Hybrid long recoil firearm design

Abstract

The design of a hybrid long recoil firearm may contain many aspects including: an ambidextrous non-reciprocating charging handle; an improved bolt carrier group and operation; "casebreakers" that interact with the bolt sleeve, bolt carrier, and firearm receiver; an improved ambidextrous bolt catch assembly; and an improved feed ramp and separator. The design addresses the issues of reducing felt recoil, improving bott catch and release operations, and simplifying cartridge feeding systems.

Description

DescriptionTitle of Invention Hybrid Long Recoil Firearm Design

[0001] Technical Field

[0002] The design pertains to long recoil firearms and more particularly pertains to charging handle; bolt assembly; cartridge case extraction; and recoil reduction.Background Art

[0003] PTL1 :Recoil:Patent Document No. Inventor DateUS1095738A Roestel 1914-05-05US2741950A Cleveland 1956-04-17US3635123A Colby 1972-01-18US4398448A La Fever 1983-08-16US659786A Browning 1900-10-16US783123A Mauser 1905-02-21

[0004] PTL1 :Bolt Catch:Patent Document No. Inventor DateUS11530886B2 Bray 2022-12-20US9291412B1 Montes 2016-03-22US8359966B1 Brotherton 2013-01-29US20100251591A1 Burt et al. 2012-04-14US11892255B1 Huang 2024-02-06US20170284761 A1 Lewis et al. 2019-02-05US7661219B1 Knight, Jr. et al. 2010-02-16USD784478S1 Therrell 2017-04-18

[0005] PTL1:Feed Ramp - Separator:Patent Document No. Inventor DateUS1851696A Ekdahl 1932-03-29US3003274A Morse et al. 1961-10-10US3421408A Badali et al. 1969-01-14US465339A Browning 1891-12-15US6898888B2 Greenhut 2005-05-31

[0006] Summary of Invention

[0007] The design is a modern hybrid long recoil operated firearm. Features may include: an ambidextrous non-reciprocating charging handle; an improved bolt carrier group and operation; the use of “casebreakers” that interact with the bolt sleeve, bolt carrier, and firearm receiver to achieve gradual extraction of expended ammunition during the rearward stroke of the reciprocating components of the firearm during the firing process; an improved ambidextrous bolt catch assembly; and an improved feed ramp and separator.

[0008] Technical Problems

[0009] Charging Handle Problems: Charging handles in modern sporting firearms are often single side operated, that is, not ambidextrous and often require the operator to move their body from the firing position and their hand from the firing hand grip, potentially causing the operator to lose their sight picture and ability to fire repeatably and accurately. Other charging handles may not require the operator to move from the firing position, but the charging handle may reciprocate when the firearm is fired, creating a potential hazard with a rapidly moving component external to the firearm and near the operator’s hands, arms, or face. Still other charging handles are restricted in design and are limited in size andshape, require tools to change, or may become unattached during normal operation.

[0010] Recoil Problems: It is a simple law of physics that the more powerful the ammunition, the larger the resulting recoil force when the firearm is fired. The amount of recoil felt by the operator, called felt recoil, can be painful, distract the operator during firing, cause muzzle climb, also called muzzle flip, which in turn can cause the operator to lose sight of the target between shots. Over the years, the amount of felt recoil has been moderated in a number of ways, the most common of which involves either making the firearm heavier or reducing the power of the ammunition, both of which may be less than optimum compromises for the operator. Traditional long recoil operation relies on the strength of the barrel spring to provide the required energy to extract the spent cartridge case from the chamber of the barrel. One drawback to this design is that a spring that is strong enough to do the work of extraction translates into higher than necessary felt recoil for the operator, who must resist the rearward force of the spring during the firing process. Short recoil designs, on the other hand, use an accelerator to limit the barrel’s rearward travel and impart rearward force and velocity to the bolt carrier group, which then moves rearward and away from the barrel, extracting the cartridge case in the process. The drawback with this design is that once again the operator must provide the resistance for the fulcrum point of the accelerator, through the receiver, again translating with higher than necessary felt recoil for the operator.

[0011] Bolt Catch Problems: Most modern firearms have a built-in inefficiency, they require the operator to ensure that the firearm catches the bolt, i.e., the firearm secures the bolt in the rearward position, by the operator reciprocating a lever or pin for example, on one side of the firearm, such catch being released from the same side on which it was engaged, preventing ambidextrous operation. Some firearms are equipped with ambidextrous bolt catch devices that can catch the bolt from either side, but can only release the bolt from one side, while still others have ambidextrous bolt catch designs that can catch and release from either side but, due to the design itself, are prone to breaking or are not intuitive to use. Other ambidextrous bolt catch devices either run material through the trigger well which can create potential interference with the operator’s trigger finger, or placethe right-side catch release paddle somewhere outside of the natural reach of the operator’s right hand, for right-handed operators, while maintaining the operator’s hand on the hand grip.

[0012] Feed Ramp - Separator Problems: In a standard long recoil action firearm, after firing, the firearm barrel and the bolt carrier travel rearward together. The bolt carrier is held rearward while the barrel moves forward. When the barrel is fully forward the bolt carrier is released and picks up the next cartridge out of the magazine and feeds it into the chamber, locks, and the firearm is ready to fire again. In these standard designs, the release of the bolt carrier group and the picking up and feeding of the cartridge into the chamber has been accomplished by various inefficient designs of clockwork mechanisms using levers and springs that can be prone to failure.

