US1715788A - Bullet for high-power rifles - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1929. 5, RQUSSEAU 1,715,788

BULLET FOR HIGH POWER RIFLES Original Filed July 7. 1921 Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED- STATES PA T,

STANISLAS ROUSSEAU, or, ALTON, ILLINOIS, nssrenon TQ wnsmnnonagpmnea COMPANY, or EAST rron, ILLINOIS, A oonrona'r o tor 'nnnawnjnn,

BULLET FOR men-rownamrgnns,

Continuation of application Serial No. 482,992, filed m 1921i 4 192a. semu 110,660,792.

This invention relates to .bulletsfor high power rifles, and more particularly to bullets of that type adapted to expand upon 'im act. This application is a continuation of N 2,992, filed July 7, 1921.

Bullets of the expandin type adapted for sporting rifles, as hereto ore made depend for theireflect upon the translation of the kinetic energy, due to the velocity of the bullet, into energy used up, or, as it is usually called in this sense, shock. Accordingly such bullets are formed to spread or assume the form of a mushroom immediately upon impact; a further increase in diameter taking place as the bullet meets with'resista-nce upon its course, until when expanded beneath the hide of an animal, it will have'beenfully expanded, This, of course, means that;

the greater part of the energy stored in the bullet will be used up at impact and in making a cruel but superficial wound, while the Vitals of the animal will not be reached, The points of such bullets are, therefor'e, de liberately so formed as to be unstable and so as to spread upon impact, thepoint being soft,hollow and even slit in order to secure that result; Such points do not, of course, penetratethe hide without-deformation, but

' the very object of their formation is the opposite, namely, to cause the tips to open up and s read.

One 0 the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide a bullet for. highfpo'wer rifles which will penetrate without-deformation but which after such penetration will expand or. distend and even become dis? rupted,

Another object of this invention is to-provide a bullet for highv power rifleswhich will readily penetrate the hide and bone of an animal, but which when reaching the Vitals, will expand and, become/disrupted with great destructive effect. V x

Another object of this invention is to provide abullet ofthe character describediwhose accuracy is not impaired but even improved and is, therefore, adapted for riflepractice as well as suitable for hunting purposes,

Further objects will appear from the detail description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a bullet embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section;

, Figure' 3; is a longitudinal vertical section showingthe bullet after having been fired from a high power rifle, butfat-areduced1 This agpl icgtign 1 15a; September 4,'

and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2,

the bullet embodying this invention is a jacketed bullet of thejtypefdesigned for use in high power rifles; accordingly 7 it; is pointed and of theusual 'de'sign, except as hereinafter described, The jacket 1 of copper or copperalloy, contai'n's the core 2-of lead; or lead alloy, and this jacket isof suflicient strength to"withstand" passage through the rifle, at the required high velocit ,without splitting, stopping-or tea ring, w ile the core, being f 1eaa;*oraead alloy, is soft and malleable. The point of-thebullet, however,- terminatesi-n a slightly bluntf tip 3,-but if this point were extendediasshown in dotted lines,the bullet as a Wholewould form the outline of a, sharp pointed bullet-as ordinarily usedifor highipower sporting-rifles,

-Now' the point is provided? with a cavity 12 which is open at the-tip and whichy'extends axially in the core." Thiscavity 'i's properly proportioned'to secure the desired resultas hereinafter 'described'gf thus for a .30'0'6 Springfield of 150;or 180 1grains, a cavity diameter of 0.55 inch and .375"f' inch depth have been found'suitable Prefe'r ably also the jacket is cannelured' asshown at-,"pref erably Where theipoint' joins or merges-into the body of thelbiilleth Itwill be'partici V larly noted that the jacket is comparatively 7 heavy, even at the point" and tip; accordingly, although the 7-point is hollow and open, it-is stable, that is, it is of suflicient stability to penetrate even solid target, such; as] the hide. of an animal, without mushrooming pr deforming; accordingly, the bullet has a.

mushrooming point; r j V V The effect and performance, of this bullet are striking, U'ponl referring to Figure 3',

penetrating point as distinguished from a which shows'the bulletshownin' Figures 1 i and 2, after, having beenifiredfinto a soft target, such as the flesh'ofan animal, but at a reduced velocity, it will be seen,'that while the point, and more especially the tip, re

mains practically undeformed, thei'base of the point and where it merges into the body of the bullet has become distended; -moreover the cavity has become expanded and inflated, both laterally and axially, especially' towards the base, while the forward part of the cavity 'is practically unalteredf In fact'it seems that the interior of the cavity, which forms a pocket, has been subj ected to an internal pressurecausing expansion or inflation of thecavity and therefore distension of the bullet.

