2,480,141

Patented Aug. 30, 1949

, UNITED STATES m'rfrznrlorrrce l

PREIER

William N. K.ing,-Afl'oka, Minn, assigner to. Fed

eral Gartridge Corpcratiom. D?nneapclis, Minnav
a corporation of Minnesota

No Drawing. Applicationil?ugnst 22, 1944,

Serial No. 558,668 ~

'

5' aims. (01.52-4)

This invention relates to primermixtures and

more particularly to non-mercuric primer mix
tures capable of performance. equal to or superior
to mercury fulminate now presently available.
It is an object of the invention to provide primer

mixtures, of the aforesaid non-mercuric char

.7

. cellulose, ground gun cotton, - powdered trinitrm

toluene, nitrostarch . or pentaerythritol tetra-I

nitrate.
As the sensitizer icatalyst) there may be uti?

lizcd tetracene or powdered glass.

An exemplary composition or the present in~

vention is as follows
acter. It is. also an object of the invention to
.
7
Per cent
provide a primer mixture having a sensitivity
Basic lead styphnate _.__1H...__._-_-;l_.___40'i 3
equal or superior to that of mercury fulminate
mixtures, one that is capable of uniform per 10 Barium nitrate ______________________ __42 i 3
Antimony sul?de _____________________ __11 i 2
formance, and more particularly capable of sta
Nitrocellulose ________________________ __ 6 i 2
bility at extreme climatic temperatures and under
Tetracene:
conditions of humidity approaching saturation.
Range ____________________________ __0.3 to 5
It is particularly an object of the invention to
overcome the instability manifested by mercuric 15 Preferred range ___________________ __0.5 to 2
primer mixtures under temperature conditions
The aforesaid speci?c primer mixture is espe
in excess of 100 F. and humidity in excess of
cialiy useful for shotgun shells. The mixture is
75% relative. humidity. It is also an object of
loaded with an average dry weight of charge of
the invention to provide a primer mixture capable
1.0 grain, utilizing a standard primer cup, stand
of satisfactory performance at sub-zero tempera 20 ard battery cup with 0.090" ?ash hole and a
tures and one that will eliminate the difliculty of
standard anvil. The sensitivity of the primer
"blown primers, and that may be manufactured
of the present invention is about the same as the
at a satisfactory cost as compared to the other
regular mercury fulminate primer mixture and
primer mixtures available.
may be varied by increasing or decreasing the
I have discovered that the aforesaid objects
amount of sensitizer in the mixture. Increased
are ful?lled by a non-mercuric primer mixture
amounts of sensitizer increase the sensitivity of
wherein the primer explosive is basic lead styph
the mixture.
nate. The primer mixture may desirably con
Ballistic tests show that this primer mixture

tain an oxidizer, a fuel, an explosive fuel and, if

can in general be used with the smokeless powders

desired, a sensitizer. Throughout the present 30 now in use, to give loads having a uniformity
speci?cation and claims all percentages given are
equal to or better than that encountered when
on a dry weight basis, the entire composition
utilizing the mercury primers heretofore avail
being 100%.
able.
The primary explosive, viz. basic lead styph
The primer mixture is particularly stable.
nate is utilized in an amount representing 35-45% 35 Tests on primers stored at 110-120 F. and also at
of the primer composition. As the oxidizer there
140 F. with an 80-90% humidity show the non
may be utilized barium nitrate in an amount
mercuric primer of the present invention to be
representing 37-47% of the mixture. In addi
superior to standard mercury fulminate primers.
tion to the primary explosive and oxidizer there
Tests made after cooling the loaded cartridges
40
is used a fuel in an amount ranging from 12-22%
to 40 F. indicate no hang?res. Random ?ring
of the mixture. If desired, the fuel may be com
gives good results with the non-mercuric primers
posed of a simple fuel in an amount ranging from
of the present invention, and since it is less vio
55-14% and an explosive fuel in an amount rang
lent with the mercury fulminate primers it is
ing from 3-9%. The sensitizer or catalyst is
helpfu1 in eliminating blown primers. The cost
likewise included in an amount ranging from
of the primer mixture of the present invention
0% to 2%_
compares favorably with the mercury fulminate
> As the oxidizer there may be utilized barium
imixtures, being equal to or less than the fulmi
nitrate, lead nitrate, potassium chlorate, lead
nate primer costs.
peroxide or other suitable oxidizing salt.
As many apparently widely different embodi
As the simple fuel there may be utilized anti
ments of this invention may be made without de
mony sul?de, lead sulfocyanate, copper sulfocyan
parting from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to
ate, calcium silicide, or metallic magnesium,
be
understood that I do not limit myself to the
aluminum, zirconium or other material capable
speci?c embodiments herein except as de?ned
of burning with ?ying embers.
As the explosive fuel there may be utilized nitro 55 by the appended claims.

2,480,141

What I claim is:

1. A non-mercuric primer mixture comprising
basic lead styphnate in an amount ranging from
35% to not more than 45% of the total weight of
the mixture, 39-45% oxidizer and a small per
centage, not exceeding 5%, of sensitizer.

4
5. A non-mercuric primer mixture having the
following formula:
Per cent
Basic lead styphnate ________________ __37 to 43
Barium nitrate _____________________ __39 to 45

2. A non-imercuricl mixture'fcomprising loasi'cfv

Antimony sul?de ____ -1.

'

_j:4 to

to 43 % of the total weight of the mixture, 3945 %

oxidizer and a small percentage, not exceeding
5%, of sensitizer.

Tetracene'"_;_'___i;___;;

____ __0.2 to

lead styphnateinanz'amount ranginglefromi37 %"z

Nitrocellulose;

'

___ 9 to 13

WILLIAM N. KING.

REFERENCES CITED
3. A non-mercuric primer mixture comprising " '
37% to 40 % basic lead styphnate, 39%:t045 %, ox-r, 1, .;-.;The followingreferences are of record in the

idizer, 12% to 22% fuel and: a'small"Percentage,>-; '

not exceeding 5%, of sensitizer.

J-?le <i>f this: Patent

4. A non-mercuric primer mixture ,comprisin

35% to less than 45% of basic lead styphnate "
37-47% of an oxidizer selected from the class

consisting of barium nitrate, lead nitrate,'-potas

sium chlorate and lead vperborate, 8-14% of fuel
selected from the: class .consisting-ofdead rsulfo-r

STATES PATENTS

Number

Name

_:1,,,31_2,v156
1,889,116
I

Date

Buell _____________ __ Aug. 5, 1919

Herz _____________ __ Nov. 29, 1932
,-f

"

_-

"1,928,208

metallic magnesium, metallic, aluminum -_and

metallic zirconium, 3-9% Iofan explosive fuel se

2,137,234

4 Nev- 2.2, .1938

2,255,230 I "

_ Decin9, 1941

lected from the class, consisting of nitrocellulose;

nitrostarch, ground gun "cotton, powdered trini
trotoluene and pentaerythritol;tetranitrate-and
0-,-2% 'of-a sensitizer selected from the class con
sisting vof tetracene and powdered-:glasstgg-i "x '

" "

cyanate, coplper- sulfocyanate,v calcium silicide,

2,268,372; ' "

3275:1691
2,275,170;

2,275,173."
weave

. 2,356,210

'_ Sept.'26,'19,33
25)

~ Dec. 30;.1941

:Mar; 113,: 1942

_ Mar,"3, 1942

'_.Mar.- .3, 1942.1

'_ June 6,1944;

" mega. .1944;