WO1985000215A1

WO1985000215A1 - Weapon stabilizer and recoil reducer

Info

Publication number: WO1985000215A1
Application number: PCT/US1983/000984
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vito Cellini
Original assignee: Cellini Industries
Priority date: 1983-06-28
Filing date: 1983-06-28
Publication date: 1985-01-17
Also published as: EP0151112A1

Abstract

A weapon stabilizer (10) includes a tubular housing member (11) having a muzzle barrel attachment end (12) and a bullet outlet end (13). A plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures or openings (15) communicate with interior upstream chamber (20) and a pair of slots (16) and (17), which are on top of the tubular housing member (11), communicate the volumetrically larger downstream chamber (27) to the atmosphere. A spent gas bulkhead (25) is downstream of openings (15). The muzzlehead (60) is downstream of spent gas bulkhead (25) and has a bullet opening (61) which is just slightly larger than the bullet but is smaller than the bullet opening (26) in the bulkhead (25).

Description

"WEAPON STABILIZER AND RECOIL REDUCER"

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 271,839 filed June 9, 1981 and entitled "COMPENSATOR FOR MUZZLE BREAK AND RECOIL REDUCER"

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is well known, when a gun is fired there is an initial recoil caused by the movement of the bullet from the breach end of the barrel and by the backward pressure of the propellent gases exhausting from the muzzle end of the gun. Thorough analytical discussion of the precise components and causes of recoil is found in the following texts:

1) Walsh - "The Modern Sportsman's Gun and Rifle"

Volume 2 1884, Chapter VII P.200 et seq 2) Lowry - "Interior Salistics" P. 112

As used herin, the term "spent" gas refers to those erases burned and unburned powder particles which escape from the muzzle after accellerating the projectile to muzzle velocity, such gases being formed in the explosion of the powder charge in a cartidge and which may also include the primary percussion cap and the like. These gases which are expanding on the firing of the cartridge accellerate the bullet or projectile to t he required muzzle velocity, the force due to gas pressure developed by the explosive acting for a certain period of time with the force multiplied by the length of time that it is acting being called "impulse" and is equal to the mass of the projectile multiplied by its muzzle velocity. These spent gases escaping from the muzzle end of the barrel of the gun act like a jet propulsion system and, as known from Newton's fundamental law of action and reaction, every action produces a reaction of the same magnitude but actinα in the opposite direction. The esciping cas comes out of the muzzle end of the gun at supersonic velocity, these escap ing gases create a reaction force on the cartridge in the chamber.

The propulsion force of escaping gases which creates recoil is equal to the mass of the gas discharge per unit of time multiplied by the flowed velocity. This means that the recoil becomes greater in proportion to the gas discharge rate per second and the flow velocity is higher. The recoil is therefore not produced, as is often erroneously supposed, by the outflowing spent gases pushing against the surrounding medium bu is developed purely as a reaction force due to the expulsion of matter at a high velocity from a closed system.

Recoil reducers are known in the art, a number of which attach a spring or a weight to the gun and some of which provide muzzle attachments or so-called "muzzle brake to the muzzle end of the barrel of a gun.

For example, in British Patent 125,141, the recoil reducer included a tubular member having a plurality of deflecting surfaces for discharging the gases of the explosion rearwardly of the gun and also having rearwardly located surfaces constructed to allow gas to issue more or less at right angles to the axis of the gun barrel. In British Patent 454,533, the openings between the discs arc such that the gases of the explosion, in being diverted therethrough into the atmosphere, are turned through angles which progressively decrease in one direction with the openings rearest the muzzle accounting for the greatest turning of the gases so thet these gases ace then directed backwardly from the muzzle but at a small angle of divergence with respect 10 the barrel and the rearward component of motion of the gases from the forwardmost ports or openings tond to cause a rearward gas flow towards the gun breech or shoter but such flow is deflected and broken up by the gases from the rearward ports. The inner end of the ports can be made to gradually decrease in area from the outer end or vice-versa so the ports may have a vena-contracta format and suggest that the ports may be arranged so that the gas will produce an increased pressure on the muzzle to left or right instead of or in addition to the muzzle jump reducing pressure. Love U.S. patent 1,259,251 discloses a firearm attachment having as a basic objective decreasing the intensity of the retort or sound in which a tubular casing having a plurality of circumfrential series of openings in its walls which extend outwardly in a direction opposite the end which is adapted for attachment to the muzzle of the gun. A plurality baffles within the casing located in advance of each other and in advance of the seats series of openings, this patent suggesting that the apparent resistence afforded by the baffle elements to the escape of the gases to the firearm recoil matter is reduced. All of the chambers formed by Love's baffles are volunetrically large so that expanding gases escaping from the muzzle barrel still exert a recoil reaction force on the barrel and the downstream angulated vent openings permit the escaping gases to exert a further recoil reaction.

