Abstract: The present invention relates to a biodegradable shotgun cartridge comprising a rim, a case and at least one base wad and at least one container wad, wherein said case, the at least one base wad and at least one container wad comprise (i) at least one biodegradable bioplastic of vegetable or fermentative origin; and (ii) an inert and non-toxic mineral filler, wherein said mineral filler comprises no more than 70% by weight with respect to the total weight of said material.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a projectile configured to provide a submunition payload across a wide impact pattern, similar to that of a shotgun, at a range typically beyond the capability of standard shotgun rounds. The additional range is provided in some embodiments of the invention by allowing the tailoring deployment range of the submunition payload based upon a given threat.

Abstract: Shot shells with enhanced performance due to inclusion of an absorber between the shot wad and the shot payload. The absorber reduces the pressure within a shot gun's chamber during firing of the shell, such as by absorbing energy generated during the firing process, and may thereafter return some of the energy to the pellets as the absorber and pellets are propelled along the fireman's barrel. Accordingly, the absorber enables a shot shell to generate shot payload velocities that are greater than would be achieved without the absorber, typically at a lower internal chamber pressure. In some embodiments, the absorber has (1) a Young's Modulus of less than 2,000 psi (137.9 bar), (2) a compressive strength of at least 100 psi (6.9 bar) and/or less than 10,000 psi (689.5 bar), and/or (3) a tensile strength of at least 145 psi (10 bar) and/or less than 10,000 psi (689.5 bar).

Abstract: Shot shells with enhanced performance due to inclusion of an absorber between the shot wad and the shot payload. The absorber reduces the pressure within a shot gun's chamber during firing of the shell, such as by absorbing energy generated during the firing process, and may thereafter return some of the energy to the pellets as the absorber and pellets are propelled along the firearm's barrel. Accordingly, the absorber enables a shot shell to generate shot payload velocities that are greater than would be achieved without the absorber, typically at a lower internal chamber pressure. In some embodiments, the absorber has (1) a Young's Modulus of less than 2,000 psi (137.9 bar), (2) a compressive strength of at least 100 psi (6.9 bar) and/or less than 10,000 psi (689.5 bar), and/or (3) a tensile strength of at least 145 psi (10 bar) and/or less than 10,000 psi (689.5 bar).

Abstract: Herein we describe shotgun shells each having a degradable wad comprising a polyhydroxyalkanoate polymer, as well as methods for ensuring that such wad degrades quickly after landing in an aquatic environment. Plastic, aquatic debris has a negative economic and ecological impact, and thus it is advantageous to use implements that will degrade into environmentally benign compounds. Incorporating a degradable wad into shotgun shells provides an effective, economical solution. Suitable degradable shotgun wads and methods are described herein.

Abstract: A shotgun shell wad may include a plurality of resilient flaps spaced evenly around a circumference of a cylindrical body configured to receive shot, with the flaps covering less than half of the circumference. The flaps may be in an undeployed state until a shotgun shell is fired and the wad exits the barrel. The movement of the wad through air may urge the flaps into a deployed state. The flaps may retard the motion of the wad gradually such that the shot and wad remain together for up to 20 meters before decoupling.

Abstract: A shotgun shell tracer includes a base wall, an obturator, and an edge wall extending from the base wall opposite to the obturator. A chamber support may be engaged to the base wall extending from the base wall within the internal space of the tracer. The shotgun shell tracer may additionally include a tracer insert which may encircle the chamber support. Discharge of a shotgun shell in some embodiments will exert pressure on projectiles which fuse the tracer insert to the base wall and the chamber support, and embed the projectiles into the tracer insert, establishing ballast for the shotgun shell tracer. The chamber support in one embodiment may be a modified spike. The ballast in one embodiment may be a washer replacing embedded projectiles. A conveyor may be used to transport tracer carriers during manufacture of a tracer.

Abstract: Corrosion-inhibited copper-containing projectiles and shot shells including the same. The projectiles include a core that is formed from a core material, and an outer coating that is formed from a coating material. The core material includes copper, and optionally may include at least 50 wt % copper. In some embodiments, the outer coating maintains a corrosion rate of copper within the core material below 0.00075 mmpy. The shot shells include a shot charge that includes a plurality of the projectiles.

Abstract: A wad or basewad for ammunition includes an ignition chamber. The ignition chamber can be integrally formed with the payload wad, basewad, or battery cup or can be attached to the payload wad, basewad, or battery cup. The ignition chamber communicates with a primer of the ammunition to receive and contain the primer blast for at least an initial period of time. This facilitates faster initial ignition of the propellant of the ammunition, and consequently allows higher performance levels to be achieved. Other advantages regarding other applications of this invention include cleaner burning loads, greater economy, and lower perceived recoil.

