Abstract:
A liquid-filled bullet has a bullet cap and a bullet base with a cavity therebetween, the cavity containing a liquid. The bullet base has a chamfer and an extension above the chamfer where the base mates with the bullet cap. The bullet cap is deformed and the cavity content released inside a target by pressure of the chamfered portion of the bullet base deforming the bullet cap.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates generally to ammunition and in particular the present disclosure relates to composition and structure of cartridges and bullets. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Cartridges, or rounds, for firearms contain a small list of components. Typical cartridges include a casing designed to fit a specific firing chamber of a firearm. A bullet, the projectile portion of the round, is seated into the casing. The casing contains a primer and gunpowder to propel the bullet from the cartridge through the barrel of a firearm. A firing pin of the firearm strikes the primer in the casing, igniting the primer, which in turn ignites the gunpowder in the sealed firing chamber of the cartridge. The casing is open at the end where the bullet is seated, and the explosion of the gunpowder ejects the bullet from the casing through the barrel of the firearm. 
         [0003]    There are many different types of bullets, such as balls, jacketed bullets, hollow point bullets, tracers, and the like. Bullets have different purposes. For example, ball bullets are used by treaty in nearly all military operations. Hollow point bullets, which tend to expand upon impact, are often used as stopping bullets for police or self-defense purposes. 
         [0004]    Bullets carrying liquid, such as marking rounds and the like, are designed for a burst on a surface of a target, to impart dye or the like for the purposes of identifying a target, or illuminating a target, or the like. Marking rounds are not designed for penetration, and indeed, would not be suited for their purpose were they to be penetrating rounds. For at least these reasons, marking rounds are non-lethal rounds. 
         [0005]    For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for improved penetrating rounds. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a cartridge according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a bullet according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a view of a partially penetrated bullet such as the bullet of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a view of one type of expansion of a bullet such as the bullet of  FIG. 2  during penetration of a target; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a view of another type of expansion of a bullet such as the bullet of  FIG. 3  during penetration of a target; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a view of a bullet cap according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. In the drawings, like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout the several views. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0013]    The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0014]    Embodiments of the present invention provide a cartridge having a bullet designed to contain a liquid component, and to have a structure to induce deformation of the bullet only after penetration into a soft target, to release the liquid after penetration and upon deformation. 
         [0015]    The bullets of the present embodiments are designed for delivery to non-armored/non-defended types of soft targets, that is, targets such as organic materials, i.e., wood and/or materials, substances, or objects having an average matter density of less than approximately 1,800 kilograms per cubic meter, that are subject to being damaged or destroyed by typical ordnance. The bullets are designed to penetrate before deformation and/or dispersal of a liquid within the bullet. In order to provide such a characteristic, the bullet design includes in one embodiment a deformable bullet cap and a bullet base defining a liquid filled cavity therebetween. The bullet and the cartridge may be designed with specific bullet and cartridge dimensions to induce deformation upon penetration into a target, such as by adjusting the dimensions of the bullet base and bullet cap, and depending as well upon the caliber and load of the cartridge. 
         [0016]    A cartridge  100  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in  FIG. 1 . Cartridge  100  comprises casing  102  and bullet  104 . Bullet  104  is seated in casing  102 , which also houses a primer and powder, not shown. Bullet  104  comprises a bullet base  106  mated to a bullet cap  108 , the base  106  and cap  108  defining a cavity or chamber  110  therebetween. 
         [0017]    Referring also to  FIG. 2 , a bullet  104  is shown in a more detailed exploded view. Bullet  104  comprises the bullet base  106  and bullet cap  108 , with the bullet base  106  and the bullet cap  108  mated together, defining ( FIG. 1 ) a cavity  110  therebetween. Base  106  in one embodiment comprises a chamfered construction with a chamfered end  202  and a non-chamfered end  204 . The chamfered end  202  has a chamfer  206  between base body  208  and an extension (e.g., projection)  210 , the extension  210  having a height  216 . Between the extension  210  and the chamfer  206  is a shoulder  207 . When the bullet base and bullet cap are joined, the base  212  of the cap  108  is abutted to the shoulder  207 , and the extension  210  extends into an opening  114  in the cap  108 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0018]    The extension  210  may be sized in length to extend into the opening  114  in the bullet cap  108  by an amount equal to its height  216 , to induce penetration of the bullet into a target prior to deformation of the bullet, in one embodiment from pressure of the bullet cap  108  on the chamfered portion  206 , as described below. The characteristics of the deformation may be modified by modifying the extension  210  length  216 , the bullet cap  108  length and/or thickness, the shoulder width  218 , the chamfer width  220 , or any combination thereof. 
         [0019]    The bullet base and cap define between them the cavity  110  shown in  FIG. 1 . The size of the cavity  110  may be determined by sizing of the cap  108  and the extension  210 . The cavity may be liquid filled in one embodiment, and the choice of liquid may be from any number of liquids without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0020]    The chamfer width  220  and shoulder width  218  are determined, in one embodiment, so as to maintain integrity of the bullet  104  upon firing, by absorbing at least some of the deforming pressure of firing the bullet  104  on the shoulder  207  without releasing the liquid that may be contained within cavity  110 . Upon striking the soft target, the pressure of the shoulder  207  against the base  212  of the cap  108  in one direction, as well as the pressure of the target on the cap  108  pressing the base  212  into the shoulder  207 , begins a process of fragmentation or deformation of the cap  108  as described below. 
         [0021]    Referring now also to  FIG. 3 , as the bullet begins to penetrate its target  302 , traveling in the direction of arrow  304 , the cap  108  begins to deform as the chamfer  206  and shoulder  207  press against the cap end  212 , or slip past the cap end and begins to force the chamfer  206  against the inner wall of the bullet cap, as shown at  306 . As the bullet continues to penetrate further into the target, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the cap  108  is deformed, once penetration has occurred, to a point at which the liquid in the cavity  110  is released, as shown by arrows  402 , into a cavity  404  formed in the target  302  by the impact and penetration of the bullet  100  into the interior of the target. Depending on the composition of the bullet cap  108  versus the bullet base  106 , the cap  108  may, as shown in  FIG. 5 , tear or break apart from impact and/or pressure on the cap end  212  from the bullet base  106 , allowing the liquid in the cavity  110  to be injected into the cavity  404  along paths including those shown by arrows  502 . 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the height  216  of the extension  210  determines how far the bullet  100  will penetrate into a target such as target  302  shown in  FIGS. 3-5  before deforming and allowing release of the liquid in cavity  110  into the interior of the target. In another embodiment, shown in top and side elevation view in  FIG. 6 , the bullet cap  108  has grooves  602  formed therein to induce deformation of the cap  108  upon penetration into a target such as target  302 . 
         [0023]    In another embodiment, a ratio of the shoulder width  218  to the chamfer width  220  is chosen, based, for example, on the caliber of the bullet  104 , the powder used in the bullet, the bullet weight, and the like. The shoulder width  218  to chamfer width  220  ratio allows for the maintenance of balance between stability of the round during firing and the deformation and/or fragmentation of the bullet  104  upon contact and entry into the soft target. 
       CONCLUSION 
       [0024]    A liquid-filled bullet for a cartridge has been described that includes a bullet base and a bullet cap mated together to define a cavity therebetween. The cavity may contain the liquid. A chamfered portion of the bullet base induces deformation of the bullet cap to release the liquid upon penetration of the bullet into a target. 
         [0025]    Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.