Integrally suppressed barrel for firearm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191780-A1
Application number	US-201615251625-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An integrally suppressed barrel in one embodiment includes a rear barrel portion defining an axial projectile bore and forwardly extending sleeve affixed to thereto. The sleeve includes vertically stacked tubular upper and lower longitudinal chambers holding a complementary configured horizontal stack of sound suppression baffles. The chambers are in fluid communication via a waist, which may be smaller in width than the chambers. A rod extending from a front end cap on the sleeve to and threadably the rear barrel secures the baffles inside the sleeve. The stack of baffles is removable from the sleeve as a self-supporting unit in one embodiment. The baffles may include upper and lower chambers which are in fluid communication to provide additional volume for gas expansion and sound suppression. The upper chambers include an asymmetrically shaped flow cone configured to direct gas from the upper to lower chambers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An integrally suppressed barrel for a firearm, the barrel comprising:
a front muzzle end and a rear breech end; a rear barrel portion extending adjacent the breech end, the rear barrel portion having a barrel bore defining a projectile pathway and a longitudinal axis; a front barrel portion extending forward from the rear barrel portion to the muzzle end, the front barrel portion permanently affixed to the rear barrel portion and forming a structurally integral part of the barrel with the rear barrel portion; the front barrel portion including a longitudinal internal passageway comprising a tubular upper longitudinal chamber coaxially aligned with the barrel bore and a tubular lower longitudinal chamber, the upper and lower longitudinal chambers in fluid communication through an intermediate waist section having a transverse width less than a transverse width of the upper and lower longitudinal chambers; a plurality of sound suppression baffles longitudinally stacked in the internal passageway of the front barrel portion, the baffles each comprising an upper gas expansion chamber positioned in the upper longitudinal chamber and a lower gas expansion chamber below the upper gas expansion chamber, the upper and lower gas expansion chambers in fluid communication through a laterally constricted throat section interposed therebetween; wherein when the firearm is discharged, combustion gas flows through the baffles from the upper gas expansion chamber, through the throat section, and into the lower gas expansion chamber of each baffle.

2 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 1 , wherein the front barrel portion has a height which is greater than its width.

3 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate waist section of the front barrel portion is laterally constricted having a lateral width which is less than a lateral width of the upper and lower longitudinal chambers.

4 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 3 , wherein the upper and lower longitudinal chambers of the front barrel portion are arcuately convexly curved and the intermediate waist section therebetween is arcuately concavely curved.

5 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 1 , wherein each baffle includes a convexly curved tubular upper section that defines the upper gas expansion chamber and a convexly curved tubular lower section that defines the lower gas expansion chamber.

6 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 5 , wherein each baffle includes a flow cone projecting axially rearward from the tubular upper section towards the breech end, the cone defining an oblong central opening concentrically aligned with and obliquely oriented to the longitudinal axis for receiving a projectile therethrough.

7 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 6 , wherein the cone has a leading edge that is axially spaced farther rearward from the tubular upper section than an opposing trailing edge.

8 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 6 , wherein the central opening faces upwards and rearwards.

9 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 6 , further comprising an upper minor portion of the central aperture having a lateral width which is less than an adjoining lower major portion of the central aperture.

10 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 6 , wherein the cone has an asymmetrical transverse cross section about the longitudinal axis.

11 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 10 , wherein the cone has a concave upper half section and a concave lower half section, the upper half section having a different side profile than the lower half section.

12 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 5 , further comprising a front end cap retained on the muzzle end of the barrel by an elongated mounting rod, the mounting rod extending rearwards from the front end cap through the lower tubular sections of the baffles and having a rear end threadably engaged with a receiver of a firearm.

13 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 1 , wherein the front barrel portion is permanently affixed to the rear barrel portion by cross-pinning.

14 . An integrally suppressed barrel for a firearm, the barrel comprising:
a rear barrel portion defining a rear breech end, the rear barrel portion having an axial barrel bore defining a projectile pathway and a longitudinal axis; an axially elongated outer sleeve extending forward from the rear barrel portion and defining a front muzzle end through which a projectile exits the barrel, the sleeve permanently affixed to the rear barrel portion to form a structurally integral part of the barrel with the rear barrel portion; the sleeve defining a longitudinal internal passageway comprising a convexly curved tubular upper section coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and coupled to a convexly curved tubular lower section by an intermediate waist section, the lower section offset from the longitudinal axis; a plurality of sound suppression baffles longitudinally stacked in the internal passageway of the sleeve, the baffles each comprising an upper gas expansion chamber coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and a lower gas expansion chamber in fluid communication with the upper gas expansion chamber; a front end cap removably retained to the muzzle end; an elongated mounting rod engaging the front end cap and extending through the lower gas expansion chambers of the baffles, the mounting rod having a rear end threadably coupled to the rear barrel portion; wherein when the firearm is discharged, combustion gas flows from the barrel bore and through the baffles from the upper gas expansion chamber to the lower gas expansion chamber of each baffle.

15 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 14 , wherein the sleeve is permanently affixed to a rear barrel adapter which is in turn permanently affixed to the rear barrel portion, the rear barrel portion, barrel adapter, and sleeve forming a structurally integral unit.

16 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 14 , wherein the intermediate waist section is dimensionally constricted having a smaller lateral width than the tubular upper and lower sections of sleeve.

17 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 16 , wherein the sleeve has a vertically oblong shape with a greater height than a width.

18 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 14 , further comprising a rear spacer baffle interposed between the stack of sound suppression baffles and the rear barrel portion, the mounting rod further threadably engaging the spacer baffle.

19 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 18 , wherein threadably disengaging the mounting rod from the rear barrel portion and maintaining threaded engagement between the mounting rod and spacer baffle allows a baffle assembly collectively comprising the mounting rod, spacer baffle, sound suppression baffles, and front end cap to be removed from the sleeve as a self-supporting unit.

20 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 14 , wherein the sound suppression baffles are configured and operable to form a frictional press fit between the baffles, the baffles when press fit together forming a self-supporting stack of baffles.

21 . The integrally suppressed barrel according to claim 14 , wherein the upper gas expans

Assignees

• Sturm Ruger & Co

Inventors

• Barrett Jonathan

Classifications

• F41A21/325

  Mountings for muzzle attachments · CPC title

• F41A21/30 Primary

  Silencers · CPC title