EP0229763B1 - Tracer ammunition - Google Patents

Tracer ammunition Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0229763B1
EP0229763B1 EP86900682A EP86900682A EP0229763B1 EP 0229763 B1 EP0229763 B1 EP 0229763B1 EP 86900682 A EP86900682 A EP 86900682A EP 86900682 A EP86900682 A EP 86900682A EP 0229763 B1 EP0229763 B1 EP 0229763B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pyrotechnic
column
slug
tracer
diameter
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP86900682A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0229763A4 (en
EP0229763A1 (en
Inventor
Thomas E. De Phillipo
James F. Kowalick
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
LSI Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
LSI Technologies Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by LSI Technologies Inc filed Critical LSI Technologies Inc
Priority to AT86900682T priority Critical patent/ATE81905T1/de
Publication of EP0229763A1 publication Critical patent/EP0229763A1/en
Publication of EP0229763A4 publication Critical patent/EP0229763A4/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0229763B1 publication Critical patent/EP0229763B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B12/00—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material
    • F42B12/02—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect
    • F42B12/36—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
    • F42B12/38—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information of tracer type

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to the field of small arms and cannon caliber ammunition, and more particularly, is directed to improved tracer ammunition including an improved method of manufacture of the tracer ammunition.
  • Tracer ammunition that is, ammunition including pyrotechnic compositions, has long been employed by the military and other organizations to provide a visible "trace" of a projectile's trajectory after the projectile has been fired from a weapon.
  • Such tracer ammunition provides visual assurance that all rounds or slugs are being delivered to the exact area wherein it is desired to direct the fire. Accordingly, for small arms, it is important that the tracer rounds be similar in size, weight and configuration to the other non-tracer rounds so that all ammunition will exhibit similar trajectories and flight patterns.
  • all types of ammunition e.g., armor-piercing, high-explosive, target-practice, etc.
  • Such prior art pyrotechnic compositions have conventionally been loaded into a hole drilled in the base of the projectile to a predetermined depth wherein the depth of the hole is related to the total visible burning time required.
  • the visible burning time for a pyrotechnic tracer projectile is usually defined as the "trace" of the projectile.
  • This hole in the base of the projectile is filled during the manufacturing process with a pyrotechnic powdered composition, which composition must be consolidated under extremely high compression forces, usually by employing a hydraulic or pneumatic press.
  • This consolidation process may require several consolidation steps and may require the addition of a separate igniter composition in order to assure ignition after firing.
  • the extremely high tamping pressures previously required in the tracer ammunition manufacturing process proved to be extremely cumbersome and difficult when encountering small cavity projectiles to thereby greatly increase production costs while at the same time decreasing reliability and predictability.
  • the consolidation process presently necessary to produce the currently available tracer ammunition has rendered the manufacture of such ammunition unadaptable to fast production by employment of the usual automatic ammunition manufacturing equipment. This results in the requirement to utilize special, slow functioning machines, thus considerably slowing down the production of tracer ammunition and causing increased production costs.
  • the consolidation process also contributes to the relatively unreliable performance of currently available military tracer ammunition.
  • Military specifications usually set forth the common "trace" requirement that ninety to ninety-five percent of the tracer projectiles actually trace at a reliability level of ninety percent. Ammunition manufacturers have experienced difficulties in meeting such standards.
  • the presently available tracer ammunition usually exhibits poor visibility at long ranges from the gunner's location.
  • the relatively large pyrotechnic display of the presently available tracer ammunition provides a close range of visibility which may serve as a locater and thus permit enemy detection of the firing source.
  • many gunners have been faced with the choice of discarding tracer ammunition entirely and thus losing the accuracy and locating affect of the tracer rounds or else, employing the tracer ammunition for accuracy purposes, they might then find themselves unduely attracting return fire because of the locater effect of the tracers.
  • certain chlorinated ingredients of current tracer compositions have histories of manifesting carcinogenic effects during manufacturing, thereby possibly creating a considerable job hazard.
