Reduced energy training cartridge for self-loading firearms

Abstract

A two piece, two-stage, rechargeable, reusable, reduced-energy mechanically operating cartridge is provided for launching a bullet of various compositions from a dedicated or modified firearm. The cartridge unit is comprised of a primary case, a piston sleeve, a propellant unit, and a bullet choice of a solid light weight material for inanimate-target applications or a “marking” version for non-lethal live-target training applications. Cartridge includes a piston sleeve and a primary case coupled together via a channel and cog locking/traveling/unlocking system. The primary case includes a substantially non-deformable jacket defining a cavity to receive a propellant unit or propellant connection and provides the channels to receive piston sleeves cogs for a locking/traveling/unlocking feature. The piston sleeve includes a substantially non-deformable jacket defining a cavity to receive configured bullet. The primary case also includes a substantially non-deformable jacket for being axially coupled with the piston sleeve, and for coupling with a propellant mechanism. Upon activation of the mechanically operating cartridge within the chamber of the firearm during stage 2, the piston sleeve and primary case telescope apart from a compressed, static, stage 1 position forcing the firearm's slide or bolt to the rear, a mechanical operation opposed to a conventional cartridge with gas blow back operations. Spent cartridge is reused by manually separating piston sleeve from primary case as to remove spent propellant unit with removal tool, recharged with new propellant unit reloaded with choice of bullet composition and placed into magazine or similar for firearm loading.

1 . A two-piece, two-stage, reduced energy mechanically-operating cartridge for launching a projectile from a dedicated or modified firearm, comprising:
 (a) a piston sleeve comprising a piston sleeve jacket defining a projectile cavity at a first longitudinal end for coupling the projectile therein, and a second end for coupling with a primary case, and the piston sleeve including one or more partially annular protrusion portions (hereinafter “cogs”); and   (b) the primary case comprising a primary case jacket for being axially coupled with the second end of the piston sleeve, and including one or more complementary partially annular cogs to those of the piston sleeve, and defining a primary case cavity for coupling with a propellant mechanism, and   (c) wherein said primary case and piston sleeve are configured such that an axial coupling of the primary case with the second end of the piston sleeve involves the respective cogs of the primary case and piston sleeve being initially offset, and   (d) wherein said primary case and piston sleeve are further configured such that upon the axial coupling of the piston sleeve and primary case and at least partial compression together, the primary case and the piston sleeve become relatively rotationally movable to angularly overlap their respective cogs, the angular overlap being present when the sleeve and primary case are set into an at least partially compressed position, such that upon activation, when the piston sleeve and primary case telescope from the static position, the respective cogs meet at a particular longitudinal extent of the cartridge.