EXPANDING BULLET

Abstract

An expanding bullet having a one-piece structure has a cylindrical section and a section that is essentially shaped as a truncated cone, with the bullet tip being situated at the end of the latter section, which end faces away from the cylindrical section, and at least one planned breaking point being formed in this section, wherein the section shaped as a truncated cone is divided into segments and has a channel that has a mouth in the region of the bullet tip, wherein the channel has a bell-shaped widened region, which has its greatest diameter in the region of the transition from the cylindrical section to the section shaped as a truncated cone.

Claims

1. A method for producing an expanding bullet, comprising: providing a solid material; and processing, using massive forming, the solid material to produce the expanding bullet, wherein: the expanding bullet has a cylindrical section and a truncated-cone-shaped section divided into segments, a bullet tip being situated at an end of the truncated-cone-shaped section that faces away from the cylindrical section; and the truncated-cone-shaped section includes at least one planned breaking point formed therein, and a channel having a mouth in a region of the bullet tip.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channel has a bell-shaped widened region, a greatest diameter of the bell-shaped widened region being in a region of transition from the cylindrical section to the truncated-cone-shaped section.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solid material is wire, the processing of the solid material comprising cutting the wire to length using a massive-forming machine and/or center-punching the wire at one end face with a graining tool.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing of the solid material comprises splitting the end of the truncated-cone-shaped section into a plurality of segments and forming a central recess in the split end of the end of the truncated-cone-shaped section.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the processing of the solid material comprises forming a central depression in the end of the truncated-cone-shaped section, the splitting starting from the central depression.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein forming the central recess comprises penetrating, starting from the split end into the truncated-cone-shaped section to a depth and pressing portions of the solid material towards the cylindrical section.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the depth corresponds to a transition from the cylindrical section to the truncated-cone-shaped section.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the processing of the solid material further comprises closing a bullet mold after forming the central recess, the segments being bent over in a direction of a central axis of the expanding bullet to form the channel.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the central recess is formed using a pin, the bullet mold being closed after extracting the pin from the solid material.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the processing of the solid material further comprises forming at least one flaw on a mantle surface of the truncated-cone-shaped section when the bullet mold is closed.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the processing of the solid material comprises: splitting the end of the truncated-cone-shaped section into the segments; penetrating, starting from the split end, into the truncated-cone-shaped section to a depth to form a central recess in the split end of the end of the truncated-cone-shaped section; and closing a bullet mold after forming the central recess to press the segments in a direction of a central axis of the expanding bullet to form the channel.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the depth corresponds to a transition from the cylindrical section to the truncated-cone-shaped section.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the channel has a bell-shaped widened region, a greatest diameter of the bell-shaped widened region being in a region of transition from the cylindrical section to the truncated-cone-shaped section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[0008] In the drawings,

[0009] FIG. 1 shows a front view of an expanding bullet;

[0010] FIG. 2 shows the section through the expanding bullet along the line A-A in FIG. 1, and

[0011] FIG. 3 shows the top view of the expanding bullet shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The expanding bullet selected as an exemplary embodiment has a single-piece structure. It has a cylindrical section 1 and a section 2 essentially shaped as a truncated cone. The bullet tip 3 is situated at the end of the section 2 shaped as a truncated cone that faces away from the cylindrical section 1. The section 2 shaped as a truncated cone is divided, in the exemplary embodiment, into four segments 4.1 to 4.4, which are brought about by means of incisions 5.1 to 5.4. In the region of the bullet tip 3, the expanding bullet has a mouth 6, which has a star-shaped shape.

[0013] The section 2 shaped as a truncated cone has a channel 7, which extends along the longitudinal axis of the expanding bullet. The channel 7 is configured in the manner of a dead-end bore. The channel 7 has a bell-shaped widened region 8, which has its greatest diameter in the region of the transition from the cylindrical section 1 to the section 2 shaped as a truncated cone (see FIG. 2).

[0014] In the exemplary embodiment, four flaws 9.1 to 9.4 are situated on the mantle surface of the section 2 shaped as a truncated cone 1. The flaws 9 are the result of the production process. This process can take place in a single massive-forming machine, and thereby transport of the semi-finished products is avoided. The production process is structured as follows:

[0015] The expanding bullet is produced from solid material, in the exemplary embodiment from copper wire. Other wire materials are also possible, depending on the application case. In the production of the expanding bullet according to the invention, the wire is first positioned in a forming machine. This can take place from a rolled-up wire coil, in cycled manner. The wire is then cut to length in the forming machine.

[0016] After the wire has been cut to length, in the next work step a radius is pressed onto the two end faces of the cut wire. Then one of the two end faces is center-punched. For this purpose, a tool that has a small hard tip is pressed into the end face, whereby a small circular depression is formed. This center-punched end face will later be the centering for the splitting tool. Subsequently, the end face provided with the center punch is split. This results in a crown-like or tulip-like shape, in the case of which four segments that are bent outward are brought about in the exemplary embodiment.

[0017] In the next processing step, using a cylindrical pin, material is pressed in the direction of the cylindrical section 1 that will form later. For this purpose, the cylindrical pin penetrates into the wire up to a specific depth from the split side, and pushes the material in front of it, whereby a planned breaking point occurs. After the pin is pulled out of the wire, the bullet shape is closed, whereby the bullet is finished. It then has the form that consists of the cylindrical section 1 and the section 2 essentially shaped as a truncated cone.

[0018] As the result of the displacement of the material using the pin, in the split state, a material-free region is formed, which region leads to the bell-shaped widened region 8 after the shape is closed. At the same time, the flaws 9 form on the mantle surface of the section 2 shaped as a truncated cone, when the shape is closed. These flaws lead to a further reduction of the wall thickness of the section 2 shaped as a truncated cone.

[0019] The expanding bullet according to the invention is very reliable and, at the same time, can be produced in simple and low-cost manner. High production speeds can be achieved, in particular, in the case of production on a single massive forming machine. As a result, the production costs are further reduced.

[0020] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.