Recoil-operated pistol

Abstract

A recoil-operated pistol has an arrangement which lowers the barrel bore axis and reduces the effect of felt recoil on the user. The pistol has a frame having a handgrip adapted to receive a magazine and a slide mounted for alternating longitudinal movement. A barrel carrier is mounted for alternating longitudinal horizontal movement along the frame and has a barrel rotatably connected to it near its muzzle end. The axis of the barrel bore when in the position for firing is below the lips of the magazine. An actuating mechanism under the influence of the recoiling barrel carrier rotates the barrel upwards such that the breech end of the barrel moves upwards to allow a cartridge to be removed. The recoiling barrel carrier urges the slide rearwards to facilitate the extraction and feeding of cartridges.

Claims

1. A self-loading pistol of the recoil-operated type comprising: a frame having a handgrip adapted to be grasped by a user; a magazine well in the handgrip adapted to releasably receive a magazine; a magazine adapted to be inserted into the magazine well wherein the magazine has lips to retain cartridges each consisting of a cartridge case and a projectile; an assembly comprising: a barrel having a muzzle, a barrel bore and a firing chamber having a breech opening; a barrel carrier adapted to carry the barrel; wherein the barrel carrier is slidably mounted for alternating longitudinal horizontal movement along the frame from a forward battery position to a rearmost position and is located forward of the magazine for the entirety of its said horizontal movement and such that the axis of the barrel bore when in a horizontal position is below the lips of the magazine; a rotational joint means which connects the barrel carrier and the barrel and provides for alternating rotational movement of the barrel in a vertical plane about a transverse axis; wherein the barrel carrier has an upper opening to allow the barrel to rotate upwards from a horizontal position to a highest inclined position such that at the highest inclined position a cartridge case is able to be extracted from the breech opening; a trigger disposed in the frame; a firing means disposed in the frame having a firing pin which is able to fire a cartridge in the firing chamber after depressing the trigger to produce a high pressure period in the barrel; a breech closure means formed at the rear end of the barrel carrier adapted to cover the breech opening of the barrel when in its horizontal position such that the breech closure means prevents rearward movement of the cartridge case in the firing chamber during the high pressure period in the barrel and is adapted to allow passage of the firing pin to fire the cartridge in the firing chamber; a slide which is slidably mounted for alternating longitudinal movement along the frame between a forward battery position and a rearward fully retracted position; a feed block disposed on the slide adapted to extract a cartridge case from the firing chamber during a rearward movement of the slide and during a forward movement of the slide to strip a cartridge from the magazine and assist the cartridge into the firing chamber; an actuating means which acts to rotate the barrel in the vertical plane as a result of a movement of the barrel carrier; wherein during a rearward movement of the barrel carrier the actuating means urges the barrel to rotate upwards from its horizontal position in the barrel carrier to an inclined position allowing a cartridge case to be extracted from the breech opening and during a forward movement of the barrel carrier to the battery position the actuating means urges the barrel to rotate downwards from the said inclined position to its horizontal position; a force transfer means adapted to transfer a force between the barrel carrier and the slide; wherein rearward movement of the barrel carrier transfers a force to the slide urging it rearwards and forward movement of the slide transfers a force to the barrel carrier urging it forwards; at least one return spring which urges the slide forwards; and a barrel carrier retention means adapted to retain the barrel carrier at a rearward position with an upwards rotated barrel and release the barrel carrier for forward movement once a cartridge has been assisted into the firing chamber by the feed block; wherein the said rearward position is any position of the barrel carrier which allows the upwards rotated barrel to have its firing chamber available for the extraction of a cartridge case.

2. A self-loading pistol according to claim 1 further comprising a synchronizing means adapted to engage the slide and the barrel carrier such that translational rearward movement of the slide is substantially synchronized with the rearward movement of the barrel carrier until the barrel carrier is retained by the barrel carrier retention means and thereafter to disengage the slide and the barrel carrier to allow the slide to move independently to its rearmost position.

3. A self-loading pistol according to claim 2 wherein the actuating means comprises: a first inclined cam surface disposed on the frame under the barrel; a transverse roller located in the barrel carrier under the barrel wherein the said roller is constrained to move only in a substantially transverse vertical plane; a forward transverse rod located in the frame above the barrel; and a cam surface formed on the top side of the barrel; wherein during a rearward movement of the barrel carrier the transverse roller interacts with the first inclined cam surface to urge the barrel to rotate upwards and during a forward movement of the barrel carrier the forward transverse rod interacts with the said cam surface on the barrel to urge the barrel to rotate downwards.