More recently, various gun barrel modifications to vent escaping gases have been commercially promoted as recoil reducers or muzzle brakes. Solely as an example, reference is made to "Gun Pigost" of 1978. Thus, while the causes of recoil have been known for many years and, although there have been many muzzle brakes, firearm recoil reducers, and the like produced commercially over the years, they have not generally been successful. While some have been essentially useless, makers of the more effective muzzle brakes claim reduction of at most 38%.

The first genuinely effective muzzle brake is disclosed in my U.S. application Serial No. 271,839 filed June 9, 1981. In that patent application I disclose a compensator or muzzle brake for guns in wϊ ich a series of chambers with progressively decreasing bullet entrance/exit openings between chambers are provided with the last bullet exit opening at which the bullet or projectile enters the atmosphere and proceeds toward the target being substantially smaller in diameter than any preceding entrance/exit opening and being just slightly larger than the projectile or bullet. As shown in my above application, merely providing control of the escape and direction of escape of spent gases is not enough. The internal structure of the muzzle brake for providing a reaction force which is sufficient to attenuate and minimize recoil reaction as the bullet or projectile emerges from the muzzle end at its maximum muzzle velocity to where the projectile emerges from the device is of great importance as is exemplified in the struct ure disclosed in my patent application Serial No. 271,839. The chambers in that muzzle brake are configured to create a reaction force which is in a direction 180º opposite the normal direction of the recoil force, with decreasing percentages of gas from first to last chamber.

This invention is an improvement over my previous indention in that a volumetrically small first hamber, shorter than the length of a bullet, is provided to capture and alleviate the effect of a significant percentage (in the preferred embodiment, appcoximately 80%) of the spent gas and operates in addition as a flame arrester in which the spent gases are difused and distributed through the openings or apertures which are located uniformly around the circumference of the first chamber and include an escape gas guiding structural shoulder for protecting the shooter, and a second volametricel larger chamber which is sequentially coupled to the first chamber and is somewhat longer than the first chamber with the bullet outlet, aperture or opening to the atmosphere through which the projectile or bullet emerges towards the target includes at least a spent gas turbulating muzzlehead which tapers rearwardly and creates a funnellike contour ending in a rear opening hole just a little larger in diameter than the bullet diameter. The present invention provides a very short body and hence less weight and is less likely to interfere with the use of a wepon. In addition, as noted above, in the preferred embodiment a substantially greater percentage of the spent gases and the genegy thereof are dissipated and dispersed in the first chamber, the remaining gas being substantially completely expelled via one or more openings in the second chamber and only the remaining gas which is directly behind the bullet or projectile when it emerges from the muzz ehead. Thus, it is believed that two basically different phenomna are used to eliminate or minimize recoil. The volumetrically small first cha mber allows the gas escaping from the barrel muzzle to expand and accellerate for a distance less than the length of a bullet and impinge on the spent gas bulkhead during passage of the bullet through the bullet opening in the spent gas bulkhead. Kinetic energy of the escaping gas i s quickly transferred to the spent gas bulkhead and creates a force which opposes and cancels normal recoil. These gases then quickly energe from the volumetrically small chamber through a plurality of uniformly spaced openings, in addition, during the passage of the bullet through the spent gas bulkhead, a thin annular band of escaping spent gas accellerates around the bullet into the second and volumetrically larjer chamber where the spent gases are turbulated, as the bullet traverses the second chamber to emerge from the muzzlehead and travel to the target, and escape to create a downward reaction force causing the barrel to be stabilized.

