EP4283244B1 - Projectile for a cartridge for hard-core hand firearms, and method for producing same - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a hard-core bullet for a cartridge for handguns, as well as to a cartridge with such a bullet inserted into the neck of the cartridge case. DE 197 10 113 A1 discloses such a projectile for a cartridge for handguns.

Projectiles of this type are known in a wide variety of designs and versions for a wide range of purposes. Jacketed bullets are also known for such cartridges, which contain a heavy core, for example made of lead, in a jacket made of sheet metal. Such projectiles are suitable for soft targets, but deform significantly when they hit a hard target, such as an armored one, without penetrating the target.

Projectiles with a hard core are also known which have an increased penetrating effect with high precision and accuracy, especially when hitting armored targets. Such projectiles have a jacket, a hard core arranged in the jacket and a carrier that holds the hard core in the jacket, with the carrier being designed as a shoe in the rear part of the projectile. The shoe is open at the front, viewed in the intended flight direction of the projectile, for the insertion of the hard core. The hard core sits flush with its rear cylindrical tail in the shoe.

In order for the projectile to have an increased penetrating effect with high precision and accuracy, especially when hitting armored targets, the core must be precisely centered in the shoe. The tight fit creates an air cushion when the core is inserted into the shoe, like a piston, which hinders production.

In the current state of the art, the shoe requires a circumferential groove in its outer cylindrical surface, which rests against the jacket, which is known as a relief groove. This relief groove allows the jacket material to escape into this free space when radial pressure occurs when the bullet is pressed into the fields and grooves of the barrel, in order to avoid overloading the jacket material. Otherwise, the bullet jackets can break apart in front of the muzzle because the jackets were overloaded and cracked when they were pressed in. The relief groove is produced by turning, which results in material loss.

For cost reasons, it would be desirable to manufacture the shoe as a pressed part without any further post-processing, such as turning to produce the relief groove. The pressed part can be mass-produced more cost-effectively than a turned part.

The invention is based on the object of creating an improved projectile with a hard core for a cartridge for handguns, or a cartridge with such a projectile, the projectile of which has an increased penetrating effect with high precision and accuracy, in particular when hitting armoured targets.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a projectile or cartridge for handguns, which has the features of claim 1 or 13. Furthermore, by a method for producing the projectile according to claim 14.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the projectile according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

As usual, the hard core bullet has three components, namely a jacket that forms the outer shape of the bullet, a core made of hard material such as steel, sintered material, hard metal, tungsten carbide or hardened steel and a carrier for the core, which is in the form of a shoe, i.e. quiver-like, in which the hard core is inserted with its rear end.

The jacket of the bullet, which is made of sheet metal, can be made of copper, steel or tombac. Its job is to hold the hard core and the shoe-shaped support for this hard core. The jacket also takes on the internal and external ballistic tasks of a normal bullet, as it can easily be shaped into the required external form.

The hard core is made of hard materials such as steel or very hard materials such as sintered material, tungsten carbide, hard metal, heavy metal or hardened steel in order to achieve the desired penetration performance of the bullet. Due to the extreme hardness of the core, its external shape can hardly be changed after completion, so that manufacturing tolerances must be compensated for by the other parts of the bullet, namely the shoe that serves as the core carrier and the jacket. The hard core therefore sits with its front or outer end more or less freely within the ballistically designed jacket and only touches it in the area of its circumferential shoulder. It also sits in the open part of the shoe.

When a bullet with a hard core hits an armored target, the jacket of the bullet opens at its front tip and remains stuck to the surface of the hard target. The hard core, on the other hand, penetrates the hard or armored target. The penetration ability of the core is further increased by the impact of the mass of the wearer or shoe when penetrating the hard target.

The special feature of the invention lies in the design of the shoe-shaped carrier: the inner cross section of the open part of the shoe, viewed in the circumferential direction of the cross section, alternately rests on the hard core in sections and is spaced from the hard core. This results in an installation situation of the core that is only held in the shoe in sections and thus centered, while in other places there is a free space between the shoe and the core. When the core is inserted into the shoe, the existing air can escape more quickly through the free spaces, since air cushions are avoided when inserting it into the shoe. At the same time, a tight fit between the shoe and the core can be provided in the contact zones, which enables a high level of precision.