4. A self-loading pistol according to claim 2 wherein the synchronizing means comprises a synchronizing arm adapted to engage the slide and the barrel carrier.

5. A self-loading pistol according to claim 4 wherein the actuating means comprises: a first inclined cam surface disposed on the frame under the barrel; a transverse roller located in the barrel carrier under the barrel wherein the said roller is constrained to move only in a substantially transverse vertical plane; a forward transverse rod located in the frame above the barrel; and a cam surface formed on the top side of the barrel; wherein during a rearward movement of the barrel carrier the transverse roller interacts with the first inclined cam surface to urge the barrel to rotate upwards and during a forward movement of the barrel carrier the forward transverse rod interacts with the said cam surface on the barrel to urge the barrel to rotate downwards.

6. A self-loading pistol according to claim 5 wherein the barrel carrier retention means comprises a barrel carrier catch biased to move in one direction and the barrel carrier catch and the barrel carrier are adapted to engage each other such that the barrel carrier is retained at its said rearward position.

7. A self-loading pistol according to claim 6 further comprising a locking means which assists in preventing relative longitudinal movement between the barrel and the barrel carrier during the high pressure period having at least one locking surface formed in the barrel carrier and at least one locking lug formed on the barrel.

8. A self-loading pistol according to claim 7 wherein the frame further comprises: a lower portion having the handgrip; an upper portion having two longitudinal sides; the barrel carrier further comprises: two longitudinal sides each of which has a lower edge and an upper edge; the locking means comprises: two locking surfaces formed in the barrel carrier under the barrel; two locking lugs formed on the underside of the barrel; the rotational joint means comprises: a pair of discs disposed one on each side of the barrel; two circular holes disposed one in each longitudinal side of the barrel carrier; two pins; two transverse holes through the barrel passing under the barrel bore; wherein each of the two pins passes through each of the two transverse holes to connect each of the discs such that the discs do not rotate relative to the barrel and each of the pair of discs is located in each of the two circular holes in the barrel carrier such that the barrel and the barrel carrier are rotatably connected; the actuating means further comprises: a second inclined cam surface formed on the underside of the barrel; a transverse rod located in the frame under the barrel; wherein during a rearward movement of the barrel carrier the said second inclined cam surface interacts with the transverse rod to urge the barrel to rotate upwards and the said interaction occurs before the said roller interacts with the said first inclined cam; the feed block is rigidly mounted at the rear portion of the slide and comprises: a feed block face at the front end of the feed block adapted to accommodate the base of a cartridge case; a pair of extractors one on each side of the feed block face; a longitudinal rib formed on the underside of the feed block adapted to strip a cartridge held in the feed lips of the magazine; the barrel carrier catch is located on the inside of a longitudinal side of the frame and slidably mounted for substantially vertical alternating movement and biased to move upwards; wherein the barrel carrier catch and the lower edge of a longitudinal side of the barrel carrier are adapted to engage each other such that the barrel carrier is retained at its said rearward position; the barrel carrier retention means further comprises a barrel carrier catch releaser disposed on the slide which urges the barrel carrier catch downwards against the said upward bias under the action of a forward moving slide; wherein the barrel carrier and barrel carrier catch disengage from each other and the barrel carrier is released for forward movement; the engagement means of the synchronizing arm comprises: protrusions at the forward end of the said arm adapted to engage recesses in the upper edge of the said sides of the barrel carrier at the front; the said rotational joint of the synchronizing arm is located at the rear end of the said arm and is disposed in the slide; the force transfer means comprises: a surface on the barrel carrier; and a surface on the slide; wherein each surface is substantially in contact with each other when the barrel carrier and the slide are in the battery position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The features and operation of the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims and drawings. The embodiment shown in the drawings is only given by way of example and in no way limits the scope of the present invention. Labelled structures, elements or parts, which appear in more than one drawing, are labelled with the same number. The drawings are described as follows:

(2) FIG. 1 represents a side elevation of a pistol according to the invention in battery, with the left side of the frame removed, and with the slide and barrel carrier in the battery position, barrel horizontal and the trigger not depressed.

(3) FIG. 2 represents a partial side elevation of a pistol according to the invention immediately after firing, with the left side of the frame removed, and with the slide and barrel carrier in the battery position, and barrel horizontal: the trigger is depressed and the striker is released.

(4) FIG. 3 represents a partial side elevation of a pistol according to the invention with the barrel fully rotated upwards, the slide and barrel carrier in contact but disengaged after firing, with the left side of the frame removed, and with the barrel carrier fully rearward.