In the preferred embodiment, the device is in two parts: a main body member which is bored and tapped at one end to form the first chamber and bored and tapped at the opposite end to form the second chamber. The remaining partition forms the spent gas bulkhead which is bored to form the bullet exit opening from the first chamber. A shouldered notch is milled on the exterior and a series of equally spaced openings is bored from exterior to interior of the first cliamber. Then a pair of enlongated slots is cut from exterior to interior of the second chamber and then a muzzlehead is threaded into the tapped end of the second chamber to complete the device. Various polishing and finish can be applied as desired. The basic structure can also be formed as part of a. gun barrel and the use of a tapped (threaded) coupling to gun barrel can be replaced by quick release coupling as shown in my application Serial No. 271,839, incorporated herein by reference. Thus the objective of the persent invention is to provide an improved gun barrel stabilizer while also reducing weapon recoil and reducing flame. A further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight, easily manufactured and hence low cost and efficient weapon stabilizer which is relatively short in length, is safe to use, and is substantially self cleaning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become more apparent when considered with the following specifications and aiccompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a nuzzle brake as disclosed in my application Ser No. 271,839,

Fig. 2 is a front isometric view of a weapon stabilizer incorporating the present invention,

Fig 3 is a muzzle end or rear elevational view,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view,

Fig. 5 is a to plan view,

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view, Fig. 7 is an end view.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on the lines 7-7 of Fig. 1, Fig. 9A - 9D are schematic illustrations illustrating the bullet or projectile in different stages passing through the gun barrel stabilizer of this invention showing the bullet or projectile and expanding spent gases and their effect, assuming that the velocity of the projectile is maximum or about maximum, as it leaves the muzzle barrel end of the weapon and that the expanding spent gases are traveling at the muzzle end at supersonic velocities (there has been some debate in literature as to whether the bullet gains velocity after it has left the muzzle of the gun, which does not appear to effect this invention).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Refering now to Fig. 1, as disclosed in my application Serial No. 271,839, a muzzle brake in the embodiment of Fig. 1 hereof (Fig. 9 of my application Serial No. 271,839,) ineludes a cylindrical body or muzzle brake housing 30 has a reduced diameter shank 38 and outside thread 11.1 to accept a female mount type of weapon but shank 38 could be made to accept any kind of weapon. Muzzle head 42 is threadablry engaged with a threaded interior bore 30B of housing member 30 and has an outer rim 44 which tapers inward with a funnellike manner 46. Muzzlehead 42 tapers rearward and creates a funnel-like contour 47 ending in a rear opening hole 49 which is just a little larger in diameter than the bullet diameter. Muzzle brake 02 has a rear opening 64 larger than the rear opening in muzzlehead 42. A plurality of openings 32 are provided in the tubular housing member 30 with the muzzle brake 62 dividing the escaping spent gases between the two chambers and with the projectile opening in muzzle brake head 42 being substantially smaller than the opening in muzzle brake 62 and just slightly larger than the bullet so substantially all the spent gases create a reverse jet action so that all the spent gases escape through the opening 36 with any rearward force or recoil action substantially eliminated, attenuated, and minimised. The muzzle brake disclosed in my application Serial No.

271,839 has proven to be highly successful in reducing recoil in small weapons of all kinds including pistols, automatic pistols, machine guns, submachine guns, etc. The present invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed in my application Serial No. 271,839 in that it is directed to more effectively eliminating recoil, stabilizing the weapon, simpler and easier to manufacture shorter and lighter, and reducing flash. As shown in Fig. 2, the weapon stabilizer 10 of this invention includes a tubular housing member 13 having a muzzle barrel attachment end 12 which will sometimes hereafter be referred to as the upstream end of the weapon stabilizer, and a bullet or projectile outlet end 13 which will hereafter sometimes be referred to as the downstream end of the weapon stabilizer 10.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures or openings 15 communicate with interior upstream chamber 20 (see Fig.8) and a pair of slots 16 and 17 which, in this preferred embodiment, are on the top and enlongated in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudal axis of the tubular housing member 11 communicate the volumetrically larger downstream chamber to atmosphere. These openings 16 and 17 could be transverse to the longitudal axis of housing member 11. They need not be enlongated slots or openings but may be simply square, round or other apertures of sufficie t total cross section area to permit the gases in the chamber to escape more or less openings than those shown. Likewise the openings 15 need not be round bat the sum of the cross sectional areas of all the circumferential openings 15 permit the expanding gases and burnt and unburnt powder particles to escape to the atmosphere and create a "jump" eliminating reaction force and achieve a certain degree of self cleaning of the weapon stabilizer 10. As shown in the end view of Fig. 3, and as shown in gieater detail in the sectional views of Fig. 8 and 9A9D , a spent gas bulkhead 25 which is downstream of openings 15, forms a first or upstream gas chamber (see Fig. 8) and lulkhead 25 has an opening 26 through which the bullet or projectile passes from the muzzle end of the weapon. In