It is advantageous if there is a free space where the inner cross-section of the open part of the shoe is spaced from the hard core. The free space is therefore filled with air. This allows the core to be inserted into the shoe more quickly during mass production and also allows the bullet jacket to move axially and radially into the free spaces, deforming the shoe when the jacket is pressed into the grooves and fields of the barrel during firing.

Preferably, the sections in which the inner cross section of the open part of the shoe alternately rests on the hard core in the circumferential direction of the cross section and is spaced from the hard core are evenly distributed in order to avoid imbalances. External ballistic advantages have been shown when three or four sections are provided in which the inner cross section rests on the core. The accuracy may be increased by the fact that the 3- or 4-point mounting of the core in the shoe centers the core particularly well. The shoe can therefore be mass-produced with greater tolerance and thus more quickly.

Preferably, the inner cross-section of the open part of the shoe is substantially circular, but with varying cross-sectional radii Rmax and Rmin, with the smallest cross-sectional radius Rmin being where the cross-section is adjacent to the core and the maximum cross-sectional radius Rmax being where the cross-section is at the maximum distance from the hard core. If the radii do not change abruptly from Rmin to Rmax, but slowly change over the circumference, the result is a component that can be easily and quickly mass-produced, preferably by press molding, in particular without complex post-processing. The inner cross-section forms a rounded polygon

The shoe is conveniently designed to accommodate the rear end of the hard core of the bullet. Its kinetic energy is transferred to the core when it hits a target.

The outer cross-section of the shoe is conveniently circular and the outer shape of the shoe is adapted to the jacket of the bullet in the rear area of the same
It has been shown that the hard core of the bullet is made of steel or a very hard material, such as sintered material, heavy metal, tungsten carbide, hard metal or hardened steel, which is suitable for the application.

It is advantageous if the jacket of the bullet is made of copper, steel or tombac.

If the shoe is a pressed part, preferably made of copper, a copper alloy, tombac, brass or a metal, rapid mass production is possible.

For this reason, it is particularly preferred if the outer shape of the shoe is designed as a cylinder, which is preferably free of circumferential relief grooves on the outer circumference. This shape can be produced quickly and without any post-processing as a pressed part. In the case of a normal design of the shoe without the free spaces between the shoe and the core according to the invention, a circumferential relief groove would have to be present in the outer circumference of the carrier. This relief groove offers the material of the jacket the opportunity to escape into the empty space of the relief groove when radial pressure occurs in order to avoid overloading the jacket material. Otherwise, the bullet jacket will disintegrate in front of the muzzle, since when pressed into the grooves and fields of the barrel, the jacket material to be displaced cannot escape and the bullet jacket is therefore torn. The relief groove previously had to be produced in a further work step. The shape of the shoe according to the invention makes it possible to produce the shoe as a pressed part without any post-processing. The pressed part can be formed in a single cycle.

Preferably, the hard core of the bullet has a cylindrical shaft that fits into the open part of the shoe, a point-like contact with the jacket from the inside angled shoulder and a sharp point located at a distance from the front, outer end of the mantle.

During production, the core is preferably inserted into the shoe first and then the shoe with core is inserted with some pre-tension into the already drawn bullet jacket.

Finally, a cartridge for handguns is claimed, with a cartridge case provided with a primer cap and containing a propellant charge, as well as with a projectile according to the invention inserted into the neck of the cartridge case.

The preferred small caliber rifles are .223 Rem., .308 Win., .300 Win. Mag., .338 Lap. Mag., .50 BMG, 5.56 mm x 45, 7.62 mm x 51, 7.62 mm x 67, .300 AAC Blackout, 8.6 mm x 70, 12.7 mm x 99, as these have a higher material loss due to the machining of the shoes.

For the mass production of the projectile, a shoe made of plastic is also possible, whereby in this case the plastic injection molding process is to be considered a pressing process within the meaning of the invention.

