Piston Ejection System

The Challenge

Pongratz Engineering also works in the "Sporting" market, which includes sports equipment such as bicycles, camping, and hunting gear. Shown above is an aftermarket kit for the AR-15 rifle. Typically an AR-15 cycles a spent round by using energy captured by routing gas from the barrel down to a piston that is near the breech of the rifle.

The piston ejection system moves the operating piston farther forward on the rifle to help keep the chamber and bolt clean.

This works fine, except every time the rifle is fired, carbon and other byproducts of the gunpowder explosion are released into the workings of the ejection system.

The Solution

Pongratz Engineering worked with a small arms manufacturer to design this system. Using Solid­Works, all parts were modeled and clearances and working mechanisms were designed.

A full documentation package was generated and support to transition to production was supplied. This was first sold in civilian markets but is also being reviewed by special forces groups in the US and Canada.