Bullpup-type firearm

Abstract

The invention relates to a bullpup-type firearm (1) comprising a buttstock (3) and in front of it a grip part (5) and a trigger (9) as well as a magazine well (7) which is located between the buttstock (3) and the grip part (5) and is provided with an actuable catch (15) for releasably locking a magazine (8) in the magazine well (7), wherein an actuation element (13) is movably mounted on the firearm (1) in front of or on the grip part (5), with which actuation element (13) the catch (15) can be actuated via a mechanism (14).

Description

[0001] Bullpup-type firearm

[0002] The present invention relates to a firearm of the bullpup type, comprising a buttstock and in front of it a grip which points downwards in the use position and a trigger blade, as well as a magazine well located between the buttstock and the grip which is equipped with an actuatable latch for releasably locking a magazine in the magazine well, wherein in front of or on the grip an actuating element is movably mounted on the firearm, by means of which the latch can be actuated via a mechanism, and wherein the actuating element is mounted on the firearm at a distance in front of the trigger blade.

[0003] Such a firearm is known from WO 2015 / 106163 Al or US 2014 / 0013640 Al.

[0004] In earlier bullpup-type firearms, also called breech-loaders, in which the magazine well is located behind the grip, the shooter's hand used to change the magazine—be it the firing hand on the grip or the support hand on the fore-end—had to perform two operating steps. First, the latch had to be activated to disengage the stick magazine, which then usually simply falls down out of the magazine well. Then, the new magazine had to be removed from the holster and inserted.

[0005] In WO 2015 / 406163 A1 and US 2014 / 0013640 A1, it was therefore proposed to mount an actuating element on the firearm in front of the trigger, by means of which the latch can be actuated via a mechanism. The firing hand on the grip can actuate the actuating element mounted in front of it to eject the magazine, while simultaneously reaching for the new magazine in the holster with the magazine-changing hand and inserting it immediately.

[0006] In WO 2015 / 106103 A1, the actuating element is a cross-pin that protrudes from side openings in the fore-end, which is difficult to reach with the trigger finger, as it requires being threaded out of the trigger guard. In US 2014 / 0013640 A1, the actuating element is an actuating lever that pivots forward around a horizontal axis in front of the trigger blade. When the trigger finger is extended, either the fingernail strikes the side of the actuating lever without being able to actuate it, or the finger is too short and must be pushed forward to actuate the actuating lever. All of this costs the shooter valuable, sometimes critical, time.

[0007] The invention aims to create a bullpup firearm that can be operated more easily and quickly.

[0008] This objective is achieved according to the invention in a firearm of the type mentioned above in that the actuating element is an actuating lever mounted on the firearm so as to be laterally deflectable about an axis that is approximately vertical in the use position. The release of the trigger finger from the trigger blade by leaving its angled position and the - at least partial - extension of the trigger finger leads, as it were, "automatically" to a sideways movement of the (partially or fully) extended trigger finger. An actuating element located there in the trigger finger's movement path is thus simply pushed to the side and can thus be operated very easily and intuitively, which can be crucial in critical situations.

[0009] It is particularly advantageous if the operating lever can be deflected to either side of the firearm. This allows for symmetrical actuation of the actuating element, so that, for example, it can be operated equally easily by a left-handed person with their left firing hand or by a right-handed person with their right firing hand. This also allows the same left-handed or right-handed person to operate the actuating element with one or more fingers of their firing hand in either direction as desired, which also contributes to error protection "by design," because the shooter does not need to pay attention to the direction of actuation of the actuating element to eject the magazine.

[0010] Preferably, the operating lever is spring-loaded in its central position so that the shooter can rely on the operating lever always being in the same rest position and can operate it "blindly".

[0011] The mechanism by which the actuating element acts on the magazine's locking pawl can also be designed in any way known in the art, e.g. in the form of a pull cable, a pull, push or turn rod, hydraulically or pneumatically, or even electrically if the actuating element is an electrical switch that controls an electrical actuator for actuating the pawl. The mechanism can also include any gear, link, lever and / or link construction to convert the movement of the actuating element into a movement of the pawl.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the mechanism comprises a rod, particularly preferably a pull rod, whose rear end engages a lever that can release the latch from its locking position. Such a rod is particularly resistant to failure, and the lever is often already included in conventional magazine ejection mechanisms, so it can be used directly for the invention.

[0013] Preferably, the lever is spring-loaded, so that the mechanism returns to a defined starting position after actuation. Furthermore, the spring load of the lever can also act on the actuating element via the rod, so that the latter does not need to be spring-loaded separately to preload it into its rest position.

