Gun Cartridge

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to gun cartridges including bullets.

2. Prior Art

German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2 929 628 shows a gun cartridge including a bullet for use in a gun barrel. This cartridge includes a bullet comprising a metal, preferably lead, head with a pointed end, and a two-part plug of elastic material. One part of the plug is constructed in the shape of a container and is connected with the lead head by means of a plug-in connection in the form of a pin engaging in a bush-shaped recess in the lead head. The second part of the plug engages with the container-shaped part with a positive connection in order to close the chamber within the container shaped part. This chamber serves to damp out the gas pressure. In this arrangement the second part is in the shape of a piston. When the cartridge charge is ignited the piston-shaped part moves, as the chamber fills up, to dampen out the gas pressure until the front face of the piston-shaped part impacts against the bottom of the container-shaped part. It has been found, in use, that after the ignition of the charge the necessary unity between the lead head, the container-shaped part and the piston-shaped part is no longer maintained. Frequently the piston-shaped part frees itself from the other two parts with the consequence that these two parts alone are projected in the direction of the target, while the piston-shaped part leaves the barrel of the gun uncontrolled. This has necessarily a detrimental effect on the accuracy of the missile, as the powder charge is calculated for the flight of the three parts of the bullet, while only two parts are actually projected towards the target.

The object of the invention is therefore to improve the accuracy of this type of cartridge.

Accordingly the present invention provides a gun cartridge including a bullet including a metal head having a pointed end and a rear face, an elastically deformable first plug part connected to said rear face of said metal head, having wall means defining an interior open ended space, and having at least one tapering pin extending down through said space to said open end, a second plug part positively connected to said open end of said first plug part to substantially close off said space, and defining an opening therein in which said tapering pin engages.

On the ignition of the cartridge the second plug part wedges on the tapering pin so firmly holding together all three parts of the bullet. Therefore all three bullet parts are more likely to reach the target as a complete unit. Uncontrolled motion of the second plug part is accordingly prevented.

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a cartridge;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the bullet contained in the cartridge;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the second plug part;

FIG. 4 is a section along line IV--IV in FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 of the drawing shows a vertical section through the cartridge which includes a case 1 with a narrowing or constriction 2 at the front end. At the bottom of the case 1 a bottom plate 3 including a detonator cap 4 is provided.

The bottom part of the case 1 receives the powder charge 5, above which a gun barrel bullet is disposed. The details of the gun barrel bullet are shown in particular by FIG. 2 of the drawings. The gun barrel bullet includes a cylindrical lead head 6 with a pointed front end 7. Inside the cylindrical lead head 6 provision is made for a bush-shaped recess 8 which is part of a plug-in connection which will be explained in greater detail below. On the cylindrical lead head 6 slanting longitudinal ribs 6a are provided, which are surrounded by the case 1.

The lead head 6 is associated with an elastically deformable plug which consists of a first container-shaped plug part 9 and a second plug part 10. This second part 10 of the two-part plug is formed as a thin plate 10a with a peripheral edge 10b angled with respect to the plane of the plate and applied tightly against an inner surface of the wall of the container-shaped part 9.

In the thin plate 10a of the second part of the plug air holes 10c are provided. These air holes are provided to allow air to escape from the chamber within the first plug part 9 on ignition of the charge 5.

Mounted in the bottom 9a of the container-shaped part 9 is a pin 9b which tapers as it extends downwardly in the direction of the second part 10. This pin engages in an opening 10d in the second part 10. Several tapering pins could be employed together with corresponding openings in the second plug part. The pin 9b is in the shape of a truncated cone and the opening 10d is circular.

The second part 10 of the two-part plug engages into the container-shaped part 9 in such a positive manner that between the bottom 9a thereof and the front face of the second part 10 a closed chamber 11 is formed for damping out the gas pressure. The length L of this closed chamber 11 is comparatively great. Tests have shown that this produces an even variation of the gas pressure. The larger damping space also provides a greater damping effect.

On the outer casing of the container-shaped part 9 directly adjacent annular grooves 9c are provided which extend transversally to the longitudinal axis of the part. By this means the frictional forces in the barrel of the gun and thereby also wear are reduced to a minimum, an advantage which also has a favourable effect on the speed of the bullet. Further the elasticity of the container-shaped part 9 is increased by these annular grooves 9c.

When the powder charge 5 is ignited the part 10 moves forward and becomes wedged on the tapering pin 9b of the container-shaped part 9 in such a manner that these parts are locked together as an inseparable unit. Movement of the part 10 causes the centre of gravity of the bullet to move forward, which for ballistic reasons is extremely advantageous. In addition, during this movement gas pressure damping takes place which leads to the disintegration of the gas pressure peak. Thereby the recoil force is correspondingly reduced.

The two parts 9 and 10 are made of an elastically yielding material, e.g. plastics.

A pin 9d directed towards the front of the bullet is formed on the container-shaped part 9. This pin 9d engages positively into a bush-shaped recess 8 in the rear face of the lead head 6. This pin 9d can taper down in the direction of the front of the lead head 6, in which case the cavity in the bush-shaped recess 8 is correspondingly shaped. Additional similar pins 9e are also provided which engage in similar recesses in the head to provide a secure connection.