Shot shells with performance-enhancing absorbers

摘要

Shot shells with enhanced performance due to inclusion of an absorber between the shot wad and the shot payload. The absorber reduces the pressure within a shot gun's chamber during firing of the shell, such as by absorbing energy generated during the firing process, and may thereafter return some of the energy to the pellets as the absorber and pellets are propelled along the firearm's barrel. Accordingly, the absorber enables a shot shell to generate shot payload velocities that are greater than would be achieved without the absorber, typically at a lower internal chamber pressure. In some embodiments, the absorber has (1) a Young's Modulus of less than 2,000 psi (137.9 bar), (2) a compressive strength of at least 100 psi (6.9 bar) and/or less than 10,000 psi (689.5 bar), and/or (3) a tensile strength of at least 145 psi (10 bar) and/or less than 10,000 psi (689.5 bar).

主权项

1. A method for assembling a shot shell, the method comprising:
inserting a shot wad into a shot shell housing, wherein the shot wad includes a partition that separates a propellant region and a payload region of the shot wad, and further wherein the shot wad includes a shot cup region that defines a pellet-facing surface that faces generally away from the partition and elongate sidewalls that extend from the pellet-facing surface away from the partition; inserting an energy absorber into the shot cup region of the shot wad and into engagement with the pellet-facing surface of the shot cup region; wherein the inserting an energy absorber includes inserting, into the shot cup region of the shot wad, a liquid that is thereafter solidified to form the absorber; and inserting a plurality of shot pellets into the shell housing and into engagement with the absorber.