Simulating, with a standard gauge shotgun, the shooting characteristics of a smaller gauge shotgun by using a shotshell whose case fits the chamber of the standard gauge gun, but whose propellant charge, shot charge, priming and confinement are coordinated to produce ballistic results resembling those of the smaller gauge gun, and the shot charge is circumferentially surrounded by a bushing whose outside diameter corresponds with the standard gauge, and whose inside diameter corresponds with the smaller gauge.
A one piece shot cup (also commonly known as a shot pouch) designed especially for use in protecting the bore of a shotgun barrel when shooting hard shot made of a material such as tungsten or non-annealed steel. The cup is characterized by the use of shield members located opposite and outwardly of equally spaced tear lines which are defined by narrow areas of substantially weakened wall structure extending longitudinally of the cup. The shield members are connected to the wall structure of the tubular member only adjacent its closed rear end portion and are otherwise separate and free thereof. Portions of the tubular member extend between the circumferentially spaced shield members. The shield members prevent the shot, which ruptures the tear lines, from damaging the bore of the shotgun barrel. They also aid in holding the shot in an improved aligned relation to thereby improve the shot pattern. They also aid in causing the shot cup to separate from the shot immediately after leaving the end of the barrel of the gun. The tapered wall thickness of the pouch is within the range of 0.0601" at its front end and 0.080" at the rear end of the pouch.
A discarding sabot projectile for shotgun of unique construction whereby the separation of the projectile and sabot is enhanced by opposing air pressure and the unique construction of the sabot. The sabot as utilized herein comprises a plastic body firmly encompassing, but not completely encapsulating a subcaliber projectile. The plastic body includes a plurality of longitudinally extending slots forming symmetrical segments and further, segment having longitudinally extending grooves for reducing friction between the barrel bore and the sabot. The segments are further defined at the other end thereof by longitudinal tapered edges. The sabot, upon exiting the launching device begins to separate from the enclosed projectile beginning at the uppermost front end of the sabot as a result of air pressure flowing in the opposite direction of the sabot. The longitudinal segment radially separates and will spread outwardly and as a result, the segments act as an air brake reducing the forward speed of the speed of the sabot. This results in the separation of the sabot and projectile. The separation is such that it does not interfere with the trajectory and the velocity of the subcaliber projectile, hence, resulting in a longer and more accurate trajectory.
A novel cartridge for conventional shot gun and other weapons, suitable for training and other applications, and containing a thin-walled ball encapsulating a substance to be ejected upon the ball hitting the target, provided with a folded fan enclosure for the ball and its holder within the cartridge which, upon expulsion of the ball-holder-fan unit upon firing, causes the ball to separate and continue to the target, while the folded fan segments spring open in free flight into an air-resistant disc and then pinwheel with the holder harmlessly to the ground within a short distance of the gun.
An improved composite wad structure has a unique laminated shot pocket portion. The wad structure is useful in a shotshell with hard shot pellets, such as steel or tungsten shot, having a hardness generally at least equal to that of the barrel of a gun in which the shotshell is to be fired. The laminated shot pocket portion includes a thin-walled, cup-shaped inner liner for supporting a column of the hard shot and thick-walled, cup-shaped outer tubular body encompassing the inner liner. The inner liner is formed of a tough, high tensile strength material capable of withstanding compressive forces generated by acceleration of the hard shot, when the shotshell containing the wad structure is fired in the barrel of the gun, so as to protect the gun barrel from being scored by the hard shot. The outer body is formed of a soft, low tensile strength material capable of expanding to obturate the combustion gases produced in the gun barrel when the shotshell is fired. The inner liner is nested in and moded to the outer body.
A cartridge for use in firearms contains fettered shot therein. The fettered shot enables eight or more pellets to be discharged in a tight group and in a manner which increases the effective range of the firearms. The fettered shot of the present invention is especially useful against helicopters and airborn troop assaults.
