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A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever.
The present disclosure relates in general to firearms, specifically to barrels with integral elements which reduce the noise occurring upon discharge of the firearm.
A firearm casts a projectile such as a bullet a great distance by combusting a solid propellant which produces a gas, thereby creating pressure inside the firearm which is orders of magnitude above standard atmospheric pressure. This pressure is exerted not only on the projectile and the walls of the barrel and the cartridge, but in the case of an autoloading firearm, also the action and any gas system which cycles the action, where it is referred to as back pressure. When the pressurized gas exits the muzzle of the gun, it creates a blast wave in the atmosphere with a rapid rise time. That muzzle blast is harmful to hearing at close range, and alarming at longer ranges, having few if any analogues in day to day living or in the natural world. Often the projectile will exceed the speed of sound before it exits the barrel, the projectile creating in front of itself a shock wave which on exit adds to the noise.
A variety of ammunition usable in a given firearm is often manufactured. Among that variety may be a range of velocities available among offerings from multiple manufacturers. The range of velocities available for a given cartridge may vary from 20% to 50% or more in cases where subsonic and/or “hypersonic” offerings exist.
Existing suppressors often use an arrangment of baffles, and may be formed via CNC machinery to have geometries more complex than the non-suppressing barrel or the barrel portion itself. That complexity comes at a cost for manufacturing and for using.
Existing suppressors, whether using baffles or not, often lack any provision to a user for adjustment effective across the full range of ammunition velocities available. That lack may detract from either the performance of the suppressor across the full range of available ammunition, or from the effective utilization of the full range of available ammunition.
When the propellant of a cartridge is combusted, a minority percentage of the propellant mass results in solid products and not gaseous products. Some of those solids are deposited on every surface exposed to the combustion products, including the barrel, any suppressor, and in the case of an autoloading firearm, the action and any gas system which cycles the action. Those deposits are adherent fouling which accumulates with each cartridge fired and becomes detrimental to the use of the firearm.
One factor in the production, deposit, and location of fouling is the degree and timing of the pressure of the combustion products. While the firearm and suppressor are only pressurized for a brief time, the combustion products move at a speed comparable to the projectile itself until the projectile leaves the muzzle.
Existing suppressors, whether using baffles or not, often extend the time distribution of the pressure of the combustion products as a tradeoff to reduce the degree of pressure at some point during that time. Such tradeoffs may increase or redistribute fouling in the barrel, any suppressor, and in the case of an autoloading firearm, the action and any gas system which cycles the action.
Existing suppressors, whether using baffles or not, often become closed to the escape of propellant gas and solid combustion products at some point in the projectile's passage down the bore of the firearm, or for the entirety of that passage. During that period the back pressure on the action in the case of an autoloading firearm, and any gas system which cycles the action, is greater than it would be if the closure did not exist. That closure increases adherent fouling in the action in the case of an autoloading firearm and in any gas system which cycles the action.
Improvements in utility, simplicity, and fouling reduction are needed.
Note all drawings are schematic and are not to scale. Note also that throughout this description, elements appearing in figures are assigned three-digit reference numbers, where the most significant digit is the figure number, and the two least significant digits are element-specific.
The embodiments in this discussion should be read as examples rather than as limitations on the apparatus and methods disclosed or claimed.
As used herein, whether in the description or claims, “plurality” indicates two or more. As used herein, whether in the description or claims, a “set” of elements includes two or more such elements. As used herein, whether in the description or claims, a “group” of elements includes two or more such elements. As used herein, whether in the description or claims, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “containing”, “involving” and the like are open-ended, i.e. mean “including but not limited to.”
Use of ordinal terms “first”, “second”, etc., whether in the description or the claims to modify an element, does not by itself connote any priority, precedence or order of one element relative to another, but is used merely to distinguish one element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).
As used in this description, the term “and/or” indicates that the listed elements are alternatives, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed elements. As used in this description, the term “sized” and a resulting relation between elements of an embodiment according to the present disclosure refers to the relation as resulting upon assembly of the embodiment.
