Secret silent cartridge design

Here's a blast from the past. A silent cartridge with six pieces, one being an internal piston that drives the bullet (fourth piece) out of the case. As opposed to a regular cartridge which could be done with stampings, this would be expensive to make. Note how the bullet has a band around it too.

Fig255Whisper7621x.jpg


http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/334799.pdf

Wouldn't mind doing one just to play with. I'd use brass for the base.
 
So the cartridge remains pressurized after the round is fired?
Does that mean the round must remain chambered until the pressure is somehow bled out?
 
The above is basically the technology behind the .44 QSPR round, developed for Vietnam 'Tunnel Rats'. The Soviets did develop, and issue, some similar encapsulated rounds in a few different calibers and case lengths.
 
Interesting, Gary. Essentially, the gun barrel would be shortened to the length of the stroke of the piston. Once the piston bottoms out, the bullet is on its own, and no additional acceleration can take place. Worse yet, the longer the barrel, the more friction it would apply to the bullet, slowing it down.

Snub nosed revolver? better not let than piston stick into the barrel; it'll never turn again.
 
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