The present invention relates generally to rifles or light machine guns. More particularly, the present invention relates to a firearm attachable bullet trap for stopping a bullet fired from a round in a rifle or light machine gun and dissipating the energy associated with the round.
Canadian Patent 2,094,048 to Compton et al. (hereinafter Compton) teaches a blank firing attachment for use on a gas operated automatic rifle or light machine gun. The device restricts the exit of gases from the rifle barrel when a blank cartridge is filed, thus retaining sufficient gas pressure in the barrel to actuate the rifle's automatic firing mechanism and permit blank cartridges to be fired automatically or semi-automatically.
While the Compton device provides an essential function in allowing blank rounds, such as type C79A1 blank rounds, to be fired automatically or semi-automatically, it is not designed to stop ball rounds, such as NATO standard C77 type ball rounds.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a firearm attachable bullet trap to stop at least one ball type round fired from a rifle to substantially prevent the bullet from exiting the rifle.
The present invention is directed to obviating or mitigating at least one disadvantage of previous firearm attachable bullet traps.
The firearm attachable bullet trap attaches to the firearm and functions normally as a blank firing attachment (BFA). In the event a ball round is fired, the firearm attachable bullet trap is designed to prevent the exit of the bullet and prevent injury to personnel by slowing, destructing, and preventing the bullet from exiting the rifle.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a bullet trap for use on a gas operated firearm having a compensator attached to the barrel, having a body adapted to engage said compensator, a spigot attached to said body, the spigot having a spigot bore extending therethrough, a ballistic plate chamber proximate the end of the spigot, distal said compensator, the ballistic plate chamber housing a ballistic plate, a bullet trap chamber, and a bullet trap orifice extending between the ballistic plate chamber and the bullet chamber, and at least one gas track extending between the ballistic plate chamber and the atmosphere, wherein the firearm attachable bullet trap is adapted to operate as a blank firing attachment with blank rounds and as a bullet trap with ball rounds.
In one embodiment, the spigot bore has a solid end, distal said compensator.
In one embodiment, the ballistic plate is adapted to move between a ready position and an impacted position when a bullet impacts upon the ballistic plate.
In one embodiment, the ballistic plate is adapted to substantially seal off the bullet trap orifice when in the ready position and substantially open the bullet trap orifice when in the impacted position. In one embodiment, the ballistic plate adapted to substantially seal off the at least one gas track when in the ready position and substantially open the at least one gas track when in the impacted position.
In one embodiment, the bullet trap of claim has an impact indicator operatively connected with the ballistic plate, the impact indicator adapted to provide both visual and tactile indication of when the ballistic plate has received the impact of a bullet.
In one embodiment, the spigot bore reducing in diameter through a plurality of steps. In one embodiment, said plurality of steps comprising three.
In one embodiment, said at least one gas track comprising two.
In one embodiment, the spigot is threadably movable relative to the body.
In one embodiment, the ballistic plate comprising armour plating.
In one embodiment the bullet trap having a gas escape connected to a bullet trap chamber, the gas escape adapted to diffuse gas and particles away from the line of fire as well as reduce velocity.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:
Generally, the present invention provides a firearm attachable bullet trap for slowing, destructing, and preventing a bullet from exiting a rifle.
Referring to
A spigot 70 is received within and attached to the body 20. Threads 80 may engage the body 20 to threadably secure the spigot 70 within the body 20. The spigot 70 has a front end 90, a rear end 100, and a reducing cross-section spigot bore 110 extending from the rear end 100 toward the front end 90. The spigot bore terminates at a solid end 115 near the front end 90 (see
A ballistic plate chamber 130 is formed at the front end 90 of the spigot 70 closed by a front cap 140. The front cap 140 and the spigot 70 are sealingly connected. In one embodiment a plug 150 extends through a plug channel 160 through a portion of the front cap 140 into a plug recess 170 and welded in place, but one ordinarily skilled in the art recognizes that there are many alternative means for making the connections.
A ballistic plate 180 is movably retained in the ballistic plate chamber 130 (see also
Referring to
A bullet trap chamber 220 is provided within the body 20, for example as an annular space between the spigot 70 and the body 20, and provides for secondary gas expansion and material storage chamber. A bullet trap orifice 230 extends between the ballistic plate chamber 130 and the bullet trap chamber 220. The bullet trap orifice 230 is sealed off by the ballistic plate 180 when the ballistic plate 180 is in the ready position 190 and the bullet trap orifice 230 is opened when the ballistic plate 180 is not in the ready position 190 (for example the impacted position 200 or somewhere in-between), providing a connection between the bullet trap chamber 220 and the ballistic plate chamber 130. In the embodiment shown, there are six (6) bullet trap orifices 230.
At least one gas track 240 extends between the ballistic plate chamber 130 and the atmosphere. The at least one gas track 240 is sealed off by the ballistic plate 180 when the ballistic plate 180 is in the ready position 190 and the at least one gas track 240 is opened when the ballistic plate 180 has received the impact of at least one bullet (for example, the impacted position 200 or somewhere in-between), providing a fluid connection between the ballistic plate chamber 130 and the atmosphere. In the embodiment shown, there are two (2) gas tracks 240.
As shown, the cross-sectional area of the spigot bore 110 reduces from the rear end 100 towards the front end 90. The cross-sectional area may reduce stepwise by a reduction in diameter.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In operation (referring to
The spigot bore 110 is closed by the solid end 115, which results in the bullet compressing the column of air ahead of it in the spigot bore 110. The only exit for the air is the relatively small BFA orifice 120.
As the bullet enters the spigot bore 110, the bullet encounters a plurality of diameter reductions that first strip the bullet of its jacket, then compress the steel penetrator and lead pusher into progressively smaller diameter projectiles and slow their forward momentum.
The separated bullet pieces then engage the solid end 115 of the spigot bore 110. The solid end 115 is penetrated, forming an open end 280 where the solid end 115 was, and the bullet fragments enter the ballistic plate chamber 130. The penetration of the solid end 115 occurs only on the first ball round. Once the solid end 115 is penetrated, the firearm attachable bullet trap will no longer provide sufficient back-pressure, and the rifle will not be able to fire blank rounds in automatic or semiautomatic mode.
The bullet fragments push the ballistic plate 180 from the ready position 190 into the impacted position 200 which opens the BT orifices 230 allowing flow of gases and bullet pieces into the bullet trap chamber 220. The movement of the ballistic plate 180 into the impacted position 200 also opens the gas tracks 240 allowing escape of gas out the front end cap 55 and the body 20 while blocking bullet material exit from the gas tracks 240.
The column of high pressure gas behind the bullet moves a substantial amount of the bullet fragments into the bullet trap chamber 220 and the ballistic plate chamber 130. The escape of gas and minute bullet fragments is forced to exit via a gas escape, shown as feature 281. In one embodiment gas escape 281 takes the form of an āSā. Gas escape 281 is formed by the front of the body 20 and the rear of the cap 55. This feature diffuses the escaping gases and reduces fragment size and velocity.
In the preceding description, for purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required in order to practice the invention.
The above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations can be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.
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5325758 | Compton et al. | Jul 1994 | A |
5349906 | Devaux et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
5983772 | Reynolds et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
6176032 | Cohen et al. | Jan 2001 | B1 |
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6688032 | Gonzalez et al. | Feb 2004 | B1 |
6889593 | Guhring et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
7380363 | Kirschner | Jun 2008 | B1 |
20110056364 | Kennedy et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2094048 | Oct 1994 | CA |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100281747 A1 | Nov 2010 | US |