WO2015128585A1 - Lead-free cartridge component and cartridge comprising same - Google Patents
Lead-free cartridge component and cartridge comprising same Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2015128585A1 WO2015128585A1 PCT/FR2015/050457 FR2015050457W WO2015128585A1 WO 2015128585 A1 WO2015128585 A1 WO 2015128585A1 FR 2015050457 W FR2015050457 W FR 2015050457W WO 2015128585 A1 WO2015128585 A1 WO 2015128585A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- grains
- alloy
- offensive
- cartridge
- projectiles
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
- F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
- F42B7/00—Shotgun ammunition
- F42B7/02—Cartridges, i.e. cases with propellant charge and missile
- F42B7/04—Cartridges, i.e. cases with propellant charge and missile of pellet type
- F42B7/046—Pellets or shot therefor
-
- 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
- F42B12/72—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the material
- F42B12/74—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the material of the core or solid body
Definitions
- the present invention belongs to the field of ammunition used in hunting or shooting weapons, and more particularly to that of cartridges whose offensive charge consists of multiple projectiles, shot type. Its object is an offensive charge consisting of multiple projectiles formed of grains mechanically bonded to each other by a wire, which does not contain lead. Another object of the invention is a cartridge for firing, incorporating such projectiles. A method of mass-producing these lead-free projectiles is also claimed.
- the goal is to stop and quickly kill the moving animal.
- shotgun shots are fired from multiple, unimposed projectiles to increase the chance of hitting, limiting the range to protect property and people in the direction of fire.
- Hunting and firing cartridges are known to consist of several components that perform different functions from one another.
- the shell of the cartridge generally cylindrical, contains a propellant charge (powder) at one end and an offensive charge (shot or sinkers), separated by a flock.
- the wad performs two distinct functions: it retains the gases produced by the explosion and it puts pressure on the shots by pushing them neatly out of the barrel of the weapon.
- a conventional hunting cartridge contains from 30 g to 35 g or 36 g of projectiles, called lead shots, ie 200 to 300 small diameter lead pellets, which is generally between 1 mm and 4 mm, in particular between 1, 25 mm and 4 mm. They are distinguished from much larger chevrotines, which designate cartridges with fewer than 28 projectiles ranging in diameter from 5.65 mm to 8.65 mm, and which are prohibited for hunting in most French departments.
- bismuth if it is not explicitly forbidden, it is to be banned since it is even more toxic than lead.
- an ammunition for hunting waterfowl ie a cartridge without lead in accordance with legislation applying to wetlands.
- Another object of the invention is to define a component for cartridges, namely a projectile devoid of lead and yet having properties comparable to those of conventional projectiles lead.
- the present invention responds to this need by proposing a multiple projectile for a firearm, and particularly for smooth-bore weapons, which perfectly meets these specifications.
- this objective is achieved through the choice of a very specific metal composition to manufacture the grains of the projectile, with a mechanical connection of several grains between them.
- Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of mass production of such projectiles, which is economically acceptable.
- the crucial point for reproducing the performance of lead-based projectiles is not, as the prior art suggests, to seek to approach, by the alloy used, as much as possible of the density of lead, but rather to favor that the alloy has a hardness close to that of lead.
- the question of a difference in density can be regulated by the number of grains connected by the same wire, such a determination falling within the skill of the person skilled in the art. It has thus been found by the present inventor that the reproduction of the hardness of the lead conditions primarily obtaining alloy projectiles adapted to reproduce the performance of the projectiles lead.
- an offensive charge for the manufacture of a cartridge for firing with a firearm composed of multiple projectiles formed by grains formed of at least two substantially spherical grains connected together. by a metal wire of predetermined fixed length, the grains being based on tin, which has no known toxicity to the environment.
- tin being very malleable (or pasty), and hardness lower than lead, it can not be used alone. To obtain a hardness close to that of lead, it is possible to use an alloy of tin with another compound.
- the second component of the alloy of the grains will be chosen from among those which are not toxic and which are miscible with tin at least in certain proportions, which will be combined with tin to obtain an alloy assimilable to a soft metal, that is to say having a hardness equivalent to that of lead or a composition containing more than 80% of lead.
- the choice was antimony, to obtain small metal grains, non-toxic, of adequate hardness.
