Low-barrel handgun with rotating barrel locking system

Abstract

The invention relates to a handgun (1) comprising a handle (100), a barrel (200) mounted in the handle (100), a sighting rail (400), and a slide (500), wherein the sighting rail (400) can be unmovably locked to the handle (100) in such a way that the barrel axis (L) lies between the handle (100) and the sighting rail (400), and at least one part of the striking system (300) is mounted on the sighting rail (400). The barrel (200) has a control stud (202), a guide stud (203), and at least one locking stud (204), the handle (100) has a control cam (110) for the control stud (202), the barrel (200) can be moved from a first position to a second position, and the slide (500) has a locking element (510), in which the locking stud (204) can be received, and a frontal guide (511), which prevents a rotation of the barrel (200).

Description

[0001] Handgun with low-profile barrel and rotating barrel locking system

[0002] The invention relates to a handgun comprising a grip, a barrel mounted in the grip with a barrel axis and a muzzle, a firing mechanism, a sight rail and a slide, wherein the sight rail can be locked immovably to the grip in such a way that the barrel axis lies between the grip and the sight rail, wherein at least a part of the firing mechanism is mounted on the sight rail, and wherein the slide is movable from a rest position to a maximally retracted position.

[0003] With this type of handgun, the barrel can be designed to be particularly low, as elements of the firing mechanism, especially the trigger bar and hammer, are mounted on the sight rail above the barrel. Handguns with a low bore axis, combined with low bolt mass, minimize muzzle rise, resulting in pleasant and controllable shooting characteristics. These features contribute significantly to speed and accuracy during rapid fire, which is particularly advantageous in dynamic IPSC shooting, where precision and rapid firing are crucial.

[0004] A handgun of this type with a low-profile barrel is known, for example, from EP3472549B1. A corresponding handgun is marketed under the name Laugo Arms Alien. This pistol, described in EP3472549B1, is distinguished by its novel design, in which the bolt and slide are separate from the sights. This immobility of the sights during firing helps to better protect them from mechanical stress, as they are not subjected to the usual recoil forces acting on the bolt. Additionally, the gas-operated system of the Laugo Arms Alien provides a smoother recoil and reduces mechanical stress on the entire firing mechanism, thus extending the weapon's lifespan and increasing accuracy.

[0005] The sight rail on the EP3472549B1 handgun is designed to wrap around the front of the barrel and extend over the entire length of the pistol, above the slide. To accommodate this sight rail and the gas-operated system, a corresponding mounting block must protrude from the frame. This mounting block also supports the recoil spring, which is located between the mounting block and the slide. While the EP3472549B1 handgun offers numerous advantages, it also has some drawbacks. For example, the gas-operated system leads to rapid fouling of the pistol.While the fixed sight mounting offers advantages for many applications, it is not permitted in some competitions or is undesirable for the user in certain situations. Therefore, if a sight that moves with the slide is desired, either the entire pistol or at least the slide and sight rail must be replaced. The mounting block also increases the design complexity and thus the manufacturing costs, making this handgun relatively expensive.

[0006] The purpose of the invention is therefore to overcome at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide an improved handgun with a deep barrel.

[0007] This problem is solved by a handgun comprising a grip, a barrel mounted in the grip with a barrel axis and a muzzle, a firing mechanism, a sight rail, and a slide, wherein the sight rail can be locked immovably to the grip such that the barrel axis lies between the grip and the sight rail, and wherein at least part of the firing mechanism is mounted on the sight rail, wherein the slide is movable from a rest position to a maximally retracted position, wherein the barrel has a control lug, a guide lug, and at least one locking lug, wherein the grip has a control cam for the control lug, wherein the control cam is designed such that the barrel can be moved from a first position, which the barrel assumes in the rest position of the slide, to a second position.wherein the barrel is rotated relative to the first position and offset along the barrel axis in the second position, wherein the slide has a locking element, wherein the locking lug is received in the locking element when the slide is in the rest position, and the locking lug is located outside the locking element when the barrel is in the second position, and wherein the slide further has a frontal guide located on or above the guide lug and thereby prevents rotation of the barrel when the barrel is in the second position.

