US 2017/0108318 A1Published application

Shotshell having wad with enhanced fin deployment

AssigneeVista Outdoor Operations LLC

InventorsAdam J. MOSER, Erik K. CARLSON, Matthew S. SCHROEDER, Gary HENDRICKSON, Frank GERZINA

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Abstract

A shotgun shell has a polymer wad with a forward shot cup portion and a rearward propellant cup, the wad in a casing, shot in the shot cup, propellant in the propellant cup, and a primer. The rearward propellant cup portion having enhanced fin deployment such that the shells are operative with shotguns with no chokes, shotguns with ported chokes, and shotguns with conventional chokes. The forward shot cup portion has axial slits that are sized to preclude shot from passing therethrough while providing sufficient air circulation to provide compaction relief of the shot pack. The enhancement may include gussets on the fins, axially movable disks to engage cam surfaces on the fins and urge them outwardly, and fins that have reduced bending regions compared to prior art wads.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A shotshell cartridge comprising:

a casing with a head portion and a primer,
a polymer wad positioned in the casing, the wad having a rearward propellant cup portion with a rearward cup interior, a forward shot cup portion with a forward cup interior, a partition separating the rearward propellant cup portion interior from the forward shot cup interior, the propellant cup portion having an interior surface and a bottom;
propellant positioned in the propellant cup portion;
and
shot positioned in the shot cup portion;
wherein the propellant cup portion of the wad having a tubular portion with a plurality of axially extending slits defining a plurality of circumferentially arranged fins extending rearwardly and defining a prefiring position, each fin having a gusset extending on the inward side to a central region of the partition, the gusset positioned such that an outward bending of each respective fin to a yield position deforms the respective gusset such that the gusset is elongated inhibiting the fin from returning to the prefiring position and thereby providing a deployed position.

3 more elements

A shotshell cartridge comprising:

a casing with a head portion and a primer,
a polymer wad positioned in the casing, the wad having a rearward propellant cup portion with a rearward cup interior, a forward shot cup portion with a forward cup interior, the propellant cup portion having an interior surface and a base portion;
propellant positioned in the propellant cup;
and
shot positioned in the shot cup portion;
wherein the propellant cup portion of the wad having a tubular portion with a plurality of axially extending slits defining a plurality of circumferentially arranged fins extending rearwardly and defining a prefiring position, each fin rotatable outwardly upon the wad exiting a barrel when fired and having a deployed position and a means for retaining each fin in the deployed position, said means for retaining each fin in the deployed position comprises at least one of:
a gusset extending on the inward side of each respective fin to a central region of the base portion, and a disk that engages the fins and provides an outward fin opening force when the cartridge is fired

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.