- the alloy of the grains is composed, for at least 99%, of tin and antimony. All proportions will be given below in mass content. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the alloy of the grains preferably comprises from 90% to 98% of tin, and / or from 2% to 10% of antimony.
- compositions including about 5% antimony in about 95% tin are employed.
- the projectiles according to the invention advantageously have characteristics as interesting as the conventional projectiles of lead, in terms of hardness on the one hand, so that a crash of the projectile on a target releases a large amount of the energy that has provided by the explosive charge of the firing cartridge; and in terms of mass on the other hand, this last characteristic being ensured by the fact that, although the density of the alloy according to the invention is lower than that of lead, the grains are interconnected within the projectile.
- the density of tin is of the order of 7.3, that of antimony 6.7
- the density of this alloy meeting the above characteristics is of the order of 7.25 to 7 29.
- Such an alloy will also be much less heavy than the lead at the same volume.
- a method has been developed, which is part of the present invention, and allows the manufacture of bunches of small grains of a non-toxic alloy of tin and antimony, connected by a wire, also non-toxic .
- the invention thus relates to an offensive load for the manufacture of a cartridge for firing with a firearm, composed of multiple projectiles, which projectiles are formed of at least two substantially spherical grains interconnected by a wire of fixed predetermined length, said grains being made of an alloy comprising tin and antimony.
- the grains (or shot) are almost spherical, as are the conventional shot pellets.
- the bonding wire is also of a metallic nature. It is strong enough to withstand tensions or tersions during filling and packaging cartridges.
- the grains are gathered in clusters of two, three or four or more, using a wire.
- the number of impacts is reduced, but the kinetic properties are more powerful, so that the shot is more effective. It has been found that, for a two-grain bonded projectile, for example, there will be an effective firing distance doubled with respect to a load of unbound grains of the same alloy. If you fill a cartridge with balls made of a tin-antimony alloy such as recommended by the present invention, we will have a lower mass than with the same volume of lead pellets.
- the grains which preferably contain at least 99% tin and antimony, may also contain, for example at most 1% (by weight) of a component other than tin and antimony.
- the alloy of the grains may for example further comprise at most 1% of a third metal, excluding lead or other toxic metal, of course. This does not significantly modify the properties of the tin-antimony alloy.
- This embodiment has the main advantage of reducing raw material costs without affecting the desired qualities of the offensive load.
- the alloy of the grains is composed of 94.5% tin, 5% antimony and 0.5% copper.
- This ternary alloy offers an ideal compromise in terms of the kinetic properties of projectiles and costs.
- the length of the wire separating (and uniting) two adjacent grains is defined in advance during the manufacture of the bunches of grain.
- the grains are further associated with the wire so that the distance between them remains fixed after their manufacture, when they are put in cartridge and during firing.
- the mode of association can be physical (for example by pinching the wire in a notch made in the grain) but it will preferably be of a chemical nature (by fusion of the wire and the grain), as will be seen in detail below.
- the connecting wire between two grains is a brass wire, with a length of between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.
- Brass which is an alloy based on zinc and copper, is chosen from those which are devoid of lead.
- the brass connecting wire will contribute to the density of the projectile. It is flexible enough not to break under the effect of the acceleration when fired and robust enough to withstand the passage in known type of packaging machines.
- the length of the wire between two grains is such that the grains form a relatively compact projectile, and are close enough to avoid frond-like springback phenomena.
- the projectile preferably comprises two grains of diameter less than or equal to 4 mm bonded together. This conformation makes it possible to compensate for the relatively low density of tin.
- the assembly by two optimizes both the mechanical properties, kinetics and the number of impacts obtained from the firing of a cartridge.
- the projectiles as defined above are particularly suitable for hunting waterfowl, but also for any other type of game, where cartridges adapted to smooth-bore weapons are used. Therefore, is also an object of the present invention a cartridge for firing with a firearm, comprising a socket in which there is a propellant charge and an offensive charge separated by a wad, cartridge wherein said offensive charge is composed projectiles as described above.
- These cartridges can include indifferently a fat wad or a fluff skirt.
- a cartridge according to the invention preferably contains between 50 and 200 projectiles, formed of grains linked in pairs.
- projectiles comprising grains whose diameter is between 2.5 mm and 4 mm, for example 50 projectiles, in the form of 100 grains of 3.5 mm in diameter, linked in pairs.