[0008] The inventive solution made it possible for the first time to create a handgun with a particularly deep barrel, employing a rotating barrel locking system. In contrast to the gas-operated solution of EP3472549B1, the inventive solution results in significantly less fouling of the handgun's interior during firing, as no gases need to be redirected within the weapon.

[0009] In the solution according to the invention, the guide lug is particularly noteworthy, as it was specifically designed for use in a handgun with a low-profile barrel. The guide lug is not engaged at the start of firing, and only after the barrel has moved into the second position does the front guide of the slide engage with the guide lug, thus preventing unwanted rearward rotation of the barrel.

[0010] The lugs on the barrel interact as follows. The control lug in the cam causes the barrel to rotate as it is moved by the slide until it reaches the second position. At this point, the barrel is disengaged from the slide because the locking lugs have moved out of a locking element on the slide due to the rotation. The guide lug, in combination with the frontal guide of the slide, prevents the barrel from rotating back after it has reached the second position.

[0011] The frontal guide can be implemented in various ways. Preferably, however, the frontal guide can fulfill a dual function. For this purpose, the frontal guide can be guided in a guide within the grip frame when the slide is in its resting position. In other words, at the start of firing, the frontal guide is guided within the grip frame to stabilize the slide at the beginning of the shot. This frontal guide then moves into the interior of the handgun to lock the guide lug, thus fulfilling its second intended function.

[0012] Since the guide lug is generally only intended to be prevented from rotating in one direction, the frontal guide can be designed to perform the locking function on only one side of the barrel. On the other side, the frontal guide can continue to be guided within the grip frame to increase barrel stability during firing. For this purpose, the guide within the grip frame can be present on both sides of the barrel, but only on one side can have a recess in which the guide lug is received when the barrel is in the second position. Thus, the guide is longer or without a recess on one side to allow for the extended guidance of the frontal guide.

[0013] Particularly preferably, the slide can have a curvature at its forward end (in the direction of firing) that corresponds to a curvature of the barrel, the curvature being essentially located above the barrel, with one of the lower ends of the curvature forming the frontal guide. In this way, the frontal guides can be designed to be particularly simple.

[0014] To ensure that the front guide locks the guide lug during firing until the slide reaches its maximum retracted position, the length of the guide lug can be selected accordingly. For example, the guide lug can have a length that is at least one-quarter the length of the barrel.

[0015] To allow the locking lugs to be decoupled from the slide, the locking body may, for example, have a lateral opening through which the locking lugs can move from the first to the second position of the barrel by rotation. It is understood, however, that other unlocking mechanisms may also be used.

[0016] To prevent the front guide from getting stuck on the guide lug during firing, it can be provided that the guide lug has a chamfer on its front side for the front guide to engage, and the front guide preferably also has a corresponding chamfer.

[0017] Although only one locking lug or more than two locking lugs can be provided, in practice it has been shown that it is preferred if the barrel comprises two locking lugs spaced apart from each other in the direction of the barrel axis, and wherein the slide has two receptacles in the locking body spaced apart from each other in the direction of the barrel axis.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the control cam has a first section and a second section, the first section being located in front of the second section in the direction of fire. The first section runs exclusively parallel to the barrel axis, while the second section runs obliquely to the barrel axis to effect rotation and translation of the barrel. The first section is generally used only to facilitate assembly of the firearm, as it allows the barrel to be offset forward by a certain distance even after the locking lugs have been received in the locking body. The second section is the functional section that causes the barrel to rotate and move rearward. In the slide's rest position, the control lug will be located between the first and second sections.It should be noted that the rotary locking system could also be implemented in a design like the EP3472549B1, requiring only minor modifications. For example, the front guides could protrude inwards on the side walls of the carriage.

[0019] However, it has proven advantageous to employ a different sight rail concept. In a particularly preferred embodiment, this concept places a front side of the sight rail behind a front side of the slide, viewed in the firing direction of the handgun. In the resting state, the sight rail is preferably at least partially covered by the slide on the upper side of the handgun facing away from the grip. The slide has a recess on its upper side through which a portion of the sight rail passes. This recess, extending towards the bore axis, preferably has a length that corresponds essentially to the length of said portion of the sight rail plus the distance between the resting position and the fully retracted position. With such a sight rail, a particularly large amount of installation space is available at the front end of the handgun to implement the rotating barrel locking concept.

