The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus for preparing ammunition casing for re-loading, and more particularly to an apparatus for removing spent primers from ammunition casings having a variety of sizes.
After a round of ammunition has been fired a casing or case of the round may be reused by reloading it with a primer, a propellant, and a bullet. One step in this process is to remove the spent primer from the case. Most modern ammunitions cases are “center-fire” cases, which have the primer located in a primer aperture in the center of the base of the case. To remove a spent primer from a center-fire ammunition case, the case must be aligned so that a force can be precisely applied at the center of the case base. Conventionally, spent primers are removed from casings by a subsystem of a multipurpose reloading apparatus, which is fixedly secured to a work table or other surface. In addition to being table-bound, these systems typically require a specialized die for each type and size of ammunition worked upon. Some hand deprimers are also known. However, these systems can also require specialized dies. Other types of hand deprimers do not use specialized dies, but it can be difficult to accurately and repeatedly position cases of different types so that a force can be precisely applied at the center of the case base.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a hand deprimer for removing a spent primer from a cartridge case. The case has a base and an annular body including an outer surface extending along a longitudinal axis of the case between the base and a head of the case. The spent primer is located in a primer aperture in a center of the base. The hand deprimer includes a depriming shaft and a case guide. The depriming shaft has a distal end portion sized for engaging the primer and is at least partially received in the primer aperture. The depriming shaft is configured to permit selective movement of the case relative to the depriming shaft in a depriming direction to eject the primer from the base of the case. The case guide is configured for guiding the case into an operative position with respect to the depriming shaft. In the operative position, the distal end portion of the depriming shaft is oriented relative to the case to eject the primer from the base of the case when the case is moved relative to the depriming shaft in the depriming direction. The case guide includes a body engagement member configured to engage the annular body of the case and thereby secure the case in the operative position.
Other objects and features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to
The deprimer 10 includes a base 12 with a handle 14 and an anvil 16. In a preferred embodiment, the base 12 is formed as a one piece body of die-cast metal. However the base can be formed in other ways and using other materials without departing from the scope of the invention. The handle 14 of the base 12 is in the form of a pistol grip (broadly, a gripping portion). As discussed in greater detail below, a human hand grasps the pistol grip 14 and squeezes a trigger 20 (broadly, an actuator) toward the pistol grip to engage a drive mechanism that ejects the spent primer from the case C. The anvil 16 of the base 12 forms an impact member. As explained below, when the trigger 20 is actuated, the base of the case C is driven toward the impact member 16 to generate an impact that ejects the spent primer from the case. As shown in
Referring again to
Referring to
The case guide assembly 40 is configured to pivot about the longitudinal axis of the screws 44 between a loading position (
Referring to
The distal end portion 68 of the depriming shaft 60 is preferably sized to extend into and through a primer aperture (i.e., the aperture in which the spent primer is disposed) in the base of the case C to eject the spent primer from the case when the hand deprimer 10 is actuated. The illustrated embodiment is configured to remove the primer from a “center-fire” ammunition case C (i.e., a case with the primer and primer aperture radially centered within the base of the case). Thus, the case guide 40 preferably aligns the longitudinal axis of the depriming shaft 60 with the longitudinal axis of the case C so that the distal end portion 68 can extend through the primer aperture. The proximal end portion 62 of the depriming shaft 60 preferably extends radially outward past the perimeter of the primer aperture so that the shoulder 70 engages the base of the case C when the distal end portion 68 is inserted through the primer aperture.
As discussed in further detail below, when the trigger 20 is squeezed against the pistol grip 14, the case guide assembly 14 and case C are driven forward until the base of the case impacts the impact member 16. Upon impact, the case C ceases its movement, but the case guide assembly 40 and depriming shaft 60 continue to be driven forward, moving forward relative the case. The distal end portion 68 of the depriming shaft 60 engages the spent primer and passes through the primer aperture, thereby ejecting the primer from the base of the case C. The annular shoulder 70 engages the base of the case C and stops further forward motion of the case guide assembly 40 and the depriming shaft 60. If the case C is not aligned properly with the depriming shaft 60, it will not be ejected as desired.
With further reference to
Referring to
The fingers 92 are spaced from one another about the circumference of the collet 30 to permit the fingers to deflect radially inward. Each finger 92 includes an outer follower surface 96, which tapers radially inward toward one end. As shown in
With further reference to
To properly align the case C with the depriming shaft 60, the case guide 40 is configured to grip the case body between the base and head of the case to generally align the longitudinal axis of the case with the longitudinal axis of the depriming shaft. Rotation of the cap 86 tending to draw the cap proximally relative the shroud 86 moves the annular driver surface 98 proximally along the follower surfaces 96 of the fingers 92. An O-ring 104 received in an annular recess at the proximal end of the cap 86 secures the cap against undesired rotation in any given position by frictional engagement with the tubular shroud 80. As the cap 86 moves proximally, the driver surface 98 engages the follower surfaces 96 to simultaneously deflect each of the fingers 92 radially inwardly in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the case C to adjust the size of the case receiving opening 102. The case body engagement surfaces 100 each move in respective directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the case as the cap 86 moves proximally of the shroud 80. The movement of the cap 86 relative the shroud simultaneously adjusts the distances between each of the case body engagement surfaces 100 and the longitudinal axis of the case C, preferably such that each of the respective distances are approximately the same as the cap moves. The cap 86 is rotated a sufficient amount to cause the fingers 92 to deflect sufficiently inward so that the engagement surface 100 of each finger engages the outer surface of the body of the case C. Engagement of the case body by the engagement surfaces 100 centers the case C in the case opening 102 and thereby generally aligns the longitudinal axis of the case with the longitudinal axis of the depriming shaft 60.
In one method of using the hand deprimer 10 to remove the primer from a cartridge case C, the user pivots the case guide assembly 40 to the loading position (
After the case C is guided into the operative position by the case guide assembly 40, the hand deprimer 10 can be actuated to remove the spent primer from the case C. The user squeezes the trigger 20 toward the pistol grip 14, and the case C and case guide assembly 40 move toward the impact member 16, generating an impact between the impact member and the base of the case. Preferably, the impact overcomes the frictional engagement between the engagement surfaces 100 and the body of the case C so that the case slides inwardly (i.e., in a depriming direction) relative the case guide assembly 40 and depriming shaft 60. With the case C centered in the case guide assembly 40, the distal end portion 68 of the depriming shaft 60 engages the spent primer and passes through the primer aperture. The base of the case C seals the ejection passage 22 so that, when the spent primer is ejected from the primer aperture, it passes through the ejection passage and into the spent primer receptacle 24.
As is evident, the hand deprimer 10 can be used to remove the primer from a variety of different center-fire ammunitions cases. The case guide assembly 40 is selectively adjustable to engage the body of ammunitions cases of different sizes and thereby center different sized cases within a case opening 102. The cantilevered depriming shaft 60 is continuously aligned with the center of the case opening 102. With a squeeze of the trigger 20, the case C is driven in an axial direction toward the depriming shaft 60 to eject the primer. Thus, the hand deprimer 10 provides a repeatable mechanism for removing a spent primer from different types of center-fire ammunition cases C that is easily used without being mounted to a table or other surface.
When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
As various changes could be made in the above apparatuses, systems, and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/103,927, filed Jan. 15, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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