The invention relates to a self-loading handgun, in particular a handgun designed as a gas-operated loader.
In automatic gas-operated loaders, the gas pressure produced when a shot is fired directs a spring-loaded movable slide to the rear of the pistol, whereby the fired cartridge case is ejected and a new cartridge is fed from a magazine into the cartridge chamber of the barrel upon the subsequent forward movement of the slide. While the shot is being fired, the breech of the weapon is locked. A small portion of the gas pressure created when the shot is fired is directed to a gas cylinder which transfers momentum to the slide and thereby opens the breech so that the cartridge casing can be dislodged from the cartridge chamber and replaced by a new cartridge from a magazine.
Effecting the unblocking of the breech via a sliding guide formed or separately arranged in the slide is known, wherein the breech is lifted or respectively lowered or pivoted.
A self-loading handgun is known from DE 196 16 397 C2 in which a breech block carrier in the form of a slide incorporates a lateral sliding guide into which a control pin formed on a rotatable breech block head is directed. The locking and unlocking of the breech block head thereby ensues by the breech block head rotating relative to a rigidly arranged locking sleeve in that the movement of the breech block head is blocked in a first rotational position and unblocked in a second rotational position, wherein the rotational positions result from the respective position of the control pin in the sliding guide.
DE 10 2009 011 939 B4 describes a locking mechanism for a breech on a weapon which makes use of a sliding guide with slides comprising angled guide curves via which the breech can be locked or unlocked. The structure is relatively complex and therefore unsuitable for a handgun.
EP 2 157 393 B1 describes a gas-operated loader in which the breech has side lugs which engage in locking position in locking grooves of the housing and which makes use of a gas piston for the unlocking to unblock the locking of the side lugs when the shot is fired. The breech is thereby lifted and can be drawn back.
The invention is based on the task of specifying a handgun provided with a novel locking system which is of mechanically simple structure, easy to disassemble and with which the risk of malfunction is minimized.
This task is solved by the invention specified in the claims. Further developments of the invention are specified in subclaims or disclosed in the description.
The invention is based on a handgun having a barrel immovably secured to a frame, a firing pin, a slide movable relative to the frame, and a breech which, in the forward position of the slide, is held in a locked position on the frame and which, upon a backward movement of the slide effected by gas pressure from a fired projectile, is moved from the locked position into an unlocked position via a gas piston and moved together with the slide into a rear position from which the slide together with the breech is returned to the forward position of the breech under spring force.
According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the breech is of at least two-part design comprising a breech locking mechanism having two lateral limbs and a breech face disposed between the limbs, wherein the breech locking mechanism is provided with at least one protruding driving element on the limbs designed to engage in a recess of the slide and at least one retaining cam designed to engage in a shoulder of the frame.
The breech face and the breech locking mechanism are articulated together and the breech face incorporates an axial bore aligned with the barrel for the passage of a firing pin.
The breech face is guided coaxially to the barrel upon the backward and forward movement of the slide.
The breech is essentially designed in two parts in the invention, wherein the breech face is movable coaxially to the barrel of the weapon and a further part is pivotably connected to the breech face as a breech locking mechanism. The breech base alone thereby moves coaxially to the barrel, which does not require any mass to be moved in the transverse direction, reducing the susceptibility to failure and diminishing the susceptibility to contamination. The breech locking mechanism articulated to the breech face only has the task of establishing or releasing the locking of the breech.
A further advantage of the invention is that the entire structure of the weapon can be of very flat design so that handling is improved due to the lowered center of gravity. Ultimately, the structure of the weapon only has a few moving parts and these are tolerance-insensitive, structurally simple to manufacture and thus able to be used in uncomplicated and malfunction-tolerant manner even under difficult operating conditions. The simple structure and easy disassembly of the weapon also facilitates its maintenance and cleaning.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the driving element is preferably lifted by a hook-like projection connected to the slide which engages behind a connection between the limbs of the breech locking mechanism during the backward movement of the slide and thereby raises the limbs of the breech locking mechanism to release the retaining cam.
In particular, in the locked position of the breech, at least one retaining cam of the breech locking mechanism engages in the shoulder of the frame. Upon the backward movement of the slide, the driving element induces the release of the retaining cam from the shoulder of the frame by lifting the breech locking mechanism so as to thereby unlock the breech.
The driving element is preferably accommodated in a recess in the slide. The recess comprises a front edge which in particular slopes obliquely backwards/downward so as to be able to lift the driving element upon the backward movement of the slide. Upon the forward movement of the slide, the rear edge of the recess engages behind the driving element of the breech locking mechanism and moves it forward again.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the breech is connected to the slide via an articulated connection able to be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the breech such that the at least one driving element is able to engage in the recess of the slide upon the backward movement of the slide and the at least one retaining cam is released from engagement in the shoulder of the frame.
The breech locking mechanism preferably comprises an underside inclination at the rear end which enables a pivoting of the breech locking mechanism vis-à-vis the breech face.
Preferably, the articulated connection between the breech locking mechanism and the slide is realized by means of a locking pin supported in an oval-shaped recess of the breech face running in the longitudinal direction of the weapon.
The oval recess is preferably designed as a semi-oval, its larger diameter running at an angle of 20° to 40° rising towards the rear of the weapon vis-à-vis the longitudinal axis of the weapon. The shifting of the locking pin upon its displacement from the front rest position to the rear return position thereby effects a forced downward movement of the breech locking mechanism, which leads to increased certainty for the entry of the driving element into the recess of the slide.
Preferably, the breech locking mechanism is forcibly guided during the movement of the breech. Upon the momentum exerted on the slide by the gas pressure of the gas piston, the driving element is lifted into a recess in the slide. A rearward inclination of the breech locking mechanism thereby enables a wide breech locking mechanism pivoting range, which increases the certainty of engagement in the recess of the slide.
In order to enable uniformity in the breech locking mechanism's path of movement, the slide surfaces between the driving element and recess of the slide and/or between the retaining cam and shoulder of the frame are preferably designed to be beveled or rounded in the longitudinal direction of the frame.
The invention is not limited to handguns in the form of pistols but rather encompasses any type of self-loading handgun.
The invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment. The drawings are schematic drawings omitting standard elements such as magazine, trigger, rear sight and front sight as well as fairing.
Shown are:
The breech substantially consists of a U-shaped breech locking mechanism 4 having two parallel limbs 8 and 9 with a breech face 5 arranged between them which is articulated to the breech locking mechanism 4 via a connecting shaft 29. The limbs have retaining cams 24/25 on their front underside. An upwardly projecting driving element 22 is correspondingly disposed on the front upper side, its movement controlled by a retaining element 14.
High gas pressure is produced upon the firing pin guided through the breech face striking the cartridge, a portion of which is directed across the gas chamber to the gas piston 19 which is thus driven backward and applies momentum to the crosspiece 13 inside the slide 2.
The retaining element 14 depicted in
Here as well, the gas piston 19 moves the slide backwards when a shot is fired such that, as per
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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22171122.9 | May 2022 | EP | regional |
This is a U.S. national phase patent application of PCT/EP2023/060695 filed Apr. 24, 2023, which claims the benefit of and priority to European Patent Application No. EP 22171122.9, filed on May 2, 2022, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2023/060695 | 4/24/2023 | WO |