Abstract: A wad or basewad for ammunition includes an ignition chamber. The ignition chamber can be integrally formed with the payload wad, basewad, or battery cup or can be attached to the payload wad, basewad, or battery cup. The ignition chamber communicates with a primer of the ammunition to receive and contain the primer blast for at least an initial period of time. This facilitates faster initial ignition of the propellant of the ammunition, and consequently allows higher performance levels to be achieved. Other advantages regarding other applications of this invention include cleaner burning loads, greater economy, and lower perceived recoil.

Abstract: A wad or basewad for ammunition includes an ignition chamber. The ignition chamber can be integrally formed with the wad or basewad or can be attached to the wad or basewad. The ignition chamber communicates with a primer of the ammunition to receive and contain the primer blast for at least an initial period of time. This facilitates faster initial ignition of the propellant of the ammunition, and consequently allows higher performance levels to be achieved. Other advantages regarding other applications of this invention include cleaner burning loads, greater economy, and lower perceived recoil.

Abstract: A wad for a projectile cartridge comprises a holder for holding a projectile, such as a plurality of shot, a charge barrier, and a support for mounting the holder to the barrier. The wad is unitary and is formed from a biodegradable plastic material. The barrier is preferably compressible, and more preferably substantially more compressible than the support. The wad has a first moisture content and is adapted to be conditioned, prior to employment in a projectile cartridge, to have a second moisture content. After conditioning, the weight of the wad may be increased by up to 19%, or the size of the wad maybe increased in at least one dimension by up to 6%. A projectile cartridge employing the wad, and a method of making the wad and the projectile cartridge are also disclosed, together with tools for making the wad and sleeve.

Abstract: An ammunition cartridge includes: a basewad disposed within a tube proximate the aft end of the tube; a projectile wad disposed within the tube proximate a fore end of the tube; a propellant charge disposed within a chamber formed between the projectile wad and the basewad; and a projectile disposed within the tube between a forward facing surface of the projectile wad and the fore end of the tube. The aft end of the projectile wad has a powder cup skirt formed thereon, and a chamfer is formed around an outer perimeter of a lip of the powder cup skirt. The chamfer allows the powder cup skirt to be slidably received within a skirt of the basewad to form the chamber. The chamfer provides a clearance at the powder cup skirt lip, which helps to insure undisturbed entry into the mouth of the basewad skirt.

Abstract: An ammunition cartridge includes: a basewad disposed within a tube proximate the aft end of the tube; a projectile wad disposed within the tube proximate a fore end of the tube; a propellant charge disposed within a chamber formed between the projectile wad and the basewad; and a projectile disposed within the tube between a forward facing surface of the projectile wad and the fore end of the tube. The aft end of the projectile wad has a powder cup skirt formed thereon, and a chamfer is formed around an outer perimeter of a lip of the powder cup skirt. The chamfer allows the powder cup skirt to be slidably received within a skirt of the basewad to form the chamber. The chamfer provides a clearance at the powder cup skirt lip, which helps to insure undisturbed entry into the mouth of the basewad skirt.

Abstract: A wad for a projectile cartridge comprises a holder for holding a projectile, such as a plurality of shot, a charge barrier, and a support for mounting the holder to the barrier. The wad is unitary and is formed from a biodegradable plastic material. The barrier is preferably compressible, and more preferably substantially more compressible than the support. The wad has a first moisture content and is adapted to be conditioned, prior to employment in a projectile cartridge, to have a second moisture content. After conditioning, the weight of the wad may be increased by up to 19%, or the size of the wad maybe increased in at least one dimension by up to 6%. A projectile cartridge employing the wad, and a method of making the wad and the projectile cartridge are also disclosed, together with tools for making the wad and sleeve.

Abstract: An ammunition cartridge includes: a basewad disposed within a tube proximate the aft end of the tube; a projectile wad disposed within the tube proximate a fore end of the tube; a propellant charge disposed within a chamber formed between the projectile wad and the basewad; and a projectile disposed within the tube between a forward facing surface of the projectile wad and the fore end of the tube. The aft end of the projectile wad has a powder cup skirt formed thereon, and a chamfer is formed around an outer perimeter of a lip of the powder cup skirt. The chamfer allows the powder cup skirt to be slidably received within a skirt of the basewad to form the chamber. The chamfer provides a clearance at the powder cup skirt lip, which helps to insure undisturbed entry into the mouth of the basewad skirt.

Abstract: A projectile is provided, in accordance with the present invention that includes a gas seal, a wad absorption zone, a core hull, a mass of projectile core particles within the hull and an actuator member. The hull is a cylindrical member having an open end and made from a material, such as soft plastic, that is characterized by the ability to peel back upon itself on impact, thereby releasing the mass of core particles after impact. The actuator, is releasably fixed to the hull open end, has an exterior side and an interior side and one or more stem members projecting into the mass of core particles. Upon impact, the actuator is released from the hull open end and continues to be propelled forward, along with the core particles. When the projectile impacts a target, the hull peels backward upon itself thereby releasing the actuator and the mass of projectile core particles.

