Muzzle-loading firearm and easily removable breech plug for use therewith

Abstract

A muzzle-loading firearm includes a breech plug for mating, non-threaded engagement with a housing located at the breech end of an axial bore of the firearm barrel. The breech plug includes a body member having opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that when the breech plug is positioned within the housing, the outer surface is spaced close to the inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the breech plug from the housing. The body member is formed with a passageway for fluidly communicating ignition with a powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded. The ignition source (primer or percussion cap) can be inserted directly to a chamber in the first end of the body member or alternatively, to a chamber in the breech area of the firearm itself where that chamber fluidly communicates with the passageway at the first end of the body member. The body member may have a powder chamber for receiving and retaining at least part of a powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded. The material and dimensions of the body member may be such that the body member deforms radially outwardly so that the outer surface of the body member and the inside surface of the housing form an essentially gas-tight seal during firing. The powder chamber contains much of the powder residue generated by the firing. In order to insure that the muzzle-loader cannot be readily used as, or converted to, a breech-loading firearm, different muzzle-loader/breech plug design features are presented. With one design feature, the maximum cross-sectional inner dimension of the housing is less than the diameter of the bore of the barrel. With another design feature, alignment of the firing pin and primer chamber (or hammer and percussion cap holder) is along an axis not centered with the axial bore of the barrel. The cross-sectional shape of the housing and breech plug may be non-cylindrical. For example, the cross-sectional shape can be oblong, essentially triangular, etc. Thus, conventional, breech-loading ammunition will not be effectively usable in the muzzle-loading firearm.

1 . A muzzle-loading firearm comprising:
 a barrel having a breech end and an axial bore;   a non-threaded housing located at the breech end of the barrel wherein the housing is non-cylindrical in cross section; and   a non-threaded and non-cylindrical breech plug in mating engagement with the housing and including a body member having opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that the outer surface is spaced away from an inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the plug and a passageway for fluidly communicating the first end with a powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded.   
   
   
       2 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the body member is formed with a primer chamber for receiving and retaining a primer or percussion cap at the first end that fluidly communicates with the passageway and may further include a notch adjacent to the primer chamber to permit the primer or percussion cap to be removed from the primer chamber. 
   
   
       3 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the body member is formed with a powder chamber for receiving and retaining at least part of the powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded. 
   
   
       4 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material and dimensions of the body member are such that the body member deforms radially outwardly so that the outer surface of the body member and the housing form an essentially gas-tight seal during firing and the powder chamber contains much of the powder residue generated by the firing. 
   
   
       5 . The firearm as claimed in  1 , wherein a primer chamber for receiving and holding a primer or percussion cap is located in the breech area of firearm itself and a passageway is included in the firearm that is aligned with the passageway at the first end of the breech plug such that it fluidly communicates ignition to the powder charge at the second end of the breech plug when the firearm is closed and loaded and may further include a notch adjacent to the primer chamber to permit the primer or percussion cap to be removed from the primer chamber. 
   
   
       6 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an ejector and a lateral peripheral rim portion at the first end of the breech plug to allow the plug to be ejected from the firearm by the ejector. 
   
   
       7 . A breech plug configured for mating engagement with a non-cylindrical housing located at a breech end of a barrel of a muzzle-loading firearm, the plug comprising:
 a non-threaded body member having a non-cylindrical cross section, opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that the outer surface is spaced from an inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the plug, wherein the body member is formed with a primer chamber for receiving and retaining a primer or a percussion cap at the first end and a passageway for fluidly communicating the primer chamber with the second end.   
   
   
       8 . A breech plug configured for mating engagement with a non-cylindrical housing located at a breech end of a barrel of a muzzle-loading firearm, the plug comprising:
 a non-threaded body member having a non-cylindrical cross section, opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that the outer surface is spaced from an inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the plug, wherein the body member is formed with a passageway for fluidly communicating the first end with the second end.   
   
   
       9 . A muzzle-loading firearm comprising:
 a barrel having a breech end and an axial bore;   a firing pin and primer chamber not centered with the axial bore of the barrel;   a non-threaded housing located at the breech end of the barrel; and   a non-threaded breech plug in mating engagement with the housing and including a body member having opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that the outer surface is spaced away from an inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the plug and a passageway that aligns to an ignition source, for fluidly communicating the first end with a powder charge at the second end when the firearm is closed and loaded.   
   
   
       10 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the body member is formed with a primer chamber for receiving and retaining a primer or percussion cap at the first end that fluidly communicates with the passageway and may further include a notch adjacent to the chamber to permit the primer or percussion cap to be removed from the primer chamber. 
   
   
       11 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the body member is formed with a powder chamber for receiving and retaining at least part of the powder charge at the second end when the firearm is loaded. 
   
   
       12 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the material and dimensions of the body member are such that the body member deforms radially outwardly so that the outer surface of the body member and the housing form an essentially gas-tight seal during firing and the powder chamber contains much of the powder residue generated by the firing. 
   
   
       13 . The firearm as claimed in  9 , wherein a primer chamber for receiving and holding a primer or percussion cap is located in the breech area of firearm itself and a passageway is included in the firearm that is aligned with the passageway at the first end of the breech plug such that it fluidly communicates ignition to the powder charge at the second end of the breech plug when the firearm is closed and loaded and may further include a notch adjacent to the primer chamber to permit the primer or percussion cap to be removed from the primer chamber. 
   
   
       14 . The firearm as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising an ejector and a lateral peripheral rim portion at the first end of the breech plug to allow the plug to be ejected from the firearm by the ejector. 
   
   
       15 . A breech plug configured for mating engagement with a housing located at a breech end of a barrel of a muzzle-loading firearm, the plug comprising:
 a non-threaded body member having opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that the outer surface is spaced from an inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the plug, wherein the body member is formed with a primer chamber for receiving and retaining a primer or a percussion cap at the first end that is not centered with the bore of the barrel and a passageway for fluidly communicating the primer chamber with the second end.   
   
   
       16 . A breech plug configured for mating engagement with a housing located at a breech end of a barrel of a muzzle-loading firearm, the plug comprising:
 a non-threaded body member having opposite first and second ends and an outer surface between the ends and configured so that the outer surface is spaced from an inside surface of the housing to facilitate insertion and removal of the plug, wherein the body member is formed with a passageway for fluidly communicating the first end with the second end wherein the passageway is not centered with the bore of the barrel at the first end of the body member.