An Improved Practice Cartridge for Use at Short Ranges.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
An Improved Practice Cartridge for Use at Short Ranges.
I, WILHELM LORENZ of 61 Kriegstrasse Karlsruhe in the Grand Duchy of Baden,
German Empire, Engineer and Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
According to my invention I construct a metal casing precisely similar in con-
figuration to that of an ordinary cartridge, centrally within which is a longitudinal
tube of small diameter which is united to the casing hoth at the base, where it opens
into a cap chamber, and at the front end, which, being made of conoidal or rounded
shape like the bullet of a cartridge meets the outer end of the central tube. Into
the rear end of the tube a pellet or small projectile is introduced through the cap
chamber, which then has a percussion cap with anvil fitted into it. The casing thus
prepared being placed in the cartridge chamber of the firearm, which it fits accurately,
this is fired in the ordinary way, when the explosion of the priming of the percussion
cap will propel the projectile through the central tube to a sufficient distance to
enable it to be used for target practice. The casing together with the central tube
may be made of brass or other suitable metal, or the central tube may be made of
steel with rifle grooves, and an elongated pellet or projectile be employed in combina-
tion therewith, in order to increase the accuracy of aim.
Dated this 25th day of January 1888
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILHELM LORENZ of 61 Kriegstrasse Karlsruhe in the Grand Duchy of Baden
German Empire, Engineer and Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
According to my invention I construct a metal casing precisely similar in con-
figuration to that of an ordinary cartridge, centrally within which is a longitudinal
tube of small diameter which is united to the casing both at the base, where it opens
into a cap chamber, and at the front end, which, being made of conoidal or rounded
shape like the bullet of a cartridge, meets the outer end of the central tube. Into
the rear end of the tube a pellet or small projectile is introduced either through the
front end or through the cap chamber, which then has a percussion cap with anvil
fitted into it. The casing thus prepared being placed in the cartridge chamber of the
fire arm, which it fits accurately, this is fired in the ordinary way, when the explosion
of the priming of the percussion cap will propel the projectile through the central
tube to a sufficient distance to enable it to be used for target practice. The casing
together with the central tube may be made of brass or other suitable metal, or the
central tube may be made of steel with rifle grooves, and an elongated pellet or
projectile be employed in combination therewith, in order to increase the accuracy
of aim.
The above described construction of practice cartridges may be used with both
rifled and smooth bore fire arms, and they may also be constructed of large size for
use with ordnance.
On the accompanying drawing are shewn variously modified forms of the practice
cartridge.
In Fig. 1 the outer casing is composed of a cartridge case c of usual form, into the
front end of which is fitted an extension d having the configuration of the usual
bullet, but with a hole at the apex for the reception of the inner tube a. This tube,
which is shewn separately at Figs. 3 and 4, is by preference formed by drawing and
pressing out of a metal disc, as by drawing upon a perfectly cylindrical mandril, a
uniformly cylindrical bore is insured, and the metal, becoming considerably com-
pressed by the drawing operation, is thus better enabled to withstand the wear and
tear of repeated firing. By forming the mandril with straight or slightly helical
longitudinal projections or grooves, the tube may be formed with corresponding straight
or helical rifling grooves, as shewn.
In this case the inner tube may with advantage be made of steel.
As shewn at Figs. 3 and 4 the drawn tube a has its closed end formed into the
anvil with the necessary perforation and it projects into the cap chamber of the case c,
the tube being suitably fixed to the end of such chamber as indicated to an enlarged
scale at Fig. 1 while its outer end is fixed in the hole of the part d. This part is
formed with a shoulder where it fits into the case c, so as to butt against the end
thereof as shewn.

page_text: In the modification shewn at Fig. 2, the part d is fitted externally on to the case c,
for which purpose the diameter of the latter is correspondingly reduced from m to n,
the end of the part d resting against the shoulder formed at m.
Fig. 5 shews a modification in which the case c is formed in one piece with the
part d, the case being drawn of the required length in the first instance, and
then drawn in at the head so as to give the required rounded configuration.
With the above described construction the bullet or pellet, which may either be
shaped as at e Figs. 1 and 2 or be simply a round pellet, requires to be introduced
through the front end. Fig. 6 shews a modified construction in which the tube a is
open at the rear end, so that the projectile can be introduced at that point and need
not be forced in from the front end. The rear end of the tube is for this purpose
enlarged somewhat at a fitting into a corresponding enlargement in the base of the
case c and serving as the chamber for the reception of the cap and anvils. The part d
is in this case shewn filled out with lead &c. round the tube a in order to bring its
weight more or less up to that of an ordinary charged cartridge, so that the practice
with these cartridges may aproximate as nearly as possible to that of ordinary
cartridges. The part d is in this case shewn held in position by an inner tuber, but
it may also be secured as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2; or the part d
may be made in one piece with the casing c, as at Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what--I
claim is :-
1. A practice cartridge consisting of a casing having the configuration of an
ordinary cartridge with its bullet, within which is a tube of small diameter secured at
the front end to the casing and opening at the rear end into a cap chamber, such
tube being fitted with a bullet or pellet and percussion cap with anvil substantially as
and for the purposes herein described.
2. In practice cartridges constructed as set forth in the preceding claim, forming
the inner tube of steel with rifling grooves for the purposes herein set forth."
Dated this 24th day of October 1SSS
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.