Non-lead environmentally safe projectiles and method of making same
AssigneeMartin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
InventorsRichard A. Lowden, Thomas M. McCoig, Joseph B. Dooley
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Abstract
A projectile, such as a bullet, is made by combining two different metals in proportions calculated to achieve a desired density, without using lead. A base constituent, made of a material having density greater than lead, is combined with a binder constituent having less density. The binder constituent is malleable and ductile metallic base material that forms projectile shapes when subjected to a consolidation force, such as compression. The metal constituents can be selected, rationed, and consolidated to achieve desired frangibility characteristics.
Claims10
A sinter-less method of making a projectile consisting essentially of the combination of steps of:
- combining a relatively hard base constituent having a density greater than lead with a relatively soft lead-free binder constituent made of a metallic phase to form a blend of uniform distribution;
- and cold pressing the blend to thereby form a solid body of desired shape without sintering, the binder constituent having sufficient malleability and ductility to bind together with the base constituent and thereby form the solid body when subjected to cold pressing, wherein the base and binder constituents have sufficient size to provide the binding and form the solid body upon cold pressing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.