[0013] Solution to Problems

[0014] Charging Handle: The new design may incorporate a charging handle capable of being configured for operation as a left side only, right side only, or ambidextrous charging handle. The charging handle design may allow the operator to choose and easily install multiple variants of charging handle design. The charging handle may be non-reciprocating and may interact with the bolt carrier directly through non-permanent contact, or may utilize a separate component, a bolt carrier link, which allows the charging handle to move the bolt carrier group rearward without the charging handle having to be permanently attached to the bolt carrier.

[0015] Recoil: One embodiment of the new design uses the firearm’s recoil force itself to operate the firearm, and, by using that force, may drastically reduce the felt recoil. The new design integrates a “casebreaker” that resembles an accelerator, but allows for gradual, rather than instantaneous separation of the bolt carrier group from the barrel assembly over the length of the operating travel, allowing the barrel to travel the appropriate distance to unlock the bolt and the initial extraction of the cartridge case from the barrel chamber. Gradual extraction combined with long recoil barrel travel may result in lower felt recoil for the operator, improving the shooting experience.

[0016] Bolt Catch: One embodiment of the new design addresses a number of current issues common to standard long recoil firearm designs: 1 . Keeping the bolt open, i.e., to the rear, after the barrel has reached the end of its travel path until it is time for the bolt to close, i.e. return to battery. For this design, “battery” means when the component or assembly is fully forward and in the normal firing position. 2. Employing ambidextrous control enabling complete firearm operation from either side, as selected by the operator. 3. Simplifying bolt catch operation with a “forward - backward” motion. Other designs utilize a push in, push down, or lift up, movement. From the exterior of the firearm, the bolt catch lever operates entirely parallel to the barrel of the firearm. 4. Lastly, the new design makes the magazine changing process much more efficient by allowing the quick change of a magazine without moving the trigger hand from its firing position on the firearm.

[0017] Feed Ramp - Separator: The new design picks up the cartridge, feeds it into the chamber using one assembly and may include an integrated feed ramp and separator interface. The interface locks the feed ramp in the lifted position and prevents it from dropping down until the cartridge is loaded into the chamber.

[0018] Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0019] Charging Handle: The non-reciprocating, ambidextrous charging handle may allow the operator to perform the functions of a charging handle without moving from the firing position or giving up their firing hand grip, without the risk of the charging handle reciprocating and striking the operator during the normal operation of the firearm. The new design may allow the operator to customize the charging handle to any size or shape they choose during the normal disassembly of the firearm and without the need for tools. The charging handle allows both left-handed and right-handed operators to charge the firearm without moving from the firing position appropriate for them.

[0020] Recoil: The new design may allow the operator, without any undue movement of the firearm, to continuously monitor the shots at the target and make another shot or quickly move the firearm to a different target. The new design may make firearm operation more comfortable for the operator -regardless of ammunition power. The new design breaks the paradigm of felt recoil being an inescapable consequence of firepower versus firearm weight, and makes it possible to create light weight, high-powered firearms without distracting or painful felt recoil. As discussed in more detail below, other innovations in the design may include some or all of the following: a straight pull bolt design, i.e., a locking mechanism that does not rely on a rotating bolt and therefore requiring less operating energy and allowing for more efficient semi-automatic or automatic operating systems, which may ultimately result in less net felt recoil; a streamlined and small firearm profile, lighter firearm weight, efficient modification of many of the firearm specifications, including the firearm’s caliber, by the operator in the field, and the firearm’s ease of disassembly, reassembly, and maintenance. The ease of maintenance may be greatly enhanced by not using the gas resulting from firing the cartridges to operate, i.e., reciprocate, the firearm and thereby not fouling the firearm with carbon or gas deposits.

[0021] Bolt Catch: One embodiment of the new design has sturdy, linked bolt catch and release devices on both sides of the firearm which are intuitively operated and readily accommodate both left and right-handed operators. Having bolt catch and release operations on both sides of the firearm also allows for a much more efficient change of ammunition magazines as well. This embodiment of the new design is unique because, for right-handed operators, it converts the parallel movement of the right-hand bolt catch lever to the perpendicular movement of the bolt catch. This allows easy and natural bolt catch movement with the finger of the right hand while maintaining the operator’s hand grip.

[0022] Feed Ramp - Separator: The design uses a separator to time the interaction between the barrel assembly and the bolt carrier group, ensuring that the bolt carrier group is only released to travel forward once the barrel assembly is in the correct, i.e., forward position. One embodiment of the new feed ramp - separator interface design is unique in that it locks the feed ramp in the lifted position while the cartridge is being loaded. This prevents the feed ramp from dropping and potentially allowing the cartridge to go underneath the barrel and extension thereby jamming the firearm. Also, the new design separator functions in four different positions. A pin or similar device set in through the side of the receiver and that pin is received by a slot in the separator. The separator slot, along with aleaf spring pushing up against the separator, is designed and placed to allow for the entire separator to move up and down vertically and also to tilt, or see-saw, up and down at each end. This design allows the separator to move into the several different positions required to function as a separator.