Fig. 7, the muzzlehead 60 which is downstream of spent gas bulkhead 25 has a bullet or projectile opening 61 which is just slightly larger than the bu llet or projectile and smaller than the bullet or projectile opening in 26 in bulkhead 25. Exemplary dimensions for a .223 Cal. A.R. 15 and 16 are given in Fig. 8. In this embodiment the gases under pressure proceed from the barrel and enter the volumetrically small first chamber 20 and come in contact with and impinge upon bulkhead 25, expanding and being forced out of ports or openings 15. An outer recess 19 extending circumferentially around housing 11 and aligned with openings 15 directs the escaping and expanding gases from being directed backwa rdly toward the shooter.

The pressure and impingement of the accellerating and exparding gases of tacting spent gas bulkhead 25 absorbs and receives the energy of the escaping gases exiting through openings 15, the force of the expanding gases contacting or impinging on bulkhead 25 reducing the barrel recoil.

The first chamber 25, in conjunction with the size of the openinc 26 in bulkhead 25 eliminates approximately 80% of total gas produced by the explosion or combustion of the powder charge. It will be appreciated that more or less of the expanding gases can be eliminated through the first chamber but in the preferred embodiment a majority of the gas and energy thereof is dissipated in the volumetrically small upstream chamber. After the bullet or projectile has passed through opening 26 in bulkhead 25, it enters a second or downstream chamber 27 where the remaining gases which passed through opening 26 are able to expand as they cone into contact with the second bulkhead formed as a spent gas turbulating poritoii of muzzlehead 60. This muzzlehead

as shown and described in greater detail in con¬

with Fig.8, and as described more fully in my application Serial No. 271,839 is a reversed cone. The expanding gases are thus forced rearward and out the longitudinal slots 16 and 17 which are located on top of tubular housing 11. As the gases escape through slots 16 and 17, the reaction is to force the barrel downward thereby reducing whac is known as "barrel jump". The bullet then exits through beveled orifice or out of the downstream opening 61. Referring now to Fig. 8, it will be noted that the length L1 of chamber 20 is less than the length of a bullet so that, except for the space between the bullet and surfaces forming bullet opening 26, (in Fig. 8B for a .223 caliber bullet is about .223 inches so the space is an annular ring of .005 in around the bullet). The expanding gas particles leaving the muzzle accellerate to where they impinge on the bulkhead substantially less than the length L2 of chamber 27. In addition, the diameter D1 of chamber 20 is substantially smaller than the diameter D2 of chamber 27. Moreover, the bullet opening diameter D3 is essentially the same as the diameter of the muzzle end 50 of barrel 51. However, the bullet opening 26 in spent gas bulkhead 25 is larger (approximately ten thousandths of an inch in this embodiment) than the diameter D3 of the bullet or projectile (P). Moreover, the length L1 of chamber 20 is short in relation to the length of chamber 27 and in relation, to the length of the projectile. Thus, the projectile or bullet (P) after it emerges from the muzzle end 50 of gun barrel 51 will have a velocity VI and escaping spent gases as they expand will have at least a velocity substantially equal to or greater than the velocity of the projectile and this velocity will be attenuated in volumetrically small chamber 25 first by the expansion thereof in the chamber and more

by the impingement or contacting of the spent gas bulkhead 25 by the gas. In Fig. 9A. the bullet has just disengaged from the muzzle of the gun bar rel 51 thereby eliminating frictional forces retarding the bullet and the expanding gases G begin to accellerate from the muzzle 51 and in the absence of the weapon stabilizer of this invention, would initially accellerate past the bullet and the expansion in air disperses

gases and attenuates their foreward and outward movement, in the unbounded space surrounding the muzzle creating recoil or kick and muzzle jump. The volumetrically small upstream chamber 25 constrains spent gas, causing it to impinge on spent gas bulkhead 25 and to exit through openin 15. Bullet P at this time interval has the nose and sustantially filling opening 26 so that only an annular band AB of gas passes therethrough as the bullet P passes the opening 26 in spent gas bulkhead 25.

In Fig. 9B the bullet P is about to complete its traversal of opening 26 the annular band of AB of spent gases enter volumetrically larger spent gas chamber 20 travel foreward and impinge on the concave surfaces of muzzlehead

60 where they are turbulated and exit to atmosphere through slots 16 and 17.

