Controlled expansion projectile

Claim 2

An expansion projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of relatively soft material having an exposed, unjacketed, soft nose and a base end; said body having an axial bore, of predetermined longitudinal and lateral dimensions, extending from an opening in said soft nose toward said base end: a flat tip on said soft nose; a pellet of relatively hard material, wholly within said bore, said pellet being nearly equal in lateral dimension to said bore and freely movable therein, and of less length than said bore, to form a pellet receiving space extending toward said nose end from said pellet; and pellet retaining means comprising an inwardly projecting, soft, annular rim of substantially reduced lateral dimensions relative to said bore and extending around said opening for preventing fall-out of said hard pellet while permitting free axial movement thereof along said bore, whereby said hard metal pellet is captive within but freely movable along said bore, said body collapses inwardly into said space upon impact of the flat tip of said soft nose and said soft nose flattens against said hard metal pellet as said pellet mushrooms said soft nose material.

Claim 3

An expansion projectile, as specified in claim 1, wherein: said body is of lead, said pellet is a steel ball and said bore has a surface of revolution extending from said soft annular rim of reduced lateral dimensions, around said opening at said soft nose to about one third to two thirds the distance of said base end.

Claim 4

An expansion projectile as specified in claim 1 wherein: said bore extends from said soft annular rim, of reduced lateral dimensions, around said opening at said nose to about one third to two thirds the distance to said base end.

Claim 5

An expansion projectile as specified in claim 1 plus: a second axial bore in said body extending from an opening at said base end toward said soft nose, a second said pellet freely movable in said second bore and a second said pellet retaining means associated with the base end of said body for retaining said second pellet.

Claim 6

An expansion projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of relatively soft material, having an exposed soft nose free of jacketing and an axial bore forming a surface of revolution of predetermined uniform diameter and depth, said bore extending from an opening or bore mouth in said soft nose encircled by a soft annular rim, inwardly of said body to a pellet seat at the basE of said axial bore: a flat tip on said soft nose; a pellet of relatively hard material having a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, the diameter of said bore and freely movable therealong; and pellet retaining means comprising an inwardly projecting, annular element integral with said soft annular rim and reducing the diameter of the mouth of said bore for maintaining said pellet captive within said bore while permitting fluid, or matter, to enter said opening; whereby said hard metal pellet is in contact with said seat during flight, to cause soft annular rim and the flat tip soft portion of said body proximate said nose opening to impact an object first and collapse inwardly into said opening, whereupon said pellet leaves said seat and moves forward to mushroom said soft nose.

Claim 7

An expansion projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of relatively soft material, having an exposed soft nose free of jacketing and an axial bore forming a surface of revolution of predetermined uniform diameter and depth, said bore extending from an opening or bore mouth in said soft nose encircled by a soft annular rim, inwardly of said body to a pellet seat at the basE of said axial bore: a flat tip on said soft nose; a pellet of relatively hard material having a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, the diameter of said bore and freely movable therealong; and pellet retaining means comprising an inwardly projecting, annular element integral with said soft annular rim and reducing the diameter of the mouth of said bore for maintaining said pellet captive within said bore while permitting fluid, or matter, to enter said opening; whereby said hard metal pellet is in contact with said seat during flight, to cause soft annular rim and the flat tip soft portion of said body proximate said nose opening to impact an object first and collapse inwardly into said opening, whereupon said pellet leaves said seat and moves forward to mushroom said soft nose.

Claim 8

A projectile for use with a cartridge, comprising: a cylindrically shaped body of soft metallic material having an exposed soft nose unjacketed forward end portion and a rearward end portion: a flat tip on said nose for impacting a target; at least one bore extending along the axis of said body from said flat tip, soft nose forward end portion toward said rearward end portion, said bore having a surface of revolution of a predetermined diameter and predetermined length at said one forward end portion, a hard, pellet, having a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, said predetermined diameter but of less length than said bore; said pellet being located wholly within said bore rearwardly thereof for completely free movement therealong, forwardly thereof, upon impact, and an inwardly projecting, soft annular integral rim, of less diameter than the diameter of said bore and defining an opening in said soft nose forward end portion for preventing fall-out of said pellet; whereby said pellet travels rearwardly of said bore, said flat tipped soft nose forward end portion impacts first and is then spread out by said pellet.

