124results about "Muzzle-loading smallarms" patented technology

A bullet system including a bullet body with a tail portion engaged with a polymer cup that provides enhanced engagement of the barrel upon firing. The bullet system may have a radial retracted state that corresponds to an elongated axial state of the bullet system that allows the cupped bullet to be fed down the barrel at a reduced diameter with reduced engagement with the barrel. The radial expansion of the bullet system occurs upon axial length reduction of the bullet system by axial compression. The axial compression can occur upon firing of the propellant or when loading with the ramrod. The bullet system can provide a tactile seat force indicator tip insert within the tip of the bullet body that provides a tactile sensation when the bullet is properly seated against the propellant charge. A cutting edge may be provided for scraping the barrel upon insertion of the bullet.

A muzzle loading firearm has a barrel with a bore defining a bore axis. The barrel has a muzzle end and a breech end, with a breech plug removably attached to the barrel and having a rear surface. An extractor is connected to the barrel and has a portion positioned rearward of the plug, and movable away from a position rearward of the plug, so that the plug may be removed without removing the extractor. The extractor may pivot, and may have a cylindrical portion received in a bore parallel to the barrel bore. The rear face of the extractor may be flush with the rear face of the breech plug.

Muzzleloader systems include a pre-packaged propellant charge and primer for providing efficient loading and unloading of the muzzleloader. The breech end accepts the propellant and means are provided to prevent breech loading of the projectile. A propellant cartridge conforms to a constriction portion to minimize ullage. A projectile is inserted in the muzzle end seats on the constriction portion. The propellant cartridge may be received in a removable breech plug. The constriction portion may be part of the breech plug or a separate component secured in the barrel by way of the breech plug. The cartridge may have a primer mechanism integrated into a proximal end. Projectiles have sliding components that have an axial elongate position and an axial shortened position and may be loaded with a ramrod having an engagement portion for each of the two pieces whereby the projectile doesn't prematurely collapse.

A modular load unit that is received in a muzzle loading firearm having a bore and a rifling defined therein. The modular load unit has a hull, a projectile in a projectile receiving compartment, a projectile retaining cap removably received over the projectile, a cushion, a propellant in a propellant receiving compartment, and a propellant retaining cap removably received over the propellant. The modular load unit can be inserted into the bore of the muzzle loading firearm at any angle. Upon firing of the muzzle loading firearm, the cushion and the propellant receiving compartment sealingly engage the rifling.

A fixed round of ammunition for a muzzle loader firearm. The round has a bullet within a sabot that is engaged to a consumable cartridge case. The case is filled with propellant that is precisely calibrated to provide optimal ballistic properties with the particular bullet it is engaged to. The consumable cartridge case can be more tailored to respectively increase or decrease the burn rate of the consumable cartridge case. The consumable cartridge case can be constructed out of nitrocellulose or other energetic materials. A wide range of propellant formulas can be used that are safe because the burn rate is precisely calibrated for the bullet used. The propellant can contain pyrotechnic material and / or other ingredients to reduce the burn rate of a smokeless propellant and can contain a stabilizer to increase the shelf life of the ammunition round.

A muzzle loading firearm has a barrel with a bore on a bore axis, and has a muzzle end and a breech end. A frame is connected to the barrel, and has a breech face. The frame moves between an open position in which the breech face is away from the breech end of the barrel, and a closed position in which the breech face abuts the breech end of the barrel. A breech plug is removably attached to the barrel, and is connected to the barrel by way of interrupted, or multistart threads, or locking lugs. The breech plug may have a rear face that abuts the breech face when the frame is closed, so that a primer contained in a primer pocket in the rear of the breech plug is fully supported on all sides.

A muzzle loading firearm has a barrel with a bore on a bore axis, and the barrel has a muzzle end and a breech end. A frame is connected to the barrel, and has a breech face. The frame moves between an open position in which the breech face is away from the breech end of the barrel, and a closed position in which the breech face abuts the breech end of the barrel. A breech plug is removably attached to the barrel. The breech plug including a seal element closely received by the bore. The seal element may be a set of piston rings that are received in a circumferential groove about a forward end of the plug, or may be a cup at the forward end, with a forward rim that flares under pressure to provide a gas seal.

