Manufacturing process to produce programmed terminal performance projectiles
AssigneeVista Outdoor Operations LLC
InventorScott E. Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention in some aspects is directed to small arms ammunition and programmed upset characteristics thereof imparted to them using lasers. More particularly, the invention relates to ammunition and methods of making ammunition having predetermined patterns of engraving and/or cutting or hardening and/or annealing imparted into the forward portion using a programming laser system adapted for treating projectiles to effect predetermined and consistent upset configurations. Lasers may be used in forming steps of the bullet core to provide petaling or other performance objectives before or after jacketing or without jacketing.
Claims17
A method of forming a jacketed bullet having an ogival front end portion, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing and drawing a sheet metal blank into a cup shaped jacket blank, the cup shaped jacket blank having a first end portion being closed, a second end portion being open and a wall, wherein the sheet metal blank is made from a material suitable for use as cartridge bullet jackets;
- b) providing a core having a first end and a second end;
- c) forming the core in the cup shaped jacket blank against said first end portion by swaging or molding the core directly into the cup shaped jacket blank;
- d) providing a scanning laser system capable of finely annealing and/or hardening specific patterns in the sheet metal blank material;
- and
- e) laser annealing and/or laser hardening a portion of the cup shaped jacket blank at the first end portion with a laser beam emitted from the scanning laser system in a shape of a predetermined pattern,
- the cup shaped jacket blank forming a jacket of the jacketed bullet, wherein the first end portion forms at least a portion of the ogival front end portion, such that at least a portion of the ogival front end portion includes a pattern of laser annealed and/or laser hardened material consistent with the predetermined pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.