SAFETY MECHANISM FOR A PISTOL

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an automatic or semiautomatic pistol including a slide and a magazine. The magazine feeder includes an actuator that controls a slide stop. The slide stop, located rearward of the magazine, is designed to switch from a low to a high position. In its high position, the slide stop locks the slide in a rearward position. The pistol also includes a control lever for the slide stop, which is attached at one end to rotate about a pin forward of the magazine. The control lever includes a feeler that is lifted by the control actuator when the magazine is empty, causing the slide stop to switch from its low to high position. The slide stop may have ambidextrous manual releases rigidly connected to each other across the pistol.

Claims

1. An automatic or semiautomatic pistol (1) comprising a slide (2); a magazine (24) comprising a feeder (22) configured to push ammunition to an ammunition loading area, the feeder (22) including an actuator (23) configured to control a slide stop (10), wherein the slide stop (10) is arranged rearward of the magazine and is configured to switch from a low position to a high position, the slide stop (10) comprising a stop surface (15) configured to cooperate with a notch (3) under the slide to lock the slide (2) in a rearward position when the slide stop is in the high position; and a control lever (8) operatively connected to the slide stop and configured to rotate about a pin (9) attached to a shell (5) or a frame (28) of the pistol forward of the magazine, the control lever (8) comprising a feeler (14) configured to be lifted by the actuator (23) of the feeder when the magazine is empty, wherein the control lever (8) is configured to transition the slide stop from the low position to the high position; wherein the control lever (8) and the slide stop (10) are configured such that the raising of the control lever (8) causes the switchover of the slide stop to a locking position of the slide (2).

2. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the slide stop is rotatably attached to the shell (5) or to the frame (28) about a pin (11) of the slide stop.

3. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the slide stop (10) and the control lever (8) are operatively connected by a pair of pivotably coupled male/female connectors (12,13).

4. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the slide stop (10) comprises at least one manual release (4) for the slide stop arranged on a flank of the pistol rearward of the magazine (19).

5. The pistol according to claim 4, comprising two manual releases (4) for the slide stop, a respective one of the manual releases arranged on each side of the pistol, the two manual releases (4) for the slide stop being connected by an ambidextrous connection (16) extending from one side of the pistol to the other and rigidly attaching the two manual releases (4) of the slide stop to each other.

6. The pistol according to claim 1, further comprising a trigger safety device (26) arranged above a trigger guard (25) of the pistol.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an example of a pistol according to the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a partial view of a gun according to the invention wherein the slide and the shell have not been shown.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows an example of a slide stop according to the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows an example of a slide of a pistol according to the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 5 shows an example of a magazine of a pistol according to the present disclosure.

LEGEND OF THE FIGURES

[0028] 1. Pistol [0029] 2. Slide [0030] 3. Slide stop notch [0031] 4. Slide stop manual release [0032] 5. Shell [0033] 6. Handle [0034] 7. Magazine lock control [0035] 8. Slide stop control lever [0036] 9. Slide stop control pin [0037] 10. Slide stop [0038] 11. Slide stop pin [0039] 12. Slide stop connector [0040] 13. Slide stop control connector [0041] 14. Slide stop control feeler [0042] 15. Stop surface of the slide stop [0043] 16. Ambidextrous connection [0044] 17. Slide stop spring housing [0045] 18. Slide stop pin holes [0046] 19. Magazine case [0047] 20. Magazine spring [0048] 21. Magazine baseplate [0049] 22. Magazine feeder [0050] 23. Slide stop control actuator [0051] 24. Magazine [0052] 25. Trigger guard [0053] 26. Manual safety control [0054] 27. Trigger [0055] 28. Frame

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The present disclosure relates to a slide stop of a pistol 1, for preventing the slide 2 from returning to its closed position when the magazine 24 present in the gun 1 is empty. The slide stop 10 is actuated by a slide stop control lever 8, which is used for raising the slide stop 10 from a low position, leaving the slide 2 free, to a high position where the slide stop 10 stops the slide 2 in the rear position.