Abstract: An ammunition cartridge for use with a gun which cartridge has a shotshell wad defining a rear charge receiving chamber and at least two forward shot or other projectile receiving chambers wherein a forward shot receiving chamber is formed of a solid disk including a plurality of shot pellets or similar projectiles embedded in a hardened binder material and wherein a rear shot or similar projectile receiving chamber houses unbound shot pellets or projectiles.

Abstract: A sporting gun cartridge and wad therefor wherein such wad, generally taking the form of a shotshell wad for shotguns, for example, includes a first, forwardly oriented cylindrical portion and also a second, rearwardly oriented cylindrical portion, joining the first portion at a common partition juncture, wherein the side wall of the first portion is scored to provided a series of expandable and separable wall segments, spaced from the forward end of such first portion, whereby to afford relief from impaction of shot disposed within said first portion under firing conditions.

Abstract: A one piece shot cup (also commonly known as a shot pouch) designed especially for use in protecting the bore of a shotgun barrel when shooting hard shot made of a material such as tungsten or non-annealed steel. The cup is characterized by the use of shield members located opposite and outwardly of equally spaced tear lines which are defined by narrow areas of substantially weakened wall structure extending longitudinally of the cup. The shield members are connected to the wall structure of the tubular member only adjacent its closed rear end portion and are otherwise separate and free thereof. Portions of the tubular member extend between the circumferentially spaced shield members. The shield members prevent the shot, which ruptures the tear lines, from damaging the bore of the shotgun barrel. They also aid in holding the shot in an improved aligned relation to thereby improve the shot pattern.

Abstract: A shot-gun cartridge includes a main wad which is biodegradable. The wad is preferably formed from a composition including synthetic resin natural starch and chemically active prodegradents.

Abstract: A shot cartridge suitable for use in automatic and semi-automatic pistols, characterized by a metal case terminated in a hemispherical crimp and a wad that expands to fill the barrel diameter of a pistol.

Abstract: A wad for a shotgun shotshell with a crimped case, comprising a seal member located adjacent to a propellant in the case and a rotor opposed to the seal member. The seal member and the rotor are interconnected for relative sliding and rotation and have opposed end faces. The seal member has at least one explosion gas passage hole. The rotor has, on the end face opposed to the seal member, gas jet grooves which are spaced from the axis and which extend in a predetermined direction to be connected to the outer periphery of the rotor and to the hole of the seal member. The rotor has blades or male-female connectors for transmitting the rotation of the rotor to a projectile in the case.

Abstract: An improved shot compressor for use in a shotgun cartridge containing shot. The improved compressor has a plurality of equally spaced fins disposed around and integral with a centrally disposed collapsing means for controlling the pattern of opening shot as it leaves the barrel of a shotgun upon firing.

Abstract: A two piece booster shot shell wad is disclosed which includes a one piece wad unit and a shot cup. The shot cup is received in a cup shaped cavity in the one piece unit. The shot cup has a non-circular stud on its bottom and is received in a non-circular recess on the one piece wad. The one piece wad has a channel on its bottom to trap air and direct it against the bottom of said shot cup to expel the shot cup from the one piece wad. The over powder wad shapes the charge and extended primer flash pocket helps in ignition of the powder. The outer peripheral upper edges of the cup shaped cavity in the one piece unit is flared outwardly to build up air pressure for opening the ears of the one piece wad and the shot cup has spaced ears which flare outwardly in flight through the air.

Abstract: A wad located in a case of a shotgun cartridge containing gunpowder, comprising a cylindrical body which comprises a plurality of explosive gas passages to rotate the wad about the axis of the cylindrical body by the explosive gas which is produced by the explosion of the gunpowder.

Abstract: A wad which is adapted to be located in a case of a shotgun cartridge containing gunpowder, comprising a cylindrical wad body having an axial center hole and axial explosive gas passages, and a disc plate which has a plunger fitted in the center hole of the wad body and which has blades connected thereto to carry a mass of pellets and to transmit a rotational motion of the wad to the pellets, said wad body and disc plate defining therebetween explosive gas passages extending in directions perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical body, so as to rotate the wad about the axis of the cylindrical body by the explosive gas, which is produced by the explosion of the gunpowder when the wad body comes into contact with the disc plate under explosive pressure.

Abstract: A deformable plastic wad for shot cartridges for hunting and shooting inces a reticular cushioning structure symmetric with respect to the axis of the wad, including portions located on planes parallel and portions located on planes perpendicular to the axis, the first mentioned portions being adapted to resist axial loads and the second mentioned portions being adapted to bend in two opposite directions, at least some of the first mentioned portions being symmetrically located in the vicinity of opposite edges of the second mentioned portions.