Training ammunition

Abstract

The invention provides a training cartridge ( 304 ) having a peripheral fire primer ( 306 ) and a gun modified to fire the cartridge. The combination of modified gun and peripheral fire cartridge avoids the potentially adverse consequences that could arise if live ammunition and training ammunition were to become inadvertently confused or mixed up by preventing the firing of live centre fire ammunition.

1 . A method of modifying a gun to prevent it from firing live ammunition with a centre fire primer but permit the firing of a rimfire primer training cartridge, which method comprises replacing a barrel of the gun such that a centre firing pin of the gun is not aligned for centre firing of a cartridge received in the barrel, but is aligned for firing of a rimfire primer of the training cartridge.  
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  characterised by selecting a gun having a centre fire firing pin and replacing the barrel of the gun with a barrel in which the breech is offset such that the centre fire firing pin can impact against and fire the rimfire primer training cartridge but not a centre fire cartridge.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  characterised in that the bore of the barrel is inclined relative to the barrel axis.  
     
     
         4 . A method of modifying a gun to prevent it from firing live ammunition but permit the firing of a rimfire primer training cartridge, which method comprises replacing a centre fire firing pin with a rimfire primer firing pin.  
     
     
         5 . A gun modified according to the method of any of  claims 1  to  4 .  
     
     
         6 . A combination of a modified gun as claimed in  claim 5  and one or more training cartridges having a rimfire primer and configured to be shot from the modified gun.  
     
     
         7 . A training cartridge with a rimfire primer configured for firing by the gun of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         8 . A training cartridge as claimed in  claim 7  characterised by a rimfire primer cup set into the rear end thereof.  
     
     
         9 . A training cartridge as claimed in  claim 7  or  claim 8  characterised in that the cartridge is expandable upon firing, expansion of the cartridge serving to urge a rear surface of the cartridge rearwardly against a breech block of a gun to initiate recycling of the gun.