[0023] Brief Description of Drawings

[0024] Figures

[0025] Fig. 1: Hybrid Long Recoil Firearm, Side ViewFig. 2: Barrel Assembly and Bolt Carrier Group, Side ViewFig. 3: Hybrid Long Recoil Firearm, Breached, Side ViewFig. 4: Reciprocating Components Forward, Upper Receiver Removed, Isometric ViewFig. 5: Reciprocating Components Forward, Upper Receiver Removed, Closeup Isometric ViewFig. 6: Bolt Carrier Group Locked in Barrel Extension, Cutaway Side ViewFig. 7: Bolt Carrier Group Locked in Barrel Extension, Cutaway Top ViewFig. 8: Charging Handle in Contact with Bolt Carrier Link and Bolt Carrier Group, Isometric ViewFig. 9: Charging Handle out of Contact with Bolt Carrier Link and Bolt Carrier Group, Isometric ViewFig. 10: Bolt Carrier Group Locked in Barrel Extension, Ramp and Separator Lowered, Cartridges Depressed, Side ViewFig. 11: Bolt Carrier Group Locked in Barrel Extension, Ramp Lowered, Separator Hidden, Cartridges Depressed, Side ViewFig. 12: Charging Handle, Bolt Carrier Link, and Bolt Carrier Group Moved Rearward from Barrel Assembly, Isometric ViewFig. 13: Charging Handle, Bolt Carrier Link, and Bolt Carrier Group Moved Rearward from Barrel Assembly, Closeup Isometric ViewFig. 14: Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Locked, Isometric ViewFig. 15: Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Unlocked, Isometric ViewFig. 16: Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Locked, Top ViewFig. 17: Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Unlocked, Top ViewFig. 18: Bolt, Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Locked, Isometric ViewFig. 19: Bolt, Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Unlocked, Isometric ViewFig. 20: Bolt, Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Locked, Top ViewFig. 21: Bolt, Lugs, Driver, and Drive Pin, Unlocked, Top ViewFig. 22: Bolt Carrier Group, Locked, Side ViewFig. 23: Bolt Carrier Group, Unlocked, Side ViewFig. 24: Bolt Carrier Group, Locked, Slight Isometric ViewFig. 25: Bolt Carrier Group, Unlocked, Slight Isometric ViewFig. 26: Bolt Carrier Group, Locked, Isometric ViewFig. 27: Bolt Carrier Group, Unlocked, Isometric ViewFig. 28: Bolt Carrier Group, Locked, Top ViewFig. 29: Bolt Carrier Group, Unlocked, Top ViewFig. 30: Bolt Carrier Group in the Upper Receiver, Cutaway Side ViewFig. 31: Bolt Carrier Group Forward in the Upper Receiver, Cutaway Side ViewFig. 32: Bolt Carrier Group Partly Rearward in the Upper Receiver, Cutaway Side ViewFig. 33: Bolt Carrier Group Rearward in the Upper Receiver, Cutaway Side ViewFig. 34: Bolt Carrier Group Charged Rearward, Carrier Spring Compressed, Side ViewFig. 35: Bolt Carrier Group Charged Rearward, Carrier Spring Compressed, Isometric ViewFig. 36: Bolt Carrier Group Rearward, Cartridges Presented, Ramp and Separator Lifted, Side ViewFig. 37: Bolt Carrier Group Rearward, Cartridges Presented, Ramp and Separator Lifted, Isometric ViewFig. 38: Bolt Carrier Group Caught Rearward, Bolt Catch Assembly in Lower Receiver, Isometric ViewFig. 39: Bolt Carrier Group Caught Rearward, Bolt Catch Assembly in Lower Receiver, Top ViewFig. 40: Charging Handle Assembly, Isometric ViewFig. 41 : Charging Handle Placement in Firearm, Upper Receiver Removed, Top ViewFig. 42: Bolt Carrier Group Feeding Cartridge into Ramp, Side ViewFig. 43: Bolt Carrier Group Feeding Cartridge into Ramp, Isometric ViewFig. 44: Bolt Carrier Group Feeding Cartridge into Extension and Chamber, Side ViewFig. 45: Bolt Carrier Group Feeding Cartridge into Extension and Chamber, Isometric ViewFig. 46: Bolt Carrier Group Pushing Separator and Ramp Downward, Side ViewFig. 47: Bolt Carrier Group Pushing Separator and Ramp Downward, Isometric ViewFig. 48: Front Trunnion and Rear Trunnion in Receiver, Side ViewFig. 49: Front Trunnion, Rear Trunnion, Ramp, and Separator in Receiver, Top ViewFig. 50: Ramp and Separator, Top ViewFig. 51 : Ramp, Separator, and Separator Spring, Lifted, Isometric ViewFig. 52: Ramp and Separator Assembly, Lifted, Side ViewFig. 53: Ramp and Separator Interaction, Lifted, Cutaway Side ViewFig. 54: Ramp and Separator Assembly, Lowered, Side ViewFig. 55: Ramp and Separator Interaction, Lowered, Cutaway Side ViewFig. 56: Ramp, Side ViewFig. 57: Ramp, Top ViewFig. 58: Bolt Catch Assembly in Lower Receiver, Release Position, Isometric ViewFig. 59: Bolt Catch Assembly in Lower Receiver, Release Position, Closeup Isometric ViewFig. 60: Bolt Catch Assembly in Lower Receiver, Catch Position, Isometric ViewFig. 61: Bolt Catch Assembly in Lower Receiver, Catch Position, Closeup Isometric ViewFig. 62: Bolt Catch Assembly, Release Position, Isometric ViewFig. 63: Bolt Catch Assembly, Catch Position, Isometric ViewFig. 64: Reciprocating Components in Firearm, Partially Rearward, Isometric ViewFig. 65: Reciprocating Components in Firearm, Partially Rearward, Side ViewFig. 66: Reciprocating Components Partially Rearward, Ramp and Separator Lowered, Side ViewFig. 67: Reciprocating Components Partially Rearward, Ramp and Separator Lowered, Isometric ViewFig. 68: Barrel Assembly Returning Forward, Bolt Carrier Group Held Rearward, Isometric ViewFig. 69: Barrel Assembly Returning Forward, Bolt Carrier Group Held Rearward, Side ViewFig. 70: Bolt Carrier Group Locked in Barrel Extension, Closeup Cutaway Side ViewFig. 71: Bolt Carrier Group Exploded Diagram, Isometric ViewDescription of Embodiments

