US12516917 - Expandable bullet
The patent describes an expandable bullet featuring a tip with a series of slits that create deformable petals, allowing for controlled expansion upon target penetration. The design includes deep and shallow slits that facilitate initial expansion, which is limited until specific tabs connecting the petals separate, enabling further expansion.
Claim 1
1 . An expandable bullet, comprising: a right circular cylindrical bullet base; a centre; and a tip; with the bullet base having a diameter that is consistent with the calibre of the bullet; with the bullet centre including at least one circumferential recess having a diameter smaller than the bullet base; with the tip extending from the centre into a tip base and terminating in a front end that is provided with a circular cylindrical core; with the tip being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slits formed into the tip, with the slits including deep slits each extending from the tip to proximate the bullet base and shallow slits each extending from the tip to proximate the centre; with the slits being circumferentially spaced apart around the tip and arranged alternatingly for each deep slit to be located between two shallow slits, and for each shallow slit to be located between two deep slits; with the tip being provided with a plurality of deformable main petals equal in number to the number of deep slits and each main petal being comprised of a section of the tip located between two deep slits and each main petal including a shallow slit between the deep slits defining it, and with each main petal being comprised of a pair of small petals located on opposing sides of the shallow slit therein, and each main petal being connected to a main petal base located between the adjacent deep slits in the bullet base; with each deep slit extending into the tip through the circumferential recess into the bullet base, and each shallow slit extending into the tip partly through the tip base to retain a segment of the tip base in place as a tab between the pair of small petals; operatively for expansion of the bullet upon penetrating a target to be controlled by the tab connecting each pair of small petals, with initial expansion being limited by the tabs between the pairs of small petals, up to a predetermined degree of expansion where separation of each tab from at least one of the small petals to which it is connected occurs to enable further expansion to be controlled by its main petal base, operatively for the bullet to expand into its main petals each with two small petals. a right circular cylindrical bullet base; a centre; and a tip; with the bullet base having a diameter that is consistent with the calibre of the bullet; with the bullet centre including at least one circumferential recess having a diameter smaller than the bullet base; with the tip extending from the centre into a tip base and terminating in a front end that is provided with a circular cylindrical core; with the tip being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slits formed into the tip, with the slits including deep slits each extending from the tip to proximate the bullet base and shallow slits each extending from the tip to proximate the centre; with the slits being circumferentially spaced apart around the tip and arranged alternatingly for each deep slit to be located between two shallow slits, and for each shallow slit to be located between two deep slits; with the tip being provided with a plurality of deformable main petals equal in number to the number of deep slits and each main petal being comprised of a section of the tip located between two deep slits and each main petal including a shallow slit between the deep slits defining it, and with each main petal being comprised of a pair of small petals located on opposing sides of the shallow slit therein, and each main petal being connected to a main petal base located between the adjacent deep slits in the bullet base; with each deep slit extending into the tip through the circumferential recess into the bullet base, and each shallow slit extending into the tip partly through the tip base to retain a segment of the tip base in place as a tab between the pair of small petals; operatively for expansion of the bullet upon penetrating a target to be controlled by the tab connecting each pair of small petals, with initial expansion being limited by the tabs between the pairs of small petals, up to a predetermined degree of expansion where separation of each tab from at least one of the small petals to which it is connected occurs to enable further expansion to be controlled by its main petal base, operatively for the bullet to expand into its main petals each with two small petals. with the bullet base having a diameter that is consistent with the calibre of the bullet; with the bullet centre including at least one circumferential recess having a diameter smaller than the bullet base; with the tip extending from the centre into a tip base and terminating in a front end that is provided with a circular cylindrical core; with the tip being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slits formed into the tip, with the slits including deep slits each extending from the tip to proximate the bullet base and shallow slits each extending from the tip to proximate the centre; with the slits being circumferentially spaced apart around the tip and arranged alternatingly for each deep slit to be located between two shallow slits, and for each shallow slit to be located between two deep slits; with the tip being provided with a plurality of deformable main petals equal in number to the number of deep slits and each main petal being comprised of a section of the tip located between two deep slits and each main petal including a shallow slit between the deep slits defining it, and with each main petal being comprised of a pair of small petals located on opposing sides of the shallow slit therein, and each main petal being connected to a main petal base located between the adjacent deep slits in the bullet base; with each deep slit extending into the tip through the circumferential recess into the bullet base, and each shallow slit extending into the tip partly through the tip base to retain a segment of the tip base in place as a tab between the pair of small petals; operatively for expansion of the bullet upon penetrating a target to be controlled by the tab connecting each pair of small petals, with initial expansion being limited by the tabs between the pairs of small petals, up to a predetermined degree of expansion where separation of each tab from at least one of the small petals to which it is connected occurs to enable further expansion to be controlled by its main petal base, operatively for the bullet to expand into its main petals each with two small petals.
Google Patents
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12516917
USPTO PDF
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12516917