In Fig. 9C the nose of bullet outlet opening 61 in muzzlehead

which, it will be recalled, is smaller than the bullet opening 26 in spent gas bulkhead 25 so that very little spent gas escapes through opening 61 at the time the bullet P has exited

60 on its way to the target as shown in Fig. 9D, so recoil has been substantially elimineted. The gases and flame exiting through uniformly spaced apertures 15 are uniformly diffused and dispersed with greatly attenuated flame therby protecting the shooter and imaroving shooting characteristics. The reaction force of the gas escaping from the muzzle is nullified upon impingement of the gas and burnt and unburnt powder particles on spent gas bulkhead 25. In the preferred embodiment the bullet opening 26 in spent gas bulkhead 25 is larger than the bullet to allow an annular space for gas (about 20%) to enter the volumetrically larger downstream chamber, be turbulated and exit through openings 16 and 17. The exemplary dimensions fur a .223 Cal. A.R. 15 and 16 rifle has about a five thousandths clearance for the bullet opening

61 in muzzle head 60. Gases which escape to downstream chamber 27 via the annular space, and subsequent to the bullet passage through opening 26 are expanded and turbu lated in downstream chamber 26 and exit through slots 16 and 17 to create a reaction force acting downwardly to counteract muzzle jump and further stabilize the gun barrel. While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that various modifications and adaptions are possible and it is intended that all such modifications and adaptions be included within the true spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

Claims :

1. A gun barrel stabilizer comprising, a hollow tubular housing member, means for securing said housing member to the muzzle end of said gun barrel, a spent gas bulkhead dividing the hollow space in said housing member into at least a pair of chambers, said spent gas bulkhead having a bullet opening therein which is large enough to allow a small portion of the expanding and spent gas to pass from the first of said pair of chambers into the second of said chambers and shaped to absorb a substantial portion of that component of the energy vector of said expanded gas which is parallel to the axis of said pair of chambers in alignment with the muzzle of said gun barrel, the first of said pair of chambers having an axial length which is less than tha lengt h of said bullet and having a plurality of apertures in said tubular housing for venting spent gas to atmosphere, the second of said chambers having bullet outlet opening which is smaller in diameter than the bullet opening in said spent gas bulkhead, and at least one spent gas opening in said second chamber for passing said spent gas in a direction to create a reaction force acting in a selected direction cn said muzzle end of said gun barrel.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of spent gas apertures are equally spaced about the exterior of said hollow tubular housing.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one spent gas opening is in the top surface of said tubular housing.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein there are at least two of said spent gas openings in the top surface of said tubular housing.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein at least one of said spent gas openings is enlongated.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said spent gas opening is enlongated in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said gun barrel.

7. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein more than 50% of spent gas said spent gas venting apertures ire equally spaced around the circumference of said tubular housing.

8. The invention defined in claim 1 including an annular notch in the surface of said tubular housing and aligned with and said plurality of spent gas venting apertures for directing spent gases away from the user.

9. The invention defined in claim 4 including an annular notch in the surface: of said tubular housing and aligned with said spent gas venting apertures for directing said gases away from the user.

10. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said bullet outlet opening if in a funnel shaped wall

surface with said bullet outlet opening being at the apex of said funnel.

11. A gun barrel stabilizer comprising, first means forming a spent gas chamber at the muzzle end of said gun barrel, said first means including a spent gas impingement wall surface, said spent gas impingement wall surface having an opening therein for the passage of a bullet issuing from said gun barrel, a plurality of openings to atmosphere from said spent gas chamber, said spent gas impingement surface being spaced from said muzzle end a distance which is less than the length of said bullet such that the bullet is blocking a substantial portion of the bullet opening when the frictional forces between the barrel and bullet is eliminated and the reaction forces of escaping gas begin to create a reaction force, such that the spent gas, burned and unburned powder products impinging on said impingement wall create a reaction force opposing the recoil force created by elimination of said frictions force and the force created by the reaction of said spent gas and powder products in escaping from the muzzle of said band.

12. The gun barrel stabilizer defined in claim 11 including means forming second chamber downstream of said first chamber including a means forming a second bullet outlet opening which is smaller in diameter than the first bullet opening said second chamber being larger both in diameter and length than said fiest chamber and spent gas outlet means for issuing spent gas from said second chamber to atmosphere and creating a further gun stabilizing muzzle jump.