[0026] Overview: For ease of understanding, all figures describe a firearm with a separable upper (14) and lower (15) receiver assembly (Fig. 3) although it is possible for the design to be incorporated in any firearm. One embodiment of the hybrid long recoil design operation (Fig. 1) is a combination of traditional long recoil operation and short recoil operation. In traditional long recoil operation, the barrel assembly (16) and bolt carrier group (10) stay in complete contact through the entire rearward stroke, separating on the forward stroke by having the boltcarrier group held to the rear while the barrel returns forward to battery (Fig. 2). In short recoil operation, the barrel assembly transfers its energy to the bolt carrier group by means of an accelerator, bringing the barrel to a stop and accelerating the bolt carrier group, thereby achieving separation of the two assemblies. In this design, the barrel assembly and bolt carrier group move generally together during the entire rearward stroke and then being separated by the “casebreakers” (12). The “casebreakers” interact with the upper receiver (14) pushing the bolt carrier group away from the barrel assembly (16) after firing during the rearward stroke, causing the bolt to unlock from the barrel extension (18) and the empty cartridge case to be extracted a short distance from the chamber. But the bolt carrier is not pushed away with enough energy to cause the bolt carrier to accelerate away from the barrel assembly.

[0027] Detailed explanation of one embodiment’s cycle of functioning:In the starting condition, (Fig. 4, 5) the firearm is at battery. Moving from the muzzle rearward, the barrel (19) is forward, the spring depressor (20) is forward and nested in the forward trunnion (22), the barrel spring is pre-loaded, i.e. , under some compression, and the barrel tab (24) is pressed rearward against the forward face of the rear trunnion (26) (Fig. 48, 49). The bolt carrier is forward, the bolt is inside the barrel extension, the driver (28) is in the forward position, the lugs (30) are deployed laterally and are interacting with the lug pockets (32) in the barrel extension, i.e., the locked position. The bolt sleeve (34) is forward and the “casebreakers” are generally vertical, the bolt carrier (36) is forward and the drive pin (38) is in the forward position in the slot in the bolt (57). The bolt lock (40) is disengaged and stowed inside the bolt carrier (Fig. 22). The bolt carrier is interacting with the bolt carrier link (42) on the charging handle (44) and the bolt carrier link is pressing the charging handle forward so that the charging handle spring detent (46) is engaged in its socket in the charging handle. The bolt carrier is pressing the separator (48) downward, which in turn is pressing the feed ramp (50) downward. The bolt carrier tongue (52) is under the barrel extension and the bolt carrier rib (54) is keeping the cartridges pressed downward in the magazine (Fig. 10, 11). The hammer is cocked and the firing pin (59) is free to move forward or rearward within its narrow range of movement.To prepare the firearm for loading (Fig. 8, 9), the operator grasps the charging handle (44) with either hand and pulls the handle rearward. The charging handle moves rearward, disengaging the charging handle detent (46) from the detent socket. The rear of the charging handle contacts and applies rearward force to the bolt carrier link (42), which in turn applies rearward force to the bolt carrier (36). The bolt carrier moves rearward, pulling the drive pin, which pulls the driver rearward, retracting it from between the forward, and inward facing flat surfaces of the lugs (30) and driving the rearward portions of the lugs outward by means of the driver wedge (56). This motion causes the lugs to pivot from their center, causing the forward portions of the lugs to move inward, retracting from the pockets in the barrel extension, thereby unlocking the bolt carrier group from the barrel extension (Fig. 12, 13). As the drive pin reaches the rearward portion of the slot in the bolt, the bolt (58) is pulled rearward out of the barrel extension (18) and the bolt lock (40) deploys and engages, interacting with the lock provision on the bolt carrier to keep the bolt open (Fig. 23). The bolt lock keeps the bolt extended until the correct location in the operation cycle. The bolt needs to remain extended until the appropriate time to allow proper chamber lock-up and to prevent the lugs from deploying prematurely and crashing into the barrel extension.The “casebreakers” (12) make contact with the cam surface of the upper receiver (15), biasing the “casebreakers” forward and extending the bolt sleeve (34) forward relative to the bolt carrier until the bolt sleeve is fully extended, and then the bolt sleeve is pulled rearward with the rest of the bolt carrier group (Fig. 12, 13). As the entire bolt carrier group moves rearward away from the barrel assembly, the bolt carrier spring (60) is compressed, the forward section of the separator (48) is allowed to rise, in turn allowing the feed ramp (50) to rise and then locking it in the lifted position. The bolt carrier rib (54) and bolt carrier tongue (52) are pulled rearward off of the cartridges in the magazine, allowing the top cartridge to present and rise upward to the limit of the feed lips in the magazine, aligning it with the ramp and preparing the cartridge for feeding (Fig. 36, 37). As shown in Fig. 34, 35, the bolt carrier group is pulled rearward by using the manual charging handle (44) until the group moves behind the bolt catch mechanism (62), which is manually engaged by the operator to hold thebolt carrier group and bolt carrier link to the rear (Fig. 38, 39) while the charging handle is returned forward by the operator to its forward position (Fig. 40, 41), and engaged with the charging handle detent (46). The firearm is ready to load.

