US20070295197A1 - Firearm cartridge reloading devices and methods - Google Patents

Abstract

Firearm cartridge loading and reloading dies, such as a die having a metallic body with a cavity extending through the body and a sleeve inserted in the cavity. The sleeve is configured to receive a firearm cartridge and reconfigure the cartridge for loading or reloading. The sleeve can be metal, non-metallic ceramic, and/or.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60,776,577, filed Feb. 24, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
• The present disclosure is directed to devices and methods for loading and/or reloading firearm cartridges.
BACKGROUND
• Many shooting enthusiasts prefer to load or reload their own firearm cartridges with a reloading press. Although shooters often reload cartridges simply as a hobby, shooters are also able to save money and fine tune the accuracy and specific loads of their cartridges by reloading themselves. For example, shooters can adjust the weight of the load and bullet in the cartridge for specific applications, such as using a lighter load for practice or target shooting. Conventional reloading presses accept a reloading die for reconfiguring or reshaping the cartridge case before or after firing. Common reloading dies include full-length, neck, and seating dies. Typical cartridge cases, such as straight wall or bottleneck cartridges, are formed of malleable brass and are forcibly inserted into a bore in a resizing die. Forcibly inserting the cartridge in the die causes the brass to deform and assume the dimensions of the die's central bore. The process resizes the fired cartridge case to desired dimensions in preparation for inserting a new primer, new propellant, and a new bullet.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a conventional reloading dieassembly100. Theassembly100 includes adie110 and acap assembly150. The die110 includes abody112 having an internal bore (not shown). Thebody112 includes a plurality ofexternal threads114 and alock nut112 disposed on thethreads114. The die112 can be secured to a press (not shown) by mating theexternal threads114 to internal threads of the press and tightening thelock nut112 to secure thedie112 to the press. The die110 also includes anopening118 at the external threaded portion of the die that is configured to receive the cartridge for shaping and reloading. Thecap150 includes acylindrical top portion152 having a plurality ofexternal threads154 and asecond lock nut156 disposed on thethreads154. Thecap assembly150 is threaded into the bore of thedie110 by mating thethreads154 with internal threads (not shown) of the bore, and thelock nut156 secures thetop portion152 in place.
• For durability and correct shaping of the cartridges, conventional dies such as the die100 illustrated inFIG. 1, are typically constructed of steel and have steel or other metallic inner bore surfaces to contact and resize the cartridges. These metallic inner surfaces are manufactured on lathes, which can be time consuming for manufacturers using manual lathes and cost prohibitive for manufacturers to use an automated lathe. Moreover, the machining process creates a large amount of scrap relative to the finished product. Disposing of or recycling the scrap is also time consuming and expensive. In addition, when reconfiguring the cartridges in the die, the metal-to-metal contact of the die to the cartridge requires lubrication to prevent the cartridge from sticking in the die following the resizing. Lubricating the cartridges creates additional time and expense in the reloading process. For example, a shooter must lubricate the cartridges before resizing and remove the lubricant after resizing before the cartridge is reloaded with powder. In addition, if the lubricant is not adequately removed before firing the cartridge, the lubricant can foul the chamber of a firearm thereby creating a hazardous firing condition. Accordingly, a need exists to improve reloading devices and methods.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a reloading firearm die in accordance with the prior art.
• FIGS. 2-6 are schematic cross-sectional side views of reloading dies in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
• FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a reloading die in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• A. Overview
• The following disclosure describes several embodiments of firearm cartridge loading and reloading dies. For the purposes of this disclosure, reloading dies include, but are not limited to, full-length, neck, and seating dies, capable of configuring straight wall, bottleneck, belted, beltless or other cartridges. In addition, reloading dies may reconfigure used firearm cartridges as well as new firearm cartridges. One embodiment of a cartridge reloading die is directed to a die including a housing having a cavity and a sleeve coupled to the housing in the cavity. The housing is composed of a first material; and the sleeve is composed of a second material. The sleeve includes a first internal portion having a first diameter and a second internal portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.
• In another embodiment, a die for reloading a firearm cartridge includes a body composed of a first material and having a cavity extending through the body. The die also includes an insert fixedly connected to the cavity of the body. The insert is composed of a second material different from the first material and the insert includes a bore that is configured to at least partially receive a cartridge for shaping at least a portion of the cartridge. The bore has a first diameter and a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.
• In yet another embodiment, a die for reloading a firearm cartridge includes a body having an interior bore. The bore includes a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, wherein the second portion is coated with a ceramic material and configured to at least partially receive a cartridge.
