Concealed-projectile firearm cartridges that include taggant-labeled projectiles

Abstract

Concealed-projectile firearm cartridges that include taggant-labeled projectiles. A concealed-projectile firearm cartridge includes a cartridge casing adapted to be loaded into a firearm configured to fire the assembled firearm cartridge, a primer and a propellant located within the casing, and at least one projectile at least partially received into the casing. The projectile includes a base material and an identifier material configured to produce an emission, which is configured to be detectable subsequent to passing through the cartridge and prior to firing of the cartridge. The identifier material is configured such that at least one characteristic of the emission is selected to correspond to the base material.

1 . A concealed-projectile firearm cartridge configured to be fired from a firearm, the firearm cartridge comprising:
 a cartridge casing adapted to be received into the firearm;   a primer and a propellant located within the casing; and   at least one projectile at least partially received into the casing;   wherein the at least one projectile includes a base material and an identifier material configured to produce an emission, wherein the emission is configured to be detectable subsequent to the emission passing through the cartridge casing and prior to firing of the firearm cartridge; and further wherein the identifier material is configured such that at least one characteristic of the emission is selected to correspond to the base material.   
     
     
         2 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one projectile is obscured from visual inspection by the cartridge casing. 
     
     
         3 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the firearm cartridge is a shot shell; wherein the casing defines an internal chamber; wherein the casing includes a mouth portion and a head portion, the mouth portion and the head portion being positioned on opposing ends of the casing; wherein the shot shell includes a wad positioned within the internal chamber of the casing; wherein the at least one projectile includes a plurality of shot pellets positioned within the internal chamber of the casing; and further wherein the wad separates the plurality of shot pellets from the primer and the propellant. 
     
     
         4 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the emission is an emission electromagnetic radiation, and further wherein the identifier material is configured to produce the emission electromagnetic radiation subsequent to absorbing an excitation electromagnetic radiation. 
     
     
         5 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 4 , wherein the identifier material includes a plurality of identifier components configured to produce respective emission components of the emission electromagnetic radiation at respective different emission frequencies. 
     
     
         6 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier material includes at least one of a luminescent material, a phosphorescent material, a phosphor, a fluorescent material, a rare earth oxide, an oxysulfide, a Stokes material, an anti-Stokes material, lanthanum oxide, a radio-luminescent material, a radioactive material, a radionucleotide, and mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the emission is configured to correspond to at least one of a composition of at least a portion of the base material, a processing characteristic of the firearm cartridge, and a manufacturing characteristic of the firearm cartridge. 
     
     
         8 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the base material includes at least one of lead, bismuth, tungsten, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum, manganese, steel, tin, zinc, and mixtures and alloys thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier material comprises less than 0.1% of a total mass of the at least one projectile. 
     
     
         10 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one projectile includes a coating that includes at least one coating layer and that is configured to cover at least a portion of an outer surface of the base material. 
     
     
         11 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the coating includes the identifier material. 
     
     
         12 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the coating includes at least one of a solvent, a residue of a solvent, and a corrosion inhibitor. 
     
     
         13 . The firearm cartridge of  claim 3 , wherein the identifier material includes a fluorescent material configured to produce an emission electromagnetic radiation subsequent to absorbing an excitation electromagnetic radiation; wherein the excitation electromagnetic radiation includes at least one of infrared and ultraviolet light; and wherein the emission electromagnetic radiation includes a frequency configured to correspond to a composition of at least a portion of the base material. 
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacturing a firearm cartridge with at least one projectile that includes a base material and an identifier material, the method comprising:
 manufacturing at least one projectile that includes a base material and an identifier material, the manufacturing including:
 providing the base material; and 
 adding the identifier material to the base material; 
 wherein the identifier material is configured to produce an identifying emission; and further wherein the identifier material is configured such that at least one characteristic of the emission is selected to correspond to the base material; 
   inserting the at least one projectile into a cartridge casing;   inserting a primer and a propellant into the cartridge casing; and   closing the cartridge casing such that the at least one projectile, the propellant, and the primer are operatively sealed within the cartridge casing.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the emission is an emission electromagnetic radiation, and further wherein the identifier material is configured to produce the emission electromagnetic radiation subsequent to absorbing an excitation electromagnetic radiation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the identifier material includes at least one of a luminescent material, a phosphorescent material, a phosphor, a fluorescent material, a rare earth oxide, an oxysulfide, a Stokes material, an anti-Stokes material, lanthanum oxide, a radio-luminescent material, a radioactive material, a radionucleotide, and mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the adding the identifier material to the base material includes incorporating the identifier material into the base material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method further includes applying a coating to the base material, wherein the coating includes at least one coating layer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the coating includes at least one of a solvent and a corrosion inhibitor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the adding the identifier material includes the applying the coating, and further wherein the coating includes the identifier material. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the coating includes a first coating layer that includes the corrosion inhibitor and a second coating layer that includes the solvent; wherein the solvent includes an alcohol; wherein the applying the coating includes applying the first coating layer prior to the adding the identifier material and further includes applying the second coating layer subsequent to the adding the identifier material; wherein the adding the identifier material includes applying a powder that includes the identifier material to the base material; and wherein the manufacturing further includes evaporating at least a portion of the solvent subsequent to the applying the second coating layer. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the identifier material includes a fluorescent material configured to produce an emission electromagnetic radiation subsequent to absorbing an excitation electromagnetic radiation; wherein the excitation electromagnetic radiation includes at least one of infrared and ultraviolet light; and wherein the emission electromagnetic radiation includes a frequency configured to correspond to a composition of at least a portion of the base material.