Relating to ammunition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11867489-B2
Application number	US-202117904528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2021
Priority date	Feb 27, 2020
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

This invention relates to a improvements relating to munitions, specifically to coating small arms ammunition with decoppering agents, as a replacement in lead free ammunition. There is a method of manufacturing a coated metallic projectile for a rifled barrel, comprising; providing a metallic projectile cup with a coating of a decoppering agent located thereon, to provide a coated metallic projectile cup; causing the coated metallic projectile cup to be drawn through a plurality of dies to form a drawn coated metallic projectile.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a decoppering agent coated metallic projectile for a rifled barrel, the method comprising:
coating a metallic projectile cup with a decoppering agent, to provide a coated metallic projectile cup; and
causing the coated metallic projectile cup to be drawn through a first die, then drawn through at least a second die and then drawn over an inner core to form a drawn coated metallic projectile that comprises an outer jacket disposed over the inner core, the outer jacket derived from the coated metallic projectile cup and comprising the decoppering agent.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the coating of the decoppering agent on the metallic projectile cup is in the range of from 0.10 microns to 100 microns.

3. The method according claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the coating of the decoppering agent on the metallic projectile cup is in the range of from 5 microns to 15 microns.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decoppering agent is tin.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic projectile cup is gilding metal, copper or copper alloys thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to coating the metallic projectile cup with the decoppering agent, the method further includes:
providing a precursor stock material with a coating of the decoppering agent located thereon, to provide a coated precursor stock material; and
causing the coated precursor stock material to be formed into the coated metallic projectile cup, by one or more of rolling, drawing, extrusion, stamping.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the decoppering agent is applied to the precursor stock material or metallic projectile cup by one or more of electrolysis, electroless deposition, vapour deposition, chemical vapour deposition, co-depositing/alloying.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a coated metallic cartridge case for the coated metallic projectile, by:
coating a metallic cartridge cup with a decoppering agent, to provide a coated metallic cartridge cup; and
causing the coated metallic cartridge cup to be drawn through a plurality of dies to form the drawn coated metallic cartridge case.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• Beswick Thomas Lloyd
• Pennell Ian John

Classifications

• F42B33/14 Primary

  Surface treatment of cartridges or cartridge cases {(F42B33/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F42B5/24

  for cleaning; for cooling; for lubricating {; for wear reducing} · CPC title

• F42B5/295

  coated · CPC title

• F42B12/80 Primary

  Coatings · CPC title