• In another embodiment, a cartridge reloading die includes a body composed of a first exterior metallic portion, a second interior non-metallic portion, and a third interior portion. The die also includes a cavity in the body. The second portion of the body defines a bore portion of the cavity configured for at least partially shaping a cartridge, and the third interior portion defines an engaging portion of the cavity configured for engaging a cap member.
• Another embodiment is directed to a method of manufacturing a firearm cartridge reloading die. The method includes forming a bore in a die body and positioning a sleeve member in the bore. The sleeve member has a first diameter and a second diameter less than the first diameter. The cavity is configured to releasably contact a cartridge at least partially inserted into the cavity for shaping at least a portion of the cartridge.
• Specific details of several embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to firearm cartridge reloading dies; however several details describing well-known structures or processes often associated with reloading dies are not set forth in the following description for purposes of brevity and clarity. Also, several other embodiments of the invention can have different configurations, components, or procedures than those described in this section. A person of ordinary skill in the art, therefore, will understand that the invention may have other embodiments with additional elements, or the invention may have other embodiments without several of the elements shown and described below with reference toFIGS. 1-6.
• Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural or singular term, respectively. Moreover, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only a single item exclusive from other items in reference to a list of at least two items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. Additionally, the term “comprising” is used throughout to mean including at least the recited feature(s) such that any greater number of the same features and/or other types of features and components are not precluded.
• B. Embodiments of Firearm Cartridge Reloading Dies
• FIG. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of a cartridge reloading die200 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the die200 may be a full length die, neck die, seating die or other type of die capable of resizing different types of firearm cartridges. The die includes a housing orbody214 having a plurality ofexternal threads226 and a bore orcavity216. Thebody214 is made of an alloy steel or similar metal suitable for precision machining. Theexternal threads226 mate with internal threads of a press (not shown), and a lock nut (not shown) disposed on theexternal threads226 secures the die200 to the press. Thecavity216 extends through thebody214 of thedie200 and through a bushing orsleeve portion218, and is configured to receive a firearm cartridge inserted into alower portion210 of thedie200. One skilled in the art will appreciate that thecavity216 can be configured to receive different types of cartridges, such as straight wall, bottleneck, belted, beltless, or other types of cartridges for example. Thedie200 also includes anupper portion260 having a first diameter less than a second diameter of thelower portion210. In some embodiments, thebody214 has a single diameter that extends through the length of the die. Thesleeve218 extends through thebody214 and also includes a plurality ofinternal threads234 on anupper section224 of thesleeve218. Theinner threads234 are configured to receive a cap assembly (not shown) as is conventional in the art for reloading cartridges. Thesleeve218 can also include atransition surface222 between theupper portion260 and thelower portion210 of thedie200.
• Thesleeve218 is coupled to thebody214 and forms acontact surface220 for contacting and resizing cartridges inserted into thedie200. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 2, thesleeve218 is composed of a non-metallic material. For example, thesleeve218 may be composed of a synthetic or ceramic material in specific embodiments. Forming thesleeve218 of a non-metallic material provides many advantages over conventional cartridge reloading dies. By inserting anon-metallic sleeve218 or bushing into thebody214 of thedie200, significant portions of thedie body214 can be molded or formed with out machining. For example, thesleeve218 can be formed by a molding manufacturing process. As a result, decreasing the machining process of thedie200 on a lathe can significantly reduce the cost and waste associated with manufacturing thedie200. Additionally, thenon-metallic sleeve218 andnon-metallic contact surface220 are configured to reshape or resize the cartridge and release the cartridge from thecavity216 such that the cartridge does not stick in thecavity216. More specifically, lubricant is not required to prevent the cartridge from sticking to thenon-metallic sleeve218 following resizing of the cartridge. For example, a ceramic orsynthetic sleeve218 andcontact surface220 resizing a metal cartridge will not cause the cartridge to stick in thesleeve218. Eliminating the need to lubricate the cartridge reduces the time and expense of the reloading process by eliminating the steps of applying the lubricant before resizing the cartridge and removing the lubricant after resizing the cartridge. Moreover, eliminating the lubricant also eliminates the danger of leaving residual lubricant on the cartridge after resizing, which can corrupt the load and also foul the firearm chamber creating a hazardous firing condition.
• In certain embodiments thesleeve218 is removably attached to thebody214 of thedie200. Aremovable sleeve218 provides the additional flexibility of replacing thecontact surface220 of the die200 as thecontact surface220 becomes worn over time or is damaged, without having to replace theentire die200. Replacing only thesleeve portion218 of the die200 saves the time and expense of replacing thewhole die unit200. In addition, reinserting thesleeve218 can be cheaper than remanufacturing theentire die200. For example, in one embodiment thesleeve218 is formed by molding, which can be significantly cheaper than manufacturing the bore orcavity216 of thedie200 on a lathe. In addition, in some embodiments, removing thesleeve218 can facilitate removing a cartridge from thedie218 after the cartridge has been reconfigured.