[0014] Such a lever, which acts at the rear end of the rod between the rod and the latch, can also be accessible—at least partially—for direct manual operation from the outside. This could, for example, be the magazine ejection lever located behind the grip in conventional bullpup firearms.

[0015] When using a rod in the mechanism between the actuating element and the latch, in a preferred embodiment, the rod can have a projection at its front end against which the actuating element or a cam carried by it rests. This results in a particularly reliable transmission of the actuating force from the actuating element to the rod.

[0016] If the actuating element is a laterally deflectable actuating lever, the lever can act directly—or via the accompanying cam—on the projection in such a way that deflecting the actuating lever displaces the rod longitudinally. If the rod is a pull rod, the actuating element or its cam can push the pull rod forward on the side of the projection facing it.

[0017] The projection can in particular be formed by one side of a slide mounted on the rod, which is mounted for linear displacement in the firearm. Preferably, the slide also has a bore for the passage of a trigger rod acting between the trigger blade and the trigger or firing mechanism of the firearm, on which the slide is guided. In this way, the trigger rod can also be used to guide the slide and thus the rod for magazine ejection. A separate linear guide for the slide or the rod is therefore not required in the firearm.

[0018] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:

[0019] Fig. 1 shows a firearm according to the invention in a side view;

[0020] Fig. 2 shows some components of the firearm from Fig. 1 in a perspective view; and Figs. 3 and 4 show details of the components from Fig. 2, each in partially enlarged perspective views. Fig. 1 shows a firearm 1 of the bullpup type, also called a breech loader. The firearm 1 has a housing 2 with a buttstock 3, a fore-end 4, a grip 5 between the buttstock 3 and fore-end 4, and a barrel 6 protruding from the fore-end 4. Between the buttstock 3 and the grip 5 there is a magazine well 7 for receiving a magazine 8, in particular a stick magazine. In front of the grip 5 there is a trigger blade 9 protruding from the housing 2 and / or the grip 5, which trigger blade can be protected - if necessary together with the grip - by an optional protective guard 10. The protective guard 10 is located at a distance in front of the grip 5 and the trigger blade 9.The protective bracket 10 can, for example, be formed from the housing 2 and / or the handle 5 as an extension thereof or be attached thereto.

[0021] Furthermore, Fig. 1 shows a lever 11 protruding from the magazine well 7, the buttstock 3, or the housing 2 behind the magazine well 7 for releasing or unloading ("ejecting") the magazine 8 from the magazine well 7, as well as an ejection window 12 for cartridge cases on the top side of the housing 2. Further details of the firearm 1, such as the barrel root, barrel bushing, or cartridge chamber of the barrel 6, a breech for the barrel 6, a firing device for cartridges in the cartridge chamber, a trigger mechanism acting from the trigger blade 9 on the firing device, as well as the components for feeding cartridges from the magazine 8 into the cartridge chamber and for extracting and ejecting the fired cartridge cases, are of a conventional type, are not relevant to the present invention, and are not shown in the drawings for the sake of clarity.

[0022] The housing 2 can, for example, enclose the bolt, the firing mechanism, and the trigger mechanism, and also encompass one or more of the buttstock 3, fore-end 4, grip 5, magazine well 7, and protective guard 10, and be constructed in one piece or in multiple parts with these. To enable the shooter to actuate the magazine ejection with the firing hand on the grip 5, an actuating element 13 for releasing the locking of the magazine 8 in the magazine well 7 is provided within gripping distance of the firing hand, in particular within finger reach of the trigger finger on the trigger blade 9, so that the magazine can fall downwards out of the magazine well 7 or be pulled out of it by gravity ("ejecting" the magazine). The shooter can thus use the firing hand to eject the magazine 8, and the magazine ejection lever 11 behind the grip 5 could even be omitted, if desired.

[0023] Figures 2 to 4 show the actuating element 13 and the mechanism 14, via which it is connected to the components for locking and releasing the magazine 8 in the magazine shaft 7, in detail.

[0024] The magazine well 7 is equipped with an inwardly facing latch 15, which is pivotally mounted on the magazine well 7, in the buttstock 3 and / or in the housing 2 about a vertical axis 16, for example. The latch 15 can engage or lock into a corresponding recess or on a corresponding projection of the magazine 8. The latch 15 can be actuated via the mechanism 14 from the actuating element 13, as described in more detail later, but can also - optionally - be actuated directly by means of the lever 11.

