Rifle with noise damper

Abstract

A rifle barrel having a sound suppressor and a rifle comprising such a barrel. Material disposed over the rifle barrel and extending longitudinally and distally from a proximal end of the rifle barrel defines a housing, The housing surrounds at least a majority of the sound suppressing element, which is connected to the rifle barrel solely by containment within the housing. The sound suppressing comprises an acoustic labyrinth formed by a plurality of components disposed together along a longitudinal plane coextensive with an axis of the rifle barrel.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A rifle comprising a noise damper, the noise damper comprising an over-molded or over-injected structure having a barrel portion extending longitudinally from a proximal end of a barrel of the rifle and a housing portion extending longitudinally and distally from a muzzle end of the rifle barrel and a noise damper insert disposed within the housing portion of the structure, the noise damper coupled to the rifle barrel by a coupling that permits no movement between the noise damper housing portion and the rifle barrel, wherein the coupling structurally consists of the over-molded or over-injected structure disposed over the rifle barrel and extending to form the housing portion such that the over-molded or over-injected structure and the rifle barrel form a single, integral assembly. 
     
     
         2 . The rifle of  claim 1 , further comprising a front sight fixed to the housing portion, the front sight configured to be always centered with a rear sight because of the noise damper over-molded or over-injected over the rifle barrel. 
     
     
         3 . The rifle of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover on a distal end of the housing portion. 
     
     
         4 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the noise damper insert is disposed adjacent the muzzle end of the rifle barrel. 
     
     
         5 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the housing portion entirely surrounds the noise damper insert. 
     
     
         6 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein noise damper insert has a plurality of partitions that at least partly define an acoustic labyrinth. 
     
     
         7 . The rifle of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover on a distal end of the housing portion. 
     
     
         8 . The rifle  claim 1 , further comprising a sight affixed to the housing portion. 
     
     
         9 . The rifle of  claim 8 , wherein the sight is a front sight. 
     
     
         10 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the noise damper over-molded or over-injected over the rifle barrel is in direct contact with the rifle barrel. 
     
     
         11 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the noise damper over-molded or over-injected onto to rifle barrel is in direct contact with the rifle barrel. 
     
     
         12 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the noise damper insert comprises a plurality of parts assembled together. 
     
     
         13 . The rifle of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of parts defines a longitudinal central passage therebetween that comprises a longitudinal extension of a bore of the rifle barrel. 
     
     
         14 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the over-molded or over-injected structure has a relatively larger outside diameter in the housing portion and tapers to a relatively smaller outside diameter in the barrel portion. 
     
     
         15 . The rifle of  claim 14 , wherein the over-molded or over-injected structure has a relatively thicker cross sectional thickness adjacent the muzzle end of the barrel and tapers to respective relatively thinner cross sectional thicknesses proximally and distally therefrom. 
     
     
         16 . A rifle having a noise damper, the rifle comprising a product formed by a process comprising the steps of:
 coupling a noise damper on a rifle barrel using a coupling that permits no movement between the noise damper and the rifle barrel, wherein the coupling structurally consists of an over-molded or over-injected structure having a barrel portion extending longitudinally from a proximal end of the rifle barrel and a housing portion extending longitudinally and distally from a muzzle end of the rifle barrel such that the over-molded or over-injected structure and the rifle barrel form an integral assembly, and   inserting a noise damper insert inside the housing portion such that the housing portion houses and radially surrounds at least a majority of the noise damper insert.   
     
     
         17 . The rifle of  claim 16 , wherein the housing portion entirely surrounds the noise damper insert. 
     
     
         18 . The rifle of  claim 16 , wherein a portion of the over-molded or over-injected material is in direct contact with the rifle barrel. 
     
     
         19 . The rifle of  claim 16 , wherein the noise damper insert comprises a plurality of parts assembled together. 
     
     
         20 . The rifle of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of parts consists of two parts. 
     
     
         21 . The rifle of  claim 16 , further comprising a front sight fixed to the housing portion, the front sight configured to be always centered with a rear sight because of the noise damper over-molded or over-injected over the rifle barrel. 
     
     
         22 . The rifle of  claim 16 , wherein the noise damper insert has a plurality of partitions that at least partly define an acoustic labyrinth. 
     
     
         23 . The rifle of  claim 16 , wherein the over-molded or over-injected structure has a relatively larger outside diameter in the housing portion and tapers to a relatively smaller outside diameter in the barrel portion. 
     
     
         24 . The rifle of  claim 23 , wherein the over-molded or over-injected structure has a relatively thicker cross sectional thickness adjacent the muzzle end of the barrel and tapers to respective relatively thinner cross sectional thicknesses proximally and distally therefrom.