Figure 4; shows the bullet of Figures 1 and 2 .Wl16I1 fiI6 Cl at high velocity and at close, range into a soft target such as the flesh and Vitals, as the heart, of an, animal. It will be seen that the bullet has become entirely disrupted, and an examination-of the fragments shows that the cavity has expanded until the bullet has become so far extended as todisrupt. Now it will be noted that the cannelure 5 provides. a weakened section extending circumferentially of the jacket at the polnt where the greatest expansiontakes place, as will be seen in'Figure 8. Accordingly the bullet when .extended to its limit, will disrupt and tear alongtheweakened line as shown in Figure 4. It will, however, again be noted that the point and more particularly the tip, is substantially undeformed, except that the drivin forceof theenergy stored the bullet has somewhat; flattened the point laterally, while the jacket part of the body and the core; part therein have become totally disrupted and flattened uponfurther passage through the animal tissues. I

While an explanation of the theory of operation is unnecessary, and while this invention is not limited to any particular theory, the following explanation is, advanced: Whena bullet such as described passes through soft tissues, these will work into the cavity, especially during the rapid rotation of the bullet. There will thus be formed a piston which not only traps the air, already under high pressure, in I the pocket thus formed, but the semi-liquid tissues will themselves. act hydraulically. These will under the rapidly increasing pressure exnand or inflate the pocketin a mannersimilar to the action taking place when a bottle is blown from the neck. The core is moreover probablyin a somewhat plastic state in the body part of the bullet, due to the contact of the body jacket part with the bore of the gun, while the point will be more cool. The result is, therefore, that the cavity 1s expanded causing extension of .tl1e .bullet, and

where the velocityat impact is sufficiently high, the expansion and extension is carried on until the bullet becomes disrupted or explodes; this disruptionis furthermore. facilitated by the presence of the cannelure which j forms a weak and more easily severed section.

While the bullet embodyingthis invention becomes distended while passing through softtissues, such as flesh and blood, and even the hide, no appreciable distension takes place when-it isfire'd into 'asolid target such as wood'or bone. This is probably due to the fact that the hard and fibrous partlcles of wood or bone, in entering the II cavity, become wedged therein, similarly as sand wedges in a pipe; accordingly the expansion of the cavity andthe distension of the'bullet will be unappreciable; this is borne out by the actual appearance of a cut open bullet so fired. The bullet will, therefore, pass clearly through asolid target.

It will, therefore, be. seen that the invention accomplishes its objects. A bullet isprovided. which is ideal for sporting purposes generally. .It is entirely suitable for target practice, since its formation does not detract from its. accuracy as is the case with soft nosed bullets. In view of the fact that it has great penetrating power it will pass through bone and other solid obstructionswith great effect. It does not flatten uponimpact withthe hide of an animal, even if tough and thick, but thepoint being stablewill readil pass therethrough. Upon encountering so t tissues, however, it will become expanded and distended, and will even disrupt with a practically explosive action, andwith great disruptive effect upon the Vitals oftheanimal, .or of. the object which it penetrates. I I I While one embodiment ofthis invention has been specifically described and illustrated, it will .be obvious that this invention is capable of development in other embodiments. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details without departing from the spirit ofthis invention;

it is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited tothe specific details shown and described.

Having thus described. the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A jacketed bullet for highpower sport- 4 ing rifles having a point of sufficient. stability to penetrate the game without mushrooming and which has an open cavity extending back from the tip to provide an expansible pocket adapted to distend the bullet after such penetration. I Y

i 2. A jacketed bullet for high power sporting rifles having a continuous game penetrating point provided with an open cavity and weakened to expand so as to distend the bullet at the base of the point after such penetration. I

I 3. A jacketed bullet for high power sporting rifles having astable game penetrating point open at the tip,hollowed'rearwardly therefrom and weakened back of the tip, being thereby adapted upon impact to expand back of the tip in order to distend the bullet at the base of the point after such penetration.

4. A jacketed bullet for high power sporting rifles having a stable game penetrating point provided with a cavity and weakened so as to expand upon impact in order to distend the bullet after such penetration.

5. A jacketed bullet for high power sporting rifles having a stable game penetrating point which has a cavity open to the tip and extending rearwardly to provide, a pocket expanding after impact in order to distend the bullet after such penetration.

6. A jacketed bullet for high power rifles whose jacket is weakened back of the tip and having a stable penetrating point pro vided with a cavity adapted to expand upon impact in order to distend the bullet.

7 A jacketed bullet for high power rifles whose jacket is weakened back of the tip 8. A jacketed bullet for high power sporting rifles having a pointof suflicient stability to penetrate the game without mushrooming and having a cavity extending axially in the core and open at the tip, said cavity being expansible in order to distend the bullet after such penetration;

9. A jacketed bullet forhigh power rifles whose jacket is weakened back of the tip and having a stable penetrating point provided a with a cavity extending axially in the core and open at the tip.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature this 23rd day of August, 1923.

STANISLAS ROUSSEAU.

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