- a conventional cartridge of 30 to 35 g or 36 g contains 200 to 300 toxic lead pellets, and a buckshot cartridge comprises on its side less than thirty, commonly 9, 12 or 15.
- Another object of the present invention is a method of manufacturing projectiles intended to constitute the offensive charge of a firing cartridge, said projectiles being formed of at least two substantially spherical grains connected to each other by a wire of fixed predetermined length. said grains being an alloy comprising tin and antimony.
- the method essentially comprises the steps of:
- a machine comprising i) a furnace provided with a reservoir adapted to contain said molten alloy, ii) a horizontal plate mounted on a central axis of rotation adapted to receive and to rotate a polymer matrix, and iii) means for bringing said alloy from the reservoir to a central upper orifice of said matrix,
- the furnace may be of known type, such as those which have already been used to manufacture insulated lead beads (for example fishing lead), but without implementing the matrix according to the invention.
- the casting step with centrifugation lasts a few tens of seconds, for example 20 seconds.
- the spherical cavities that are housed in the matrix have a diameter of less than 4 mm.
- the neighboring cavities between which are made notches are formed at a distance of between 0.5 mm and 10 mm from each other.
- the bonding wire is made of metal or metal alloy having a melting temperature greater than that of the alloy of tin and antimony, the latter being 290 ° C (against 450 ° C for lead). Brass melts at around 800 ° C. As a result, the brass wire will be embedded and frozen in the tin-antimony alloy during molding to form a predetermined fixed distance grain assembly.
- Figure 1 is a sectional view a fat-filled cartridge according to the invention.
- Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a skirt-filled cartridge according to the invention.
- Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a machine for carrying out the method of manufacturing the projectiles, according to the invention.
- a cartridge for firing with a firearm comprising the sleeve 1 whose base 21 is here at the bottom.
- the sleeve 1 In the sleeve 1, there is a propellant charge 2 and an attacking charge 3, which are separated by a fat wad 4 and a shutter 44.
- the propellant charge 2 in the lower part of the cartridge (partially obscured by the cap), is classically powder.
- FIG. 2 Another cartridge according to the invention, shown in FIG. 2, is a cartridge with wadding 4 skirt.
- the skirt forms a bucket 41 whose base is curved and ends with a damping element 42.
- These two structures are of known type. They contain the offensive charge 3, i.e., multiple projectiles (as opposed to a bullet that is a single projectile).
- Each projectile 10 comprises at least two grains 5 connected by a wire 6.
- the grains 5 are beads 3.5 mm in diameter, consisting of an alloy of tin (94.5%), antimony (5%) and copper (0.5%) .
- the connecting wire 6 that unites them is brass (lead-free quality). It maintains the grains 6 two by two, separated by a fixed distance of 7.5 mm, which form the projectiles 10. An offensive charge may consist of 50 of these projectiles 10.
- the grains 5 are balls 2.5 mm in diameter, consisting of an alloy of tin (95%) and antimony (5%).
- the connecting wire 6 made of brass (unleaded) grits 6 three by three, separated by a fixed distance of 6 mm. One can realize an offensive charge comprising a hundred of these projectiles 10, or 300 grains.
- the projectiles can be manufactured as follows, with reference to FIG. 3.
- a machine comprising an oven 100 provided with a tank 1 10 adapted to contain the chosen alloy.
- the apparatus also comprises a horizontal plate (not shown) mounted on a central axis of rotation adapted to receive and rotate a polymer matrix.
- the matrix is in the form of two separable molds, one upper (not shown) and the other lower 1 1.
- a network of branched channels 13 is formed between the molds.
- the upper mold is provided with a central upper orifice which is placed in line with a nozzle fed by means designed to bring the molten alloy from the tank 1 10, and to deliver a quantity of alloy in the central upper orifice of the matrix.
- the branched channels 13 extend in a radial orientation from the center 12 of the molds and each terminating in a spherical cavity 14 with a predefined diameter of less than 4 mm.
- Notches 15 joining cavities 13 adjacent are practiced in one of the molds.
- the adjacent cavities 14 between which are cut notches 15 are placed at the desired distance from each other, between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.
- the tank 1 10 of the furnace 100 is filled with the compounds forming the desired alloy and is heated to reach the melting temperature of the alloy (ie 290 ° C for a 90% -5% tin-antmorin alloy).