[0028] To load the firearm (Fig. 42 - 45), the operator presses on the bolt catch lever (64) on either side of the firearm to release the bolt carrier group (10), allowing it to move forward, driven by the compressed bolt carrier spring (60). The bolt carrier tongue (52) makes contact with the top cartridge in the magazine, driving the cartridge forward out of the magazine feed lips and towards the ramp. The tip of the cartridge makes contact with the feed ramp (50), which angles the cartridge upward towards the chamber. The cartridge exits the magazine feed lips and the base of the cartridge slides upward from the bolt carrier tongue (52) to the bolt face as the front of the cartridge enters the chamber.As shown in Fig. 46 and 47, the bolt carrier (36) presses the forward section of the separator (48) which in turn unlocks the feed ramp (50) and causes the feed ramp to drop out of the way just before the bolt carrier tongue reaches the feed ramp and the bolt carrier tongue slides under the barrel extension (18). The bolt (58) is kept extended by the bolt lock (40) despite the force exerted on it by the cartridge as the cartridge chambers into the barrel assembly. The cartridge stops forward movement, settling into the pocket in the face of the bolt, putting pressure on the ejector (66), and compressing the ejector spring. The cartridge also applies pressure on the extractor (70), causing it to move laterally in its slot until the rim of the cartridge case passes the hook of the extractor and allows the extractor to return to its home position, i.e., hooked on the rim of the cartridge case.As shown in Fig. 70, as the bolt carrier group (10) enters the barrel extension, (18) the bolt lock makes contact with the ramp provision in the barrel extension, lifting and disengaging the bolt lock (40). The bolt then ceases forward movement, fully in contact with the cartridge, which is in turn fully chambered in the barrel. As shown in Fig. 14 through 29, the bolt carrier continues to move forward, pushing the drive pin (38) forward, which pushes the driver (28) forward, which in turn drives the lugs (30) outward. The lugs pivot outward in the front, engaging with the lug pockets (32) in the barrel extension (18). The bolt carrier also pushes the bolt carrier link (42) forward until it reaches its forward position.As shown in Fig. 6 and 7, the bolt sleeve (34) is pushed rearward towards the bolt carrier by the rearward face of the barrel extension, causing the “casebreakers” to cam against the forward face of the bolt carrier, orienting the “casebreakers” generally upwards and in full contact with the bolt carrier. As also shown in Fig. 6 and 7, the bolt carrier group ceases forward movement, fully forward and in complete contact with the cartridge, which is fully chambered in the barrel. The lugs are fully deployed outward in the front of the bolt and the bolt carrier group is now locked with the barrel assembly. The firearm is now ready to fire.

