Vista Outdoor Operations LLC

Federal Cartridge Company

Alliant Techsystems Inc.

General Dynamics—ots. Inc.

Erik K Carlson

Lawrence Peter Head

Adam J Moser

Drew Lee Goodlin

Matthew S Schroeder

Bryan P Peterson

Joshua L Edel

John W Swenson

Sharon Jones

Gary Hendrickson

Frank Gerzina

Richard D Hurt

David M Laska

Projectile

Shot projectiles are disclosed that are not completely spherical. The shot has an equatorial ring, top and bottom poles, and one or more sections extending between the ring and the respective poles. The ring defines a vertical height relative to an overall diameter of the projectile. The one or more sections provide flat, concave, or convex surfaces.

Multi-faceted shot

Shotgun wad

Muzzleloader systems include 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.

Muzzleloader systems

A shotgun shell has a polymer wad with a forward shot cup portion and a rearward propellant cup, the wad in a casing, shot in the shot cup, propellant in the propellant cup, and a primer in a head of the casing. The propellant cup having a plurality of fins extending rearwardly that open to a deployed position upon firing and the shot cup having a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially aligned linear slit segments that permit air to circulate and permit expansion of the shot cup.

Shotshell having wad with enhanced fin deployment

A lightweight projectile having an integrated metal band positioned around the exterior of the polymer base of the projectile. The metal band may be a driving band that protrudes from the polymer base to minimize the contact between the polymer base and the rifling to reduce friction between the barrel and the projectile as the projectile is fired. The lightweight projectile may be propelled with less propellant force than conventional projectiles of the same caliber while still retaining the ballistic advantages of a spin stabilized projectile.

Polymer projectile having an integrated driving band

A lightweight projectile having an integrated driving band positioned around the exterior of the polymer base of the projectile for engaging the filing of a barrel to impart spin stabilization to the projectile. The driving band protrudes from the polymer base to minimize the contact between the polymer base and the rifling to reduce friction between the barrel and the projectile as the projectile is fired. The reduced friction allows the lightweight projectile to be propelled with minimal propellant force while still retaining the ballistic advantages of a spin stabilized projectile.

Muzzleloader propellant cartridge

Growing community of inventors

Oak Grove, MN, United States of America

Erik K Carlson