Claim 9

A projectile for use with a cartridge, comprising: a cylindrically shaped body of soft metallic material having an exposed soft nose unjacketed forward end portion and a rearward end portion: a flat tip on said nose for impacting a target; at least one bore extending along the axis of said body from said flat tip, soft nose forward end portion toward said rearward end portion, said bore having a surface of revolution of a predetermined diameter and predetermined length at said one forward end portion, a hard, pellet, having a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, said predetermined diameter but of less length than said bore; said pellet being located wholly within said bore rearwardly thereof for completely free movement therealong, forwardly thereof, upon impact, and an inwardly projecting, soft annular integral rim, of less diameter than the diameter of said bore and defining an opening in said soft nose forward end portion for preventing fall-out of said pellet; whereby said pellet travels rearwardly of said bore, said flat tipped soft nose forward end portion impacts first and is then spread out by said pellet.

Claim 10

A projectile as specified in claim 6 wherein: said opening is unobstructed and adapted to admit air during flight of said projectile, but to permit collapse thereinto of the material of said nose, upon impact.

Claim 11

A projectile as specified in claim 6 plus: cannelure means extending around said body at a spaced distance therealong proximate said soft nose unjacketed forward end portion for forming a restrictive belt limiting the expansion of said body in a predetermined location relative to the location of said pellet.

Claim 12

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of relatively soft material and predetermined mass having an unjacketed, exposed, soft nose and an elongated axial bore with a surface of revolution of uniform diameter, terminating in an opening in said soft nose; a flat tip on said soft nose; a pellet of relatively hard material and of a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, that of said bore and of a different mass, said pellet being contained wholly within said bore and freely movable axially and forwardly within said bore, and pellet retaining means comprising a soft annular rim having an integral, inwardly projecting annular portion of less diameter than the diameter of said bore and extending around said nose opening; whereby inertia and air pressure in said opening during flight urge said pellet rearwardly in said bore so that the flat tip, soft annular rim of the soft nose of said body first encounters an object while said hard pellet is wholly within said bore and said pellet then moves forwardly to further flatten and spread the soft material of said unjacketed nose.

Claim 13

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of relatively soft material and predetermined mass having an unjacketed, exposed, soft nose and an elongated axial bore with a surface of revolution of uniform diameter, terminating in an opening in said soft nose; a flat tip on said soft nose; a pellet of relatively hard material and of a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, that of said bore and of a different mass, said pellet being contained wholly within said bore and freely movable axially and forwardly within said bore, and pellet retaining means comprising a soft annular rim having an integral, inwardly projecting annular portion of less diameter than the diameter of said bore and extending around said nose opening; whereby inertia and air pressure in said opening during flight urge said pellet rearwardly in said bore so that the flat tip, soft annular rim of the soft nose of said body first encounters an object while said hard pellet is wholly within said bore and said pellet then moves forwardly to further flatten and spread the soft material of said unjacketed nose.

Claim 14

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of soft metal having an unjacketed, exposed, soft metal nose, with a flat tip said body having at least one dead end bore with a surface of revolution of predetermined diameter extending, in parallelism with the central longitudinal axis of said body, rearwardly from said soft nose; a spherical member of hard metal having a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, the diameter of said bore, and an integral, inwardly projecting, annular rim of less diameter than the diameter of said bore, said rim defining a forward nose opening in said body while preventing fall-out of said member, said member during flight, being normally wholly contained rearwardly within said bore, captive therein and free of attachment thereto to readily move forwardly therealong, after impact of said flat tip soft nose with an object to mushroom said soft metal.

Claim 15

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of soft metal having an unjacketed, exposed, soft metal nose, with a flat tip said body having at least one dead end bore with a surface of revolution of predetermined diameter extending, in parallelism with the central longitudinal axis of said body, rearwardly from said soft nose; a spherical member of hard metal having a diameter nearly equal to, but slightly less than, the diameter of said bore, and an integral, inwardly projecting, annular rim of less diameter than the diameter of said bore, said rim defining a forward nose opening in said body while preventing fall-out of said member, said member during flight, being normally wholly contained rearwardly within said bore, captive therein and free of attachment thereto to readily move forwardly therealong, after impact of said flat tip soft nose with an object to mushroom said soft metal.

