Firearm Barrel Including a Gas Pressure Relief Chamber

Abstract

Described herein is a firearm barrel operable to manage gas pressure behind a projectile traveling through the firearm barrel. The design of the firearm barrel enables a firearm to be discharged at a low-report by managing gas pressure behind a bullet while the bullet is under compression from the barrel. In embodiments, the firearm barrel includes an inner barrel having at least one opening in its surface and an outer tube surrounding the inner barrel, such that a chamber is created between the inner barrel and outer tube, the chamber being operable to temporarily retain gases that are generated as a result of discharging a firearm. The gases may pass from the barrel into the chamber through the at least one opening, and the gases may be temporarily retained within the chamber before escaping back through the at least one opening and out of the barrel behind a discharged projectile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A firearm barrel comprising:
 an inner barrel having a first diameter, wherein the inner barrel comprises a plurality of openings on the surface of the inner barrel;   an outer tube surrounding the inner barrel, wherein the outer tube has a second diameter;   wherein the first diameter and second diameter are so dimensioned as to create a space between an outer surface of the inner barrel and an inner surface of the outer tube, and wherein the surface of the inner barrel comprising the plurality of openings separates an interior space of the inner barrel from the space between the outer surface of the inner barrel and the inner surface of the outer tube; and   wherein the space between the outer surface of the inner barrel and the inner surface of the outer tube is sealed at a chamber-end and at a muzzle-end.   
     
     
         2 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the inner barrel comprises a chamber-mount end and a muzzle end, and wherein the outer tube surrounds the inner barrel for the entire length of the inner barrel. 
     
     
         3 . The firearm barrel of  claim 2 , wherein the chamber-mount end of the inner barrel comprises a temporary mount for temporarily affixing the inner barrel to the chamber of a firearm. 
     
     
         4 . The firearm barrel of  claim 2 , wherein the chamber-mount end of the inner barrel comprises a permanent mount for permanently affixing the inner barrel to the chamber of a firearm. 
     
     
         5 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening on the surface of the inner barrel is located in a portion of the inner barrel that extends from the chamber-end of the inner barrel to the center of the axis of the inner barrel. 
     
     
         6 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the gap between the outer surface of the inner barrel and the inner surface of the outer tube creates a void, and wherein the void is sealed at both ends. 
     
     
         7 . The firearm barrel of  claim 6 , wherein:
 gases emitted during the discharge of a firearm are forced through the at least one opening in the surface of the inner barrel into the void after a projectile is discharged from a chamber associated with the firearm into the inner barrel;   the gases that are forced into the void are retained within the void until the projectile exits the inner barrel; and   when the projectile exits the inner barrel, the gases that are retained within the void are released through the at least one opening in the surface of the inner barrel into the inner barrel.   
     
     
         8 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the gap between the outer surface of the inner barrel and the inner surface of the outer tube creates a void, and wherein the void is sealed at the muzzle end with a cap that comprises a hole aligned with the muzzle of the inner barrel and further comprises threads that mesh with threads located on the outer surface of the inner barrel. 
     
     
         9 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber-mount end of the inner barrel is aligned with the chamber of a firearm such that the chamber-mount end of the inner barrel accepts a projectile discharged from the chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more openings are sealed with a removable plug. 
     
     
         11 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more openings comprise partial openings, the partial openings comprising depressions on the surface of the inner barrel. 
     
     
         12 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more openings comprise partially drilled holes on the surface of the inner barrel. 
     
     
         13 . The firearm barrel of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover surrounding a portion of the length of the inner barrel, wherein the cover is free to move between at least two positions, wherein the at least two positions comprise a first position at which all of the one or more openings are left uncovered by the cover and a second position at which at least one of the one or more openings is covered by the cover.   
     
     
         14 . A method of making a firearm barrel, the method comprising the steps of:
 forming an inner barrel having a first diameter;   punching at least one opening through the surface of the inner barrel;   forming an outer tube surrounding the inner barrel, wherein the outer tube has a second diameter;   wherein the first diameter and second diameter are so dimensioned as to create a space between the outer surface of the inner barrel and the inner surface of the outer tube.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 wherein the inner barrel comprises a chamber-mount end and a muzzle end, and wherein the outer tube surrounds the inner barrel for the entire length of the inner barrel; and   attaching a temporary mount at the chamber-mount end of the inner barrel, the temporary mount being operable to temporarily affix the inner barrel to the chamber of a firearm.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 wherein the inner barrel comprises a chamber-mount end and a muzzle end, and wherein the outer tube surrounds the inner barrel for the entire length of the inner barrel; and   attaching a permanent mount at the chamber-mount end of the inner barrel, the permanent mount being operable to permanently affix the inner barrel to the chamber of a firearm.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one opening on the surface of the inner barrel is located in a portion of the inner barrel that extends from the chamber-end of the inner barrel to the center of the axis of the inner barrel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 wherein the space between the outer surface of the inner barrel and the inner surface of the outer tube creates a void; and   sealing the void at both ends.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one opening punched through the surface of the inner barrel is dimensioned such that:
 gases emitted during the discharge of a firearm are forced through the at least one opening in the surface of the inner barrel into the void after a projectile is discharged from a chamber associated with the firearm and into the inner barrel;   the gases that are forced into the void are retained within the void until the projectile exits the inner barrel; and   when the projectile exits the inner barrel, the gases that are retained within the void are released through the at least one opening in the surface of the inner barrel into the inner barrel.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 wherein the space between the outer surface of the inner barrel and the inner surface of the outer tube creates a void; and   sealing the muzzle end of the void with a cap that comprises a hole aligned with the muzzle of the inner barrel and further comprises threads that mesh with threads located on the outer surface of the inner barrel.