The specialist selects the materials for the bullet jacket and shoe from among suitable materials such as copper, a copper alloy, tombac, brass or an aluminum metal or a suitable aluminum alloy, taking into account the weight of the hard core. For example, the bullet weight is 4 g for a bullet in caliber 5.56 mm x 45. In the case of a cheaper and lighter hard core made of steel, heavier materials such as tombac are selected for the shoe and bullet jacket. In the case of a heavier hard core made of tungsten carbide, lighter materials are selected for the shoe and bullet jacket, such as aluminum for the shoe and steel for the jacket.

• Bereitstellen einer Vielzahl von Mänteln des bestimmten Kalibers mit unterschiedlichen Gewichten aus unterschiedlich schweren Materialien, wobei alle Mäntel dieselbe Form und Größe aufweisen;
• Bereitstellen einer Vielzahl von Schuhen des bestimmten Kalibers mit unterschiedlichen Gewichten aus unterschiedlich schweren Materialien, wobei alle Schuhe dieselbe Form und Größe aufweisen;
• Bereitstellen einer Vielzahl von harten Kernen des bestimmten Kalibers mit unterschiedlichen Gewichten aus unterschiedlich schweren Materialien, wobei alle Kerne
  • - - zumindest in dem Bereich des Kerns, der in den offenen Teil des Schuhs eingesetzt wird, dieselbe Form und Größe aufweisen;
  • - - und in den von dem Mänteln bereitgestellten Hohlraum zwischen Schuh und Mantel eingepasst sind;
• Auswählen eines Kern des bestimmten Kalibers;
• Ermitteln eines zum ausgewählten Kern passenden Mantels des bestimmten Kalibers und Schuhs des bestimmten Kalibers, derart, dass ein vorgegebener Geschossgewichtsbereich des bestimmten Kalibers eingehalten wird;
• Zusammensetzen eines Geschosses aus dem ausgewählten Kern, Mantel und Schuh.

The invention creates a precision cartridge for handguns, for example up to 15 mm caliber, whose projectile has the excellent ballistic properties known from jacketed projectiles and thus ensures high accuracy and, on the other hand, develops an increased penetrating effect on hard and armored targets because a core made of hard metal including sintered metal or tungsten carbide or other sintered materials is provided, the outer shape of which is adapted to the desired penetrating effect without having to be geared to ballistic requirements. Production is more effective thanks to the novel shoe described according to the invention, which can be manufactured as a pressed part. It is also effective if the shoe and jacket components of a caliber are provided in a modular manner and are geometrically essentially identical, but consist of materials of different weights. In this way, to achieve a certain bullet weight for a core of a certain weight, the appropriate shoe and jacket can be manufactured on the same or similar machines/tools. This is claimed by the following process:
Method for producing a projectile according to the invention with the following steps:

• Providing a plurality of jackets of the particular caliber of different weights made of different weight materials, all jackets being of the same shape and size;
• Providing a variety of shoes of the particular caliber having different weights made of different weight materials, all shoes having the same shape and size;
• Providing a variety of hard cores of the specific caliber with different weights made of different weight materials, whereby all cores
  • - - have the same shape and size at least in the area of the core which is inserted into the open part of the shoe;
  • - - and are fitted into the cavity provided by the coats between the shoe and the coat;
• Selecting a core of the specific caliber;
• Determining a jacket of the specific caliber and shoe of the specific caliber that matches the selected core, such that a predetermined bullet weight range of the specific caliber is maintained;
• Assembling a bullet from the selected core, jacket and shoe.

• Fig. 1 eine in Längsrichtung geschnittene Ansicht der gesamten Patrone in vergrößertem Maßstab und
• Fig. 2 eine in Längsrichtung geschnittene Ansicht des Geschosses der Patrone aus Fig. 1 in gegenüber Fig. 1 nochmals vergrößertem Maßstab.
• Fig. 3 einen Querschnitt durch das Geschoss in Höhe des offenen Teils des Schuhs im Schnitt A-A.

The drawing shows an embodiment of the cartridge according to the invention for handguns with hard core bullets, namely

• Fig. 1 a longitudinal section view of the entire cartridge on an enlarged scale and
• Fig. 2 a longitudinal section view of the bullet of the cartridge from Fig. 1 in opposite Fig. 1 even larger scale.
• Fig. 3 a cross-section through the bullet at the level of the open part of the shoe in section AA.

The in Fig. 1 The cartridge 1 shown has a cartridge case 2 and a projectile 4, which is designed as a hard core projectile and is inserted into the narrowed neck 3 of the cartridge case.