Claim 16

A projectile as specified in claim 10 wherein: said body is formed of lead, said bore is axial and of uniform diameter, and said impact member is a hard steel ball.

Claim 17

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of soft metal having a soft, unjacketed, metal nose with a flattened tip forming a soft annular integral, inwardly projecting rim defining an opening of predetermined diameter; an elongated bore extending in parallelism with the axis of said body rearwardly from said opening; said bore having a diameter greater than the diameter of said opening; and a pellet of hard metal wholly within said bore, captive therein and freely movable therealong, said pellet being of greater diameter than said opening and of less diameter than said bore; said pellet being normally located rearwardly of said bore during flight and adapted to freely move forwardly upon impact of said flattened tip to mushroom said soft metal.

Claim 18

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of soft metal having a soft, unjacketed, metal nose with a flattened tip forming a soft annular integral, inwardly projecting rim defining an opening of predetermined diameter; an elongated bore extending in parallelism with the axis of said body rearwardly from said opening; said bore having a diameter greater than the diameter of said opening; and a pellet of hard metal wholly within said bore, captive therein and freely movable therealong, said pellet being of greater diameter than said opening and of less diameter than said bore; said pellet being normally located rearwardly of said bore during flight and adapted to freely move forwardly upon impact of said flattened tip to mushroom said soft metal.

Claim 19

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of soft metal having an exposed soft nose with a flattened tip and a base; an inwardly projecting, integral, annular rim defining an unobstructed opening in said soft nose, said opening being of predetermined diameter; at least one elongated bore of greater diameter than said opening extending, in parallelism with the central longitudinal axis of said body, from said unobstructed opening, in said soft nose part way toward said base, and a pellet of hard metal and predetermined mass, wholly within said bore captive therein by reason of said rim but freely movable therealong, said pellet being of greater diameter than said rim and of less diameter than said bore, normally located rearwardly of said bore to move forwardly therealong upon impact of said flattened tip of said soft nose to mushroom said soft metal.

Claim 20

A projectile comprising: a bullet shaped body of soft metal having an exposed soft nose with a flattened tip and a base; an inwardly projecting, integral, annular rim defining an unobstructed opening in said soft nose, said opening being of predetermined diameter; at least one elongated bore of greater diameter than said opening extending, in parallelism with the central longitudinal axis of said body, from said unobstructed opening, in said soft nose part way toward said base, and a pellet of hard metal and predetermined mass, wholly within said bore captive therein by reason of said rim but freely movable therealong, said pellet being of greater diameter than said rim and of less diameter than said bore, normally located rearwardly of said bore to move forwardly therealong upon impact of said flattened tip of said soft nose to mushroom said soft metal.

Claim 21

A projectile comprising: a cylindrical body of soft metal having a soft forward end as the impact part and having an axially extending bore of uniform diameter terminating in a forward end opening or mouth; a flattened tip on said soft forward end having an inwardly projecting means of reduced diameter encircling said opening and a, hard metal pellet normally seated during flight at the rearward end of said bore, but of such diameter as to move freely up to said mouth after impact of said flattened tip of said soft end to mushroom, and expand, said forward end.

Claim 22

A projectile comprising: a cylindrical body of soft metal having a soft forward end as the impact part and having an axially extending bore of uniform diameter terminating in a forward end opening or mouth; a flattened tip on said soft forward end having an inwardly projecting means of reduced diameter encircling said opening and a, hard metal pellet normally seated during flight at the rearward end of said bore, but of such diameter as to move freely up to said mouth after impact of said flattened tip of said soft end to mushroom, and expand, said forward end.

Claim 23

A projectile as specified in claim 4 wherein: said body includes at least one gas vent in the forward portion of said second axial bore for relieving gas pressure therein when said second pellet moves forwardly within said second bore after impact.