(5) FIG. 4 represents a partial side elevation of a pistol according to the invention with the slide and barrel carrier disengaged, and a cartridge case partially extracted, with the left side of the frame removed, and with the barrel carrier fully rearward.

(6) FIG. 5 represents a side elevation of a pistol according to the invention with the slide in the fully retracted position, with the left side of the frame removed, the barrel fully rotated upwards and the barrel carrier retained rearward after a cartridge case has been extracted.

(7) FIG. 6 represents a partial side elevation of a pistol according to the invention with a cartridge stripped from the magazine and feeding into the firing chamber, with the left side of the frame removed, and with the slide moving forward and trigger released.

(8) FIG. 7 represents a partial side elevation of a pistol according to the invention with the barrel carrier released and having a cartridge in the firing chamber, with the left side of the frame removed, and with the slide moving forward but not yet in contact with the barrel carrier.

(9) FIG. 8 represents a partial side elevation of a pistol according to the invention with a cartridge fully chambered with the barrel up, with the left side of the frame removed, and with the slide moving forward in contact with the barrel carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

(10) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the illustrated self-loading pistol embodying the present disclosure is of the recoil-operated type using a novel method of operation where the barrel rotates about a transverse axis to move the breech end upwards to uncover the mouth of the firing chamber, and allows for a lower barrel bore axis. The illustrated recoil-operated pistol has the overall configuration of conventional self-loading pistols.

(11) The recoil-operated pistol illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8 generally comprises a frame 1 which may have a handgrip 34 adapted to receive a magazine 33, an ejector 31 and an ejection port 48. There may be a firing mechanism having a trigger 36, a sear 35, a striker 30, a firing pin 37, and two striker springs 32. The striker 30 may have the firing pin 37 located in the central area of its head and a pair of rearward extending arms which may pass either side of the magazine 33. Each rearward extending arm may have a striker spring 32 disposed in a longitudinal cavity. A barrel 8 may have a rotational joint 7 near its muzzle to allow rotation of the barrel 8 in the vertical plane about a transverse axis. The rotational joint 7 may comprise a pair of discs joined by two pins which pass under the barrel bore through transverse holes in the barrel 8. The barrel 8 may be carried in the barrel carrier 47. The barrel 8 may be constrained from relative horizontal longitudinal movement by the rotational joint 7 which may be located in two circular holes one in each side of the barrel carrier 47 at its forward end. The barrel 8 may be engaged with barrel carrier 47 via two locking lugs 2 on the underside of the barrel 8 and locking surfaces 3 formed in the barrel carrier 47 under the barrel to further prevent relative horizontal separation during the high pressure period. A breech closure means 27 integral with the barrel carrier 47 may prevent substantial rearward movement of the cartridge case 39 during the high pressure period. There may be a rotably mounted striker separator 38 located in the lower edge of the breech closure means 27. The barrel hold down lug 45 which may be located on the underside of the barrel 8 may assist in holding the barrel 8 firmly down in battery by interacting with the barrel carrier second stop 46. The barrel carrier second stop 46 may prevent forward travel of the barrel carrier 47. The barrel carrier first stop 6 may prevent the barrel carrier 47 travelling further rearward. The barrel carrier 47 may be able to move longitudinally in guide recesses in each longitudinal side wall of the frame 1. The barrel carrier catch 26 may be slidably mounted on the inside of the frame 1 for substantially vertical alternating movement. The barrel carrier catch 26 may have a perpendicular protrusion 25 on the upper inside end and a perpendicular protrusion 40 on the lower inside end. There may be a spring and plunger 41 disposed in the trigger guard below the barrel carrier catch 26 which may provide an upwards bias force to the barrel carrier catch 26. There may be a retention notch 42 in the lower edge of a side of the barrel carrier 47.

(12) A slide 12 may be slidably mounted substantially above the barrel 8 and barrel carrier 47 and may extend along the frame 1 from the front to the rear. The slide 12 may be mounted for alternating longitudinal movement in the frame 1 on an inclined plane by mating grooves and ribs in the frame 1 and slide 12. The inclined plane may have an angle of approximately 5 to approximately 10 degrees. The slide 12 may be prevented from being projected from the rear of the frame 1 during its rearward travel by the slide stop 24. The barrel carrier 47 may have a force transfer means in the form of the barrel carrier abutment 10 and a surface at the front end of the slide 12. There may be a barrel carrier catch releaser 23 located on the slide 12 which is rotatable about a transverse axis against a spring bias. The slide 7 may carry a synchronizing arm 14 located in the forward half of the slide 12. The synchronizing arm 14 may have a rotational joint 20 at its rear end disposed in the slide 12 and horizontal protrusions 11 at its forward end which may engage recesses 9 in the top front of the barrel carrier 47. The synchronizing arm 14 may also have a cam surface 17 which may contact the transverse pin 18 to urge the synchronizing arm 14 upwards at the time of disengagement from the barrel carrier 47. The slide 12 may carry the feed block 29 in its rear half. The feed block 29 may have an extractor 28 on each side to engage the cartridge case 39 for extraction and insertion and may have a longitudinal rib on its underside to strip a cartridge from the magazine 33.