The cartridge case 2 has a conical base body 5 with a foot 6 formed thereon, which contains an extraction groove 7 and a primer cap 8 embedded in it.

At the opposite end, the cartridge case 2 has a frustoconical shoulder 9 which forms a connection between the conical base body 5 and the narrowed neck 3 of the cartridge case 2 .

Inside the cartridge case 2 there is a propellant charge 10 consisting of nitrocellulose powder.

The details of which are best described in Fig. 2 The projectile 4 that can be seen in the figure essentially consists of three parts, namely a jacket 11 that determines the outer and inner ballistic shape, a hard core 12 encased in this jacket 11 , and a carrier or shoe 13 that holds the core 12 within the jacket 11 , which has a certain mass and is adapted in its outer shape to the shape of the jacket and, on the other hand, in its open part 13a , like a quiver or in the shape of a shoe, receives the hard core 12 and holds it within the projectile. The shoe 13, designed as a shoe or quiver, thus fulfills the function of a holder for the hard core 12 made of hard material such as tungsten carbide, hard metal or sintered material, the outer shape of which can no longer be influenced after production, in the outer jacket 11 that determines the ballistic shape of the projectile 4. In addition, the mass of the shoe 13 supports the penetrating energy or penetrating power of the hard core 12 when it hits a hard target such as an armored target.

The shoe 13 has a foot 13b made of solid material, the outer contour of which is adapted to the ballistic shape of the jacket 11 of the projectile 4 in order to ensure that the shoe 13 fits securely in the projectile 4. A blind hole is machined or formed into the carrier 13 from the front or outer end, which forms the open part 13a for the snug fit of the rear end of the hard core 12. The shoe 13 thus forms a circumferential, raised collar as a lateral support for the hard core 12 inserted into the shoe 13 .

The core 12, which is made of particularly hard material such as hard metal, tungsten carbide or sintered material, has a cylindrical base body 18, which with its rear end inside the collar 17 in the open part 13a of the shoe 13. This base body 18 passes over an angular shoulder 19 into a sharp point 20 , which forms the front end of the core 12. This point 20 is at a distance from the outer rounded point-shaped end 21 of the jacket 11 and only touches this end when the jacket 11 of the projectile 4 is deformed when it hits a hard target.

In particular Fig. 2 As can be seen, in the undeformed projectile 4 there is a cavity between the sharp tip 20 of the hard core 12 and the outer end 21 of the jacket 11 of the projectile, which extends into the area of the shoulder 19 of the core 12, which rests against the inner wall of the jacket 11. On the other side of the shoulder 19 there is a further cavity 23 between the core 12 and the jacket 11 , which extends into the area of the raised collar 17 of the carrier 13 .

If the projectile 4 hits a target, particularly a hard target, the outer end 21 of the jacket 11 is pushed inwards towards the sharp tip 20 of the hard core 12 and is thereby deformed. At the same time, due to the inertia of the mass, the hard core 12 is pushed forward towards the outer end 21 of the jacket 11. The angled shoulder 19 resting on the jacket 11 tears open the jacket 11. If the tip 20 hits the outer end 21 of the jacket 11 , the jacket 11 is also torn open here. This opens the jacket 11 in two ways. Since it is made of a relatively easily deformable material, it lies against the outer surface of the hard target and remains there, so to speak. The hard core 12, which is virtually non-deformable, penetrates the hard target and penetrates it with high precision. The mass of the shoe 13 supports the penetrating movement or penetrating energy of the core 12 when penetrating the target and when penetrating the hard target. Since the core 12 practically does not deform, precise hits and smooth penetrations are achieved.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section through the projectile 4 at the level of the open part 13a of the shoe 13. The shoe 13 is inserted and held in the projectile jacket 11 .

The hard core is inserted in the collar of the open part 13a of the shoe 13. The core 12 does not lie on the inner cross section 14a, 14b of the open part 13a of the shoe all the way around the circumference of the open part. Sections alternate in the direction of the circumference in which the inner cross section 14b lies on the hard core 12 and the inner cross section 14a is spaced from the hard core 12. In the projectile 4 shown, the core 12 is held by three adjacent sections 14b and thus centered in the shoe 13. The other sections, in which the inner cross-section 14a is spaced from the hard core 12 and thereby encloses a free space 15 , enable the jacket material to be absorbed, which is displaced into the fields and grooves of the barrel when the bullet is crushed.