[0020] In a further aspect of the invention, a barrel is also provided, wherein the barrel has a control lug, a guide lug, and at least one locking lug, the control lug being in a 180° ± 20° position and the guide lug being in a 90° ± 20° position or a 270° ± 20° position when the at least one locking lug is in a 0° position, viewed along the barrel axis. Such a barrel is suitable for handguns of the type described above, so that the advantages explained above also apply to this type of firearm.

[0021] To better understand the present invention, the accompanying figures are described in more detail below. These figures illustrate exemplary embodiments of the handgun according to the invention and show the essential features and components that contribute to achieving the desired advantages. The following figures are intended to supplement the description of the invention and facilitate understanding of the technical details and the operating principle. However, the figures only show preferred embodiments and should therefore not be considered limiting.

[0022] It should be noted in particular that this is a "best mode" embodiment and, for example, it is not necessary to implement the short sight rail or the one-piece manufactured trigger system. Figure 1 shows a handgun according to the present invention in a schematic perspective view, with the pistol in a locked state.

[0023] Figure 2 shows the handgun of Figure 1, with the pistol in an unlocked state.

[0024] Figure 3 shows the handgun of Figure 1, with the barrel in a twist-proof state.

[0025] Figure 4 shows the handgun of Figure 1, with the slide in a fully retracted position.

[0026] Figure 5 shows the grip of the handgun in a schematic perspective view.

[0027] Figure 6 shows a side view of the sight rail of a handgun.

[0028] Figure 7 shows a side view of the slide of the handgun.

[0029] Figure 8 shows the slide with the sight rail mounted in it in a side view.

[0030] Figure 9 shows the assembly of the slide and the sight rail in a sectional view.

[0031] Figure 10 shows the sight rail mounted in the slide with other components of the handgun.

[0032] Figures 1a and 11b show a mounting bolt for the handgun, the mounting bolt being designed for left-handed use.

[0033] Figures 12a and 12b show a mounting bolt for the handgun, the mounting bolt being designed for right-handed use.

[0034] Figures 13a and 13b show the locking of the sight rail in the grip using the mounting bolt.

[0035] Figure 14 shows the insertion of the support struts of the sight rail into the mounting bolt in a schematic top view.

[0036] Figure 15 shows the rear end of the handgun in a schematic perspective view.

[0037] Figure 16 shows the barrel of the handgun in a schematic side view.

[0038] Figure 17 shows the barrel of the handgun in a schematic perspective view.

[0039] Figure 18 shows the grip with the barrel contained therein in a perspective view, with elements of the barrel shown in both an unlocked position and a locked position.

[0040] Figure 19 shows a schematic sectional view along the section AA of Figure 18. Figure 20 shows the front end of the handgun in a schematic perspective view with the slide at rest. Figure 21 shows the handgun with the slide in an intermediate position in a section through a vertical plane containing the barrel axis.

[0041] Figure 22 shows the handgun in an intermediate position of the slide in a section normal to the barrel axis.

[0042] Figures 23a to 23d show various sectional views of the handgun in a resting position of the slide.

[0043] Figures 24a to 24d show various sectional views of the handgun in an intermediate state of the slide shortly before the locking lugs are released.

[0044] Figures 25a to 25d show various sectional views of the handgun in an intermediate state of the slide shortly after the locking lugs have been released.

[0045] Figures 26a to 26d show various sectional views of the handgun in a fully retracted position of the slide.

[0046] Figure 27 shows the firing mechanism of the handgun before a shot is fired.

[0047] Figure 28 shows the firing mechanism of the handgun after a shot has been fired with the trigger pressed.

[0048] Figure 29 shows the interrupter lever of the striking mechanism in a perspective view. Figure 30 shows the interrupter lever of the striking mechanism in a side view. Figure 31 shows the interrupter lever of the striking mechanism in a sectional view.