(13) There may be a spring holder 22 disposed in a cavity in the slide 12 in its rear half. The forward end of the spring holder 22 may have a step to engage with the slide stop 24. The body of the spring holder 22 may have a cavity for most of its length to accommodate a coil return spring 21. The return spring 21 may be mounted around a spring rod 19. The spring rod 19 (about two-thirds the length of the pistol) may have a spring rod end 13 fixed in the slide 12. The other end of the spring rod 19 may pass through a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the spring rod 19 in the rear end of the spring holder 22. One end of the coil return spring 21 may abut the spring rod end 13: the other end of the return spring 21 may abut the inside end of the spring holder 22. The spring holder 22 may remain in a relatively fixed position to the frame 1 while the slide 12 may be moving. This arrangement may produce a spring force between the slide 12 and the frame 1.

(14) The actuating means may comprise a transverse rod 43 located in the frame 1 under the rear end of the barrel carrier 47; the angled surface 44 on the underside of the barrel 8; the roller 5 slidably mounted for vertical travel in the barrel carrier 47 and located under the barrel 8; an inclined cam surface 4 disposed on the frame under the barrel 8 and located to the rear of the roller 5; the forward transverse rod 16 located above the forward end of the barrel 8; and the cam surface 15 formed on the top side of the barrel 8. When the barrel 8 is in the battery position, the forward transverse rod 16 and the cam surface 15 may be substantially in contact in order to keep the barrel down in the battery position.

(15) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the disclosed pistol differs to conventional recoil-operated pistols in that it has a novel method of operation where the barrel rotates upwards for extraction of a cartridge to allow for a lower barrel bore axis.