  • automated tracer manufacturing procedures have not heretofore been available and accordingly, the cost of tracer ammunition manufacturing is considerably greater than that of the main, non-tracer rounds.
  • US-A-3 401 636 relates to a clad pyrotechnic device for use in small projectiles like flechettes. It discloses a tracer ammunition round according to the preamble of claim 1 and having a propellant charge and comprising a hollow jacket defining a shaped interior cavity, a pyrotechnic composition within the cavity and completely filing the central cavity, the pyrotechnic composition being capable of being ignited by the propellant charge to provide a visible trace of the trajectory of the round upon firing, said pyrotechnic composition being included in a thin metallic sheat. But, this document does not disclose means to sink the heat and the device fails to provide a long burn because lack of means for heat absorbtion.
  • US-A-2 425 148 discloses an incendiary bullet in which the incendiary charge is included in the nose of the bullet. Obviously, the incendiary charge is intended to operate on or in the target and not during the displacement of the round. On the other hand, the incendiary material is not in contact with the propellant charge and a closure is provided in the rearward end of a column usable to load the nose.
  • US-A-2-958-277 also concerns an incendiary device rather than a tracer.
  • This incendiary device is packaged such that when it is exposed to dry conditions (i.e., when the conditions are optimum for exploding), the casing material surrounding a self-igniting incendiary composition shrink, break or otherwise permit the entry of air needed for self-ignition.
  • the central cavity is not the primary combustible material, but rather is a combustion accelerator which assists in the ignition of the inflammable material which does not really self-ignite, surrounding the central cavity.
  • this document includes a central axial cavity whose diameter is a fraction od the diameter of the device as a whole, the incendiary load substantially fills the jacket.
  • the present invention relates generally to the field of tracer ammunition, and more particularly, is directed to tracer ammunition featuring a logitudinally extending pyrotechnic core having an extremely small cross sectional diameter.
  • the tracer ammunition round having a propellant charge and comprising a hollow jacket having a generally pointed front end and a generally blunt rear end , the jacket defining a shaped interior cavity; a pyrotechnic composition within a central opening and completely filing the central opening, the pyrotechnic composition being capable of being ignited by the propellant charge to provide a visible trace of the trajectory of the round upon firing, is characterized in that a shaped slug is inserted into the jacket cavity, the slug comprising a metallic body, said body having a forward end and a rearward end and a central opening , the central opening forming a column extending longitudinally trough the entire lenght of the body, from the forward end to the rearward end, the rearward end being exposed to the propellant charge, the ratio of the lenght of the central opening column to diameter of the central opening column being at least five, and the pyrotechnic composition defining an elongated pyrotechnic column, the diameter of which is comprise
  • the present invention relates also to a method of fabricating a tracer ammunition round as above.
  • a continuous pyrotechnic composition filled cord is formed by employing a continuous reel lead, or lead antimony alloy wire or any other soft metal such as aluminium, copper,etc. and then drilling or otherwise providing a continuous, concentric hole theretrough.
  • the concentric central opening is then filled with a suitable pyrotechnic formulation and the two ends of the cord are closed with lead or antimony-lead stoppers.
  • the continuous cord with the filled pyrotechnic composition is then swaged down in size to the desired final diameter, which diameter usually is the inside diameter of the projectile jacket.
  • this size will be the same size as the lead cord material usually employed in the conventional manufacture of ball-type ammunition and accordingly, the same manufacturing techniques and equipment usually employed with ball-type ammunition can be utilized when manufacturing the tracer ammunition of the present invention.
  • the continuous cord is swaged or drawn down to the desired outside diameter and the cord is cropped or cut into slug size segments.
  • Each slug sized segment contains an outer lead or lead-antimony slug with a concentric, small diameter, pyrotechnic column therewithin.
  • the pyrotechnic column extends throughout the length of the slug.
  • the slug is then shaped in known manner to provide a generally pointed front end and generally cylindrical rear end of suitable size to allow loading into a brass jacket using conventional ammunition manufacturing equipment.
  • Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a conventional, prior art type of tracer round.