A muzzle-loading firearm includes a breech plug for mating, non-threaded engagement with a housing located at the breech end of an axial bore of the firearm barrel. The plug includes a cylindrically-shaped body member having opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that when the plug is positioned within the housing, the outer surface is spaced close to the inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the plug from the housing. The body member is formed with a primer chamber for receiving and retaining a primer or a percussion cap at the first end, and a passageway for fluidly communicating the primer chamber with a powder charge at the second end. The body member may have a powder chamber for receiving and retaining at least part of a powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded. The material and dimensions of the body member may be such that the body member deforms radially outwardly so that the outer surface of the body member and the inside surface of the housing form an essentially gas-tight seal during firing. The powder chamber contains much of the powder residue generated by the firing. In order to insure that the muzzle-loader cannot be readily used as, or converted to, a breech-loading firearm, different muzzle-loader / breech plug design features are presented. With one design feature, the maximum cross-sectional inner dimension of the housing is less than the diameter of the bore of the barrel. With another design feature, alignment of the firing pin and primer chamber (or hammer and percussion cap holder) is along an axis not centered with the axial bore of the barrel. The cross-sectional shape of the housing and breech plug may be non-cylindrical. For example, the cross-sectional shape can be oblong, essentially triangular, etc. Thus, conventional, breech-loading ammunition will not be effectively usable in the muzzle-loading firearm.

A muzzleloader firearm has a barrel with at least one lug retaining structure that includes an internal annular groove and an internal annular shoulder that is both adjacent the annular groove and positioned between the annular groove and the breech end of the barrel. Each annular shoulder is provided with lug entry cutouts, which are radially spaced about the shoulder. The firearm also has a breech plug that is provided with multiple lugs forming at least one discontinuous external shoulder. The lugs are spaced and sized so that they align with the lug entry cutouts. Preferably, the number of external shoulders on the breech plug match the number of internal annular grooves in the barrel. The breech plug is installed in the barrel by aligning the lugs with the lug entry cutouts, and then rotating the plug so that the lugs are no longer aligned with the lug entry cutouts.

A muzzle-loading firearm includes a breech plug for mating, non-threaded engagement with a housing located at the breech end of an axial bore of the firearm barrel. The breech plug includes a body member having opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that when the breech plug is positioned within the housing, the outer surface is spaced close to the inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the breech plug from the housing. The body member is formed with a passageway for fluidly communicating ignition with a powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded. The ignition source (primer or percussion cap) can be inserted directly to a chamber in the first end of the body member or alternatively, to a chamber in the breech area of the firearm itself where that chamber fluidly communicates with the passageway at the first end of the body member. The body member may have a powder chamber for receiving and retaining at least part of a powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded. The material and dimensions of the body member may be such that the body member deforms radially outwardly so that the outer surface of the body member and the inside surface of the housing form an essentially gas-tight seal during firing. The powder chamber contains much of the powder residue generated by the firing. In order to insure that the muzzle-loader cannot be readily used as, or converted to, a breech-loading firearm, different muzzle-loader / breech plug design features are presented. With one design feature, the maximum cross-sectional inner dimension of the housing is less than the diameter of the bore of the barrel. With another design feature, alignment of the firing pin and primer chamber (or hammer and percussion cap holder) is along an axis not centered with the axial bore of the barrel. The cross-sectional shape of the housing and breech plug may be non-cylindrical. For example, the cross-sectional shape can be oblong, essentially triangular, etc. Thus, conventional, breech-loading ammunition will not be effectively usable in the muzzle-loading firearm.

The present invention discloses a method and system of loading an in-line muzzle-loading firearm. A projectile is rammed into a muzzle end of a barrel of the in-line muzzle-loading firearm such that a bottom portion of the projectile is adjacent or in close proximity with the breech end of a breech plug. A pre-measured powder cartridge is then inserted within a cartridge receiving bore of the breech plug such that a forward end of the pre-measured powder cartridge is adjacent a bottom portion of the projectile and a rim of the cartridge engages a first annular lip of the breech plug. The cartridge may then be secured within the breech plug by action of a bolt mechanism or a break open receiver mechanism.