(16) The general operation of a pistol according to the invention may be as follows. When the trigger 36 is depressed, the sear 35 may release the striker 30. The firing pin 37 may pass through a hole in the breech closure means 27 to fire the cartridge, as shown in FIG. 2. During the high pressure period after firing, the barrel 8 may be prevented from separating from the barrel carrier 47 via locking lugs 2 and the rotational joint 7. The forward transverse rod 16 and the hold down lug 45 may prevent the barrel 8 from jumping upwards as a result of the initial impulse from the recoil. The recoil force acting through the base of the cartridge case 39 may urge the barrel carrier 47 rearwards and, via carrier abutment 10, the slide 12 may also move rearwards. The synchronizing arm 14 may prevent the slide 12 separating substantially from the barrel carrier 47 before the cartridge case 39 may be engaged by the extractors 28, due to the interaction of the protrusions 11 and recesses 9. As the barrel carrier 47 continues rearwards, the striker separator 38 may be urged to rotate clockwise by means of a cam surface in the base of the frame 1. This may urge the lower tail end of the striker separator 38 upwards and the head to protrude from the rear vertical surface of the breech closure means 27 to urge the striker 30 rearwards. This may create a separation sufficient for the tip of the firing pin 37 to retract from the dent in the fired primer in the cartridge case 39. This may allow for easier rotation of the barrel 8 in the next phase of the cycle. As the barrel carrier 47 continues rearwards, after a set distance (the dwell distance) the first part of the actuation means may operate to rotate the barrel 8 upwards. The angled surface 44 on the underside of the barrel 8 may contact the transverse rod 43 located in the frame 1 and urge the rear end of the barrel 8 upwards. At this point, the hold down lug 45 has been disengaged from the barrel carrier second stop 46 and the cam surface 15 is not in contact with the forward transverse rod 16 such that the barrel 8 may be free to rotate upwards. As the barrel carrier 47 continues further rearwards, the roller 5 may be acted on by the ramp surface 4 to continue the rotation of the barrel 8 upwards. The feed block 29 may move rearwards in unison with the slide 12 as it is rigidly fixed to the slide 12. As the barrel carrier 47 and slide 7 continue to move rearwards, the barrel 8 may continue to rotate upwards by the force imposed by the roller 5. When the base of the cartridge case 39 is about 50% exposed above the top edge of the breech closure means 27, the rim of the cartridge may begin to move up into the claws of the extractor 28 on the right side of the feed block 29 and the extractor 28 on the left side. When the barrel 8 is substantially at its uppermost position, the extractors 28 may be engaged with the rim of the cartridge case 39 such that the cartridge case 39 may be withdrawn from the chamber. The barrel carrier catch 26 may be able to engage the retention notch 42 in the barrel carrier 47 via the perpendicular protrusion 40 and due to the spring force from the spring and plunger 41. The barrel carrier 47 and slide 12 may continue in their motion rearwards together, as the retention notch 42 is adapted to allow this, and the cam surface 17 on the synchronizing arm 14 may contact the transverse pin 18 urging the synchronizing arm 14 to rotate upwards. As a result, the horizontal protrusions 11 on the left and right sides of the synchronizing arm 14 may move upwards to disengage from each of the two recesses 9 in the top front of the barrel carrier 47. Prior to this, the barrel carrier 47 may have urged the striker 30 rearward to enable it to engage with sear 35. The slide 12 may now be free to continue rearwards independently of the barrel carrier 47, as shown in FIG. 3. The horizontal protrusions 11 on the synchronizing arm 14 may be guided via a transition space 49, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and may be able to travel rearwards in the grooves in the frame 1 which are also used for the guide ribs of the slide 12. As the slide 12 continues rearwards, the barrel carrier catch releaser 23 may pass over the perpendicular protrusion 25 on the upper inside end of the barrel carrier catch 26. The perpendicular protrusion 25 may contact the back face of the barrel carrier catch releaser 23 to rotate it clockwise (forwards) against the force of a spring so that it may eventually pass over the protrusion 25, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The barrel carrier catch 26 may thus be able to remain in engagement via the retention notch 42 to hold the barrel carrier 47 and to stop it from moving forward. Once clear of the protrusion 25, the barrel carrier catch releaser 23 may rotate anticlockwise (rearwards) urged by its spring to its downward position. The cartridge case 39 may be withdrawn from the firing chamber by the extractors 28 as the slide 12 continues rearwards, as shown in FIG. 4. After being withdrawn from the chamber, the spent cartridge case 39 may pass above the lips of the magazine 33 until it may contact the ejector 31. The ejector 31 may eject the cartridge case 39 from the pistol through the ejection port 48, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The slide 12 may stop at its rearmost position after contacting the slide stop 41, as shown in FIG. 5.

(17) After the slide 12 stops at its rearmost position, the return spring 21 may urge the slide 12 and feed block 29 forward. As the feed block 29 reaches the magazine, the succeeding round may be stripped from the magazine in the usual manner. The rim of the cartridge may be pushed up into the claws of the extractors 28 from the magazine. The round may be inserted into the firing chamber while the barrel 8 is in a high position for loading, as shown in FIG. 6. In order to release the barrel carrier 47 prior to the cartridge being fully chambered, the barrel carrier catch releaser 23 may depress the barrel carrier catch 26 under the action of the forward moving slide 12. The barrel carrier catch releaser 23 may not rotate anticlockwise (rearwards) as its rear surface abuts a surface in the slide 12; as a result its profiled surface may be able to interact with the perpendicular protrusion 25 of the barrel carrier catch 26. The barrel carrier catch 26 may be pushed down until it is disengaged from the retention notch 42, as shown in FIG. 7. The front end of the slide 12 may contact the barrel carrier abutment 10 when the cartridge is fully chambered and the slide 12 may urge the barrel carrier 47 forward, as shown in FIG. 8. As a result, the barrel 8 may move forward and be rotated downwards when the cam surface 15 on the top of the barrel 8 contacts the forward transverse rod 16 mounted in the frame 1. The barrel carrier 47 may continue to move forward and the barrel 8 may be rotated further downwards until it reaches its horizontal position and the locking lugs 2 and the locking surfaces 3 are substantially in contact. The breech closure means 27 may cover the base of the cartridge case 39. The barrel carrier 47 may continue to move forward and the hold down lug 45 may engage the barrel carrier second stop 46 such that it holds the barrel 8 down in the horizontal position. The horizontal portion of the cam surface 15 may be in contact with the underside of the forward transverse rod 16. The barrel carrier 47 and slide 12 may stop their forward motion. The barrel 8 may be returned to the battery position and the operational cycle completed.

(18) The invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form of the embodiment shown, which is presented for illustrative purposes only. Rather, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention contemplates all of the variations and modifications coming within the scope of the claims.