Underwater side arm

Claim 3

An underwater side arm comprising a cartridge holder for slidably receiving said device of claim 1, the barrel of said device extending through said cartridge holder and the retainer of said device seated in an end of said cartridge holder, and means pivotally mounted on said cartridge holder for actuating the primer of said device.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 further characterized by said casing and retainer forming a chamber, the forward end of said chamber being adjacent to an internal shoulder shaped in said casing, said propellant being contained within said retainer and communicating with said primer, a piston movable within said chamber and contacting said propellant, a flanged shoulder integral with a forward portion of said piston and having a recess disposed centrally thereat, said projectile having its rear end seated in said recess, and its remaining portions extending through said chamber, into and beyond said barrel and a water-tight seal at a front end of said barrel.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 further characterized by said actuating means comprising a firing pin.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 further characterized by said barrel having a bore providing spaced longitudinal grooves for accommodating a fixed fin projectile.

Claim 7

Apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said piston includes an O-ring disposed about an outer periphery generally intermediate its ends.

Claim 8

In combination with an underwater side arm, an expendable cartridge-barrel assembly comprising a cartridge casing forming a barrel at one end, a retainer screw-threadedly mounted to the other end of said casing and providing a primer support, a propellant within the casing and adjacent the primer support, a water-tight seal affixed to a front end of said barrel and a water-tight seal affixed to a front face of said propellant, a projectile frictionally fitted within and extending along the bore of said barrel and having its rear end contacting said water-tight seal affixed to the front face of said propellant, said projectile being designed for high sectional density and minimum drag with water.

Claim 9

In combination with an underwater side arm, an expendable cartridge-barrel assembly comprising a cartridge casing forming a barrel at one end, a retainer screw-threadedly mounted to the other end of said casing and providing a primer support, a propellant within the casing and adjacent the primer support, a water-tight seal affixed to a front end of said barrel and a water-tight seal affixed to a front face of said propellant, a projectile frictionally fitted within and extending along the bore of said barrel and having its rear end contacting said water-tight seal affixed to the front face of said propellant, said projectile being designed for high sectional density and minimum drag with water.

Claim 10

An underwater side arm including an expendable cartridge-barrel assembly comprising a casing forming a barrel at one end, a retainer mounted on the other end of said casing, a primer supported and contained within said retainer, said casing and retainer forming a chamber therebetween, an internal shoulder shaped in said casing adjacent a forward end of said chamber, a propellant within said chamber communicating with said primer, a piston movable within the chamber having a rear portion contacting the propellant, an O-ring disposed about an outer periphery of said piston generally intermediate its ends, a flanged shoulder integral with a forward portion of said piston and having a recess disposed centrally thereof; a projectile having its rear end seated within said recess and its remaining portions extending through the chamber, through the bore of said barrel, through a water-tight seal affixed to a forward end thereof and terminating at a point beyond said forward end; a firing pin aligned with said primer, a housing for supporting said firing pin, a cartridge holder surrounding said cartridge-barrel assembly generally about its chamber, a swivel connection between the firing pin housing and cartridge holder adjacent their lower portions, means for locking said firing pin housing to said cartridge holder and means for spring loading and releasing said firing pin.

Claim 11

An underwater side arm including an expendable cartridge-barrel assembly comprising a casing forming a barrel at one end, a retainer mounted on the other end of said casing, a primer supported and contained within said retainer, said casing and retainer forming a chamber therebetween, an internal shoulder shaped in said casing adjacent a forward end of said chamber, a propellant within said chamber communicating with said primer, a piston movable within the chamber having a rear portion contacting the propellant, an O-ring disposed about an outer periphery of said piston generally intermediate its ends, a flanged shoulder integral with a forward portion of said piston and having a recess disposed centrally thereof; a projectile having its rear end seated within said recess and its remaining portions extending through the chamber, through the bore of said barrel, through a water-tight seal affixed to a forward end thereof and terminating at a point beyond said forward end; a firing pin aligned with said primer, a housing for supporting said firing pin, a cartridge holder surrounding said cartridge-barrel assembly generally about its chamber, a swivel connection between the firing pin housing and cartridge holder adjacent their lower portions, means for locking said firing pin housing to said cartridge holder and means for spring loading and releasing said firing pin.