[0049] Figure 1 shows a handgun 1, or pistol, which is particularly suitable for IPSC shooting. This handgun 1 could also be used for other purposes. Likewise, the components of this handgun 1 described below could be used in other handguns.

[0050] The handgun 1 comprises a grip 100, a barrel 200, a firing mechanism 300, a sight rail 400, and a slide 500. The handgun 1 may include additional elements such as a mounting bolt 600, one or more sights such as a front sight 701, a rear sight 702, or an optical sight 703, or other components described below.

[0051] What is special about this handgun 1 is that it has a low bore axis L (this refers to the central axis of the barrel 200) and a low breech mass in order to keep muzzle rise as low as possible, which enables a pleasant and controllable shooting behavior.

[0052] It should be noted at this point that this handgun 1 is in its intended use.

[0053] Use defines a firing direction, whereby it is understood that the firing direction of the handgun 1 is clearly defined even when no shot is fired or even when some elements of the handgun 1 have been disassembled. The firing direction is therefore also an inherent feature of the grip 100, the barrel 200, the firing mechanism 300, the sight rail 400, and the slide 500. The terms "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "left," and "right," and variations thereof, are defined by reference to the firing direction and are to be read in relation to the handgun 1 in its intended use. It is likewise noted that, due to the design of the handgun 1, the bore axis L is not only a feature of the barrel 400 itself, but a feature of the entire handgun 1 and its individual elements in their intended use.In this context, “in the direction of the running axis” also means “parallel to the running axis”, unless otherwise specified.

[0054] The grip 100, shown in Figure 5, is generally made of plastic and / or metal and is the element that houses the trigger 301 of the firing system 300 and is gripped by the user to operate the handgun 1, i.e., to fire a shot. A magazine 710 can be inserted into the underside 101 of the grip 100. The grip 100 may also have an optional grip panel 102. As can be seen particularly in Figure 5, the grip 100 has a flat cut surface, with only mounting elements having a projection 103 protruding from the cut surface. These elements are used to attach the sight rail 400 to the grip 100. It is particularly preferred that exactly two mounting elements protrude from the cut surface, serving to lock the sight rail 400 in place. However, it is understood that other designs are also possible.

[0055] The barrel 200 is typically a forged barrel, optionally machined, which in the illustrated embodiment is designed to implement a rotating barrel locking system. A rotating barrel locking system is understood to be a mechanical locking mechanism that connects the barrel 200 and the slide 500 in such a way that they move together during firing until the gas pressure in the barrel 200 has dropped to a safe level. This is particularly evident from the sequence of Figures 1 to 4. In Figure 1, the slide 500 is in a rest position, i.e., the handgun 1 is locked, and the barrel 200 is also in a forward (first) position. In Figure 2, the handgun 1 is unlocked, and the slide 500 is in an intermediate position. It is evident that the barrel 200 has moved rearward relative to its forward position in Figure 1.The barrel 200 is in a rearward (second) position and cannot be moved further back, as can be seen in Figure 3, since the barrel 200 remains in the same position while the carriage 500 has moved further back. As can be seen in Figure 4, the carriage 500 can move further back until it is in its fully retracted position, but the barrel 200 remains in the position shown in Figure 2.

[0056] 3. How this is implemented mechanically is shown below using Figures 16 to 26d.

[0057] However, it should be emphasized that the handgun 1 does not necessarily have to be implemented with a rotating barrel locking system, but a tilting block system, a blowback system or a gas-operated system could also be used, whereby the barrel can be either static or movable during firing, depending on the system.

[0058] As already mentioned, the handgun 1 is to have a low bore axis L. This is achieved by positioning the firing mechanism 300 at least partially above the bore axis L. To implement this, the sight rail 400 shown in Figure 6 is used, which can be locked immovably in the grip 100. In other words, the sight rail 400 can be attached to the grip 100, and the sight rail 400 does not move relative to the grip 100 during firing. The sight rail 400 can also be removed from the grip 100 to disassemble the handgun 1.