[0029] When fired, the equal and opposite energy of the projectile moving forward through the barrel acts on the reciprocating components of the firearm, namely the barrel assembly (16) and the bolt carrier group (10). As the projectile continues through the barrel, accelerating to the point of exit at the muzzle, the reciprocating components are moving and accelerating rearward. At this point, (Fig. 64, 65) the firearm barrel moves rearward far enough to pull the spring depressor (20) out of contact with its socket in the forward trunnion (22) and compresses the barrel spring (72). The barrel tab (24) remains stationary against the forward face of the rear trunnion (26) as the barrel spring is compressed against it. The bolt carrier group, still locked in the extension, is pushed rearward by the barrel assembly until the “casebreakers” make contact with the cam surface in the upper receiver. When the “casebreakers” make contact with the cam surface in the upper receiver (14), they are forced to cam forward Fig. 30 through 33, pivoting in their sockets in the bolt sleeve. The front of the bolt sleeve is pressed against the rearward face of the barrel extension and the bottom section of the “casebreakers” slide upwards against the forward face of the bolt carrier. The combination of these contact, pivot, and cam points cause the bolt carrier to extend further rearward than the rearward-moving barrel assembly (Fig. 66 and 67). As shown in Fig. 14 through 29, the extending bolt carrier pulls the drive pin, which pulls the driver, which retracts from between the forward portions of the lugs (30). The wedge (56) on the rear of the driver (28) interacts with the rear portions of the lugs, causing them to unlock from the barrel extension (Fig. 15 and 17). As shown in Fig. 19 and 21, as the drive pin (38) reaches the end of the slot in the bolt, the bolt is pulled rearward relative to thebarrel assembly (16), putting rearward pressure on the extractor (70), which in turn extracts the cartridge case slightly rearward out of the chamber. As shown in Fig. 64 through 67, the barrel assembly and the, now extended, bolt carrier group both continue to move rearward, and the rib on the bottom of the bolt carrier (54) causes the firearm’s hammer to pivot and load the hammer spring until the hammer is fully cocked. As shown in Fig. 66 and 67, the front of the separator (48) is now held down by the barrel, biasing the rear of the separator upward under spring tension. The rear of the separator is temporarily held down by the bolt carrier (36) until the bolt carrier corner moves rearward past the end of the separator and the separator’s rear end is forced up under tension from the spring into the separator notch on the bolt carrier (80).Once all the above-described reciprocating components have run out of energy due to the effort required to overcome friction and compress the springs, the components cease rearward motion and begin to travel forward. If the components have residual energy they are arrested by the bumper in the buffer tube. The reciprocating components now begin to move forward until the separator makes contact with the separator notch in the bolt carrier (80), temporarily arresting the forward movement of the bolt carrier group. The barrel assembly continues to move forward, completing the extraction of the cartridge case from the barrel. Once the cartridge case has cleared the barrel extension, it is pushed sideways by the compressed spring in the ejector (66) and is ejected from the firearm through the ejection port. The barrel spring (72) continues to extend, putting forward pressure on the barrel spring depressor (20), driving the barrel forward, clearing the magazine, and allowing the next cartridge to present from the magazine.As shown in Fig. 68 and 69, the barrel moves forward into the full forward, or battery, position, stopped by the spring depressor making contact with its socket in the forward trunnion (22). As the barrel extension moves to battery, it moves away from contact with the separator, allowing the front of the separator to move upward, lifting and locking the ramp into the upward position. The upward movement of the front of the separator causes the downward movement of the rear of the separator, which causes it to disengage from the separator notch in the bolt carrier (80), allowing the bolt carrier group to begin its movement forward.The bolt carrier group then repeats the load procedure as it did when it was manually released by the operator, stripping a cartridge from the magazine, feeding it into the extension, chambering it into the chamber, and locking the bolt carrier group into the barrel assembly.The firearm is now ready to be fired in successive, semi-automatic shots, until the last cartridge has been fired. At that point, the follower in the magazine interacts with the bolt catch (62) and causes the bolt catch to engage with the bolt carrier group, keeping it to the rear until the operator releases the bolt by manually depressing the bolt catch (62) or bolt catch lever (64).