A muzzle loading firearm with a break-open action includes a rear stock assembly and a barrel assembly. The barrel assembly includes an elongate barrel, having a bore with muzzle and breech ends, and a breech plug removably connected the breech end of the barrel, which encloses a chamber at the rear of the bore. The barrel assembly is pivotally attached to the rear stock assembly, and is movable with respect to the stock assembly between an open position in which the breech end is accessible for service, and a closed position in which the breech end is inaccessible and secured for discharge. A lever arm, optionally configured to serve as the firearm trigger guard, is user actuated for moving the action between the open and closed positions. The breech plug is configured for rapid removal from the barrel by hand when the action is open.

Disclosed is a high altitude space launcher system for transferring payloads from surface to orbit at a significantly lower cost than conventional rockets. It comprises a aerostat lifted one stage light gas gun operating in stratosphere that shoots rocket assisted projectiles containing payload at near orbital velocities to a low angle trajectory. Alternatively, to launch acceleration sensitive payloads such as astronauts the light gas gun is replaced with a muzzle loaded conventional gun that shoots a single stage rocket at a much lower velocity. The system is mostly static structure, attached to a tether-elevator that moors it to land or a ship and provided it with electricity and lifts the projectiles to the gun.

A sabot for a muzzleloading firearm has a cylindrical body aligned with a bore axis. The body has a sleeve portion extending in a first direction adapted to receive a bullet. A post extends from the body in a second direction opposite the first direction. The post may have a cross sectional profile that has articulated surfaces, and which may define channels along the post. A powder pellet defining a bore may be closely received on the post, with an interference fit retaining the pellet on the post. The sabot may be employed to extract a pellet from a storage container, by inserting the post in the pellet bore to extract the pellet from the container. The sabot may be part of an assembly including a bullet and a pellet, which may be loaded into the muzzle of a rifle as a single unit.

A muzzle-loader bullet system includes a pre-packaged propellant charge and primer for providing efficient loading and unloading of the muzzleloader. The muzzleloader accepts in the breech end the propellant containment vessel that abuts against a constriction portion with a reduced diameter portion. The propellant containment vessel having an end portion with a tapered surface that conforms to the constriction portion surface. A projectile is inserted in the muzzle end and seats against the constriction portion. The propellant containment vessel may be received in a removable breech plug. The constriction portion may be part of the breech plug or a separate component secured in the barrel by way of the breech plug. The containment vessel further comprises a primer mechanism that may be integrated into the proximal end of the containment vessel.

An improved action for a muzzleloading firearm which allows loading an ignition system from above, and completely releasing the action from below. The system covers the ignition system during firing to shield the user and the line of sight. The action may be removed in the field for inspection, cleaning or repair, without the need for tools.

A replacement cylinder that enables the use of modem smokeless gunpowder in a black powder muzzle-loading revolver is provided. The cylinder includes a main cylinder body and a removable cylinder cap. The main cylinder body includes a number of chambers, each of which having a projectile portion, a propellant portion and a primer portion. The cylinder cap includes a number of captured firing pins positioned therein. During operation, the cylinder cap is allowed to axially translate relative to the main cylinder body. A method of muzzle-loading the cylinder of the invention using modern smokeless gunpowder and a primer is also provided and is facilitated by the provision of a loading plate.

A transport container with a removable cover which is repeatedly removable and refastenable to the transport container. The transport container is sized to accommodate a plurality of individual premeasured charges of gunpowder. Each of the plurality of individual premeasured charges of gunpowder comprises a tube which is open at least one end thereof and the at least one open end of the tube is sealed with a removable cap once a suitable quantity of the loose granular charge of gunpowder is loaded therein. Each individual premeasured charge of gunpowder is loaded with gunpowder which has a relatively low moisture content to facilitate reliable and substantially complete ignition of all of the gunpowder ignition, upon detonation of a firearm.

