Patent Publication Number: US-9429386-B2

Title: Advanced muzzleloader system

Description:
This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/056,504 filed Sep. 27, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     The present disclosure relates generally to muzzleloader firearms and specifically to a muzzleloader firearm with a rotating primer holder. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Modern firearms typically use cartridges consisting of metal cases holding a projectile placed over a smokeless propellant charge with a primer used as the ignition source. When the primer is struck it ignites the propellant and fires the projectile. The expended cartridge is then ejected either manually or automatically prior to the next cartridge being loaded and fired. Typically a metal cartridge can be reused while the fired projectile cannot. A muzzleloader firearm is a type of firearm that requires multiple ammunition components to be loaded down the front end of the barrel, also known as the muzzle. Before each and every shot a typical muzzleloader user must load a propellant charge and a projectile down the muzzle of the firearm. The ignition source for muzzleloader firearms can vary greatly ranging from primers and percussion caps to a traditional flintlock design. The propellant charge is loaded into the barrel in either a granular form or as a premeasured consolidated pellet form. 
     Most muzzleloader propellant charges are hygroscopic compounds. Therefore an unsealed propellant charge may allow moisture to be absorbed into the propellant charge. Propellant moisture absorption may cause inconsistent ignition, reduced accuracy, inconsistent velocity and firearm corrosion. Furthermore, moisture absorption may cause the propellant burn rate to be reduced thereby altering pressure and velocity characteristics of the firearm. 
     U.S. Pat. Pub. 2014/0090285 A1 describes a muzzleloader bullet system including a pre-packaged propellant charge and a primer for providing efficient loading and unloading of the muzzleloader. U.S. Pat. Pub. 2012/0318123 A1 describes an encapsulated propellant charge for a muzzleloader. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A muzzleloader system is provided. According to a first aspect of the invention the muzzleloader system includes a barrel including a muzzle end and a chamber end; and a primer holder configured for holding a primer. The primer holder being movably connected to the chamber end such that the primer holder is movable between a closed orientation in which the primer holder is aligned with the barrel and an open orientation in which the primer holder protrudes from the barrel for loading the primer into the primer holder. 
     The primer holder may include a lock for locking the swing plate in the closed orientation, the lock being actuatable by an operator to release the swing plate from the closed orientation. 
     A muzzleloader system according to a second aspect of the invention is also provided. The muzzleloader system includes a barrel including a muzzle end and a chamber end. The barrel including a hollow bore formed therein; and a round loadable into the hollow bore. The round including a reusable body including a propellant cavity formed therein configured for receiving a propellant charge. 
     A method of operating the muzzleloader system is also provided. The method includes providing a round into a bore formed in a barrel by inserting the round into a muzzle end of the barrel. The round including a reusable body including a propellant cavity formed therein housing a first propellant charge. The round further including a first cover attached to the reusable body holding the propellant charge in the propellant cavity. The method further includes activating the propellant charge to propel the round from the barrel; inserting a second propellant charge into the propellant cavity of the reusable body; and activating the second propellant charge to propel the round from the barrel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various embodiments are disclosed, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a radial cross section view of a muzzleloader system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an axial cross section view of a primer holder according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows a radial cross section view of a round of the muzzleloader system according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a radial cross section view of a muzzleloader system according to one embodiment of the present invention as part of a muzzleloader firearm. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides a muzzleloader system that uses reloadable rounds with a sealed internal propellant charge to be loaded through a muzzle. The muzzleloader system further includes a rotating swing out primer holder action at the chamber and thereby allowing a primer to be loaded and unloaded quickly and easily. The muzzleloader system provides greater loading speed, consistency and moisture resistance. Instead of a typical muzzleloader system that involves muzzle loading either a powdered propellant or consolidated propellant charge before loading a projectile on top of the propellant charge, the current muzzleloader system uses a round with a self-contained propellant charge. 
       FIG. 1  shows a radial cross-sectional view of a muzzleloader system  10  according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The muzzleloader system  10  includes a front end  28  located at a muzzle  20  of a cylindrical barrel  16 , a rear end  29  being located at the axial opposing end of the muzzleloader system at a primer recoil plate  12 . The barrel surrounds and defines a hollow bore  19 . The bore  19  is radially centered within the barrel  16  and extending axially through the barrel  16 . The barrel  16  extends axially having two axially opposing open ends. One end is the muzzle  20  and the other end is a chamber end  21 . The chamber end  21  includes a threaded portion  22  along an interior circumference thereof configured to accept a chamber block  11 . The chamber block  11  is correspondingly sized and threaded along a threaded exterior circumference  23  thereof to engage the threaded portion  22  of the chamber end  21 . The chamber block  11  is removably attached to barrel  16  along threaded portion  22 . The chamber block  11  includes a flash channel  24  located in radial center and extends axially therethrough. The chamber block  11  further includes two diametrically opposed cutout channels extending axially into chamber block  11 . The opposed cutout channels are a first chamber block channel  25  and a second chamber block channel  26 . A first fastener in the form of a first connecting bolt  17  and a second fastener in the form of a second connecting bolt  18  are received in and connected to the first chamber block channel  25  and the second chamber block channel  26 , respectively. Each of the two connecting bolts  25 ,  26  extends axially away from the respective chamber block channel  25 ,  26  toward the rear end  29 . 
