshell of the type having a hull, a head at the proximal end, propellant disposed in the hull, a wad disposed in the hull distal to the propellant, and a load disposed in the hull in distal to the wad. The improvement comprises the load including a plurality of individual shot, at least a portion of which are at least partially surrounded by a friable material that breaks up upon the firing of the shell to release to the shot and results in a reduced rate of dispersion of the plurality of individual shot compared to cartridges without the friable material.

Abstract: Shotshell type ammunition includes a hull, a wad member disposed within the hull, a hollow nose member, and at least one projectile disposed within the hollow nose member and the hull. The hull has a rimless proximal end that includes a primer for firing the ammunition. The hull also has a seat surface for seating the hull against a complementary seat surface in a firing chamber of a firearm. The seat surface is located a distance from an outer end surface of the hull at the rimless proximal end. The hull further includes an outer side surface extending from the rimless proximal end to the seat surface. Methods of fabricating such ammunition include forming such a hull, providing a wad member within the hull, inserting at least one projectile into a hollow nose member, and inserting the hollow nose member at least partially into the hull.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to cartridges for use in projectile-launching devices, such as ammunition cartridges, flare cartridges, and the like, including components of the cartridges, and methods for their manufacture. For example, the cartridges of this disclosure can be ammunition cartridges such as shotshell cartridges, which include an obturating medium which functions to seal the compressed but expanding hot gases and can be used without a pre -formed gas seal.

Abstract: A wad for ammunition cartridges, including shotshell cartridges, includes a wad body having a series of separable fingers. A shot confinement tube is located within the wad body, surrounded by the separable fingers. The confinement tube extends longitudinally along the wad body and defines a recess in which an ammunition payload is received and is contained upon firing of the ammunition cartridge and as the wad is separated from the ammunition payload.

Abstract: A shot pattern control wad structure for use in a cartridge for shotgun wherein the cartridge includes a case having a tubular outer wall and a wad structure located in the case between gunpowder and a charge of pellets. The wad structure of the present invention is a two-piece structure and includes a base wad having a tubular cylindrical body open at a forward end thereof and has a closed rearward end that faces adjacent to the gun powder. The cylindrical body of the base wad is provided with slits longitudinally extending from the open forward end. The second portion of the wad structure is a shot container having a tubular cylindrical body with open rear and front ends and contains the charge of pellets and is dimensioned to be slidably received within the base wad.

Abstract: A buckshot round for use in large, smooth-barreled weapons, such as an M203 or M79 grenade launcher, wherein the round itself acts as the firing barrel. In particular, a lethal buckshot round is provided, wherein an inner metal cylinder (barrel portion) is encased in an outer jacket, and a shot wad is contained in the inner metal cylinder, such that the inner metal cylinder acts as a barrel for firing of the buckshot from the smooth-barreled weapon. The barrel portion of the buckshot round acts as the firing barrel, and prevents contact of the buckshot with the weapon barrel during firing, thereby providing an accurate firing pattern and preventing damage to the weapon barrel.

Abstract: A shot shell such as would be utilized in a shotgun or the like, wherein the cartridge forming the shell has a collapsible extension removably or permanently engaging the shot end of the cartridge, with the cartridge configured to provide a un-compressed length of, for example, 2.50 inches (the minimum length of shell for conventional automatic or semi-automatic, magazine fed shotguns. The collapsible extension is configured to be compressed when placed in a spring-fed magazine, so as to provide increased magazine capacity when compared to standard length shells, while expanding when removed by from the magazine during a loading cycle, so as to facilitate reliable placement of the shell into the breach from the magazine. The collapsible extension in the loaded cartridge of the present invention is configured to be ejected from the barrel upon firing of the cartridge. The present system thereby provides a means to increase the capacity of conventional automatic or semi-automatic (i.e.

Abstract: The invention relates to small-shot cartridges containing biodegradable separators. Depending on the respective intended utilization, small-shot cartridges contain either scaling disks or cup-shaped wads that are referred to as separators and that separate the charge from the pellets. The cup-shaped wads usually consist of plastic, for example LDPE (low density polyethlene) or similar materials. The scaling disks may consist of plastic, but also of other materials, for example of cardboard, felt, fibers or combinations thereof. These materials may lead to sealing problems and may impair interior ballistics, the trajectory of the projectile in the barrel, and ignition and combustion processes. The separators are ejected from the barrel by the impact of the shot and are left behind during hunting in the countryside or during shooting in the shooting gallery, especially the non-biodegradable plastic materials constitute an environmental hazard.

