IL292778A

IL292778A - Firearm for reduced energy cartridge

Info

Publication number: IL292778A
Application number: IL292778A
Authority: IL
Original assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations Llc
Priority date: 2019-06-03
Filing date: 2020-05-29
Publication date: 2022-07-01
Also published as: WO2020247266A1; CA3160635A1; AU2020289038A1; EP4022243A1

Claims

WO 2020/247266 PCT/US2020/035228 CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A modem sporting rifle for firing reduced energy ammunition with a casing having a size conforming to one of a 223؛ Remington, a 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridge, 7.62 x mm NATO, and a 7.62 x 38 mm cartridge, each cartridge of the reduced energy ammunition having a 22 caliber power load providing propellant and 22 caliber power load recessed from a rear face of the casing defining a recess; the modem sporting rifle comprising a barrel with a firing chamber sized for one of 223 Remington, a 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridge, 7.62 x 51 mm NATO, and a 7.62 x mm cartridge, the barrel having a gas port, a bolt assembly movable into and out of an in- battery position, the bolt assembly movable out of the in-battery position by blowback provided by rearward force exerted on the bolt assembly by a fired cartridge casing in the firing chamber, a recoil spring for returning the bolt assembly back to the in-battery position; the bolt assembly having a bolt carrier and a bolt fixed within the bolt carrier, the bolt having a forward projection sized to be inserted in the recess, and a partial or complete ring shaped surface for engaging the rear face of the casing, the bolt carrier not having a gas key for rearward cycling, a metal firing pin extending through the bolt, axially movable within the bolt, and offset from the center of the bolt; the bolt assembly further having tuning means for facilitating reliable cycling.

2. The modem sporting rifle of claim 1 wherein the bolt carrier is formed of a polymer comprising at least one of nylon and polyamide material and further has receiver engagement pads formed of a different material.

3. The modem sporting rifle of claim 1 in combination with the ammunition, each cartridge of the ammunition comprising a casing formed of a polymer extending to a forward edge of the casing to a rear head of the casing.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the power load of the cartridge and the projectile are configured to provide an energy level of the projectile after the projectile leaves the muzzle of from 50 ft-lbf to 400 ft-lbf. WO 2020/247266 PCT/US2020/035228

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein the power load of the cartridge and the projectile are configured to provide an energy level of the projectile after the projectile leaves the muzzle of from 15 ft-Ibf to 250 ft-lbf.

6. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 1-5, wherein the tuning means comprises receiving regions on the bolt carrier for receiving weights and further provides a plurality of weights for attachment thereto.

7. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 1-6, wherein the tuning means comprises adjustable receiver engagement pads.

8. The modem sporting rifle of claim 7, wherein the bearing pads can be adjusted with respect to their radial projection distance.

9. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 1-8, wherein the bolt is formed by way of metal injection molding.

10. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 1-8, wherein the bolt carrier is overmolded onto the bolt.

11. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 1 -8, wherein the bolt assembly is a retrofitted bolt assembly.

12. The modem sporting rifle of claim 11, wherein the bolt assembly is provided as a kit with tuning components and instmctions.

13. The modem sporting rifle of claim 12, wherein the tuning components include at least one of weights, and bearing pads.

14. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 1-13, wherein the bolt has a flange which the forward end of the bolt carrier abuts.

15. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 1-14, wherein the bolt has a series of divots extending along the length of the bolt for securing the bolt carrier onto the bolt.

16. A converted modem sporting rifle in combination with reduced energy ammunition, the modem sporting rifle converted from gas operation to blowback operation, the modem WO 2020/247266 PCT/US2020/035228 sporting rifle before conversion having a conventional steel bolt assembly weighing greater than 10 ounces, an original steel recoil spring for the bolt assembly, and a firing chamber sized for centerfire necked cartridges; the modem sporting rifle after conversion comprising: a replacement bolt assembly comprising a polymer bolt carrier with a metal bolt fixed within and to the polymer bolt carrier, the bolt having forward lugs and a forward face sized for ammunition and a metal firing pin extending through the bolt, axially movable within the bolt, and offset from the center of the bolt; the reduced energy ammunition comprising at least one low energy necked cartridge with a .22 caliber power load with propellant fixed in the case, the case defining an unobstructed pathway to a projectile, the projectile weight and the power load with propellant selected to provide a projectile energy level leaving the rifle in the range of about ft-lbf to 400 ft-lbf, the mass of the replacement bolt assembly is selected such that the replacement bolt assembly moves in a rearward direction and compresses the original recoil spring by a distance upon firing of the at least one reduced energy cartridge, the distance being large enough so that a case of the at least one reduced energy cartridge is ejected and a second reduced energy cartridge is fed into the firing chamber by blowback operation of the low energy modem sporting rifle.

17. The modem sporting rifle of claim 16, wherein the replacement bolt assembly weighs less than 7 ounces;

18. The modem sporting rifle of claim 16, wherein the bolt carrier is formed by injection molding with the bolt positioned in a mold prior to the molten polymer being injected into the mold.

19. The modem sporting rifle of claim 16, 17, or 18, wherein the bolt assembly is tunable for facilitating reliable cycling.

20. The modem sporting rifle of claim 19, wherein the tuning means comprises receiving regions on the bolt carrier for receiving weights and further provides a plurality of weights for attachment thereto. WO 2020/247266 PCT/US2020/035228

21. The modem sporting rifle of claim 19, wherein the tuning means comprises adjustable receiver bearing pads.

22. The modem sporting rifle of claim 21, wherein the bearing pads can be adjusted with respect to their radial projection distance.

23. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 16-22, wherein the bolt is formed by way of metal injection molding.

24. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 16-23, wherein the bolt carrier is overmolded onto the bolt.

25. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 19-22, wherein the tuning components include at least one of weights, and bearing pads.

26. The modem sporting rifle of any of claims 19-22, wherein the tuning components comprise different recoil springs.

27. A converted modem sporting rifle in combination with reduced energy ammunition, the modem sporting rifle converted from gas operation to blowback operation, the modem sporting rifle before conversion having a conventional steel bolt assembly weighing greater than 10 ounces, an original steel recoil spring for the bolt assembly, and a firing chamber sized for one of a 7.62 x 51 mm NATO, and a 7.62 x 38 mm cartridge; the modem sporting rifle after conversion comprising: a replacement bolt assembly comprising a polymer bolt carrier with a metal bolt fixed within and to the polymer bolt carrier, the bolt having forward lugs and a forward face sized for ammunition and a metal firing pin extending through the bolt, axially movable within the bolt, and offset from the center of the bolt; the reduced energy ammunition comprising at least one low energy cartridge with an exterior casing sized to conform with one of. 7.62 x 51 mm NATO, and a 7.62 x 38 mm cartridge, the at least one reduced energy cartridge comprising a case comprising a polymer, a power load with propellant fixed in the case, the case defining pathway to a projectile, the projectile weight and the power load with propellant selected to provide a projectile energy level leaving the rifle in the range of about 50 ft-lbf to 450 ft-lbf, the mass of the replacement 46 WO 2020/247266 PCT/US2020/035228 bolt assembly is adjusted such that the replacement bolt assembly moves in a rearward direction and compresses the original recoil spring by a distance upon firing of the at least one reduced energy cartridge, the distance being large enough so that a case of the at least one reduced energy cartridge is ejected and a second reduced energy cartridge is fed intothe firing chamber by blowback operation of the low energy modem sporting rifle.

28. The rifle of claim 27, wherein the weigh is adjusted by adding or removing weights to the bolt carrier.