- the lower mold 1 1 is placed on the tray of the apparatus. Brass wires 6 are installed so that they pass through several cavities 14, inserting them into the slots 15 to hold them in place.
- the die is closed by the upper mold and the tray is rotated.
- a quantity of alloy is poured through the central orifice of the matrix. We continue the rotation about twenty seconds. It is allowed to cool for a few minutes before removing the upper mold and then recovering bundles of grain bound by a wire.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Manufacture Of Metal Powder And Suspensions Thereof (AREA)
- Toys (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP15715785.0A EP3111156B1 (en) | 2014-02-26 | 2015-02-26 | Cartridge ammunition comprising multiple lead-free projectiles interconnected by a metallic line |
US15/121,209 US20170010079A1 (en) | 2014-02-26 | 2015-02-26 | Lead-free cartridge component and cartridge comprising same |
CA2945685A CA2945685C (en) | 2014-02-26 | 2015-02-26 | Lead-free cartridge component and cartridge comprising same |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR1451556A FR3017942B1 (en) | 2014-02-26 | 2014-02-26 | UNLEADED CARTRIDGE COMPONENT AND CARTRIDGE COMPRISING THE SAME |
FR1451556 | 2014-02-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2015128585A1 true WO2015128585A1 (en) | 2015-09-03 |
Family
ID=51205501
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/FR2015/050457 WO2015128585A1 (en) | 2014-02-26 | 2015-02-26 | Lead-free cartridge component and cartridge comprising same |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20170010079A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3111156B1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2945685C (en) |
FR (1) | FR3017942B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2015128585A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR3083599B1 (en) * | 2018-07-05 | 2020-08-14 | Shoot Hunting Outdoor | BIODEGRADABLE BUCKET HOLDER FOR RIFLE CARTRIDGE |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3085510A (en) | 1960-08-11 | 1963-04-16 | John K Campbell | Pattern control for buckshot charges |
US4664034A (en) * | 1985-04-23 | 1987-05-12 | Christian Dale W | Fettered shot |
WO1993022089A1 (en) | 1992-04-29 | 1993-11-11 | Oltrogge Victor C | High density projectile and method of making |
EP0655604A1 (en) * | 1993-11-26 | 1995-05-31 | Billiton Witmetaal B.V. | Sn-based alloy bullet |
US5513689A (en) * | 1995-02-14 | 1996-05-07 | Bismuth Cartridge, L.L.C. | Method of manufacturing bismuth shot |
US5632322A (en) * | 1995-07-31 | 1997-05-27 | Trickel; Jerry E. | Die casting apparatus for casting small parts from materials that expand when transitioning from the liquid to the solid state |
-
2014
- 2014-02-26 FR FR1451556A patent/FR3017942B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2015
- 2015-02-26 WO PCT/FR2015/050457 patent/WO2015128585A1/en active Application Filing
- 2015-02-26 US US15/121,209 patent/US20170010079A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-02-26 EP EP15715785.0A patent/EP3111156B1/en active Active
- 2015-02-26 CA CA2945685A patent/CA2945685C/en active Active
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3085510A (en) | 1960-08-11 | 1963-04-16 | John K Campbell | Pattern control for buckshot charges |
US4664034A (en) * | 1985-04-23 | 1987-05-12 | Christian Dale W | Fettered shot |
WO1993022089A1 (en) | 1992-04-29 | 1993-11-11 | Oltrogge Victor C | High density projectile and method of making |
EP0655604A1 (en) * | 1993-11-26 | 1995-05-31 | Billiton Witmetaal B.V. | Sn-based alloy bullet |
US5513689A (en) * | 1995-02-14 | 1996-05-07 | Bismuth Cartridge, L.L.C. | Method of manufacturing bismuth shot |
US5632322A (en) * | 1995-07-31 | 1997-05-27 | Trickel; Jerry E. | Die casting apparatus for casting small parts from materials that expand when transitioning from the liquid to the solid state |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP3111156A1 (en) | 2017-01-04 |
EP3111156B1 (en) | 2019-01-30 |
CA2945685A1 (en) | 2015-09-03 |
FR3017942B1 (en) | 2016-09-30 |
CA2945685C (en) | 2022-04-19 |
US20170010079A1 (en) | 2017-01-12 |
FR3017942A1 (en) | 2015-08-28 |
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