Noise suppressor for firearms

Abstract

A firearm includes a noise suppressor comprising ports in the barrel opening into an annulus provided between a barrel and a sleeve extending from adjacent the muzzle to adjacent the receiver. In the annulus are a series of baffles. The most upstream port opens upstream of the most upstream baffle and downstream ports open between adjacent baffles. In some embodiments, the upstream ports are considerably larger than the downstream ports. Propulsion gases escape from the barrel into the annulus before the projectile clears the muzzle. Sabot rounds or shotgun rounds can be safely fired in the weapon because the sabot carrier or shot cup don't begin to expand until it is past the muzzle end so it cannot damage the noise suppressor.

Description

[0001]This application is partly based on Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 396,065 filed May 12, 2010, priority of which is claimed.[0002]This invention relates to an assembly and noise suppressor for rifles, cannons, multibarrel weapons systems, automatic weapons, pistols, shotguns and similar firearms.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]This invention is a modification or improvement over the device disclosed in PCT Application PCT / US2009 / 001062, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.[0004]Conventional silencers or noise suppressors are devices attached to the barrel of rifles, shotguns, pistols and similar firearms for reducing the noise attendant upon firing of ammunition. Silencers are typically attached by machining threads on the muzzle end of the barrel and then threading the silencer onto the barrel.[0005]There is always a problem aligning noise suppressors with the bore of the weapon so the projectile passes through the suppressor without grazing or o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]A noise suppressor assembly is disclosed where ports are provided in the barrel adjacent the muzzle end, a sleeve or similar mechanism provides a receptacle into which propulsion gases flow and a series of baffles are disposed around the end of the ported barrel inside the sleeve. When a round is fired and the projectile enters the ported area of the barrel, expanding gases are delivered through the ports into the annulus between the barrel and sleeve. This allows expansion of the propulsion gases into a receptacle outside the barrel, reducing the energy of the gases, cooling the gases and reducing muzzle noise. Cooled propulsion gases bleed off through the baffle assembly between rounds. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the ported area of the barrel may comprise a muzzle brake so firing the weapon without the sleeve will act much like a similar weapon with only a muzzle brake.

[0012]This approach has many advantages. First, when firing sabot ammunition, there is no tendency of the sabot carrier to separate inside the noise suppressor. Second, the annulus between the barrel exterior and the sleeve interior provides an expansion chamber for cooling propellant gases thereby enhancing the silencing ability of the device. Third, because the sleeve is readily removable from the receiver, the firearm and noise suppressor are easy to clean without sophisticated cleaning equipment. Thus, in some embodiments, a novel noise suppressor is made having only one part that is removable from the weapon, i.e. the sleeve. The noise suppressor can be easily cleaned by removing the sleeve thereby exposing all of the components of the suppressor. In shotguns, which are normally unrifled, the suppressor allows a shot carrier to clear the ports and the barrel before it starts to expand so that the shot carrier does not damage or interfere with the suppressor.

[0014]A further object of this invention is to provide a noise suppressor which may be used with a firearm using sabot rounds and preventing the sabot carrier from interfering with operation of the suppressor.

Problems solved by technology

There is always a problem aligning noise suppressors with the bore of the weapon so the projectile passes through the suppressor without grazing or otherwise impacting those components of the suppressor nearest the axis of travel of the projectile.

The carrier tends to separate from the sabot inside conventional prior art noise suppressors which either destroys the suppressor or leaves debris in the suppressor to be contacted by the next round fired.

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