Long-range shotshell

Claim 2

A cartridge including a casing, said casing having a base at one end and a mouth at the other end, a propellant in said casing adjacent said base, ignition means to ignite said propellant, wad means positioned over said propellant, a projectile-surrounding member adjacent said wad means, a plurality of elongated projectiles arranged in said member and extending substantially longitudinally of said casing, filler means dispersed in and occupying the spaces between said projectiles to maintain the projectiles in a predetermined arrangement and control the dispersion of the projectiles and a closure closing said mouth.

Claim 3

The cartridge of claim 1 in which said filler means is a granular substance.

Claim 4

The cartridge of claim 1 in which said projectiles are arranged in said casing in a pattern including an outer circular row, the projectiles in said circular row being canted inwardly at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said cartridge.

Claim 5

The cartridge of claim 1 in which said projectiles are arranged in said casing in two concentric circular rows, an outer row including a plurality of projectiles each canted inwardly toward the central axis of said casing and an inner row including a plurality of projectiles axially aligned with the casing.

Claim 6

The cartridge of claim 1 in which said member is an open-ended cup including a sidewall and base, said cup having a plurality of slits extending longitudinally through the sidewall and into the base to divide said cup into a plurality of sections hinged centrally of the base.

Claim 7

The cartridge of claim 5 in which said projectiles each have an elongated body, a pointed nose and a plurality of fins, said fins being canted at a slight angle to increase the stability of said projectile.

Claim 8

The cartridge of claim 1 in which said wad means and said member are a single integral unit molded from plastic.

Claim 9

The cartridge of claim 1 in which said closure is an integral closure formed by infolding the sidewall adjacent the mouth of the casing and the base of the casing is formed integral with the sidewall.

Claim 10

A long-range shotshell type cartridge comprising a casing, a propellant charge in said casing, wad means positioned over said propellant including a flanged obturating wad having a skirt portIon directed toward said propellant, a cup-shaped projectile-carrying member positioned over said wad means, said cup-shaped member having a sidewall and a base, a plurality of slits extending through said sidewall and into said base to allow said member to separate into a plurality of segments as it leaves the barrel of a firearm, a plurality of elongated finned projectiles positioned in said cup in a predetermined arrangement, at least some of said projectiles being canted inwardly toward the axis of said casing, a filler dispersed in and filling the spaces between said projectiles to maintain said arrangement until the projectiles leave the gun barrel, and a layer of said filler means in a space formed between the ends of said projectiles and a closure of said casing to facilitate opening said closure.

Claim 11

A long-range shotshell type cartridge comprising a casing, a propellant charge in said casing, wad means positioned over said propellant including a flanged obturating wad having a skirt portIon directed toward said propellant, a cup-shaped projectile-carrying member positioned over said wad means, said cup-shaped member having a sidewall and a base, a plurality of slits extending through said sidewall and into said base to allow said member to separate into a plurality of segments as it leaves the barrel of a firearm, a plurality of elongated finned projectiles positioned in said cup in a predetermined arrangement, at least some of said projectiles being canted inwardly toward the axis of said casing, a filler dispersed in and filling the spaces between said projectiles to maintain said arrangement until the projectiles leave the gun barrel, and a layer of said filler means in a space formed between the ends of said projectiles and a closure of said casing to facilitate opening said closure.

Claim 12

The cartridge of claim 9 in which said filler is granulated polyethylene.

Claim 13

The cartridge of claim 9 in which said slits divide said member into four pie-shaped segments connected centrally of the base.

Claim 14

The cartridge of claim 9 in which said projectiles are arranged in two concentric rows, the projectiles in the outer row being canted inwardly toward the axis of said casing and the projectiles in the inner row being axially aligned with the casing.