Low Energy Mechanical Operating Cartridge

A low energy mechanical operating cartridge comprising:

• a regulator core having a base end, a firewall at said base end, a projectile end having a projectile pocket, an internal gas flue extending from said base end to said projectile pocket, a gas flow regulator hole in the regulator core's base end between said firewall and gas flue, and core sidewalls,
• the core sidewalls having a full diameter wall portion at the base end of said regulator core forming a sealing wall, a full diameter wall portion at the projectile end of said regulator core, a reduced diameter wall portion between said full diameter wall portions, said reduced diameter wall portion forming a travel channel on said core sidewalls bounded by said full diameter wall portions,
• a projectile releasably held on the projectile end of said regulator core,
• a casing engaged over the base end of said regulator core, said casing having a closed casing head, an open casing mouth end, and casing walls having a circumference and extending from said casing head to said casing mouth end to form a core receiving chamber therein, said casing head including a primer pocket and a flash hole between said primer pocket and said regulator core chamber,
• said regulator core being engaged base end first in the core receiving chamber of said casing such that the firewall of said regulator core faces the flash hole in said casing head, wherein, upon detonation of said primer, propellant gases are directed through said casing head flash hole against the firewall of said regulator core, and
• a primer embedded in the primer pocket in the head of said casing,
• the regulator core chamber of said casing having a diameter complimentary to the diameter of the full diameter wall portions of said regulator core, wherein the walls of the casing that engage the regulator core engage the full diameter wall portions of the regulator core on either side of the regulator core travel channel,
• said casing having an intermediate crimp around the circumference thereof between the head and the mouth ends of the casing, and
• said primer casing being slidably engaged over the base end of the regulator core such that the intermediate crimp in the casing wall engages in the travel channel in the core sidewalls and such that the full diameter wall portion of the regulator core at the base end of said regulator core forming a sealing wall acts as a stop that limits the travel of the casing over the regulator core when the casing recoils on the regulator core upon detonation of the primer in the casing head.