     A primer holder  60  is located to the rear of the chamber block  11  and is attached to the first connecting bolt  17  and second connecting bolt  18 , with the bolts  17 ,  18  extending axially from chamber block  11  through primer holder  60 . The primer holder  60  includes a swing plate  15  and a stationary plate  62 , as shown in greater detail in  FIG. 2 , which is described below. The swing plate  15  and stationary plate  62  are circumferentially and radially adjacent to each other within the same plane to the rear of the chamber block  11 . The swing plate  15  includes a swing plate cutout  64  extending axially therethrough. The swing plate cutout  64  is located axially in line with and receives the first connecting bolt  17 . The stationary plate  62  includes a stationary plate cutout  65 . The stationary plate cutout  65  extends axially through the stationary plate  62  and is located axially in line with and receives the second connecting bolt  18 . 
     The swing plate  15  is rotatably connected to chamber block  11  via the first connecting bolt  17 . Swing plate  15  is located axially between and directly adjacent to chamber block  11  and primer recoil plate, to the rear of the chamber block  11  and in front of the primer recoil plate  12 . The swing plate  15  is configured to rotate around an axis of the first connecting bolt  17 . The stationary plate  62  is affixed in place with second connecting bolt  18  creating a mechanical connection with the stationary plate cutout  65 . Stationary plate  62 , like swing plate  15 , is located axially between and directly adjacent to chamber block  11  and primer recoil plate, to the rear of the chamber block  11  and in front of the primer recoil plate  12 . 
     The swing plate  15  includes a primer pocket  66  which extends axially therethrough and is located at a radial center of the swing plate  15 . The primer pocket  66  is axially in line with the flash channel  24 . The primer pocket  66  is configured to receive a primer  14 . The primer recoil plate  12  is located at the rear end  29  of the muzzleloader system  10 . The primer recoil plate  12  includes a first primer recoil plate cutout  30  and a second primer recoil plate cutout  31 , both of which extending axially into primer recoil plate  12 . The first primer recoil plate cutout  30  and the second primer recoil plate cutout  31  line up axially with the first connecting bolt  17  and the second connecting bolt  18 , respectively. The first primer recoil plate cutout  30  is configured to receive first connecting bolt  17  and such that primer recoil plate  12  is mechanically connected to primer holder  62  and chamber block  11  via the first connecting bolt  17 . The second primer recoil plate cutout  31  is configured to receive second connecting bolt  18  such that primer recoil plate  12  is connected to primer holder  62  and chamber block  11  via the second connecting bolt  18 . The primer recoil plate  12  includes a firing pin cutout  27 . The firing pin cutout  27  is located in the radial center of the primer recoil plate  12  and extends axially therethrough. The firing pin cutout  27  lines up axially with the primer pocket  66  and is configured to allow a firing pin  13  to move freely in an axial direction through the firing pin cutout  66  and strike the primer  14  in the primer pocket  66 . 
       FIG. 2 . Shows an axial cross-sectional view of a primer holder  60  of the muzzleloader system  10  from one exemplary embodiment of the present invention along A-A in  FIG. 1 . The primer holder  60  includes swing plate  15  and stationary plate  62 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the swing plate  15  and stationary plate  62  are radially and circumferentially adjacent to each other within the same plane. The swing plate  15  includes swing plate cutout  64  which extends axially therethrough at a radial center of primer holder  60 . The swing plate cutout  64  receives first connecting bolt  17  such that swing plate  15  is rotatably connected to first connecting bolt  17 . The stationary plate  62  includes stationary plate cutout  65 . The stationary plate cutout  65  receives second connecting bolt  18 . The swing plate  15  is configured to rotate around a center axis of the first connecting bolt  17 , as permitted by circumferential contact between an interior circumferential edge  90  of swing plate  15  and an interior circumferential edge  92  of the stationary plate  62 . Interior circumferential edge  90  extends radially in a curved path from a first point  94   a  of an outer circumferential surface  94  of swing plate  15  to a second point  94   a  of outer circumferential surface  94 . Similarly, interior circumferential edge  92  extends radially in a curved path from a first point  96   a  of an outer circumferential surface  96  of stationary plate  62  to a second point  96   a  of outer circumferential surface  96 . Interior circumferential edges  90 ,  92  have corresponding contours such that in a closed orientation of primer holder  60 , which is shown in  FIG. 2 , edges  90 ,  92  mesh with each other. The stationary plate  62  is nonrotatably affixed in place on the second connecting bolt  18 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the primer pocket  66  is located in the radial center of the swing plate  15  and receives a primer  14  therein. 
