Safety bolt and less lethal ammunition system

Abstract

A safety bolt and less lethal ammunition system for use with a firearm, such as a shotgun, is provided. The system includes a safety bolt operatively coupled within the shotgun. The safety bolt has a bolt head with a recessed bolt-face and a firing pin. The firing pin does not extend beyond an end surface of the bolt head during operation of the firing pin. The system further includes a less lethal round loaded within the firearm, such as a shotgun, wherein the less lethal shotgun round includes a case-head having a protrusion extending therefrom and a primer on the protrusion. The protrusion corresponds with the recessed bolt-face of the safety bolt. The firing pin engages the primer when the protrusion of the case head is received within the recessed bolt-face. The firing pin cannot engage the primer of a lethal round because of the recessed bolt.

1 . A safety bolt and less lethal ammunition system comprising:
 a safety bolt having a bolt head with a recessed bolt-face and a firing pin, wherein the firing pin does not extend beyond an end surface of the bolt head during operation of the firing pin; and   a less lethal round comprising a case-head having a protrusion extending therefrom and a primer on the protrusion, wherein the protrusion corresponds with the recessed bolt-face of the safety bolt, and wherein the firing pin engages the primer when the protrusion of the case head is received within the recessed bolt-face.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the recessed bolt-face comprises a tapered surface extending from the end surface of the bolt head to a firing pin aperture of the bolt head. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the protrusion of the less lethal round comprises a raised tapered surface that corresponds to the tapered surface of the bolt-face. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the recessed bolt-face comprises a frusto-conical shape. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the protrusion comprises a frusto-conical shape that corresponds to the frusto-conical shape of the bolt-face. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the safety bolt is a shotgun safety bolt. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein less lethal round is a shotgun less lethal round. 
     
     
         8 . A shotgun with a safety bolt and less lethal ammunition system, the shotgun comprising:
 a safety bolt operatively coupled within the shotgun, the safety bolt having a bolt head with a recessed bolt-face and a firing pin, wherein the tiring pin does not extend beyond an end surface of the bolt head during operation of the firing pin; and   a less lethal shotgun round loaded within the shotgun, wherein the less lethal shotgun round comprises a case-head having a protrusion extending therefrom and a primer on the protrusion, wherein the protrusion corresponds with the recessed bolt-face of the safety bolt, and wherein the tiring pin engages the primer when the protrusion of the case head is received within the recessed bolt-face.   
     
     
         9 . The shotgun of  claim 8 , wherein the recessed bolt-face comprises a tapered surface extending from the end surface of the bolt head to a firing pin aperture of the bolt head. 
     
     
         10 . The shotgun of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusion of the less lethal round comprises a raised tapered surface that corresponds to the tapered surface of the bolt-face. 
     
     
         11 . The shotgun of  claim 8 , wherein the recessed bolt-face comprises a frusto-conical shape. 
     
     
         12 . The shotgun of  claim 11 , wherein the protrusion comprises a frusto-conical shape that corresponds to the frusto-conical shape of the bolt-face. 
     
     
         13 . The shotgun of  claim 1 , wherein the safety bolt is a shotgun safety bolt 
     
     
         14 . The shotgun of  claim 1 , wherein less lethal round is a shotgun less lethal round. 
     
     
         15 . The shotgun of  claim 1 , further comprising a lethal shotgun round loaded within the shotgun, wherein the tiring pin of the safety bolt does not engage the primer during operation of the firing pin in response to the firing pin not extending beyond the end surface of the bolt head during operation of the firing pin. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using a safety bolt and less lethal ammunition system, the method comprising:
 loading a less lethal round comprising a case-head having a protrusion extending therefrom and a primer on the protrusion in a firearm having a safety bolt operatively coupled within the firearm;   extending the protrusion into a recess in the bolt face of the safety bolt; and   firing the less lethal round in response to operating the firing pin.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein operating the firing pin comprises extending the firing pin a distance less than an end surface of a bolt head during operation of the firing pin. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising loading a lethal round into the firearm. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising not firing the lethal round in response to operating the firing pin. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein not firing the lethal round further includes not contacting a primer of the lethal round in response to extending the firing pin the distance less than the end surface of the bolt head during operation of the firing pin