This description of embodiments is to be read along with the drawings.
The embodiment illustrated in the drawings is for an exemplary firearm (not shown) of a rifle type, however other embodiments may be for other types of firearms including but not limited to rifles, all rifle sub-types, pistols, all pistol sub-types, shotguns, and all shotgun sub-types.
The firearm barrel 105 includes a chamber 101, a rear barrel portion 102, a rear bevel 103, an extractor notch 109, and an installation cavity 110, which collectively attach to the receiver of the exemplary firearm. The rear barrel portion 102 is sized to be circumferentially interior to the rear sleeve interior 204 of
The firearm barrel 105 also includes a front barrel portion 106 extending forward between the rear bevel 103 and the threaded muzzle end 108. The front barrel portion 106 is sized to be circumferentially interior to the plurality of mesh layers 401 of
Each hole group of the breech end hole groups 104 includes a first lower right hole 112 and a first upper right hole 113. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, breech end hole groups 104 includes four hole groups, spaced at a distance equal to a first diameter of the front barrel portion 106. In other embodiments, the breech end hole groups 104 may include more or fewer hole groups. In other embodiments, the hole groups of the breech end hole groups 104 may be spaced a greater or lesser distance.
The breech end hole groups 104 also include one or more hole groups which are configurable by the user to vent, or to not vent, both propellant gas behind a fired projectile (not shown) as well as air compressed forward of the projectile. The act of configuring by the user is further described herein with
A hole group which is configurable by the user includes a second upper right hole 114 and a second lower right hole 115. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the breech end hole groups 104 include two hole groups which are configurable by the user, spaced at a distance equal to the first diameter of the front barrel portion 106. In other embodiments, the breech end hole groups 104 may include more or fewer hole groups which are configurable by the user. In other embodiments, the hole groups which are configurable by the user may be spaced a greater or lesser distance.
As shown on the right side of
Upon assembly of the embodiment, the front barrel portion 106 and the outer sleeve 201 form circumferentially inner and outer bounds of a first space, with the plurality of mesh layers 401 therein, as further described herein. The gas vented via the breech end hole groups 104 and muzzle end hole groups 107 travels more slowly than the gas inside the barrel, by moving in the first space, which has a larger volume than the barrel bore 120. The gas and air vented out the barrel via the muzzle end hole groups 107 travels in part back towards the receiver end of the firearm barrel 105, impinges upon the gas and air vented out the barrel via the breech end hole groups 104, which is travelling towards the muzzle end of the firearm barrel 105, and the respective movements of the bodies of vented gas and air is dampened.
The breech end hole groups 104 and the muzzle end hole groups 107 lie along an open path and reduce the back pressure in the barrel, and in the case of an autoloading firearm, in the action and any gas system which cycles the action, thus reducing the adherent fouling in those elements of the firearm. That open path is further described herein.
The firearm barrel 105 also includes a rear barrel shoulder 111. The rear barrel shoulder 111 is sized to be circumferentially interior to the rear sleeve interior 204 of
As described above, each hole group of the breech end hole groups 104 includes a first lower right hole 112 and a first upper right hole 113. Each hole group of the breech end hole groups 104 also includes a first upper left hole 118 and a first lower left hole 119.
The first lower right hole 112 shares a common center with the first upper left hole 118. The first upper right hole 113 shares a common center with the first lower left hole 119. Common centers simplify the firearm barrel 105. In other embodiments, one or more of the holes in one or more hole groups in the breech end hole groups 104 may have a center which is not shared with any other hole.
The firearm barrel 105 includes a barrel bore 120 as shown in
As described above, a hole group which is configurable by the user includes a second upper right hole 114 and a second lower right hole 115. A hole group which is configurable by the user also includes a second lower left hole 123 and a second upper left hole 124.
The second lower right hole 115 shares a common center with the second upper left hole 124. The second upper right hole 114 shares a common center with the second lower left hole 123. Common centers simplify the firearm barrel 105. In other embodiments, one or more of the holes in one or more hole groups which are configurable by the user may have a center which is not shared with any other hole.
