A bullet assembly comprising a bullet and a cup assembly, the cup assembly may have a ring portion for scraping the barrel of a muzzleloader. The cup assembly may be slidable on the bullet with an extended position and a contracted position, the contracted position having a greater diameter than the extended position. A contraction inhibiting member that requires shearing off of the member for contraction may be disposed on one of the components.

A bore cleaning projectile cleans a bore of a firearm as the projectile is propelled down the bore. The projectile includes a frame including a lower charge cap, a tapered cone-shaped center shaft portion, and an end cap. The projectile further includes a propellant providing a force to push the device down the bore of the firearm and at least one cleaning agent situated around the tapered cone-shaped center shaft portion. The center shaft portion includes a narrower diameter at a longitudinally forward portion of the center shaft portion and a wider diameter at a longitudinally rearward portion of the center shaft portion. The cleaning agent is forced to move along the center shaft portion toward the longitudinally rearward portion of the center shaft portion as the frame is propelled down the bore. This movement along the center shaft portion causes intimate contact between the cleaning agent and the bore.

A bore cleaning projectile cleans a bore of a firearm as the projectile is propelled down the bore. The projectile includes a frame including a lower charge cap, a tapered cone-shaped center shaft portion, and an end cap. The projectile further includes a propellant providing a force to push the device down the bore of the firearm and at least one cleaning agent situated around the tapered cone-shaped center shaft portion. The center shaft portion includes a narrower diameter at a longitudinally forward portion of the center shaft portion and a wider diameter at a longitudinally rearward portion of the center shaft portion. The cleaning agent is forced to move along the center shaft portion toward the longitudinally rearward portion of the center shaft portion as the frame is propelled down the bore. This movement along the center shaft portion causes intimate contact between the cleaning agent and the bore.

A sub-mass projectile for a standard, unmodified firearm, comprising a core formed from a malleable core material with at least a portion of the core material being a non-metal material. The core has a lower mass than a standard projectile for the standard, unmodified firearm. The core material has a mass and malleability that generates forces between the sub-mass projectile and the firearm that approximate operational forces of a standard mass projectile on the standard, unmodified firearm during operation.

A sub-mass projectile for a standard, unmodified firearm, comprising a core formed from a malleable core material with at least a portion of the core material being a non-metal material. The core has a lower mass than a standard projectile for the standard, unmodified firearm. The core material has a mass and malleability that generates forces between the sub-mass projectile and the firearm that approximate operational forces of a standard mass projectile on the standard, unmodified firearm during operation.

A projectile for muzzle-loading firearms is made completely from a non-lead metal or alloy. It includes a pair of grooves to incorporate O-rings around a circular cylinder. A threaded well may be bored into the forward facing of the cylinder to facilitate insertion and/or removal of the projectile from the barrel via a cooperating ramrod. The projectile is then wrapped in a cloth patch to cover the sidewalls and bottom facing of the cylinder. A method of forming a plurality of the projectiles from standardized bar stock is also contemplated.

A projectile for muzzle-loading firearms is made completely from a non-lead metal or alloy. It includes a pair of grooves to incorporate O-rings around a circular cylinder. A threaded well may be bored into the forward facing of the cylinder to facilitate insertion and/or removal of the projectile from the barrel via a cooperating ramrod. The projectile is then wrapped in a cloth patch to cover the sidewalls and bottom facing of the cylinder. A method of forming a plurality of the projectiles from standardized bar stock is also contemplated.

In various embodiments, a projectile includes a projectile body including a tail portion, a nose portion, a barrel engaging portion between the nose portion and the tail portion, and a metal jacket that defines an exterior of the projectile that surrounds an interior solid core. In one or more embodiments the projectile includes one or more circumferential grooves defined in the interior core portion, each of the one or more circumferential grooves covered by and positioned adjacent to the metal jacket and within the barrel-engaging portion. In various embodiments, during firing of the projectile, the one or more circumferential grooves define a void that allows material of one or more of the metal jacket and interior solid core to displace into the void for reduction in radial stiffness to the projectile in the barrel engaging portion.

In various embodiments, a projectile includes a projectile body including a tail portion, a nose portion, a barrel engaging portion between the nose portion and the tail portion, and a metal jacket that defines an exterior of the projectile that surrounds an interior solid core. In one or more embodiments the projectile includes one or more circumferential grooves defined in the interior core portion, each of the one or more circumferential grooves covered by and positioned adjacent to the metal jacket and within the barrel-engaging portion. In various embodiments, during firing of the projectile, the one or more circumferential grooves define a void that allows material of one or more of the metal jacket and interior solid core to displace into the void for reduction in radial stiffness to the projectile in the barrel engaging portion.

A less-lethal projectile include a rear portion and a front portion. The rear portion can be a base member having a head, a waist, and a skirt configured to obturate a rifled barrel bore of an airgun. The front portion can be a hollow cylindrical cap sealingly engaged with the head such that the cap and the base member define an interior cavity in which a payload is received. The cap can include a plurality of fins and grooves configured to stabilize the projectile during flight toward a target and open without shattering the cap to release the payload from the cavity upon impact of the projectile with the target.