Patent ID: 8327767

Claim:
A reduced energy training cartridge for use in a straight blowback operated firearm, said cartridge comprising: a cartridge case being defined by a rear portion with an external groove, a front portion, and an intermediate cylindrical wall; a velocity reduction structure defined by the front portion of the cartridge case, said velocity reduction structure comprising a frustoconical wall having inner and outer canted surfaces and originating from the intermediate cylindrical wall of the of the cartridge case, said velocity reduction structure further comprising a cylindrical wall, having inner and outer surfaces, originating from the frustoconical wall and defining a front-most surface of the cartridge case, said cylindrical wall of the velocity reduction structure having a smaller outer diameter than said intermediate cylindrical wall; a sabot slidably engaged within said cartridge case, said sabot having a rear portion, with an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of said intermediate cylindrical wall of said cartridge case, and a sealing and braking structure, said sealing and braking structure of said sabot interacting with said inner canted surface of said velocity reduction structure of said cartridge case, with the proviso that said inner surface of the cylindrical wall of said velocity reduction structure does not contact said sealing and braking structure of said sabot; and a primer disposed in said rear portion of said cartridge case; wherein, upon percussion of said primer, said cartridge case slides relative to said sabot until such point when said inner canted surface of said velocity reduction structure of said cartridge case interacts with said sealing and braking structure of said sabot, thereby stopping further movement of said cartridge case relative to said sabot through said interaction of said sealing and braking structure with said inner canted surface of said velocity reduction structure of said cartridge case and wherein said sealing and braking structure does not contact the inner surface of the cylindrical wall of said velocity reduction structure.