A device for a bore wiping, self-lubricating ramrod used for muzzle loading gun barrels. The device consists of a bullet jag with two O-rings, and a center hole to allow the lubricant to get into the bore. As the jag is passed down the bore a small amount of lubricant is released into the bore. The first O-ring stops the lubricant from leaving the bore, and the second O-ring wipes the bore clean when the ramrod is pulled out of the bore. The ramrod may be made in different diameters to accommodate different caliber muzzleloaders. The shooter uses the same ramrod for lubing and loading the weapon with the same pass down the barrel.

A muzzleloading rifle includes an action and a barrel assembly attached to a forward end of the action. The barrel assembly includes a barrel, a barrel extension and an intervening wall. The barrel has a breach end, a muzzle end and a primary chamber at the breach end for receiving a primary charge loaded through the muzzle end. The barrel extension is attached to the breach end of the barrel and includes a casing chamber positioned rearwardly from the primary chamber. The casing chamber is configured to receive a standard ammunition casing with an integral primer therein. The intervening wall separates the primary chamber from the casing chamber. The intervening wall includes a flash hole communicating between the casing chamber and the primary chamber.

An improved nipple, used with a percussion cap to ignite the propellent of a muzzleloader without significant ejecta from the nipple (back-flash), is disclosed. A check valve, preferably using a spherical actuator that is loosely retained within the valve chamber, is used to preclude back-flash. Use of a check valve and use of a relatively mild percussion cap (compared to primers) revealed a set of new problems that are solved by the disclosed device. Difficulty in removing spent caps, because of the lack of cap removing back-flash, was solved by flash chamber structure within the nipple adjacent to the cap. A tendency for the protective membranes of percussion caps to lodge within a nipple not having back-flash was cured by the use of an actuator retainer that directs the actuator to the side of the valve chamber during ignition. Ignition was improved by the use of a flash jet orifice and by the use of a directing actuator retainer. The disclosed nipple may be constructed so as to be exchanged for existing nipples in side-hammer, and in-line, cap-fired muzzleloaders. The disclosed nipple may be constructed so as to convert primer fired in-line muzzleloaders to percussion cap fired muzzleloaders and thus avoid the strictures of BATF Industry Circular number 98-2 dated Nov. 9, 1997.

The present invention provides a two piece breech plug for converting a breech loading firearm to a muzzle loading firearm. The invention includes a forward breech plug having a powder chamber and a flash passage and a nesting rear breech plug having a primer pocket therein for accepting a primer and a flash passage that generally aligns with the flash passage of the forward breech plug.

The invention relates to a quick-assembly breech plug for muzzleloader firearms, allowing a quick assembly and disassembly and being extremely practical, simple to manufacture and having a low cost, wherein said breech plug comprises a cylindrical body (1), configured to be internally coupled in a rear end (10′) of a barrel (10), and a head (6) configured to define a limit coupling position of the breech plug inside the barrel (10), wherein the cylindrical body (1) externally comprises a male thread (2) having at least two starts located close to a front end (3) of the breech plug, opposite the head (6), according to a plane perpendicular to an axis of revolution of the cylindrical body (1), said male thread (2) being configured to screw into a female thread (10″) located internally in the rear end (10′) of the barrel (10), preferably 4 screw ridges.

A muzzle-loading firearm has a barrel, a frame part, a breech plug, and a firing pin housing arranged adjacent to the rear end of the breech plug. The firing pin housing is pivotally connected to the frame part such as to be pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the barrel, between a closed position in which the firing pin housing covers the rear end of the breech plug, and an open position in which the firing pin housing does not cover the rear end of the breech plug.

A muzzle loading firearm with a break-open action includes a rear stock assembly and a barrel assembly. The barrel assembly includes an elongate barrel, having a bore with muzzle and breech ends, and a breech plug removably connected the breech end of the barrel, which encloses a chamber at the rear of the bore. The barrel assembly is pivotally attached to the rear stock assembly, and is movable with respect to the stock assembly between an open position in which the breech end is accessible for service, and a closed position in which the breech end is inaccessible and secured for discharge. A lever arm, optionally configured to serve as the firearm trigger guard, is user actuated for moving the action between the open and closed positions. The breech plug is configured for rapid removal from the barrel by hand when the action is open.