  • Fig. 2 is an enlarged, partial, side elevational view of continuous cord containing a continuous, small diameter pyrotechnic column, and partially broken away to expose interior construction details.
  • Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a segment of the cord of Fig. 2, cut to the desired length, and partially broken away to expose interior construction details.
  • Fig. 4 is an enlarged, cross sectional via taken along line 4-4 on Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.
  • Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the segment of Fig. 3, partially broken away, showing a preformed, tracer charged lead slug.
  • Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view showing the preformed slug of Fig. 5 inserted within a bullet jacket, and partly in elevation to illustrate the jacket crimp.
  • Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 on Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.
  • a prior art type of tracer bullet 10 which includes generally a brass or other metal jacket 12 which is shaped to the desired configuration for the desired path of flight.
  • a point filler 14 completely fills the forward portion of the jacket 12 and preferably, the filler material can be formed of lead in the known manner.
  • the forward end 16 of the jacket 12 is generally pointed in configuration and the rearward end 18 of the jacket is blunt and is provided with a rear opening 20.
  • the rearward portion of the lead filler 14 is usually drilled or otherwise treated to define a concentric opening 24.
  • a pyrotechnic composition or tracer 22 is inserted into the lead.
  • a pyrotechnic composition can be loaded through the jacket rear opening 20 to abut directly the rear end of a shortened lead slug 14 in face to face contact.
  • the rearward end of the tracer composition 22 can be drilled or otherwise worked to provide an opening for receipt therein of an igniter composition 26.
  • a sub-igniter composition 28 can also be provided to assure ignition of the pyrotechnic composition 22.
  • a closure disc 30 is provided rearwardly of the pyrotechnic composition 22, the igniter 25 and sub-igniter 28 in a manner to close the rear jacket opening 20 and to facilitate the manufacturing process.
  • a peripheral crimp 32 is impressed in the jacket 12 to secure the jacket to the lead slug 14.
  • the peripheral crimp may be provided with a knurled cannelure 34 to aid in the mechanical bonding of the parts.
  • a continuous pyrotechnic composition filled cord 36 is formed by employing a continuous reel lead, or lead-antimony alloy wire or any other soft metal such as aluminum, copper, etc. and then drilling or otherwise providing a continuous, concentric hole 38 therethrough.
  • a tube of lead, lead-antimony alloy or aluminum, etc. with relatively thick side walls and with a relatively small diameter longitudinal opening can be employed.
  • the concentric, central opening 38 is then filled with a suitable pyrotechnic formulation and the two ends of the cord can be closed with lead or antimony-lead stoppers.
  • the continuous cord 36 with the filled pyrotechnic composition is then swaged down in size to the desired final diameter, which diameter usually is the inside diameter of the projectile jacket.
  • this size will be the same size as the lead cord material usually employed in the conventional manufacture of ball-type ammunition and accordingly, the same manufacturing techniques usually employed with ball-type ammunition can be utilized when manufacturing tracers. It is noteworthy that there is no need to individually drill a rear opening in each round, nor to insert a suitable pyrotechnic composition into that hole under considerable pressure in the manner previously required when producing tracer ammunition. Thus, the manufacture of tracers will take no longer than the manufacture of non-tracer ammunition when using the method of the present invention.
  • each segment 42 contains an outer lead or lead-antimony slug 44 with a concentric, pyrotechnic column 46 therewithin.
  • the pyrotechnic column 46 extends throughout the length of the slug 44.
  • the slug 44 can be shaped in known manner to provide a generally pointed front end 48 and generally cylindrical rear end 50 of size to allow loading into a brass jacket 12 using conventional ammunition manufacturing equipment. See Fig. 6.
  • the pyrotechnic column 46 illustrated in Fig. 5 after swagging or drawing down the cord 36 to the required size, preferable measures between 0.76 and 1.44 mm (0.030 inches to 0.055 inches) in diameter and the core loading density of pyrotechnic material is between approximately twelve grains per linear foot and twenty-four grains per linear foot.
  • a core size of approximately .044 inches in diameter has provided improved results with better ignition reliability over smaller core diameters due to the larger core area that is exposed, while sacrificing only a minor amount of trace distance.
  • the relatively small diameter of the pyrotechnic column surprisingly produces an improved tracer capable of yielding a highly intense, yet distinct line of light along the trajectory which is visible over a range 140% that of conventional tracers.