[0057] The slide stop 10 comprises a stop surface 15 arranged so as to latch the slide 2 in the rear position, via a notch 3 located under the slide 2, when the slide stop is in the upper position.

[0058] The raising of the slide stop 10 can either be obtained by an upwards translation movement obtained by sliding in a vertical aperture (not shown) or, preferentially, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by rotation about a pin 11 arranged at the rear of the magazine well and rearwards from the stop surface 15 of the slide stop 10.

[0059] In the absence of an upward force exerted by the slide stop control lever 8, the slide stop is pushed downwards by a spring, or any other suitable equivalent means. This spring, in the example of FIGS. 1 to 3, is housed in a housing 17 and rests on the frame 28.

[0060] The slide stop control lever 8 is rotatably mounted about a pin 9 located at the front of the magazine well. The pin 9 could e.g. advantageously be a pin common with a pin for the trigger 27. Nevertheless, the lever can also be on a pin independent of the trigger 27. The lever 8 extends from the pin 9 at the front of the magazine to the slide stop 10 at the rear of the magazine. The lever 8 further comprises a feeler 14 for the magazine feeder bearing on an actuator 23 for controlling the slide stop when the magazine is empty.

[0061] The actuator 23 generally takes the form of a bearing surface at the front left of the feeder 22 of the magazine. The slide stop control lever 8 is located on the same side as the slide stop actuator, and thus, is generally located on the left flank of the weapon 1. The feeler 14 and the actuator 23 are arranged in such a way that when the feeder 22 reaches the end of the travel thereof after the firing of the last cartridge, the actuator 23 lifts the feeler 14, leading to the rotation of the lever 8, raising the slide stop via an upward-facing support surface of the lever 8, pushing under a corresponding support surface of the slide stop. As shown in FIG. 2, the support can take a more complex form such as the fitting of a male part which fits rotatably into a female part, called a connector 13 for the slide stop and the control connector 12 for the slide stop, respectively.

[0062] As will be seen hereinafter, even in the case of a slide stop with ambidextrous control, the slide stop control lever 8 is preferentially arranged only on one flank, and advantageously the stop surface 15 of the slide stop 10 is located on the same side.

[0063] Advantageously, the slide stop 10 of the invention comprises two manual controls 4 arranged on the two flanks of the weapon, the two controls being mechanically connected to each other via an ambidextrous connection 16. In such case, both sides of the slide stop 10 are attached to the pin for the slide stop via pin holes 18 arranged on both sides of the slide stop 10. The arrangement of the slide stop 10, and in particular the axis of rotation 11 thereof, at the rear of the weapon, reduces the length of the levers on which the transmission of mechanical stresses from one face to the other takes place, reducing the deformation of the slide stop 10 accordingly. Such reduction in deformation improves ergonomics for left-handed users.

[0064] Such rigidity can also advantageously be improved by producing the part by metal injection molding (MIM) rather than by bending sheet metal as in the prior art.

[0065] The arrangement of the slide stop at the rear of the weapon advantageously makes it possible to arrange the manual control 4 at the rear, which reduces the risk of the shooter placing his/her hand on top during firing, which would block the rotation of the stop and lead to the malfunction of the stop. A closing of the moving parts on an empty chamber at the end of the magazine, would result therefrom.

[0066] Since the zones of manual control 4 of the stop are henceforth in the region traditionally reserved for the manual safety lever, the manual safety mechanism 26 has advantageously been arranged towards the front of the weapon, above the trigger guard 25. (see FIG. 1). The manual safety mechanism is described in more detail in the pending application U.S. Ser. No. 17/238,344.

[0067] There is a great ergonomic advantage to such a solution. When the user holds his/her weapon in hand, he/she extends the index finger of his/her dominant hand over the trigger guard 25 so as not to risk pressing on the trigger 27. He/she then has the end of his/her index finger on the manual safety button 26. If he/she has to fire, he/she can then easily actuate the manual safety without taking his/her hand off the handle. Such action is thus much easier and faster than in the traditional case of a safety lever placed at the back of the weapon.