• FIGS. 3-6 are schematic cross-sectional views of a cartridge reloading die200 in accordance with other embodiments of the invention. Like reference characters refer to like components inFIGS. 3-6 andFIG. 2, and thus the description of such components will not be repeated with reference toFIG. 3-6. Referring specifically toFIG. 3, thedie300 is generally similar to the die200 described above with reference toFIG. 2. The illustrateddie300, however, includes abody314 that is formed from a non-metallic material. For example, thebody314 of thedie300 can be a synthetic or ceramic material, rather than a conventional steel body. The non-metallic die300 can provide similar performance characteristics as thedie200 shown inFIG. 2, while also reducing the time and cost of manufacturing thedie300. Specifically, thedie300 can be formed using manufacturing processes other than those required for machining the steel die200. For example, in certain embodiments theentire body314 of thedie300 can be formed by a molding process. A molding process at least partially reduces the scrap material produced in manufacturing dies described above and accordingly reduces the time and cost of disposing of or recycling the scrap material. In addition, thecontact surface220 of thenon-metallic body314 does not require a lubricant to release a cartridge from thecavity216 following reconfiguration of the cartridge.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cartridge reloading die400 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The difference between the die200 shown inFIG. 2 and thedie400 shown inFIG. 4 is that thesleeve418 does not extend all the way through thebody414. It will be appreciated that the sleeve and body configuration ofFIG. 4 can be incorporated with the other embodiments described in this disclosure. Another difference illustrated inFIG. 4 is that thedie400 has anon-metallic body414 andmetallic sleeve418. For example, thebody414 is formed of a ceramic or synthetic material and thesleeve418 is formed of a steel alloy. The configuration of thenon-metallic body414 andmetallic sleeve418 provides the benefit of maintaining high tolerances of thecontact surface220 in thecavity216 formed of themetallic sleeve418, while still allowing a significant portion of the die400 to be formed from less expensive and time consuming manufacturing processes, such as molding for example. In addition, if thebody414 of thedie400 becomes worn or damaged, thesleeve418 can be removed from thebody414 and anew body414 can be attached to thesleeve418.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cartridge reloading die500 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The difference between the die200 shown inFIG. 2 and thedie500 shown inFIG. 5 is that thedie500 is formed of ametallic body214 having a non-metallic plating or coating540 on thecontact surface220 of thecavity216 in thebody214. In certain embodiments thenon-metallic coating540 is a ceramic or synthetic coating having similar performance characteristics to thesleeve218 described above. For example, thecoating540 eliminates the need for applying a lubricant to a cartridge inserted into thedie500, which in turn reduces the number of steps in resizing or reconfiguring the cartridge. Moreover, thecoating540 can be replated or reapplied if the coating becomes worn or damaged or otherwise incapable of holding the required tolerances for reconfiguring cartridges, thus reducing the expense of replacing theentire die500.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cartridge reloading die600 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The difference between the die200 shown inFIG. 2 and thedie600 shown inFIG. 6 is that thebody614 of thedie600 is formed of a plurality of layers. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, thebody614 comprises afirst layer670, asecond layer674 and athird layer678. In certain embodiments, thefirst layer670 is metallic, thesecond layer674 is non-metallic, and thethird layer678 is metallic. For example, the first andthird layers670 and678 can be steel, and thesecond layer674 can be a synthetic or ceramic material. The layers of thebody614 are configured such that the surface of the non-metallicsecond layer674 is thecontact surface220 for receiving and reshaping cartridges. Accordingly, thenon-metallic contact surface220 can have similar performance characteristics and benefits of the non-metallic portions or contact surfaces of the die as described above. In another embodiment illustrated inFIG. 6, thebody614 comprises two layers rather than three layers. For example, thebody614 includes a metallicouter layer688 and a non-metallicinner layer684 extending the full-length of thedie600. Theinner layer684 also forms thecontact surface628 for receiving and resizing cartridges inserted into thecavity216, and have similar performance characteristics and benefits of the non-metallic portions or contact surfaces described above.
• FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating aprocess700 that can be used for manufacturing the cartridge reloading die200 described above. Theprocess700 can include forming a bore in a die body at ablock710. In certain embodiments the bore can be metallic and can be formed in a molding or casing process. At a block720 a sleeve member is positioned in the bore. The sleeve member can have a first and a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter. The sleeve member can be configured to releasably contact a cartridge that is at least partially inserted into the cavity for shaping or reconfiguring at least a portion of the cartridge. In certain embodiments, the sleeve member can be non-metallic, such as a ceramic or synthetic material, and can be formed in a molding or casting process.
• From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the invention. Furthermore, aspects of the invention described in the context of particular embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Further, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the invention have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims (25)