  • the tracer of the present invention is visible to the gunner within a ⁇ 20° angle from the trajectory, but due to its small diameter, is not visible to the enemy.
  • trace quality is defined to mean the evenness and continuity of the trace output, where a bright, thin, straight line is preferable.
  • the larger core sizes 1,52 mm or (0,060 inches and larger) display a larger, unacceptable amount of what is usually termed "frazzle", that is, a widely dispersed sparkling effect in the trail of the tracer.
  • the pyrotechnic composition 40 In view of the extremely small diameter of the pyrotechnic column 46, the pyrotechnic composition 40 must be of a type that will burn brightly at a controlled rate, that will burn for a sufficient length of time to permit visual observation over the entire range and that will not be subject to burn-outs or misfiring.
  • numerous tests have been conducted and the compositions employed in each test are set forth below. In each test, various composition by weight of zirconium powder, potassium perchlorate and a polyester binder have been employed. In each instance, the zirconium powder employed was finely divided through a forty micron sieve, granular type one, meeting the requirements of Mil-399, class 3.
  • the potassium perchlorate utilized was "primer grade", sieved through a sixty mesh sieve size, meeting the requirements of Mil-P-217, grade A, class 3.
  • the polyester binder was type B, high strength.
  • An alternate binder comprising vinyl alcohol acetate resin (VAAR) as manufactured by Union Carbide Company, company specification US-MA-28-18, 28% solids was also tested in the first three compositions.
  • compositions expressed in percentage by weight were tested: INGREDIENT TEST NUMBER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 zirconium powder 69.3 69.0 68.7 58 38 77.5 65 62.5 potassium perchlorate 29.6 29.4 29.3 38 58 17.5 25 22.5 VAAR or polyester binder 1.1* 1.6* 2.0* 4.0 4.0 5.0 10 15 *Compositions tested with VAAR binder
  • compositions of Tests 1, 2 and 3 using the VAAR binder and the compositions of Tests 7 and 8 using the polyester binder have proved to be most satisfactory for the purpose and test compositions have been designated by the applicants as LSI-PT-44, LSI-PT-45, LSI-PT-46, LSI-PT-47 and LSI-PT-48.
  • the slug can be loaded into the open rear 54 of the brass jacket 52 by employing the usual equipment utilized to load lead rounds (not shown) in substantially the same manner and in substantially the same amount of time.
  • the medial crimp 32 can be applied about the periphery of the jacket to secure the parts together.
  • a knurled cannelure 34 can also be formed.
  • the rear end 58 of the jacket 52 can be pressed, molded or otherwise formed to provide conventional boattail 56.
  • a finished tracer round 60 can be provided having a pyrotechnic column 46 of relatively thin diameter extending the entire length of the tracer round 60.
  • the pyrotechnic column 46 extends the entire length of the jacket 52 and that the diameter of the pyrotechnic column 46 is relatively small in comparison to the diameter of the lead or lead-antimony slug. Additionally, in view of the fact that the pyrotechnic column 46 extends the entire length of the slug, there is no tendency or possibility of the pyrotechnic material separating from the lead or lead-antimony slug.
  • the lead slug 44' completely surrounds the pyrotechnic column 46 for its entire length and fills the entire interior cavity of the jacket.
  • the lead slug 44' then acts as a heat sink in a manner to control and slow the rate of burning of the pyrotechnic column 46.
  • heat is generated upon ignition of the pyrotechnic column, a significant portion of the heat will be absorbed into the surrounding heat sink material, thereby slowing the rate of combustion of the pyrotechnic material to assure tracer burn over the entire range.
  • the ratio of the length of the pyrotechnic column to the diameter of the column is greater than five. This results in an elongated pyrotechnic column of very small diameter. For example, for 22 cal. ammunition, a pyrotechnic column having a diameter of approximately 0,76 mm (0.030 inches has been satisfactorially tested.
  • the applicants' compositions LSI-PT 44, LSI-PT-45, LSI-PT-46, LSI-PT-47 and LSI-PT-48 have been selected for their reliability in ignition and their burning rate. Because of the relatively large mass to pyrotechnic ratio, upon ignition, the unit thermal characteristics of the tracer ammunition comes into effect, even for small caliber rounds, and the heat of the reaction is driven off into the surrounding lead, lead-antimony, aluminum or other soft metal sidewalls. The sidewalls function as a heat sink to thereby slow down the speed of reaction to assure trace over the entire flight path.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)
  • Indicating Or Recording The Presence, Absence, Or Direction Of Movement (AREA)
EP86900682A 1985-07-10 1985-07-10 Tracer ammunition Expired EP0229763B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT86900682T ATE81905T1 (de) 1985-07-10 1985-07-10 Leuchtmunition.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1985/001321 WO1987000263A1 (en) 1985-07-10 1985-07-10 Tracer ammunition