[0059] The sight rail 400 is to be mounted on the grip 100 in such a way that the bore axis L lies between the grip 100 and the sight rail 400. This allows parts of the firing mechanism 300 to be mounted above the barrel 200 and the bore axis L to be moved further downwards. Consequently, a hammer 305 of the firing mechanism 300, in a cocked position, can be located essentially above the barrel 200 and pivot downwards at one end when a shot is fired.

[0060] The slide 500 shown in Figure 7 is slidably mounted on the grip 100 and at least partially encompasses the sight rail 400, for example, also from above. The slide 500 comprises the bolt 501, which closes the barrel 200 in the slide 500's rest position. The bolt 501 is penetrated by a firing pin channel 502 in which the firing pin 503 shown in Figure 10 is inserted. The bolt 501 can include an extractor in a known manner, which grips a cartridge case at its rim for ejection.

[0061] The slide 500 is mounted on both the grip 100 and the sight rail 400. Specifically, the slide 500 comprises two frontal guides 511 at its front end, each of which engages in a guide 111 at the front end of the grip 100 (see Figure 2). The sight rail 400 has guide receptacles 420 on two opposing side surfaces at its rear end, into which corresponding guide elements of the slide can engage. It is understood that other types of guides are possible.

[0062] In the illustrated variant, it is particularly noteworthy that a front side S1 of the sight rail 400 lies behind a front side S3 of the slide 500, as seen in the firing direction of the handgun 1. This is shown in Figure 10. In other words, in its rest position, the slide 500 is closer to the muzzle (i.e., the end of the barrel 200 that is forward in the firing direction) than the sight rail 400. Thus, there is a distance a between the front side S1 of the sight rail 400 and an inner side S3 of the front section of the slide 500. This distance a corresponds at least or substantially to the offset between the rest position of the slide 500 and its fully retracted position. This area between the front side S1 of the

[0063] The sight rail 400 and an inner side S3 of the front section of the slide 500 is usually covered by the slide 500, e.g. from the side as well as from above.

[0064] Overall, the sight rail 400 can therefore also be shorter than the slide 500, i.e., in the assembled state of the handgun 1, the slide 500 extends a greater length of the barrel 200 than the sight rail 400 along the direction of the barrel axis L.

[0065] It is particularly evident from Figures 1 to 4 that the slide 500 has a section 504 at its front end with a curvature adapted to the shape of the barrel 200. This allows the slide 500 to slide directly over or rest directly over the barrel 200 at its front end. It is also evident that the grip 100 has a section 101 with a curvature in which the barrel 200 rests. The curved section 101 of the grip 100 and the curved section of the slide 500 together form a recess that fits the barrel 200 precisely.

[0066] The combination of sight rail 400 and slide 500 described herein creates several new possibilities for improving the handgun 1. For example, as shown in Figure 10, a closing spring 505 can be provided, extending between the sight rail 400 and the slide 500. This differs from conventional embodiments such as EP3472549B1, where the closing spring is located between the slide and the frame. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the sight rail 400 comprises a front section 410, a middle section 411, and a rear section 430, which are integrally joined. In other variants, however, the front section 410, the middle section 411, and the rear section 430 could also be realized by different components and, for example, be screwed together.

[0067] The front section 410 optionally includes a spring body, which forms a recess into which the closing spring 505 can be inserted. The front section of the slide 500 has an application point 506 for the closing spring 505. Thus, the closing spring 505 extends between the spring body and the application point 506 in the slide 500.

[0068] The sight rail 400 also has a central section 411, which includes a sight receptacle 412 on its upper surface. The sight receptacle 412 is exposed on its upper surface, regardless of whether the slide 500 is in the rest position, in the fully retracted position, or in any position between the rest position and the fully retracted position.

[0069] Likewise, in the assembled state of the handgun 1, the slide 500 covers the sight rail 400 above the sight rail 400 in an area located behind the aforementioned sight mount 412 of the sight rail 400 in the direction of fire. A sight mount 512 is located on the slide in this area. Depending on the user's preference, a sight can be mounted either on the sight rail 400, which is stationary during firing, or on the slide 500, which moves during firing.

