Handgun-discharge Suppressor For Shot-containment System

Abstract

A handgun-shot suppressor has a housing with an outer shell with a rear end adapted to fit with a shot-containment device and an opposite front end. A mass of sound-deadening material within the housing forms a passage and is formed at the front end with a front cavity fittable with a muzzle of a handgun so that a shot fired by a handgun fitted to the front cavity passes through the passage. A gas-permeable cover lining the passage and the cavity lies against the mass of sound-deadening material. A rear wall penetrable by the projectile closes the rear end of the housing.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a suppressor for controlling the discharge of a handgun into a shot-containment system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Shot-containment devices are used by police and the military, among others, in order to serve as reliable bullet traps during loading and unloading of firearms when there is an unintentional discharge. Such shot-containment devices are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,526,861 and 6,016,735.

[0003] During discharge into a shot-containment device, there is a considerable muzzle blast of up to 170 dB, significantly above the hearing damage threshold of around 130 dB. This can result in hearing damage.

[0004] For smaller firearms such as pistols it is known to provide in front of a shot-containment system a sound-absorbing chamber whose front is closed by a curtain-like array of slats. With this, the firearm has to be operated blind, which is not practicable.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved handgun-discharge containment system.

[0006] Another object is the provision of such an improved handgun-discharge containment system that overcomes the above-given disadvantages, in particular where emissions in the form of the blast sound and the evolving gases are significantly reduced, and where use should be simple and reliable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A handgun-shot suppressor according to the invention has a housing with an outer shell with a rear end adapted to fit with a shot-containment device and an opposite front end. A mass of sound-deadening material within the housing forms a passage and is formed at the front end with a front cavity fittable with a muzzle of a handgun so that a shot fired by a handgun fitted to the front cavity passes through the passage. A gas-permeable cover lining the passage and the cavity lies against the mass of sound-deadening material. A rear wall penetrable by the projectile closes the rear end of the housing.

[0008] Such a device achieves a sound reduction of 18 to 42 dB and simultaneously effectively slows and cools the gas generated by the shot, so that no gas or only a minimal amount of gas emerges at the front of the suppressor. Irreversible hearing damage is reliably prevented and hearing protection no longer has to be worn.

[0009] In addition, such a device may be used with all types of shot-containment devices, regardless of the model or caliber or handling of the firearm. It is also important that, with such a device, the EU and OSHA Guidelines for reducing nose at the source are followed.

[0010] Especially simple handing is provided when the inlet opening tapers or decreases in diameter from outside to inside (front to back), and in particular when it is frustoconical so that the firearm need only be held in contact with the device according to the invention.

[0011] Since the passage is lined by a support cover lying lies against the sound-deadening mass, the placement or insertion of the firearm muzzle does not damage the sound-deadening mass. Here the support cover is in particular tubular, preferably a net, mesh, woven fabric, or knitted fabric.

[0012] Since the support cover covers the sound-deadening mass at least in the region of the inlet opening, the material is held reliably. Furthermore, the support cover can enclose the sound-deadening mass on the outside.

[0013] An especially simple design and production and easy handling are achieved when the outer shell is cylindrical, at least on the outside. Hereby the connecting region of the outer shell can also be cylindrical for attachment to the shot-containment device for a cylindrical seat on the shot-containment device.

[0014] It is preferably recommended that the rear end facing away from the firearm has an end wall in which the passage terminates. The end facing away from the firearm is thus closed and can be penetrated by the projectile, so that the projectile reaches the shot-containment device.

[0015] It is preferably recommended that the sound-deadening mass is a strip wound around the passage. In this way, the production of the sound-deadening region is especially simple and installation is easier.

[0016] Placement of the firearm on the device is easier if a guide is provided in front of the inlet opening for the muzzle of the firearm.

[0017] It is preferably recommended that the passage has a constriction reducing the passage cross section. In this way gas flow is also slowed, plus the constriction can ensure that the firearm is not inserted too far into the passage of the device according to the invention. Preferably, here the constriction is arranged in the center or rear region of the passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0018] The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing whose sole FIGURE is an axial section through the discharge suppressor of this invention.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] As seen the drawing, a discharge suppressor 1 is typically mounted in front of a standard shot-containment device or system here indicated schematically at 11. The suppressor 1 has a cup-shaped or pot-shaped housing 2 with a cylindrical outer wall made of sheet-metal or plastic tubing and having a closed rear wall 9 and an open opposite front end forming a cavity 7 for receiving the muzzle end of a firearm, typically a handgun. The outer shell or wall 2 can also have a non-cylindrical shape, in particular a polygon. The front edge of the outer shell 2 is preferably covered by an annular or circumferential edge-protecting trim 10 that may form a muzzle guide.

[0020] Inside the outer shell 2 is a mass 4 of sound-deadening material that both absorbs and deadens sound, and preferably is made of plastic foam. This sound-deadening mass 4 forms a central passage 3 that is coaxial to a center axis A of the outer shell 2. This passage 3 can be designed to be very narrow, i.e. it may have a diameter smaller than the caliber of a round, so that the round has to squeeze through the passage. Alternatively, the passage 3 can be off-center and/or angled relative to the outer shell 2.