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0229763A1 EP0229763A1 (en) 1987-07-29
EP0229763A4 EP0229763A4 (en) 1988-03-07
EP0229763B1 true EP0229763B1 (en) 1992-10-28

Family

ID=22188764

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP86900682A Expired EP0229763B1 (en) 1985-07-10 1985-07-10 Tracer ammunition

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0229763B1 (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)
AT (1) ATE81905T1 (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)
DE (1) DE3586786D1 (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)
IN (1) IN164215B (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)
WO (1) WO1987000263A1 (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102011116594A1 (de) * 2011-10-21 2013-04-25 Diehl Bgt Defence Gmbh & Co. Kg Verwendung von Zirkonium oder eines Zirkonium enthaltenden Gemischs

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US12247810B2 (en) 2013-03-21 2025-03-11 Nostromo, Llc Optically tracked projectile

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US581946A (en) * 1897-05-04 Projectile
US734966A (en) * 1903-01-17 1903-07-28 Cecil Vilhelm Schou Projectile.
US1094402A (en) * 1913-08-19 1914-04-21 Winchester Repeating Arms Co Bullet for pleasure target-shooting.
US2346462A (en) * 1940-10-23 1944-04-11 American Chain & Cable Co Method of making cores for projectiles
US2336143A (en) * 1941-01-04 1943-12-07 Remington Arms Co Inc Method of making projectiles
US2958277A (en) * 1941-05-09 1960-11-01 Trojan Powder Co Self-igniting incendiary devices
US2425418A (en) * 1942-04-18 1947-08-12 Remington Arms Co Inc Ammunition
US3401636A (en) * 1966-11-30 1968-09-17 Army Usa Clad pyrotechnics
US3988990A (en) * 1975-09-03 1976-11-02 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Projectile
US4204895A (en) * 1978-08-17 1980-05-27 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Green flare compositions

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102011116594A1 (de) * 2011-10-21 2013-04-25 Diehl Bgt Defence Gmbh & Co. Kg Verwendung von Zirkonium oder eines Zirkonium enthaltenden Gemischs
DE102011116594B4 (de) 2011-10-21 2022-02-03 Diehl Defence Gmbh & Co. Kg Verwendung von Zirkonium oder eines Zirkonium enthaltenden Gemischs

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3586786D1 (de) 1992-12-03
WO1987000263A1 (en) 1987-01-15
EP0229763A4 (en) 1988-03-07
IN164215B (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html) 1989-02-04
ATE81905T1 (de) 1992-11-15
EP0229763A1 (en) 1987-07-29

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