Laser welded firearm sound suppressors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088259-B2
Application number	US-201614995654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Various techniques are provided to assemble, manufacture, and operate firearm sound suppressors. In one example, a sound suppressor for a firearm includes a baffle; a spacer abutted to the baffle; and a circumferential laser weld joining the baffle and the spacer. In another example, a sound suppressor for a firearm includes a plurality of baffles; a plurality of spacers; a substantially tubular housing surrounding the baffles and the spacers; wherein the housing and the spacers define an annular volume surrounding the spacers; an aperture in a circumfery of at least one of the spacers; and wherein the aperture is adapted to direct combustion gases in a radial direction from within the spacer into the annular volume to reduce ejection port flash of the firearm. Additional suppressor embodiments and related methods are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sound suppressor for a firearm, the suppressor comprising:
a substantially circular baffle;
a substantially circular spacer abutted to the baffle;
a first substantially circular circumferential laser weld joining the baffle and the spacer and extending about a first portion of a perimeter of the spacer and the baffle; and
a second substantially circular circumferential laser weld joining the baffle and the spacer and extending about a second portion of the perimeter of the spacer and the baffle, wherein the first and second welds are distinct welds.

2. The suppressor of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is a first spacer abutted to a front side of the baffle, the suppressor further comprising:
a second spacer abutted to a rear side of the baffle; and
a third circumferential laser weld joining the baffle and the second spacer.

3. The suppressor of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is a first spacer abutted to a front side of the baffle, the suppressor further comprising a second spacer abutted to a rear side of the baffle and joined to the baffle by the first weld and/or the second weld.

4. The suppressor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substantially tubular housing surrounding the baffle and the spacer;
wherein the housing and the spacer define an annular volume surrounding the spacer;
an aperture in a circumfery of the spacer; and
wherein the aperture is adapted to direct combustion gases in a radial direction from within the spacer into the annular volume to reduce ejection port flash of the firearm.

5. The suppressor of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of the apertures distributed about the circumfery of the spacer.

6. The suppressor of claim 4 , wherein the baffle is a first baffle, wherein the aperture is a first aperture positioned at a first end of the spacer abutting the first baffle, the suppressor further comprising:
a second baffle abutted to a second end of the spacer; and
a second aperture positioned at the second end of the spacer.

7. The suppressor of claim 6 , wherein the first aperture is offset approximately 60 degrees from the second aperture about the circumfery of the spacer.

8. The suppressor of claim 1 , wherein the first weld and/or the second weld is an arc extending approximately 120 degrees about a circumfery of the spacer.

9. The suppressor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substantially tubular housing surrounding the baffle and the spacer;
wherein the housing and the spacer define an annular volume surrounding the spacer;
an aperture in the circumfery of the spacer defining a discontinuity between the first and second welds; and
wherein the aperture is adapted to direct combustion gases in a radial direction from within the spacer into the annular volume to reduce ejection port flash of the firearm.

10. The suppressor of claim 9 , wherein the aperture has a diameter in a range of approximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.2 inches.

11. The suppressor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of baffles;
a plurality of spacers;
a substantially tubular housing surrounding the baffles and the spacers;
wherein the housing and the spacers define an annular volume surrounding the spacers;
an aperture in a circumfery of at least one of the spacers; and
wherein the aperture is adapted to direct combustion gases in a radial direction from within the spacer into the annular volume to reduce ejection port flash of the firearm.

12. A method comprising:
providing a plurality of substantially circular baffles and substantially circular spacers of a sound suppressor for a firearm;
aligning the baffles and spacers on a fixture to provide an assembly;
operating a laser to provide a first substantially circular circumferential weld joining a substantially circular first baffle of the plurality of baffles and a substantially circular first spacer of the plurality of spacers and extending about a first portion of a perimeter of the first spacer and the first baffle; and
operating the laser to provide a second substantially circular circumferential weld joining the first baffle and the first spacer and extending about a second portion of the perimeter of the first spacer and the first baffle, wherein the first and second welds are distinct welds.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising rotating the assembly in relation to the laser during the operating.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first spacer is abutted to a front side of the first baffle, the method further comprising operating the laser to provide a third circumferential weld joining the first baffle to a second spacer abutted to a rear side of the first baffle.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first spacer is abutted to a front side of the first baffle, wherein the first weld and/or the second weld further joins the first baffle to a second spacer abutted to a rear side of the first baffle.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
inserting the assembly into a substantially tubular housing of the suppressor;
wherein the housing and the spacer define an annular volume surrounding the spacer; and
wherein an aperture in a circumfery of the first spacer is adapted to direct combustion gases in a radial direction from within the first spacer into the annular volume to reduce ejection port flash of the firearm.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a plurality of the apertures are distributed about the circumfery of the first spacer.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the aperture is a first aperture positioned at a first end of the first spacer abutting the first baffle, wherein a second aperture is positioned at a second end of the first spacer abutted to a second baffle.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first aperture is offset approximately 60 degrees from the second aperture about the circumfery of the first spacer.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first weld and/or the second weld is an arc extending approximately 120 degrees about a circumfery of the first spacer.

21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
inserting the assembly into a substantially tubular housing to surround the baffles and the spacers;
wherein the housing and the spacers define an annular volume surrounding the spacers;
wherein an aperture in a circumfery of the first spacer defines a discontinuity between the first and second welds; and
wherein the aperture is adapted to direct combustion gases in a radial direction from within the first spacer into the annular volume to reduce ejection port flash of the firearm.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the aperture has a diameter in a range of approximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.2 inches.

23. A method comprising:
providing a sound suppressor comprising:
a plurality of substantially circular baffles,
a plurality of substantially circular spacers, each of the plurality of spacers abutted to at least one of the plurality of baffles, wherein each of the plurality of baffles is joined to at least one of the plurality of spacers via a first substantially circular circumferential laser weld extending about a first portion of a perimeter of the spacer and the baffle and a second substantially circular circumferential laser weld extending about a second portion of the perimeter of the spacer and the baffle, wherein the first and second welds are distinct welds,
a substantially tubular housing surrounding the baffles and the spacers, w

Assignees

• Surefire Llc

Inventors

• Dueck Barry W
• Radgowski Dennis
• Brown Kavan
• Honigmann Karl R

Classifications

• F41A21/30 Primary

  Silencers · CPC title

• F41A21/34

  Flash dampers · CPC title

• B23K26/282

  of tube sections · CPC title