[0030] Specific Embodiment Features:Ambidextrous non-reciprocating charging handle: In one embodiment, the charging handle is held in place by an interiorly placed spring-loaded ball detent (46). As the handle is pulled back toward the rear of the firearm it charges the bolt carrier, i.e., it moves the bolt carrier toward the rear of the firearm and prepares the bolt to pick up and place a cartridge into the chamber. The handle is secure in the firearm while assembled and easily removed from the firearm when the firearm is disassembled. The handle is non-reciprocating, i.e., when the firearm is fired, the handle does not move back to its charged position.Recoil: As discussed below, one embodiment of the design has several unique features designed to improve efficiency and reduce recoil.Bolt Carrier Group Operation and Components:Bolt Carrier. In one embodiment of the design, shown in Fig. 71 , the bolt carrier (36) provides the structure that houses the components of the bolt carrier group (10) and may include features that enable the components to function for their intended purpose. It may also include features that may interact with a separator assembly.Bolt Sleeve. (Fig. 71) The bolt sleeve (34) fits inside the bolt carrier and provides the structure that houses the “casebreakers” (12). The face of the bolt sleeve interacts with the barrel extension during extraction, creating distance between the bolt and barrel, effecting extraction. The bolt sleeve also houses the bolt (58).“Casebreakers”. Also shown in Fig. 71, the “casebreakers” (12) interact with the bolt sleeve (34), bolt carrier (36), and upper receiver (14) to achieve gradual extraction of the spent cartridge case during the rearward stroke of the reciprocating components of the firearm during the firing process.Drive Pin. Again as shown in Fig. 71, the drive pin (38) is housed in the bolt carrier (36) and interacts with the driver (28), mentioned below in the bolt assembly section, to unlock the bolt assembly from the barrel extension and limit the forward and rearward travel of the bolt assembly inside the bolt carrier.Bolt Assembly Components. (Fig. 71)Bolt. The bolt (58) is the central component of the bolt carrier assembly (10) and provides the structure that houses the inner components of the bolt carrier assembly. It serves as a key component of the pressure chamber during firing, providing resistance to the rearward force created during the process of firing the cartridge.Lugs. The lugs (30) securely lock the bolt carrier group (10) into the barrel extension (18) during the firing process and allow the firearm automatically, or the user manually, to unlock the bolt carrier group with minimal force once it is safe to do so.Driver. The driver (28) serves the function of locking and unlocking the lugs (30) at the correct times in the operation cycle. The driver provides solid structure to resist inward force applied to the lugs when locked. It also has a gradual unlocking cam feature, elsewhere called the driver wedge (56), to further minimize the amount of energy required to unlock the lugs when appropriate.Low Profile Extractor. The low-profile extractor (70) is unique in that it requires a very small amount of space to house a cartridge case extractor in the bolt, where material space and strength are critical requirements.Bolt Lock. The bolt lock (40) safely keeps the bolt extended and unlocked whenever it is away from the barrel extension and allows the bolt to close and lock only when the bolt reaches the extension. The bolt lock is housed in the bolt and interacts with the bolt carrier to keep the bolt open and unlocked. It then interacts with the barrel extension feed ramp feature (17) to release the lock allowing the bolt to close and lock at the appropriate time.Bolt Assembly Operation. Many common semi-automatic operation designs require the bolt to rotate in operation and to operate under friction, which requires a lot of energy. The less energy required for operation, the more efficiently the firearm functions and the less felt recoil results. One embodiment of the design utilizes a straight pull bolt. When the operator pulls straight back on the bolt carrier, the bolt extends outward from the bolt carrier group.As a result of the interaction of the driver and the lugs, whenever there is chamber pressure pushing the bolt rearward, the bolt will stay locked regardless of the pressure from the cartridge case on the bolt face. The only way to unlock the bolt is to move the bolt carrier group rearward. This is done automatically after firing during normal operation or by manually reciprocating the charging handle. This straight pull bolt system uses very little energy to unlock the bolt assembly while ensuring that the bolt will never come unlocked prematurely during operation.Bolt Catch. The new design allows the operator to catch the bolt in the rearward position from either side of the firearm and then release the bolt from either side of the firearm, the bolt catch on one side and bolt catch lever on the other side of the firearm, as determined by the operator, operates forward and backward, allowing the operator to use the lever in a way that may be natural for the operator’s firing hand. As shown in Fig. 58 through 63, in one embodiment designed for a right-handed operator, on the left side of the firearm, from the operator’s perspective, the primary bolt catch looks very similar to a standard modern sporting firearm. However, in this design, on the right side, there is an exterior bolt catch lever that controls an interior modified ball-and-socket, or c- shaped, interface (86). By pushing forward on the lever, i.e. , parallel to the barrel, the ball-and-socket interface is raised, and by pulling rearward, again, parallel to the barrel, the interface is lowered or released back to its original unlocked position. That is, raising the ball-and-socket interface locks the bolt in its rearward position, and lowering the interface releases the bolt forward. This modified ball-and-socket interface design operates in two different axes at the same time. That is, it raises the ball joint parallel to the barrel’s axis, while at the same time raising the socket laterally across the axis of the barrel.In this embodiment of the design the ball-and-socket interface uses a pin (92) or similar part located in the right side of the firearm’s lower receiver (13). This pin provides the pivot point for the interface. Where this pivot point is specifically located on the lower receiver will adjust the leverage, and therefore adjust the pressure needed, to push the lever forward or backwards. For example, locating the pivot point farther away from the ball-and-socket interface, discussed below, increases the amount of pressure needed for the operator to release the bolt. The exact location of the pin is customizable during construction of the firearm for the needs of the operator. The ball-and-socket interface can be reversed so that the ball is on either the right side or the left side portion of the catch, with the socket feature on the other portion. It is possible to install the design in existing standard firearm lower receivers as well.Bolt Catch OperationAs shown in Fig. 60 and 61 , to “catch” the bolt in its rearward position, the bolt catch lever (64) is pushed forward thereby raising the socket which in turn raises the ball (86). This also happens automatically when the last cartridge in a magazine is fired, by utilizing the magazine follower to lift the bolt catch assembly. When the interface lever is pushed forward, both the left and rightside bolt catches move into the catch position (Fig. 63) allowing bolt release from either side. The bolt is then caught by a protrusion (94) located on the interface. Pulling the bolt catch lever rearward lowers the protrusion and releases the bolt.As discussed above, the design also allows for increased efficiency when changing ammunition magazines. The placement and operation of the embodiment allows the following sequential magazine changing process: 1. Firing the last cartridge in the magazine automatically locks the bolt open, having defaulted to the “caught” position; 2. Using the operator’s firing finger, the operator drops the magazine from the lower receiver by pressing the magazine release button; 3. With the operator’s non-firing hand, the operator installs a loaded magazine and; 4. Again with the operator’s firing finger, the operator releases the bolt by pulling the interface lever rearward then may resume firing.Feed Ramp - Separator:As shown in Fig. 50 through 57, in one embodiment of the design the feed ramp is locked by using a teardrop or similarly shaped protrusion on the separator (96) with a track (98) in the side of the feed ramp specifically designed to accept the protrusion. The protrusion fits into the track in such a way that when the separator is in the up position, the feed ramp track locks in its lifted position on the separator protrusion, and only when the separator drops down does the protrusion push down the feed ramp. This allows the bolt carrier to pick up the cartridge out of the magazine and to slide over the top of the feed ramp without interference. After the barrel returns to the forward, or firing, position, a leaf spring (100) raises the separator, and therefore also raises the feed ramp, both back into their lifted positions until the separator is pressed down again by the forward traveling bolt carrier to prepare for the next shot.The separator functions in four different positions. A leaf spring pushes up against the separator that biases the separator forward and upward. A pin (102) or similar device is set in through the side of the receiver and that pin is received by a slot in the separator (104). The separator slot is designed and placed to allow for the entire separator to move up and down vertically and also to tilt, or see-saw, up and down at each end. This design allows the separator to move into the several different positions required to function as a separator in this embodiment of the design.While the above description contains many specificities, these specificities should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as examples of various embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments without departing from the scope of the design disclosed above. Thus, the scope should be determined by filed claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.

