MUZZLELOADER AND PROPELLANT SYSTEM
A muzzle-loader bullet system includes a pre-packaged propellant charge and primer for providing efficient loading and unloading of the muzzleloader. The muzzleloader accepts in the breech end the propellant containment vessel that abuts against a constriction portion with a reduced diameter portion. The propellant containment vessel having an end portion with a tapered surface that conforms to the constriction portion surface. A projectile is inserted in the muzzle end and seats against the constriction portion. The propellant containment vessel may be received in a removable breech plug. The constriction portion may be part of the breech plug or a separate component secured in the barrel by way of the breech plug. The containment vessel further comprises a primer mechanism that may be integrated into the proximal end of the containment vessel.
1 . A muzzleloader having a barrel with a breech end, a muzzle end, and an axial channel extending therebetween, the channel defined by a breech portion with a cylindrical bore for receiving cylindrical containment vessels of propellant, a constriction portion with a tapered surface extending to a reduced diameter channel portion, the constriction portion extending from the breech portion to a projectile bore portion, the projectile bore portion having a projectile bore for receiving and firing bore-diameter projectiles, the projectile bore having a bore diameter and having a proximal end and a distal end, the barrel further having a seating position for a bore-diameter projectile at the proximal end of the projectile bore, the reduced diameter channel portion constriction region having an opening smaller than the projectile bore diameter and smaller than the cylindrical bore of the breech region, whereby the propellant is loaded in the breech end and the projectile is loaded in the muzzle end.
2 . The muzzleloader of claim 1 , wherein the constriction portion of the barrel is unitary with the projectile bore portion of the barrel.
3 . The muzzleloader of claim 1 , wherein the constriction portion has an inwardly facing conical surface that has a greater opening size that equals the size of the cylindrical bore of the breech portion and that extends to the reduced diameter channel portion.
4 . The muzzleloader of claim 1 , wherein the breech portion is configured as a breech plug that is removably received in a breech plug opening in the breech end of the barrel.
5 . The muzzleloader of claim 4 , wherein the constriction portion is configured as a removable member and that is secured in place by the breech plug.
6 . The muzzleloader of claim 5 , wherein the breech plug is threadably engaged with threads at the breech plug opening, and wherein the breech plug secures the constriction portion against a radially extending shoulder at the proximal end of the projectile bore.
7 . The muzzleloader of claim 4 , further comprising an interchangeable removable breech plug comprising a primer recess at a proximal end and a flash passage extending from the primer recess to a distal end of the interchangeable removable breech plug whereby when the interchangeable removable breech plug is in place in the muzzleloader, both the propellant and projectile are loaded through the muzzle.
8 . The muzzleloader of claim 1 , wherein the constriction portion is unitary with the breech portion and the constriction portion and breech portion are configured as a breech plug that is removably received in the a breech plug opening in the breech end of the barrel.
9 . The muzzleloader of claim 8 wherein the breech plug is threadably engageable with the barrel and seats against a radially extending wall portion of the barrel.
10 . The muzzleloader of claim 1 , wherein the breech portion is unitary with the projectile bore portion of the barrel, and the constrictor portion is a separately formed piece that is inserted into the breech end of the barrel.
11 . The muzzleloader of claim 1 , in combination with a plurality of propellant containment vessels, each propellant containment vessel comprising a sealed container with propellant therein and an integrated primer, each propellant containment vessel form fit with the cylindrical bore of the breech portion.
12 . The combination of claim 11 wherein each propellant containment vessel has an end portion conforming to the tapered surface of the constriction portion.
13 . The muzzleloader of claim 12 , wherein each propellant containment vessel has a cylindrical wall with the wall crimped at the end portion.
14 . An energetic system for muzzleloaders having a barrel with a breech end, a muzzle end, and a projectile bore for firing muzzle bore-diameter projectiles, the system comprising:
a breech plug having a proximal end, a distal end and an axially extending cylindrical chamber, the breech plug being sized such that the breech plug can be fittingly received, distal end first, into the breech end of the muzzleloading firearm, the cylindrical chamber having a diameter sized to receive a cylindrically shaped containment vessel with propellant at the proximal end; and
a constriction portion having a proximal opening with an opening diameter, a distal opening, and a reduced diameter portion displaced from the distal opening, the constriction portion sized to be inserted in the breech end of the muzzleloader at the distal end of the breech plug, the central reduced diameter portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylindrical chamber and less than the projectile bore diameter, the constriction portion having an inwardly facing tapering surface narrowing towards the muzzle end and extending from the distal opening to the central reduced diameter portion.
15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the distal opening has a diameter greater than the diameter of the reduced diameter portion.
16 . The system of claim 14 further comprising a cylindrically shaped containment vessel, the containment vessel comprising a head portion with a central primer integrated therewith, a cylindrical outer wall defining an interior extending from the head portion, and a closure at a distal end of the cylindrical outer wall, the closure including a tapering portion, the interior of the containment vessel filled with propellant.
17 . The system of claim 14 wherein the tapering portion of the closure conforming to the inwardly facing tapering surface of the constriction portion.
18 . The system of claim 14 wherein the constriction portion has an additional tapering surface extending from the distal opening to the reduced diameter portion.
19 . A method of using a muzzleloader, the muzzleloader having a barrel with a breech end, a muzzle end, and a projectile bore with a proximal end and a distal end, the method comprising
inserting in the breech end a sealed propellant containment vessel;
abutting the containment vessel to a constriction portion in the barrel, the constriction portion having a reduced diameter portion and being placed next to the proximal end of the projectile bore; and
loading in the muzzle end a projectile sized to the projectile bore and larger than the reduced diameter portion of the constriction portion; and
placing the projectile at a distal side of the constriction portion.
20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising striking a primer integrated with the propellant containment vessel whereby the propellant is ignited by the primer.
21 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
removing the fired propellant containment vessel;
inserting in the breech end an unfired sealed propellant containment vessel abutting the unfired containment vessel to the constriction portion in the barrel; and
loading in the muzzle end another projectile sized to the projectile bore and larger than an opening in the constriction portion and placing the projectile at a distal side of the constriction portion.