Combination gas operated rifle and subsonic cartridge
View Patent ↗A method of operating a gas operated automatic or semi-automatic weapon that has a bolt that locks by a partial rotation of the bolt with respect to a bolt carrier, the bolt carrier in communication with a gas port on the barrel of the weapon, the method comprising utilizing the gas pressure from a cartridge received from a port in the barrel to unlock the bolt, and utilizing the expansion of a telescoping cartridge in the chamber to recycle the weapon after the bolt is unlocked. In embodiments the cartridge is a 5.56 mm cartridge. In embodiments, the propellant driving the projectile does not provide enough gas pressure to recycle the weapon and the telescoping cartridge supplements the needed power for recycling sufficient to accomplish the recycling. The invention include the telescoping cartridge providing a projectile with lethal energy and recycle capability for gas operated rifles. The subsonic cartridge may have at least 80 ft lbs of energy and operates subsonically.
1. A telescoping cartridge comprising:
a piston component slidably engaged with a cylinder component, one of the piston component and cylinder component being a forward casing component having a reduced diameter neck portion defining a projectile recess with a projectile therein, the forward casing component further defining a projectile propellant chamber rearwardly of the projectile recess, the other of the piston component and cylinder component being a rearward casing component defining a primer recess with a primer therein,
wherein a piston chamber is defined by the piston component and cylinder component, the primer in direct communication with the projectile propellant chamber.
2. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the projectile weighs at least 40 grains and wherein the piston chamber does not have propellant therein.
3. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein when the primer ignites, the projectile propellant ignites and pressurizes the piston chamber.
4. The cartridge of claim 3 wherein the piston chamber does not have propellant therein.
5. A gas operated rifle in combination with a telescoping cartridge, the cartridge having a forward projectile chamber with projectile propellant and a rearward piston chamber, and a primer, a direct pathway positioned to ignite the projectile propellant from the primer, thereby delaying the peak pressurization of the piston chamber whereby the bolt of the rifle can be unlocked by the projectile propellant and then the piston can operate to recycle the weapon.
6. The gas operated rifle in combination with a telescoping cartridge of claim 5 , wherein the piston chamber of the cartridge does not have propellant therein.
7. A cartridge comprising a telescoping casing and projectile weighing at least 40 grains, the casing comprising a forward projectile chamber with propellant therein, a rearward expansion chamber for extending the telescoping cartridge, and a primer, and a means for delaying the pressurization of the rearward expansion chamber.
8. The cartridge of claim 7 wherein the means further comprises structure providing a pathway from the forward projectile chamber to the rearward expansion chamber.
9. The cartridge of claim 7 wherein the rearward expansion chamber does not have propellant therein.
10. A combination gas operated rifle and a cartridge operable in the rifle, the rifle having a bolt lockable in place when the cartridge is chambered by a partial rotation of the bolt, the cartridge comprising:
a piston component slidably engaged with a cylinder component, one of the piston component and cylinder component being a forward casing component having a reduced diameter neck portion defining a projectile recess with a projectile therein, the projectile weighing at least 40 grains, the forward casing component further defining a projectile propellant chamber rearwardly of the projectile recess, the other of the piston component and cylinder component being a rearward casing component defining a primer recess with a primer therein,
wherein a piston chamber is defined by the piston component and cylinder component, the primer in direct communication with the projectile propellant chamber.
11. The combination of claim 10 further comprising a means for delaying the pressurization of the piston chamber.
12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the means comprises structure isolating the piston chamber from the direct flash pathway of the primer.
13. The combination of claim 10 , wherein the propellant in the forward projectile chamber is sufficient to fire the projectile with at least 80 ft-lbs of energy.
14. The combination of claim 10 where the propellant in the forward projectile chamber is sufficient to fire the projectile with at least 300 ft-lbs of energy.
15. The gas operated rifle in combination with a telescoping cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the piston chamber of the cartridge does not have propellant therein.