Patent Abstract:
A device and method for deactivating firearms is described herein. The device includes a casing having a nozzle and a plunger for dispensing a bonding material out of the nozzle. The device is inserted into the barrel of a weapon, and the material is injected into the barrel near the bolt face of the weapon. The bonding material enters the working mechanism of the firearm and hardens, interfering with operation of the firearm.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the area of fire arms, and more specifically, disabling small arms in the field. The device described herein renders a small arm such as a rifle, pistol, or other weapon, incapable of chambering or firing a round of ammunition. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In times of war, during port or shipboard inspections, and police actions, the military, Homeland Security, or Customs Security Officers are often confronted with the need to carry off, guard, disable, or destroy illegally imported or captured weapons, particularly small arms. The need may arise when weapons are seized individually, or when the weapons are located in stockpiles, caches or shipping containers. While guarding the captured weapons is an option, guarding is manpower intensive and occupies the time of a well trained soldier, Customs, or Homeland Security Officer who&#39;s skills and training may be better used elsewhere. Often, the weapons must eventually be disposed of in some manner, often at yet another location, requiring further manpower to guard, transport, and destroy the weapon. 
     While small arms can be rendered inoperable by application of force, such as crushing, or by the application of sufficient heat to melt or bend the working components of the weapon, equipment, facilities, skills, and manpower are often unavailable to use these methods in battlefield conditions, aboard ships, or at Ports of Entry. Thus, the need exists to easily disable small arms with the limited manpower, limited skills, and limited equipment typically available under conditions found in the field, or at Ports of Entry. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention disclosed herein is a field tool to render inoperable or deactivate small arms. In the most preferred embodiment, the invention is a single use injection device similar to a syringe that allows a user to place a bonding material such as an adhesive or epoxy into the barrel, breach, receiver, or other working parts of the weapon. Once in place, the bonding material can interfere with the operation of the firing pin, extractor, bolt, magazine, and other moving components of the weapon, as well as physically occupying or plugging the breach or barrel of the weapon so that a round cannot be chambered. Further, the field tool can be left in the barrel of the weapon after use and thus bonded in place, providing a ready indicator that the weapon has been rendered inoperable. 
     The field tool or applicator is readily transportable and simple to operate, thus allowing the device to be carried into the field and used by personnel with minimal training. The use of the device involves clearing the weapon of ammunition, placing an empty magazine into the receiver, moving the bolt to close the breach of the weapon, inserting the applicator into the muzzle of the weapon until the bolt face is in contact with the applicator, and pushing the plunger to dispense the bonding material into the workings of the weapon. Should the bolt be missing from the weapon, or not in the closed position, the device can still be used, however the performance may be diminished. 
     Similarly, the device will also work without the magazine being in place. If the magazine is not in place, the bonding material can still seep into the receiver, thereby obstructing insertion of a magazine. Even if a magazine can be inserted, the bonding material may also foul or bind the magazine locking mechanism so that the magazine cannot remain in the receiver. This obstructing and binding can occur in addition to the obstruction of the breach and fouling and bonding of other parts the weapon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a small arm and a cross-sectional view of the field tool of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an end elevational view of the nozzle end of the field tool. 
         FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional view of a small arm with the field tool inserted into the barrel of the weapon. 
         FIG. 3B  is a close-up cross-sectional view of the field tool in the breach end of the weapon. 
         FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of the small arm with the field tool inserted into the barrel, the field tool partially dispensing material into the workings of the weapon. 
         FIG. 4B  is a close-up view of the field tool dispensing material into the barrel and around the bolt of the small arm. 
         FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional view of the small arm with the field tool inserted into the barrel, the field tool having dispensed product into the workings of the small arm. 
         FIG. 5B  is a close-up view of the field tool completing dispensing of the material into the barrel of the small arm. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in the Figures, the field tool  10  of the preferred embodiment is a generally cylindrical casing  20  preferably having a wall thickness of approximately two hundredths of an inch thick. The casing  20  is approximately three inches long. The casing  20  includes a port or nozzle  21  at a first end  23 , and an opening to accept a plunger  25  at a second end  24 , the plunger  25  extending coaxially and slidably within the casing  20 . When the plunger  25  slides toward the nozzle  21 , material  50  is dispensed out of the nozzle  21 . The nozzle  21  is approximately 0.0625 inches in diameter. The casing  20  is approximately 0.2 inches in diameter, to allow the casing to fit into the barrel of weapons as small as .22 caliber. 
     One skilled in the art will recognize that larger diameter casings can be used for larger caliber weapons. For instance, the casing is preferably 0.3 inches in diameter when designed for use with .40-.50 caliber weapons. The larger diameter casing  20  allows more material to be injected into the larger caliber weapons, and reduces the clearance between the wall of the casing  20 , and the wall of the barrel  61 . Additionally, one will recognize that the dimensions set forth herein are only preferences and may be varied. 
