Firearm with a cartridge

Abstract

A firearm with a cartridge has a barrel with an inside surface, a barrel length that is measured starting from a chamber to a barrel muzzle, and a barrel shaft, wherein the cartridge has a single, sabot-free projectile with a peripheral surface. A gap that is open end-to-end in the direction of the barrel shaft is present along at least 90% of the barrel length and over at least 90% of the circumference of the projectile between the peripheral surface of the projectile and the inside surface of the barrel.

Claims

1. Firearm (1) with a cartridge (3), which has a barrel (2) with an inside surface (8), a barrel length (L) that is measured starting from a chamber (4) to a barrel muzzle, and a barrel shaft, wherein the cartridge (3) has a single, sabot-free projectile (5) with a peripheral surface (9), wherein a gap (10) that is open end-to-end in the direction of the barrel shaft is present along at least 90% of the barrel length (L) and over at least 90% of the circumference of the projectile (5) between the peripheral surface (9) of the projectile (5) and the inside surface (8) of the barrel (2).

2. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the gap (10) has a minimum width (B), measured in the radial direction of the barrel (2), of at least 0.2 mm.

3. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the gap (10) has a minimum width (B), measured in the radial direction of the barrel (2), of at most 2 mm.

4. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the barrel (2) has an inside surface (8) that is essentially smooth.

5. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the barrel (2) has an inside surface (8) with an essentially uniform inside diameter (D.sub.L) over the barrel length (L).

6. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the barrel (2) has an inside surface (8) with an inside diameter (D.sub.L) that changes along the barrel length (L).

7. The firearm according to claim 6, wherein the barrel (2) has an inside surface (8) with an inside diameter (D.sub.L) that narrows before the barrel muzzle.

8. The firearm according to claim 6, wherein the barrel (2) has an inside surface (8) with an inside diameter (D.sub.L) that increases at a distance of 5 to 10 cm from the chamber (4).

9. The firearm with a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein arms (12) that run in the direction of the barrel shaft and that project radially inward from the inside surface (8) are arranged on the inside surface (8) of the barrel (2), and wherein, measured in the peripheral direction, the arms (12) adjoin the peripheral surface (9) of the projectile (5) over at most 10.

10. The firearm with a cartridge according to claim 9, wherein an inside diameter (D.sub.F) of the arms (12) is constant over the barrel length (L).

11. The firearm with a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein projections (14) that run in the direction of the barrel shaft and that project radially outward from the peripheral surface (9) are arranged on the peripheral surface (9) of the projectile (5), and wherein, measured in the peripheral direction, the projections (14) adjoin the inside surface (8) of the barrel (2) over at most 10%.

12. The firearm with a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge (3) has a sleeve (6), in which a propelling charge that is used as propellant as well as the projectile (5) are accommodated at least in sections.

13. The firearm with a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the propelling charge has an offensive powder.

14. The firearm with a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the projectile (5) has an essentially spherical or oval shape or a cylindrical shape with a conical or ogival tip.

15. The firearm with a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the firearm (1) is a small arm, in particular a gun or a handgun, or a cannon.

16. A method (1) for firing a single, sabot-free projectile (5) of a cartridge (3) from a firearm, comprising: providing the firearm (1) comprising a barrel (2) with an inside surface (8), a barrel length (L) that is measured starting from a chamber (4) to a barrel muzzle, and a barrel shaft; arranging the cartridge in the chamber; and firing the firearm; wherein the projectile (5) has a maximum circumference and a peripheral surface (9), so that as the projectile (5) moves along at least 90% of the barrel length (L) and over at least 90% of the maximum circumference of the projectile (5) between the peripheral surface (9) of the projectile (5) and the inside surface (8) of the barrel (2), a gap (10) that is open end-to-end in the direction of the barrel shaft is present, through which gap the propellant accelerating the projectile (5) flows past the projectile (5).

17. The method Use according to claim 16, wherein the firearm (1) is a firearm (1) with a cartridge (3) according to claim 2.

18. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the gap (10) has a minimum width (B), measured in the radial direction of the barrel (2), of at least 0.3 mm.

19. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the gap (10) has a minimum width (B), measured in the radial direction of the barrel (2), of at least 0.5 mm.

20. The firearm according to claim 1, wherein the gap (10) has a minimum width (B), measured in the radial direction of the barrel (2), of at most 1 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Additional details, features, and advantages of the invention follow from the description below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are depicted. Here:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic side view of a firearm with a cartridge that is known from the state of the art, wherein the barrel is depicted in cutaway,

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic side view of a firearm with a cartridge according to the invention with a barrel that is depicted in cutaway,

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the barrel of the firearm with a cartridge according to the invention in simplified depiction according to a first embodiment,

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through the barrel of the firearm with a cartridge according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 3,

[0041] FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of a barrel according to the invention in simplified depiction in a longitudinal section and in cross-section,

[0042] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of a barrel with arms according to the invention in simplified depiction in a longitudinal section and in cross-section, and

[0043] FIGS. 9 and 10 show a fourth embodiment of a barrel with arms according to the invention in simplified depiction in a longitudinal section and in cross-section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a conventional firearm 1 with a barrel 2 that is depicted in cutaway. The barrel 2 has an inside diameter D.sub.L. A cartridge 3 is located in a chamber 4 of the barrel 2. The length of the barrel 2 that is measured in the direction of the barrel shaft from the front end of the chamber 4 to the muzzle 7 of the barrel 2 is referred to as barrel length L.