Claims (15)

1. Projectile for a cartridge for handguns for insertion into the neck of a cartridge case of a cartridge, wherein

   the projectile (4) has a jacket (11), a hard core (12) arranged in the jacket and a carrier holding the hard core in the jacket;

   the carrier is designed as a shoe (13);

   the shoe is arranged in the rear part of the projectile;

   the shoe (13) has an open part (13a) pointing forwards, into which the hard core (12) is inserted,

   characterised in that

   the inner cross-section (14a, 14b) of the open part (13a) of the shoe, as seen in the circumferential direction of the cross-section, alternately abuts the hard core (12) and is spaced apart from the hard core (12) in sections.
2. Projectile according to claim 1, characterised in that a free space (15) consists where the inner cross-section (14a) of the open part (13a) of the shoe (13) is spaced apart from the hard core (12).
3. Projectile according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the sections at which the inner cross-section (14a, 14b) of the open part of the shoe, as seen in the circumferential direction of the cross-section, alternately abut the hard core in sections and are spaced apart from the hard core, are evenly distributed and preferably three or four sections are provided in which the inner cross-section abuts the core.
4. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the inner cross-section (14a, 14b) of the open part of the shoe is essentially circular, but with varying cross-sectional radii (Rmax, Rmin), wherein the smallest cross-sectional radius (Rmin) is present where the cross-section (14b) abuts the core (12) and the maximum cross-sectional radius (Rmax) is present where the cross-section is spaced apart from the hard core to a maximum extent.
5. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the shoe (13) is configured to receive the rear end of the hard core (12) of the projectile.
6. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outer cross-section (16) of the shoe is circular.
7. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outer shape of the shoe is adapted to the jacket (11) of the projectile (4) in the rear region thereof.
8. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hard core (12) of the projectile (4) consists of steel or a very strong material which, due to its properties, resists mechanical loads, such as in particular bending, tension, compression, shearing, up to the load limit before failure occurs, in particular sintered materials, heavy metals, tungsten carbide, hard metal or hardened steel.
9. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the jacket (11) of the projectile (4) consists of copper, steel, bronze or tombac.
10. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the shoe (13) is a pressed part, preferably made of a ductile metallic material such as copper, a copper alloy, tombac, brass or an aluminium metal and/or a suitable aluminium alloy.
11. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outer shape of the shoe (13), with the exception of its rear (13b), is designed as a cylinder, which is preferably devoid of any circumferential relief grooves on the outer circumference.
12. Projectile according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hard core (12) of the projectile (4) comprises a cylindrical shaft (18) fitting into the open part (13a) of the shoe (13), an angled shoulder (19) bearing against the jacket (11) at points from the inside and a sharp point (20) located at a distance from the front, outer end (21) of the jacket (11).
13. Cartridge for handguns, with a cartridge case provided with a primer cap and including a propellant charge, and with a projectile (4) according to one of the preceding claims inserted into the neck of the cartridge case.
14. Method of producing a projectile for a cartridge of a particular calibre having the features of any one of the preceding claims 1-12, comprising the following steps:

    - Providing a plurality of jackets (11) of the particular calibre with different weights made of materials of different weights, wherein all jackets have the same shape and size;

    - providing a plurality of shoes (13) of the particular calibre of different weights made of materials of different weights, wherein all shoes have the same shape and size;

    - providing a plurality of hard cores (12) of the particular calibre with different weights made of materials of different weights, wherein all cores

    - - have the same shape and size at least in the area of the core that is inserted into the open part (13a) of the shoe;

    - - and are fitted into the cavity between the shoe and the jacket provided by the jackets;

    - selecting a core of the particular calibre;

    - determining a jacket of the particular calibre and a shoe of the particular calibre to match the selected core such that a predetermined projectile weight range of the particular calibre is met;

    - assembling a projectile from the selected core, jacket and shoe.
15. Method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of shoes and jackets are produced on the same or a similar machine using the same or similar tools.

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