Abstract: An ammunition cartridge has a tube extending along a central longitudinal axis from an aft end to a fore end. The tube has an interior surface and an exterior surface. A metallic head has a sleeve portion secured to the tube along an aft section of the tube and has a centrally-apertured web portion spanning the sleeve portion so as to form a base of the cartridge. A basewad is contained within the tube and is separately formed therefrom. The basewad is located proximate the aft end of the tube. The basewad has a generally cylindrical exterior surface engaging the interior surface of the tube, an aft surface contacting the metal head, an interior surface. The interior surface extends from a generally forward-facing inner portion, forward and outward to a generally inward-facing fore portion so as to define a skirt portion of the basewad between the exterior surface and interior surface. At least one projectile is carried within a fore volume of the tube. A propellant charge is located aft of the projectile.

Abstract: Two-element wad with pneumatic damping designed for the cartridge industry formed by two interchangeable elements connected to each other and which consist of a case and a damper-shutter. The case incorporates a series of foldable flaps and a valve that regulates the damping and injects air. Both the case and the damper-shutter have crosssectional walls and a convexo-concave shape that can absorb radial deformations to the symmetry axis of the wad. The damper-shutter has a four-fold action: it withstands the flexion and deformation of the material, the friction against the walls, and the compression of the air contained in the damper-shutter.

Abstract: A plastic cartridge has a base with a primer pocket and a primer mounted therein. A propellant charge is located within the cartridge and a plastic, collapsible wad is positioned within the cartridge above the propellant charge. A strawlike fusing channel extends through the wad into the propellant charge and is packed with an igniter charge. The fusing channel communicates between the propellant charge and a tracer charge packed within a cavity in a lead shotgun slug. The wad has a plurality of upwardly extending petals which surround the slug within the cartridge and which engage with the rifling of a shotgun barrel when the round is fired.

Abstract: In combination with a cartridge case having a tubular wall and a head closing one end of the wall, a primer disposed through the head and a propellant charge in the case, a collapsible basewad is disclosed which comprises a unitary body between the charge and the head. The unitary body has an upwardly concave upper portion opening to the propellant charge and a generally cylindrical base portion. The upper portion is deflectable. These portions and the tubular wall define therebetween an annular cavity rearward of the propellant charge. This cavity is collapsed upon ignition of the propellant charge by deflection of the upper portion thereby reducing the recoil felt by the shooter without adding any parasitic weight to the projectile load. The upper portion of the basewad preferaly has an inverted truncated hollow cone shape.

Abstract: A wad for shotgun shotshell having front and rear discs having a radius substantially identical to a radius of a barrel bore of an associated shotgun, and a connector arranged between and interconnecting the front and rear discs, the connector including two identical connector elements formed by bending circular plates having a radius substantially identical to the radius of the front and rear discs. Each of the connector elements has a planar central portion, two planar outer portions on the opposite sides of the central portion, and two outwardly inclined portions between the central portion and the respective outer portions, to connect the central portion to the respective outer portions. The central portion, the inclined portions and the outer portions of each connector element have circular peripheral surfaces having a curvature radius identical to the radius of the front and rear discs.

Abstract: A dual sealed composite wad structure for use within a cartridge for a firearm. The wad structure comprises the following described integrally joined components: a shot column which has at least two separate, pliable petals; a shot column gas seal which forms the base of the shot column and fits against the interior surface of the cartridge to form a gas seal; a powder chamber gas seal; and a post section which has at least two pliable crimped post members attached between the shot column seal and the powder chamber gas seal. The powder chamber gas seal has an inverted cup-shaped lower surface providing an outer rim which fits loosely against the interior wall of the cartridge. The diameter of the powder chamber gas seal is smaller than the diameter of the shot column gas seal such that, upon ignition of the powder below the powder chamber gas seal, a limited amount of propulsive gas escapes into the post section.

Abstract: An improved shot wad structure has a longer outer wad cup, a shorter inner wad cup and a plastic wad insert, and is useful in a shotshell with hard shot pellets, such as steel or tungsten shot. The outer cup, formed of a soft, low tensile strength material, such as polyethylene, is capable of obturating combustion gases produced in a gun barrel when the shotshell is fired, whereas the inner cup, formed of a tough, high tensile strength material, such as nylon, is adapted to support a shot column and is capable of withstanding compressive forces generated by shot acceleration to protect the barrel from being scored by the hard shot.

Abstract: A plastic shot shell wad incorporating an improved cushioning mechanism. A cushioning effect is provided by connecting a wad with a shot cup by means of two levels of parallel walls separated by an intermediate planar member. A lower level of walls is connected to a wad portion and an upper level of walls is connected to the shot cup portion. As a charge in a shotgun shell is ignited, the lower walls will be forced through the intermediate member, which provides a resistance which has a cushioning effect. As the lower walls move forward, they will become interleaved with the upper walls. By properly locating the upper and lower walls, tilting of the wad with respect to the shot cup after firing can be minimized.