     The first end  23  of the casing  20  also includes stand-offs  40   a - c , which extend beyond the opening of the nozzle  21  by approximately 0.04 inches. The stand-offs  40   a - c  may extend beyond the nozzle  21  by other amounts. Although the preferred embodiment shows three stand-offs, one skilled in the art will recognize that the number of stand-offs can vary, so long as the structure displaces the nozzle  21  from the bolt face  70 . The stand-offs  40   a - c  are placed against the bolt face  70  when the field tool  10  is inserted into the barrel  61  of a small arm  60 , as shown in  FIGS. 3A-5A . The stand-offs  40   a - c  allow the nozzle  21  to be displaced from the bolt face  70 , allowing material  50  to freely flow out of the nozzle  21  and into the workings of the small arm  60 . The displacement from the bolt face  70  also allows the material  50  to occupy the space between the bolt face  70  and the nozzle  21 , thereby forming a plug of material  50 . The plug of material  50  will remain in the barrel  61  even if the field tool  10  is removed from the barrel  61 . 
     The plunger  25  includes a plunger first end  26  and a plunger second end  27 . Between the plunger first end  26  and the plunger second end  27  is a circumferential groove  30  which engages a circumferential bulge  35  that extends inwardly from the wall of the casing  20  into the interior of the casing  20 . One skilled in the art will recognize that the groove  30  and protrusion  35  need not extend about the entire circumference of the casing  20  or plunger  25 . When so engaged, the plunger  25  is fixed in position relative to the casing  20  and movement of the plunger  25  within the casing  20  is restrained, unless sufficient force is applied to overcome the engagement. Plunger  25  also includes an area of reduced diameter  37 , which allows the plunger  25  to pass by the circumferential protrusion  35  when the field tool  10  is activated by applying force to move the plunger  25  toward the nozzle  21 . 
     The material  50  dispensed through nozzle  21  when plunger  25  is pushed forward can be a two part epoxy that will mix as the plunger  25  is moved towards the nozzle  21 . Such two part epoxies typically have a resin and activator or hardener that activate when mixed together. Such two part epoxies are manufactured by J-B Weld Company of Sulpher Springs Tex. The epoxies are available in a number of formulations having different working times, and bonding properties. Those having superior bonding to metal surfaces are preferred. Resistance to solvents is also preferred to hamper cleaning or repair of the deactivated weapon. It is preferred that the epoxy have a working time of 30 minutes or less. In alternate embodiments, the material  50  may be a single part bonding material such as a polyurethane adhesive, which will not need mixing. 
     One part of the epoxy, typically the hardener, can be encased in glass or plastic beads, the beads being suspended in the second part, or resin. Alternatively, each part of a two part epoxy can be encased or suspended in plastic or glass structures such as packets, tubes, beads, or other suitable structures that will keep the parts separated prior to use. Such structures however, must rupture or otherwise allow the two parts of the binary material to mix when the plunger  25  moves towards the nozzle  21 . One skilled in the art will recognize arrangements other than glass or plastic beads can be used to store and activate binary materials in the present invention. 
     In operation, as shown in  FIG. 3A through 5B , the field tool  10  is inserted nozzle  21  first into the barrel  61  of the weapon  60  by way of the muzzle  62 . The plunger  25  of the field tool  10  is typically 30 inches in length, to accommodate common barrel lengths of standard small arms, typically of 28-30 inches. One skilled in the art will recognize that other length plungers  25  can be used to accommodate weapons with shorter or longer barrels. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the field tool  10  is inserted into the barrel  61  so that the stand-offs  41   a - 41   c  rest against the bolt face  70 . The plunger second end  27  extends out the muzzle  62  of the barrel  61 . To use the field tool  10 , the plunger second end  27  is pressed in the direction of arrow  55 , which is a direction towards the nozzle  21 . Such force dislodges circumferential groove  30  from the circumferential protrusion  35 , allowing the plunger first end  26  to force material  50  out of nozzle  21 , and into the barrel  61  of the small arm  60 . 
     As the material  50  exists nozzle  21 , it backfills into the barrel  61 , and penetrates around the bolt  69  and into the receiver area of the weapon  60 , wherein the material  50  contacts other workings of the weapon  60 , and will lock the bolt  69  in place, preventing removal of the bolt  69  or movement of the bolt  69  or chambering of a round of ammunition. The material  50  may also inhibit the operation of the firing pin  75  within bolt  69  and may also interfere with extractors and other components of the bolt  69 . 
     If a magazine  66  is in the weapon or small arm  60 , the material can enter the magazine  66 , or the magazine locking mechanism, preventing removal of the magazine  66  from the small arm  60 . While it is preferred an magazine  66  is in the weapon prior to the use of the field tool  10 , if a magazine  66  is not present, the material  50  can still interfere with the magazine locking mechanism such that a magazine  66  cannot be inserted into or retained in the small arm  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the plunger  25  is advanced through to the end of the area of reduced diameter  37 , wherein further movement of the plunger  25  is restricted by circumferential protrusion  35 , which does not allow the wider portion of the plunger  25  to pass. This limitation in movement prevents the plunger  25  from completely ejecting material  50  from the casing  20 . The material  50  remaining within the casing  20 , and extending out through the nozzle  21  mechanically fixes or adheres the casing  20  in the barrel  61  when material  50  hardens. Further, the first end  26  of the plunger  25  can include an area of reduced diameter  57  which can fill with material  50  as plunger  25  is advanced into the casing  20 . This area provides mechanical adhesion so that plunger  25  cannot be removed from casing  20  when material  50  hardens. 
     The method and structure described herein are merely examples of how the invention can be constructed and used. Such examples are not meant to limit the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5