Projectile

Abstract

A system for propelling an air-driven projectile from an air gun includes an air gun with an elongate bore and a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the elongate bore. An elongate projectile is disposed within the bore of the air gun, the elongate projectile having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the elongate bore, wherein the elongate projectile has a length that is at least substantially equivalent to a length of the elongate bore of the air gun. The elongate projectile has a butt on a proximal end of the projectile and a tip on a distal end of the projectile, wherein the butt comprises an outer diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the elongate projectile and less than the inner diameter of the elongate bore.

1 . A system for propelling an air-driven projectile from an air gun, comprising:
 the air gun comprising an elongate bore and a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the elongate bore;   an elongate projectile disposed within the bore of the air gun, the elongate projectile having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the elongate bore;   wherein the elongate projectile has a length that is at least substantially equivalent to a length of the elongate bore of the air gun; and   wherein the elongate projectile comprises a butt on a proximal end of the projectile and a tip on a distal end of the projectile, wherein the butt comprises an outer diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the elongate projectile and less than the inner diameter of the elongate bore.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tip of the elongate projectile comprises an annular seal disposed about a rear end of the tip, the annular seal having an outer diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the bore. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the annular seal comprises a tapered rear end. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the length of the elongate projectile is greater than the length of the bore of the air gun. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the body of the butt is sized to approximate the shape of a cylinder, a front end of the butt being tapered and a rear end of the butt being tapered. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the butt comprises an annular groove disposed about the body of the butt and circumscribing the butt. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising an O-ring disposed within the annular groove and circumscribing the annular groove. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein an outer diameter of the O-ring is greater than the inner diameter of the bore of the air gun. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of O-rings disposed within the annular groove. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tip comprises at least three protrusions in contact with the bore of the air gun. 
     
     
         11 . A projectile, comprising:
 an elongate tubular member;   a tip disposed about a distal end of the elongate tubular member;   a butt disposed about a proximal end of the elongate tubular member, wherein the butt has an outer diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the elongate tubular member and comprises a rear face having a diameter greater than the diameter of the elongate tubular member and wherein the butt comprises an annular tapered front face;   an annular groove disposed about the butt, said annular groove circumscribing the butt; and   an O-ring disposed within the annular groove, said O-ring circumscribing the annular groove.   
     
     
         12 . The projectile of  claim 11 , wherein the annular groove tapers from a front of the groove to a rear of the groove, the front of the annular groove having an outside diameter that is smaller than a rear of the annular groove. 
     
     
         13 . The projectile of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of O-rings disposed within the annular groove. 
     
     
         14 . The projectile of  claim 12 , wherein the O-ring, in an unbiased state, comprises an inner diameter that is substantially equivalent to the outer diameter of the front of the annular groove and an outer diameter that is substantially equivalent to the outer diameter of the butt. 
     
     
         15 . The projectile of  claim 11 , further comprising a cylindrical stabilizer member disposed apart from the butt and forward of the butt about the elongate projectile. 
     
     
         16 . A method of propelling a projectile from an air gun, comprising:
 placing a quantity of pressurized fluid into the air gun, the quantity of pressurized fluid in fluid communication with a bore of the air gun;   placing an elongate projectile into the bore of the air gun, wherein said elongate projectile comprises a cylindrical butt disposed about a proximal end of the elongate projectile, the butt having a rear face with a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the elongate projectile, the butt comprising an annular groove circumscribing the butt and an O-ring disposed within and circumscribing the annular groove;   releasing the pressurized fluid into the bore of the air gun propelling the elongate projectile from the bore of the air gun, wherein as the elongate projectile is propelled down the bore of the air gun, the O-ring frictionally engages riflings within the air gun causing the elongate projectile to rotate within the bore of the air gun.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the annular groove disposed within the butt is tapered from a front of the annular groove to a rear of the annular groove, the front of the annular groove having a diameter that is smaller than the rear of the annular groove. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein when the projectile is placed within the bore of the air gun, the O-ring frictionally engages the bore of the air gun and is forced to the front of the annular groove. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein when the projectile is propelled out of the bore of the air gun, the O-ring frictionally engages the bore of the air gun and is forced to the rear of the annular groove. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the O-ring expands as it is forced to the rear of the annular groove increasing the frictional engagement of the O-ring with the bore of the air gun.