[0031] Reference Signs List

[0032] 10 - Bolt Carrier Group- Casebreakers - Lower Receiver - Upper Receiver - Cam Provision in Upper Receiver - Barrel Assembly - Ramp Provision in Barrel Extension - Barrel Extension - Barrel - Spring Depressor - Forward Trunnion - Barrel Tab - Rear Trunnion - Driver - Lugs - Lug Pockets in Barrel Extension - Bolt Sleeve - Bolt Carrier - Drive Pin - Bolt Lock - Bolt Carrier Link - Charging Handle - Charging Handle, Spring Detent - Separator - Feed Ramp - Bolt Carrier Tongue - Bolt Carrier Rib56 - Driver Wedge57 - Bolt Slot58 - Bolt59 - Firing Pin60 - Bolt Carrier Spring62 - Bolt catch64 - Bolt Catch Lever66 - Ejector70 - Extractor72 - Barrel Spring80 - Separator Notch in Bolt Carrier86 - Bolt Catch Interface92 - Bolt Catch Lever Pin94 - Bolt Catch Protrusion96 - Separator Protrusion98 - Feed Ramp Track100 - Separator Spring102 - Separator Pin104 - Separator Slot

[0033] Patent Literature

[0034] PTL1:Recoil:Patent Document No. Inventor DateUS1095738A Roestel 1914-05-05US2741950A Cleveland 1956-04-17US3635123A Colby 1972-01-18US4398448A La Fever 1983-08-16US659786A Browning 1900-10-16US783123A Mauser 1905-02-21

[0035] PTL1 :Bolt Catch:Patent Document No. Inventor DateUS11530886B2 Bray 2022-12-20US9291412B1 Montes 2016-03-22US8359966B1 Brotherton 2013-01-29US20100251591A1 Burt et al. 2012-04-14US11892255B1 Huang 2024-02-06US20170284761 A1 Lewis et al. 2019-02-05US7661219B1 Knight, Jr. et al. 2010-02-16USD784478S1 Therrell 2017-04-18

[0036] PTL1 :Feed Ramp - Separator:Patent Document No. Inventor DateUS1851696A Ekdahl 1932-03-29US3003274A Morse et al. 1961-10-10US3421408A Badali et al. 1969-01-14US465339A Browning 1891-12-15US6898888B2 Greenhut 2005-05-31

[0037] Non Patent Literature

[0038] NPL1 :Recoil:MouseGunner. “Long Recoil Operated Systems in Firearms” YouTube, uploadedApril 26, 2016, https: / / www.youtube.com / watch?v:=KiCoQU-mFz8

Claims

ClaimsI claim:

1. A firearm that incorporates a charging handle capable of being configured, from the operator’s perspective, as a left side only, right side only, or ambidextrous charging handle (44), said charging handle design allowing the operator to choose and install variants of the charging handle, the charging handle may be non-reciprocating and may interact directly with the bolt carrier through non-permanent contact, allowing the charging handle to move the bolt carrier group (10) rearward, i.e., away from the muzzle of the firearm, without being permanently connected to the carrier.

2. A firearm that incorporates a charging handle claimed in Claim 1 , that interacts indirectly with the bolt carrier through a component called a bolt carrier link (42), that allows the charging handle to move the bolt carrier group (10) rearward, i.e., away from the muzzle of the firearm, without being connected to the carrier.

3. A firearm that uses a straight pull bolt design, i.e., a locking mechanism that does not rely on a rotating bolt, therefore requiring less operating energy and allowing for more efficient semi-automatic or automatic operating systems, which may ultimately result in less net felt recoil.

4. A firearm that utilizes “casebreakers” (12) that cause the gradual, rather than instantaneous, separation of the bolt carrier group (10) and the barrel assembly (16) over the length of the operating travel, allowing the barrel to travel the appropriate distance to unlock the bolt and the initial extraction of the cartridge case from the barrel chamber.

5. A firearm that uses a bolt lock mechanism to keep the bolt extended until the correct location in the operation cycle, that is, the bolt remains extended until it enters the barrel extension, ensuring proper chamber lock-up and preventing the lugs from deploying prematurely and colliding into the barrel extension.

6. A firearm that uses a single separator component (48) to time the interaction between the barrel assembly (16) and the bolt carrier group(10), ensuring that the bolt carrier group is only released to travel forward once the barrel assembly is in the correct, i.e. forward position.

7. A firearm that utilizes an interface (96) between the separator (48) and the feed ramp (50), ensuring that the feed ramp stays securely in the feed position until the cartridge has been successfully fed into the chamber, the feed ramp then dropping into the lowered position before any other operating components make unintentional contact with the feed ramp.

8. A firearm that utilizes an ambidextrous, ball and socket-style bolt catch and release assembly, allowing the operator to catch the bolt in the rearward position from either side of the firearm and then release the bolt from either side of the firearm, the bolt catch (62) on one side and bolt catch lever (64) on the other side of the firearm, as determined by the operator, operates forward and backward, allowing the operator to use the lever in a way that may be natural for the operator’s firing hand.

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