Patent Application
20180245871
The present invention relates to an integral sound suppressor for a gun barrel.
The distinguishing feature of integral sound suppressors for guns is that they are not only mounted on the muzzle of the barrel but extend nearly completely or, optionally, completely along the longitudinal direction of the gun barrel, and encase said barrel like a jacket. This type of design not only optimizes the sound suppressing effectiveness, but also improves the balance of the gun and its visual appearance.
This type of integral sound suppressor is known from GB 2 355 056 A. This sound suppressor comprises a tubular housing designed for encasing the gun barrel along its longitudinal direction, which housing is mounted on a gun barrel and attached via an internal thread to an external thread disposed in the area of the muzzle of the gun barrel. In the area of the front end of the barrel, an annular adapter with a valve assembly for injecting a sound suppressing medium, e.g., in the form of an inert or noble gas, is clamped between the rearward end of the tubular housing and a shoulder on the gun barrel. Via the adapter, the sound suppressing medium contained in a cartridge can be injected into the barrel and into the housing of the integral sound suppressor which is screwed onto the barrel. Injecting the sound suppressing medium into the firearm results in a decrease in the volume of combustible gas within the firearm and thereby reduces the muzzle blast. However, this solution to the problem requires a relatively high degree of constructional complexity. In addition, the adapter must be actuated separately, and an additional sound suppressing medium is required.
The disclosure relates to an integral sound suppressor of the type mentioned above, which is optimally guided and mounted on the gun barrel and which enables the most effective and simplest possible reduction of undesirable side effects generated by firearm discharge at little expense and effort.
Useful embodiments and advantageous advanced modifications are also disclosed.
Inside the housing which nearly completely or completely encases the gun barrel along its longitudinal direction, a deflector system for deflecting the gas generated by firearm discharge is disposed in the integral sound suppressor according to the present invention. In addition, a guide surface is also disposed on the housing, at a distance from the internal thread, along the longitudinal direction of the housing, for guiding the integral sound suppressor in the area of a front barrel end of the gun barrel. This allows the integral sound suppressor to be easily slipped onto the barrel and to be mounted on the barrel free from stresses and without any perceptible transitions. Thus, the integral sound suppressor can be especially well-incorporated into the design of the gun without impairing the overall esthetic impression of the gun. The integral sound suppressor does not look like an accessory part, but rather gives the impression that the barrel is thicker. As a result, the characteristics of the gun can be maintained, such as handling, the center of gravity, the vibrational behavior and the balance. In the area of the base of the barrel, the integral sound suppressor is axially guided via the guide surface and is held in place on the muzzle of the barrel by means of the internal thread which mates with a standard thread. For maintenance and cleaning operations, the integral sound suppressor can be easily detached and subsequently easily remounted on the gun barrel. The gun can also be used as a regular hunting weapon without a sound suppressor. In this case, different barrel attachments, muzzle flash suppressors, muzzle covers or the like can be screwed onto the standard thread on the muzzle of the barrel.
In a preferred embodiment, the deflector system is formed by a baffle arrangement which is disposed inside the housing and/or by a muzzle brake which is disposed inside the housing. The baffle arrangement allows the flow of the gas exiting from the muzzle of the barrel upon firearm discharge to be slowed down, and prevents the volume of gas from suddenly escaping into the air. Thus, the gas which expands after a firearm discharge can expand inside the integral sound suppressor, thereby reducing the sound energy emitted into the environment. Using a muzzle brake that is disposed inside the housing in addition to the baffle arrangement or instead of the baffle arrangement, the combustible gas exiting from the muzzle of the barrel upon firearm discharge can also be deflected and directed into an expansion chamber toward the rear. As a result, the energy of the combustible gas can be reduced as well. In addition, the recoil can be reduced by the gas, which is directed toward the rear, and by the counterforces generated thereby.
An inner tube designed for receiving the gun barrel is disposed in an especially useful manner inside the housing, which inner tube, together with the housing, bounds an expansion chamber for receiving the gas that is generated by firearm discharge. The inner tube shields the gun barrel, thereby protecting it from the gas directed into the expansion chamber.
In an especially useful structural configuration, the inner tube can be held in place on one end by the muzzle brake and on the other end by a guide bushing inside the tubular housing. The guide bushing is preferably inserted into the rearward end of the housing, which faces the front end of the barrel, and preferably has a guide surface designed for axially guiding the integral sound suppressor in the area of a front end of the barrel.
In a useful configuration, the internal thread for mounting the integral sound suppressor on an external thread disposed on the muzzle of the gun barrel can be disposed on the muzzle brake. A gap is preferably provided inside the housing between the baffle arrangement and the muzzle brake. Because of this gap, stresses can be avoided.
In another useful configuration, the tubular housing of the integral sound suppressor can fit inside an outer sleeve. The outer sleeve is designed so that it has the same outside diameter as the wider diameter of the front end of the barrel. This ensures that the barrel with the integral sound suppressor mounted thereon has a uniform profile.
The baffle arrangement can consist of a main body having a plurality of chambers which, in the longitudinal direction, are spaced at a distance from each other and separated from each other by dividers, on two opposite sides of which openings are disposed. The muzzle brake preferably has radial through-openings for deflecting the gas generated by firearm discharge into the expansion chamber formed between the housing and the inner tube.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawing. The figures show:
The integral sound suppressor 2 shown in
Inside the housing 10, one end of the inner tube 14 is held in place by the guide bushing 11 and the other end by the muzzle brake 13. To this end, both the guide bushing 11 and the muzzle brake 13 each have a thread for mating with a corresponding counter thread on both ends of the inner tube 14. On both ends, the expansion chamber 15 formed between the housing 10 and the inner tube 14 is bounded by the guide bushing 11 and the muzzle brake 13. A seal 16 seals off the guide bushing 11 from the gun barrel 1. The muzzle brake 13 is sealed off from the housing 10 by means of a seal 17. A seal 18 is also disposed on the baffle arrangement 12 so as to seal off the housing 10.
As
The baffle arrangement 12 shown in
In the embodiment shown, the baffle arrangement 12 is produced in a part, e.g., by cutting or machining, from a cylindrical main body made of a high-tensile and heat-resistant light-weight metal. However, the baffle arrangement 12 can also be configured differently and be produced by means of a different method.
The muzzle brake 13 shown in
As
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2017 104 088.9 | Feb 2017 | DE | national |