[0045] The cartridge 3 has a projectile 5 with a maximum outside diameter D.sub.P, which is accommodated with a rear section in a sleeve 6 of the cartridge 3. In addition, the sleeve 6 is filled with a propelling charge, which can be fired by a firing mechanism of the firearm 1, not shown. When firing the propelling charge, propellant is produced, with which the projectile 5 is driven out of the barrel 2 by the gas pressure that is exerted by propellant.

[0046] In the case of a conventional firearm 1 as depicted in FIG. 1, the projectile 5 has a maximum outside diameter D.sub.P that is essentially equal in value to or slightly larger than the inside diameter D.sub.L of the barrel 2.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a firearm 1 with a cartridge 3 according to the invention, wherein the barrel 2 is also depicted in cutaway.

[0048] The inside diameter D.sub.L of the smooth barrel 2 of the firearm 1 according to the invention that is depicted in FIG. 2 is larger than the maximum outside diameter D.sub.P of the projectile 5. Between an inside surface 8 of the barrel and a peripheral surface 9 of the projectile 5, there is therefore a gap 10 that is open end-to-end in the direction of the barrel shaft, which gap extends around the entire circumference of the projectile 5. Thus, when the projectile 5 is expelled from the barrel 2, the propellant can flow past through the gap 10 between an inside surface 8 of the barrel 2 and the peripheral surface 9 of the projectile 5.

[0049] In FIG. 2, for better illustration, the maximum outside diameter D.sub.P of the projectile 5 is depicted much smaller than the inside diameter D.sub.L of the barrel 2. Actually, however, embodiments are preferred in which the maximum outside diameter D.sub.P of the projectile 5 is only between 2% and 25%, in particular between 5% and 10%, smaller than the inside diameter D.sub.L of the barrel 2.

[0050] FIGS. 3 to 10 show the barrel 2 of the firearm 1 according to the invention in various embodiments, in each case one in a longitudinal section (FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 9) and in a cross-section (FIGS. 4, 6, 8, and 10).

[0051] The projectile 5 is depicted in FIGS. 3 to 10 after the firing of the propelling charge that is accommodated in the sleeve 6, i.e., when the projectile 5 is expelled from the barrel 2. The propellant flows past the projectile 5 through the gap 10 that is formed between the inside surface 8 of the barrel 2 and the peripheral surface 9 of the projectile 5, as is depicted by the arrow 11.

[0052] In the embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the barrel 2 has an essentially uniform inside diameter D.sub.L over its length L. The width B of the gap 10 that is formed end-to-end between the inside surface 8 of the barrel 2 and the peripheral surface 9 of the projectile 5 is the same over the entire length L of the barrel 2.

[0053] In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inside diameter D.sub.L of the barrel 2 increases continuously toward the muzzle 7, so that from the chamber 4 to the muzzle 7, the width B of the gap 10 between the inside surface 8 of the barrel 2 and the peripheral surface 9 of the projectile 5 also becomes greater and greater.

[0054] FIGS. 7 and 8 show an embodiment of the firearm 1 according to the invention, in which arms 12, which run in the longitudinal direction of the barrel 2, i.e., in the direction of the barrel shaft, are arranged on the inside surface 8 of the barrel 2. The gap 10 therefore does not extend around the entire circumference of the projectile 5, but rather only over at least 90% of the circumference. The interruptions of the gap 10 by the width of the arms 12 are accordingly at most 10% of the circumference of the projectile 5, but preferably less, for example less than 5% of the circumference, so that the friction between the front surfaces of the arms 12 and the peripheral surface 9 of the projectile 5 is as low as possible. The gap width B is determined by the height of the arms 12 in the embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0055] Front sides of the arms 12 that are directed radially inward form a guide channel 13, which has a diameter D.sub.F. The diameter D.sub.F of the guide channel 13 is only slightly larger than or equal in value to the maximum outside diameter D.sub.P of the projectile 5. The projectile 5 is thus guided in the guide channel 13, but the propellant can flow past the projectile 5 between the arms 12 through the gap 10 that is open end-to-end in the direction of the barrel shaft.

[0056] The embodiment of the firearm 1 according to the invention that is depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10 is the same as the embodiment that is depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, except that an oval projectile 5 is used rather than a spherical one. The oval projectile 5 has fins 14, which stabilize the projectile 5 in flight.

[0057] The depicted embodiments represent only preferred embodiments of the firearm 1 with a cartridge 3 according to the invention. Combinations that arise therefrom are also conceivable within the framework of the invention.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

[0058] 1 Firearm [0059] 2 Barrel [0060] 3 Cartridge [0061] 4 Chamber [0062] 5 Projectile [0063] 6 Sleeve [0064] 7 Muzzle [0065] 8 Inside Surface of the Barrel [0066] 9 Peripheral Surface of the Projectile [0067] 10 Gap [0068] 11 Arrow [0069] 12 Arm [0070] 13 Guide Channel [0071] 14 Projection [0072] B Gap Width [0073] L Length of the Barrel [0074] D.sub.P Outside Diameter of the Projectile [0075] D.sub.L Inside Diameter of the Barrel [0076] D.sub.F Diameter of the Guide Channel