     Primer holder  60  further includes a latch system  67 . The latch system  67  includes a latch  61  rotatably attached to swing plate  15 , and latch pin  63  which rotatably connects latch  61  to swing plate  15 . The latch  61  includes a latch pin cutout  68 . The latch pin cutout  68  extends axially through the latch  61 . The latch pin  63  extends axially through the latch pin cutout  68  such that latch  61  is rotatable about latch pin  63 . Latch  61  includes a nose  98  that contacts an outer circumferential surface of bolt  18  to hold the circumferential edge  90  of swing plate  15  against the circumferential edge of stationary plate  62  in the closed orientation. In order to cause primer holder  60  to go from the closed orientation to an open orientation, in which swing plate  15  is in a position such that primer pocket  66  is positioned radially outside of outer circumferences of barrel  16  and primer recoil plate  12 , an outer contact surface  100  of latch  61  is pressed radially inward by the operator, such that nose is moved out of contact with the outer circumference of bolt  18 , such that point  94   a  of swing plate  15  is movable away from stationary plate  62  as swing plate  15  is rotated about bolt  17 . In the open orientation, the operator may advantageously access primer pocket  66  and primer  14  may be viewed or removed and replaced. 
       FIG. 3 . shows a radial cross-sectional side view of a round  80  of the muzzleloader system  10  from one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The round  80  includes a reusable inert projectile body  84 . The inert projectile body  84  has an elongated generally cylindrical shape. The inert projectile body  84  has a front portion  86  and a rear portion  87  on axial opposing ends. The inert projectile body  84  includes a plurality of stabilizing fins  83  located circumferentially around the inert projectile body  84 . The plurality of stabilizing fins  83  are axially located between the front portion  86  and the rear portion  87 . The rear portion  87  includes a propellant cavity  85 . The propellant cavity  85  is formed as a blind hole having a generally cylindrical shape with an opening  88 . The propellant cavity  85  is configured to contain propellant charge  81 . The propellant charge  81  and the opening  88  are sealed by a cover  82 . The cover  82  is configured and designed to act as a moisture barrier. Round  80  is loaded through the muzzle  20  of barrel  16 . Round  80  being orientated in such a way that the rear portion  87  enters the muzzle  20  before the front portion  86 . The loading of round  80  is complete when cover  82  abuts against flash channel  24  of the chamber block  11 . The inert projectile body  84  is reloadable with another propellant charge, which can be sealed with another cover and fired again. The inert projectile body  84  is the only reusable component of round  80 . The inert projectile  84  may be reloaded by inserting another propellant charge, which may be the same material or a different material as the previously used propellant charge, into the propellant cavity  85 . The opening  88  to propellant cavity  85  is then sealed by placing and affixing a new cover over the opening  88 . The new cover is affixed in place to the rear portion  87  surrounding and covering opening  88 . The new cover may be affixed through the use of an adhesive. Once the new cover has sealed opening  88 , round  80  is ready to be loaded through the muzzle  20 , using the aforementioned method. 
       FIG. 4  shows an axial cross section view of the muzzleloader system  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention as part of a muzzleloader firearm  120 .  FIG. 4  uses the same reference numerals as  FIG. 1  unless introduced herein. The muzzleloader firearm includes a housing  121 , a hammer  122 , a trigger guard  123 , a trigger  124  and a hammer sear  125 . 
     A round is fired from the muzzleloader system when an operator aims at a target and pulls a trigger  124 . Actuation of the trigger  124  releases a hammer sear  125  causing a hammer spring to drive a hammer  122  forward toward the firing pin  13 . The hammer  122  strikes firing pin  13  causing it to quickly move forward through the firing pin cutout  27  and strike the primer  14 . Upon receiving the impact primer  14  ignites causing a flame to go through flash channel  24 . The flame reaches the cover  82  causing it to burn, allowing the flame to reach the propellant charge  81 . Propellant charge  81  ignites rapidly generating a volume of hot, high-pressure gas. The gas pushes the round  80  through the bore  19  at high speed until round  80  exits the muzzle  20  of the barrel  16 . As an alternative to a hammer based mechanism a striker based mechanism may be used to ignite the primer  14 . 
     The projectile body  84  may have a diameter between 9 mm and 90 mm based on the diameter of the bore  19  and the operators chosen use. In a preferred embodiment, the projectile body  84  diameter is 40 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the round  80  is capable of travelling at least one hundred yards when fired from the muzzleloader system. 
     In the preceding specification the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.