TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to cartridge ammunition. It also relates also to a method of manufacturing cartridge ammunition.

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

Many countries have legislation requiring firearms to be registered in the names of the owners of the firearms and for such firearms to have unique codes, typically in the form of serial numbers, marked thereon linking the firearms to the owners thereof.

In addition to marking firearms with unique codes, it is known to provide cartridge ammunition with unique codes on external sides of the cartridge cases thereof in order to link the cartridge ammunition to purchasers thereof. When the cartridge ammunition is sold it is registered in the name of the purchaser owner and the unique code marked thereon is recorded in a database linking the cartridge ammunition to the purchaser owner (referred to hereinafter simply as the“owner”). This allows the cartridge cases to be traced back to the owners of the cartridge ammunition, for example, in circumstances where cartridge ammunition is discharged by a firearm in the commission of a crime. A problem with such unique identification codes marked on external sides of cartridge ammunition is that it is relatively easy to file off or otherwise remove or alter such codes.

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate the above identified problem.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided cartridge ammunition including: a projectile; a cartridge case having a cylindrical side wall having an open front end to which the projectile is attached and a base wall extending across the side wall at a rear end of the cartridge case, the cartridge case defining a recess in the base wall and a pressure chamber adjacent the recess for holding a propellant charge; a primer insert defining a primer chamber for containing a primary explosive for initiating combustion of the propellant charge, the primer insert being located within the recess of the cartridge case where a firing pin of a firing weapon impacts the primer insert for initiating combustion of the primary explosive, the cartridge round being characterised in that the primer insert has at least one unique identification marking.

The primer insert may be press-fitted into the primer chamber of the cartridge case during manufacture of the cartridge ammunition. After assembly of the cartridge ammunition, it is dangerous to tamper with the primer insert as this may cause unintended ignition of the primary explosive. It is also not possible to remove the primer insert as this will affect the structural integrity of the cartridge ammunition and sealing of the primary explosive within the primary explosive chamber and the propellent charge within the pressure chamber. The primer insert may have the unique identification marking on a part of the primer insert which is received within the recess in the base wall of the cartridge case. The primer insert may be cup-shaped and may comprise a base wall and a cylindrical side wall extending from the base wall. The unique identification marking may be located on the side wall of the primer insert. More specifically, the unique identification marking may be on an external side of the side wall of the primer insert.

The Applicant envisages that the unique identification marking on the primer insert may be a unique identification code which is unique to an owner of the cartridge ammunition. More specifically, the unique identification code may be in the form of one of an alpha code, a numeric code and an alpha-numeric code.

The cartridge ammunition may be of the centrefire type.

In use, the Applicant envisages that when cartridge ammunition is sold by a supplier to a customer, the unique identification marking on the primer insert for each cartridge ammunition will be recorded against the name of the customer, typically in a database. This ensures that a record is created of the unique identification code of each unit of cartridge ammunition linking the owner to the cartridge ammunition. By linking cartridge ammunition to owners thereof, the unique identification codes can be used to trace cartridge ammunition back to the owner of the cartridge ammunition. Such information may be invaluable, for example, for forensic analysis and/or investigation of the circumstances in which the cartridge ammunition was used.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing cartridge ammunition including: providing a projectile; providing a cartridge case having a cylindrical side wall having an open front end to which the projectile is attached and a base wall extending across the side wall at a rear end of the cartridge case, the cartridge case defining a recess in the base wall and a pressure chamber adjacent the recess for holding a propellant charge; providing a primer insert containing a primary explosive for initiating combustion of the propellant charge; marking the primer insert with at least one unique identification marking; permanently securing the primer insert within the recess in the base wall of the cartridge case; charging the primer chamber and the pressure chamber with a primary explosive and a propellant charge, respectively; and securing the projectile within the front end of the cartridge case.

The method may include marking the primer insert with the at least one unique identification marking on a part of the primer insert which is received within the recess in the base wall of the cartridge.

The method may be adapted for manufacturing the cartridge ammunition in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a sectional side view of cartridge ammunition in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows an exploded three-dimensional view of the cartridge ammunition of Figure 1 ; and Figure 2A shows enlarged detail A of Figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, cartridge ammunition in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The cartridge ammunition comprises, broadly, a projectile 12, a cartridge case 14 and a primer insert 16.

The cartridge ammunition is of the centrefire type. The cartridge case has a cylindrical side wall 18 and a base 19. The cartridge case has an open front end 20 and a rear end 22. The base defines a central recess 24 and a rim flange 26 which is acted upon by an extractor mechanism of a firearm for removing the cartridge from the chamber of the firearm after firing. The projectile 12 is secured within the open front end of the cartridge case.

The cartridge case defines a pressure chamber 26 for holding a propellant charge 28 for propelling the projectile from a firearm. The cartridge case further includes a vent hole 30 extending between the recess 24 in the base wall 19 and the pressure chamber 26.

The primer insert 16 is cup-shaped and comprises a base wall 32 and a cylindrical side wall 34 extending from the base wall. The primer insert is press-fitted into the recess 24 in the base wall of the cartridge case in an arrangement wherein the base wall 32 of the primer insert closes off the recess 24. An external side of the side wall 34 of the primer insert has a unique identification marking 36 in the form of an alpha-numeric code “AT104” marked thereon. In the assembled cartridge ammunition, the primer insert 16 defines a primer chamber 38 containing a primary explosive 40 for igniting the propellant charge 28. As such, the vent hole 30 allows for communication between the primer chamber and the pressure chamber so as to provide for ignition of the propellant charge.

The side wall of the primer insert is received within the recess 24, with the code“AT104” being covered by a wall of the base of the cartridge case defining the recess. As such, the code is not accessible from an external side of the cartridge case. It is therefore not possible to file off or otherwise remove or alter the code without removing the primer insert. After assembly of the cartridge ammunition it is dangerous to tamper with the primer insert. It is also not possible to remove the primer insert as this will affect the structural integrity of the cartridge ammunition and sealing of the primary explosive 40 and the propellant charge 28 within the primer and propellant chambers, respectively.

The invention extends to a method of manufacturing cartridge ammunition which includes providing the projectile 12, providing the cartridge case 14, providing the primer insert 16, marking the primer insert with the unique identification marking, permanently securing the primer insert 16 within the recess 24 of the cartridge case 14, charging the primer chamber of the primer insert and the pressure chamber of the cartridge case with a primary explosive and a propellant charge, respectively, and securing the projectile within the front end of the cartridge case.

In use, the Applicant envisages that when cartridge ammunition is sold by a supplier to a customer, the unique identification marking on the primer insert for each cartridge ammunition will be recorded against the name of the customer, typically in a searchable electronic database. This ensures that a record is created of the unique identification code of each unit of cartridge ammunition linking the owner to the cartridge ammunition. By linking cartridge ammunition to owners thereof, the unique identification codes can be used to trace cartridge ammunition back to the owner of the cartridge ammunition. Such information may be invaluable, for example, for forensic analysis and/or investigation of the circumstances in which the cartridge ammunition was used.