1. A cartridge reloading die, the die comprising:

a housing having a cavity, wherein the housing is composed of a first material; and

a sleeve coupled to the housing in the cavity, wherein the sleeve is composed of a second material and includes a first internal portion having a first diameter and a second internal portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

2. The die ofclaim 1 wherein the sleeve further comprises a transition portion between the first and second internal portions having a generally tapering diameter between the first and second diameters.

3. The die ofclaim 1 wherein the second material is non-metallic.

4. The die ofclaim 3 wherein the first material comprises a synthetic material.

5. The die ofclaim 3 wherein the non-metallic material comprises a ceramic material.

6. The die ofclaim 1 wherein the first material is metallic.

7. The die ofclaim 1 wherein the housing and the sleeve are integral components of the die.

8. The die ofclaim 7 wherein the first and second materials are non-metallic.

9. The die ofclaim 1 wherein the sleeve is removable from the housing.

10. The die ofclaim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises a single piece.

11. The die ofclaim 1 wherein at least a portion of the cavity is threaded and at least an exterior portion of the housing is threaded.

12. A die for reloading a firearm cartridge, the die comprising:

a body composed of a first material, the body having a cavity extending through the body; and

an insert fixedly connected to the cavity of the body, wherein the insert is composed of a second material different from the first material and includes a bore that is configured to at least partially receive a cartridge for shaping at least a portion of the cartridge, wherein the bore has a first diameter and a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

13. The die ofclaim 12 wherein the first material is metallic and the second material is non-metallic.

14. The die ofclaim 13 wherein the second material comprises ceramic.

15. The die ofclaim 13 wherein the second material comprises a synthetic material.

16. The die ofclaim 12 wherein the bore is coated with a ceramic material.

17. The die ofclaim 12 wherein the bore is configured for removing the cartridge after shaping at least a portion of the cartridge.

18. The die ofclaim 17 wherein the bore is configured for removing the cartridge without a lubricant.

19. A die for reloading a firearm cartridge, the die comprising a body having an interior bore, wherein the bore includes a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, wherein the second portion is coated with a ceramic material and configured to at least partially receive a cartridge.

20. A cartridge reloading die, the die comprising:

a body composed of a first exterior metallic portion, a second interior non-metallic portion, and a third interior portion; and

a cavity in the body, wherein the second portion defines a bore portion of the cavity configured for at least partially shaping a cartridge, and the third interior portion defines an engaging portion of the cavity configured for engaging a cap member.

21. The die ofclaim 19 wherein the third interior portion is metallic.

22. A method of manufacturing a firearm cartridge reloading die, the method comprising:

forming a bore in a die body; and

positioning a sleeve member in the bore, wherein the sleeve member has a first diameter and a second diameter less than the first diameter, and wherein the cavity is configured to releasably contact a cartridge at least partially inserted into the cavity for shaping at least a portion of the cartridge.

23. The method ofclaim 22 wherein the bore is metallic and the sleeve member is non-metallic.

24. The method ofclaim 22 wherein the sleeve member is composed of a ceramic or synthetic material.

25. The method ofclaim 22 wherein forming the bore comprising molding or casting the bore, the method further comprising molding or casting the sleeve member.

Images