Each hole in each hole group which is configurable by the user is sized and threaded to mate with a socket head plug having matching threads. The length of the socket head plug is sized to be less than the wall thickness of the bore of the front barrel portion 106. The depth of the hole threading is sized to prevent the socket head plug from entering the bore of the front barrel portion 106.
Each hole group which is configurable by the user has 4 socket head plugs, a lower right socket head plug 121, a lower left socket head plug 122, an upper left socket head plug 125, and an upper right socket head plug 126. The user may configure each hole in each hole groups to vent, by removing a plug, or to not vent, by inserting a plug, based both upon attributes of the ammunition desired for use, as well as upon the desired degree of suppression. The attributes of the ammunition desired for use may include but not be limited to velocity, type of propellant powder, and type of projectile.
As described above, each hole group in the muzzle end hole groups 107 includes a third upper right hole 116 and a third lower right hole 117. Each hole group of the muzzle end hole groups 107 also includes a third lower left hole 127 and a third upper left hole 128.
The third lower right hole 117 shares a common center with the third upper left hole 128. The third upper right hole 116 shares a common center with the third lower left hole 127. Common centers simplify the firearm barrel 105. In other embodiments, one or more of the holes in one or more hole groups in the muzzle end hole groups may have a center which is not shared with any other hole.
The front sleeve interior 206 is sized to provide the first space between the outer sleeve 201 and the front barrel portion 106 for insertion of the plurality of mesh layers 401 into the first space, and also for insertion of the rear cap portion 302 of the front end cap 301 into the first space, as further described herein.
The outer sleeve 201 also includes a rear ledge 205 which is sized to be in the first abutment with the rear barrel shoulder 111 of the firearm barrel 105. Upon assembly of the embodiment, the first abutment forms a gas tight seal under compression applied by the threaded socket 306 of the front end cap 301 threadably coupled with the threaded muzzle end 108 of the firearm barrel 105, as further described herein.
The pair of flats 305 are sized to allow torque to be applied to the front end cap 301, thereby threadably coupling the threaded socket 306 and the threaded muzzle end 108, and thereby applying compression at the second abutment of the cap shoulder 303 with the front sleeve surface 207. The second abutment forms a gas tight seal under the applied compression of the threadably coupled threaded socket 306 and the threaded muzzle end 108.
Upon assembly of the embodiment the threaded socket 306 of the front end cap 301 is threadably coupled onto the threaded muzzle end 108 of the firearm barrel 105.
The cap bore 307 is sized to allow a fired projectile such as a bullet or slug to pass through the cap bore 307 without contact therewith, and also sized such that the cap bore 307 is coaxially aligned with the barrel bore 120.
The breech end hole groups 104 and the muzzle end hole groups 107 are elements of an open path allowing the escape of propellant gas and solid combustion products for the entirety of the projectile's passage down the bore of the front barrel portion 106, thus reducing the back pressure on the action in the case of an autoloading firearm, and on any gas system which cycles the action, and therefor reducing adherent fouling in the action and any gas system. The open path includes the barrel bore 120 rearward of the fired projectile, the holes of the breech end hole groups 104 and the muzzle end hole groups 107 which are rearward of the projectile, the first space between the front barrel portion 106 and the outer sleeve 201, the plurality of mesh layers 401, the holes of the breech end hole groups 104 and the muzzle end hole groups 107 which are forward of the projectile, the barrel bore 120 forward of the projectile, the cap bore 307 of the front end cap, and a second space exterior to the integrally suppressed barrel.
Any suitable materials may be used for the integrally suppressed barrel and its elements described herein. The elements may be formed of appropriate metals or alloys such as aluminum, steel, titanium, or others. In one representative but non-limiting example, the firearm barrel 105 may be made from steel. The outer sleeve 201 for example may be made from aluminum. The front end cap 301 for example may be made from aluminum. The plurality of mesh layers 401 for example may be made from stainless steel.