US647730A - Projectile for small-arms. - Google Patents

Description

No. 647,730. Patented Apr. I7, |900. P. SWEENEY. PROJECTILE FOB SMALL ARMS'.

(Application filed July 10, 1899.)

(No Model.)

siren STATES @Assur asics.,

PETER SWEEN'EY, or NEWYORK, N. Y.

PROJ ECTILE FOR SMALL-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N c. 647,730, dated April 1'7, 1900. Application iiled July 10, 1899. Serial No. 723,383. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.;

Be it known that I, PETER SWEENEY, a citizen ot the United States, residing at New York, in thecouuty of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements 4in Projectiles for Small-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in projectiles for small-arms.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved means whereby to decrease the resistance offered to the bullet or project. ile in its flight through the air.

A further object of the invention relates to means for securely inclosing the shank of a steel point for the projectile Within a lead casing.

I have illustrated my invention in the actridge provided with my improved means for i decreasing the resistance of the air'. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, and Fig.- 3 is a detail view of the steel body which is embedded in the lead casing.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l indicates the shell of a rifle-cartridge, which shell is preferably of the type having a contracted portion 2 for receiving a bullet 3 of less diameter than t-he main portion of the shell. `As ordinarily constructed this bullet: is surrounded with a steel'shell in order as far as possible to prevent it from iia-ttening on striking an object, as, the propelling force being equal, a bulletof small diameterwill Hatten more readily on strikingran object than oneof larger diameter.

A cartridge constructed as indicated is used inthe modern Mauser and other rifles. The steel shell referred to, however, does not take readily to the riling of the barrel and, besides, tends to Wear 'away this rilling more rapidly than would an ordinary lead bullet.

In order to overcome this objection-and alsol to provide a projectile or bullet which-shall possess high penetrating power with the minimum liability to flatten on striking an 0bject, I provide the lead bullet 3 with a steel point or head 4, havinga shank 5, about which and a 'part o? head 4 the bullet 3 is molded.

I have shown the shank 5 as provided with 'bullet when the latter spiral threads in the manner of a corkscrew. This construction present-s a series of continuous shoulders about which the lead is molded and which will serve `to firmly lock the shank and bullet in firm fixed relation. The head i, it will be seen, is of less diameter than the bullet 3, so that said bullet is free to take into the rifling of the barrel. At the same time the manner of 'locking the, head 4 and shank 5 within the lead bullet prevents said head and shank, which parts may be described as formingacore, from leaving the takes the riding, the velocity of the projectile being thereby slightly impeded, or the lead from being twisted from about said core. 'Phe steel head 4 is pointed, as shown at 5, and said head will of course possess greater penetrating power than would an ordinary bullet of lead. I may-use a bullet constructed as described without further improvements o r additions. I prefer, however, t

`tao-employ in connection therewith my improved device for lessening the resistanceof the air to the flight of the bullet. Thisvdef vice comprises a conical cap 6,-of thin sheet metal, such as copper or tin, which .is designed to be inserted over and fit snugly the 'head 4, and preferably its lower edge is embedded in the lead about the head, asshown Aat 7. The cap 6 being relatively long, pointed,

and having a gradual taper from its apex to the edge of the bullet 'will readily cleave the air, and but a minimum amount' of resistancewill be offered to its flight, owing to the fact that its resistance-surfaces are all slanting. The cap 6 being very light will not opi erate .to ovei'balance the projectile, or, in other words, cause it to rotateon any but a longitudinal axis in yits flight through the' air. The cap G can of "course be applied to other forms of projectiles than that described-here in and may be found to bel applicable to very large projectiles.

Having thus fully described my invention,- what- I claim as new is l. A projectile for small-arms comprising a hard-metal core having a pointed head and spirally-threaded shank, and a lead casi-ng or bullet molded about said shank, substantially as described.

2. .A projectile for cartridges colnprisinga lead casing or bullet having a hard-metal my hand in presence of two subsmibing Wit core locked therein and projecting from one messes. end thereof to vaiord a head and a. conical or tapering cap inserted on ,said head and eml ETLR SWEENLY 5 bedded in the surrounding body of lead, sub- Witnesses: stanoially as described. GEO. W. REA, In testimony whereof I have hereunto 'seb F. B. KEEFER.

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