[0025] For example, the lever 11 is pivotally mounted on the magazine well 7, in the buttstock 3, and / or in the housing 2 about an approximately horizontal axis 17 and has an extension 18 with a ramp (link) 19, on which a plunger 20 protruding from the latch 15 rides. The plunger 20 is, for example, the second arm of a two-armed lever, the first arm of which forms the latch 15 and which is pivotally articulated about the axis 16. When the lever 11 is pushed up, the extension 18 with the bevel 19 moves upwards and presses the plunger 20 to the side (in Fig. 3: to the right), whereby the latch 15 is released from its locking position on the magazine 8 about the axis 16 (in Fig. 3: moved to the left), so that the magazine falls out of the magazine shaft 7 or can at least be pulled out of it by hand. When a new magazine 8 is pushed into the magazine shaft 7, the latch 15 is first deflected by the incoming magazine 8 (in Fig. 3: to the left), e.g.B. against the force of a corresponding preload spring (not shown) until it then locks into the corresponding recess or behind the corresponding projection of the magazine 8 when the magazine 8 is fully inserted and holds it in the inserted position.

[0026] The mechanism 14 running from the actuating element 13 backwards to the pawl 15 is used to actuate the pawl 15 by means of the actuating element 13, which is located in front of the handle 5 (in Fig. 1: to the right of the handle 5). In the example shown, the mechanism 14 comprises a rod 21, here: a pull rod, which engages with its rear (e.g. hook-shaped bent) end 22 either directly on the pawl 15, e.g. its plunger 20, or indirectly via a corresponding deflection gear on the pawl 15.

[0027] In the example shown, the rod 21 engages the pawl 15 via the lever 11, which serves as a deflection gear. For this purpose, the lever 11 has an upwardly projecting nose 23, which the rear end 22 of the pull rod 21 pulls and pulls the lever 11 upward about its axis 17 in the direction of the extension 18, so that the plunger 20 of the pawl 15 rides inward on the run-up slope 19 and releases the pawl 15 from its locking on the magazine 8.

[0028] It is understood that instead of a pull rod, a push rod could also be used as the rod 21, which pushes backwards when the actuating element 13 is actuated and acts, for example, directly or via a corresponding deflection gear on the pawl 15 to release it.

[0029] Other types of mechanisms 14 are also conceivable, for example a pull cable or a rotating rod, each of which acts on the pawl 15 directly or via corresponding gears, lever deflections, gate controls, or the like. A hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical transmission of the actuation of the actuating element 13 to a release movement of the pawl 15 is also conceivable. For example, the actuating element 13 could move a hydraulic or pneumatic piston, which, via a hydraulic or pneumatic line, moves a corresponding working piston to actuate the pawl 15. Or the actuating element 13 could be an electrical switch or sensor that controls a corresponding electrical actuator or servomotor for the pawl 15 via a control line.

[0030] In the example shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the actuating element 13 is mechanically coupled to the rod 21. In this example, the actuating element 13 is an actuating lever 25 mounted on the firearm 1, e.g., on one or more of the parts housing 2, fore-end 4, grip 5, trigger blade 9, and protective guard 10, and laterally deflectable about an approximately vertical axis 24.

[0031] In the example shown, the actuating lever 25 faces the shooter with respect to its pivot axis 24, i.e., points rearward, and is located a distance A in front of the trigger blade 9. The distance A is dimensioned such that the shooter, with the trigger finger resting at an angle against the trigger blade 9, can actuate the actuating lever 25 by extending the trigger finger, in this case by deflecting it sideways. The actuating lever 25 can be deflected to only one side or optionally to one or the other side of the firearm 1. In the latter case, the actuating lever 25 can be actuated by a right-handed person with the trigger finger of the right hand, or by a left-handed person with the trigger finger of the left hand by extending the trigger finger.

[0032] The actuating lever 25 is optionally spring-loaded into its central position, i.e. its non-deflected position. This can be achieved either by the actuating lever 25 being spring-loaded into the central position about its pivot axis 24, for example by means of a spring (not shown), or - particularly in the case of mechanical coupling via the mechanism 14 with the pawl 15 - by a spring load on the pawl 15 itself. If the pawl 15 is spring-loaded into its locked position about its pivot axis 16, for example by a spring (not shown), then it pulls the actuating element 25 simultaneously into its rest or central position via the lever 11 and the rod 21.