[0021] The sound-deadening mass 4 is especially simple to produce when it is formed from a strip and is wound around the passage 3. In this way precompression of the core material is simply controlled by the strip length.

[0022] The passage 3 is lined by a supporting, in particular perforated cover 8 lying lies against the sound-deadening mass 4, so that the support cover 8 forms a tube in turn forming the passage 3. Preferably the cover 8 here is a net, mesh, woven material, or knitted material made of plastic filaments or wires. The cover 8 supporting the sound-deadening mass 4 preferably also wraps around the outer cylindrical surface of the sound-deadening mass 4 and further, also lines the front and rear ends of the sound-deadening mass 4, so that the sound-deadening mass 4 both is wholly externally and internally lined by the cover 8.

[0023] At the front end of the device, the cavity 7 forms an upstream inlet end 5 of the passage 3. Here the sound-deadening mass 4 in the cavity 7 forms a frustoconical surface and thus a funnel to the inlet end 5, so that the muzzle of a firearm can be placed on or attached simply in a positive and/or frictionally tight manner to the suppressor 1. Such a frustoconical inlet cavity 7 makes handling much easier. Here the suppressor 1 can be used in a manner such that the muzzle of the firearm is actually inserted partially into the passage 3. For muzzle diameters larger than the maximal funnel diameter, the muzzle can be fitted flatly against the deadening core mass 5 axially aligned with the passage 3 or the funnel surface 7. In this case the entire funnel region or volumes serve as a gas and projectile guide.

[0024] The support cover 8 also covers the frustoconical cavity 7 so that the sound-deadening mass is protected from damage. In addition, an unillustrated guide can be provided in front of the inlet opening 5 of the passage 3 so as to facilitate insertion of the muzzle of the firearm or, for a noncoaxial or rotation symmetrical position of the passage 3 and the funnel connecting to the longitudinal axis of the housing 1, to define the off-center firearm muzzle position for the intended use.

[0025] The outer shell 2 in the rear end forms a connecting region 6 of the suppressor 1 that can fit a complementary cylindrical seat of the shot-containment device 11. In this case the insertion opening of the shot-containment device 11 has the same or slightly larger diameter as the outside diameter of the outer shell 2 in the connecting region 6. In this way there is a positive releasable connection between the suppressor 1 according to the invention and the shot-containment device 11. In the case when the outer shell is not cylindrical but oval or polygonal in cross section, the seat of the shot-containment device 11 has a complementary cross section.

[0026] The passage 3 has a constriction 13 that reduces its cross-sectional area and that is in the center or rear of the passage in order to resist gas flow and/or to keep the firearm from being inserted too far into the suppressor 1 according to the invention.

[0027] The cover 8 can also be formed by a screen-like material. In addition, the outer shell 2 can have two or more lateral openings 12 for releasing gas. Also, the rear end wall 9 can be made of a material, in particular a plastic or rubber material that can be penetrated by the projectile of the firearm, so as to show that the suppressor 1 according to the invention was penetrated at least once by a projectile. Thus, the rear wall 9 shows whether the suppressor 1 is still intact.

[0028] The sound-deadening mass 4 is preferably a plastic form made of open-cell polyurethane foam on a polyether base with a crude specific gravity (before fitting) according to ISO 845 of around 21.5 kg/m.sup.3.

[0029] Alternatively, of course other materials with comparable absorption or deadening properties may also be used.

Claims

1. A handgun-shot suppressor comprising: a housing having an outer shell extending along an axis and with a rear end adapted to fit with a shot-containment device and an opposite front end; a mass of sound-deadening material within the housing, forming a passage, and formed at the front end with a front cavity fittable with a muzzle of a handgun, whereby a shot fired by a handgun fitted to the front cavity passes through the passage; a gas-permeable cover lining the passage and the cavity and lying against the mass of sound-deadening material; and a rear wall penetrable by the projectile and closing the rear end of the housing.

2. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, wherein the cavity is frustoconical and tapers away from the front end into the passage.

3. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1 wherein the cover is a net, mesh, woven fabric, or knitted fabric.

4. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, wherein the cover is flame retardant and self-extinguishing.

5. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, wherein the cover externally fully surrounds the mass.

6. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, wherein the outer shell of the housing is externally cylindrical.

7. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 6, wherein the rear end of the housing fittable in the shot-containment device is also cylindrical.

8. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, wherein the passage has a closed rear end wall transverse to the axis.

9. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 8, wherein the rear wall is made of plastic or rubber.

10. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, wherein the sound-deadening mass is formed by a strip of sound-deadening material wound around the passage.

11. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, further comprising: a guide for a muzzle of the firearm at the front end.

12. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 1, wherein the passage is formed with a constriction reducing a cross-sectional area of the passage.

13. The handgun-shot suppressor defined in claim 12 wherein the constriction is at or rearward toward the rear end of a center of the passage.

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