[0033] The coupling of the actuating element 13 or the actuating lever 25 with the mechanism 14 or its rod 21 can be effected in any manner known in the art. In the simplest case, when the actuating element 13 is pushed forwards or pulled backwards, for example by the shooter to actuate the magazine ejection, the actuating element 13 is simply an extension or hook on the rod 21. In the example shown of a laterally deflectable actuating lever 25 as the actuating element 13, the actuating lever 25 has a pin 26 which is eccentric with respect to its articulation axis 24, optionally with a cam 27 carried by the pin, which comes to rest on a projection 28 of the rod 21. The projection 28 can be formed directly on the rod 21 or, as shown, be formed by a side 29 of a slide 30 mounted on the rod 21.

[0034] If the rod 21 is a pull rod and if the operating lever 25 points rearward from the axis 24 and carries the pin 26 or cam 27 there, then the side 29 of the projection 28 or slide 30, against which the pin 26 or cam 27 comes to rest, faces rearward, and a lateral deflection of the operating lever 25 pulls the rod 21 forward over the projection 26 or cam 27 in order to release the pawl 15 from its locking position. If the rod 21 is a push rod, then the arrangement of the pin 26 or cam 27 and side 29 of the projection 28 or slide 30 is correspondingly reversed. The rod 21 or the optional slide 30 can be guided in a linearly displaceable manner on one or more of the parts housing 2, fore-end 4 and protective bracket 10.Alternatively or additionally, the slide 30 may have a bore 31 for the passage of a trigger rod 32, as is conventionally used to transmit the trigger movement from the trigger blade 9 to the trigger or firing mechanisms in the firearm 1. The slide 30 is then guided on the trigger rod 32 via the bore 31.

[0035] The operating lever 25 can be ergonomically shaped for the shooter, for example with laterally projecting wings 33, which facilitate lateral deflection by extending the trigger finger.

[0036] It is understood that the actuating element 13 can also be designed differently than in the form of the laterally deflectable actuating lever 25 shown, e.g. in the form of a pusher or slider, a pull hook or pull ring, a rotary knob, switch, sensor, etc. The actuating element 13 can also be arranged at a location other than that shown in front of the trigger blade 9, for example on the grip 5 itself, e.g. on one or both sides of the grip 5, so that it can be actuated there, e.g. with one of the fingers of the firing hand not used for the trigger blade 9. The actuating element 13 could even be mounted directly on the trigger blade 9, for example as an additional lever thereon, as a lateral push button, etc. The protective bracket 10 is also optional, and the actuating element 13 could be mounted directly on the housing 2, the fore-end 4 and / or components of the firearm 1 contained therein.

[0037] The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but includes all variants, modifications and combinations thereof that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Firearm of the bullpup type, comprising a buttstock (3) and in front of it a grip (5) pointing downwards in the use position and a trigger blade (9), as well as a magazine well (7) located between the buttstock (3) and the grip (5), which is equipped with an actuatable latch (15) for releasably locking a magazine (8) in the magazine well (7), wherein an actuating element (13) is movably mounted on the firearm (1) in front of or on the grip (5), by means of which the latch (15) can be actuated via a mechanism (14), and wherein the actuating element (13) is mounted on the firearm (1) at a distance in front of the trigger blade (9), characterized in that the actuating element (13) is a laterally deflectable mounted on the firearm (1) about an axis (24) which is approximately vertical in the use position. operating lever (25).

2. Firearm according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating lever (25) can be deflected selectively towards one or the other side of the firearm (1).

3. Firearm according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuating lever (25) is resiliently preloaded into its central position.

4. Firearm according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the firearm (1) has a protective guard (10) at a distance in front of the trigger blade (9), on the side of which facing the trigger blade (9) the actuating element (13) is accessible for actuation.

5. Firearm according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mechanism (14) comprises a rod (21) which engages with its rear end (22) on a lever (11) which can release the pawl (15) from its locking position.

6. Firearm according to claim 5, characterized in that the lever (11) is spring-loaded.

7. Firearm according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the lever (11) is at least partially accessible for manual operation.

8. Firearm according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the rod (21) has at its front end a projection (28) against which the actuating element (13) or a cam (27) carried by it comes to rest.

9. Firearm according to claim 8, characterized in that the projection (28) is formed by one side of a slide (30) mounted on the rod (21) which is in the Firearm (1) is mounted in a linearly movable manner.

10. Firearm according to claim 9, characterized in that the slide (30) has a bore (31) for the passage of a trigger rod (32) on which the slide (30) is guided.

Images