[0070] Figures 1 to 4 show that the handgun 1 can have a front sight 701 on a front section of the slide 500, a rear sight 702 on a rear section of the slide 500, and an optical sight 703 on the sight rail 400. It is understood that other variants can be used. For example, regardless of whether a front sight 701 is used, in a first option a rear sight 702 can be provided on the rear section of the slide 500 and no sight on the sight rail 400, in a second option a rear sight 702 on the sight rail 400 and no sight on the rear section of the slide 500, in a third option a rear sight 702 on the rear section of the slide 500 and an optical sight 703 on the sight rail 400, or in a fourth option an optical sight 703 on the rear section of the slide 500 and a rear sight 702 on the sight rail 400.The rear section of the slide 500 refers to the upper section of the slide 500 that lies behind the sight rail 400, and the front section of the slide 500 refers to the upper section of the slide 500 that lies in front of the sight rail 400.

[0071] The sights 701, 702, and 703 can be manufactured in one piece or in multiple pieces. As can be seen in Figure 10, the rear sight 702 can comprise a mounting plate 704 and a rear sight attachment 705 mounted on the mounting plate 704. Alternatively, the rear sight 702 could also be manufactured in one piece. The same applies to the front sight 701 and the optical sight 703.

[0072] Regarding the sight mounts 412, 512, it should also be noted that these can have one mounting hole (Figure 10), two mounting holes (Figure 9) or more than two mounting holes in which the sights 701, 702, 703 can be fixed.

[0073] It should be noted that, in an assembled state of the handgun 1, the slide 500 can also cover the sight rail 400 above the sight rail 400 in an area that lies in front of the aforementioned sight receptacle 412 of the sight rail 400 in the direction of fire. In this area, the slide 500 can include a receptacle 507 for a front sight 508, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. In this preferred embodiment, the slide 500 therefore has an upper recess with a length x3 that corresponds at least to the length xl of the portion of the upper section of the sight rail 400 projecting upwards, plus the offset length x2 between the rest position and the fully retracted position, as shown in Figure 4. However, the slide could also cover the sight rail 400 only in front of or behind the sight receptacle 412.

[0074] In the central section 411 of the sight rail 400, mounting elements 413 for the firing system 300 are also provided. Specifically, the trigger bar 304 and the hammer 305 are mounted on the central section 411.

[0075] At the rear section 430 of the sight rail 400, there is a surface 414 that is essentially perpendicular to the bore axis L. A screen can be mounted on this surface 414, which can display information to the user. The screen can, for example, be connected to a sensor, and the screen can display measurement data from the sensor or data derived from the sensor's measurement data. For example, the sensor can indicate whether the handgun 1 is ready to fire, e.g., by detecting whether a cartridge is in the barrel 200 and the slide 500 is in the rest position. Furthermore, the sensor could detect the temperature of the handgun 1, and the temperature could be displayed on the screen, or it could be deduced from the temperature whether the handgun 1 is overheating, which could also be displayed on the screen.Furthermore, the sensor could detect the number of cartridges remaining in the magazine, which could be displayed on the screen.

[0076] To assemble the handgun 1, the grip 100, the barrel 200, the sight rail 400, and the slide 500 are first provided. The components of the firing mechanism 300 are already mounted on the grip 100, in the sight rail 400, and in the slide 500. The barrel 200 is inserted into the grip 100, specifically into the curved front section 101 of the grip 100. As shown in Figure 9, the sight rail 400 and the slide 500 are then joined together. In the illustrated version, it can also be said that the sight rail 400 is inserted into the slide 500. This results in the combination of sight rail 400 and slide 500 shown in Figures 8 to 10. This combination of sight rail 400 and slide 500 can subsequently be mounted on the grip frame 100 with barrel 200 to obtain the compound handgun 1.

[0077] The sight rail 400 is connected to the grip 100 as follows. The sight rail 400 has two support struts 401 that project downwards from a body of the sight rail 400. This allows the support struts 401 to extend into the grip 100 and be connected to it. Typically, two support struts 401 are used, inserted into the grip 100 on either side of the barrel axis L, and in the assembled state of the handgun 1, they surround the barrel 200 on the left and right. In other cases, however, only one support strut 401 may be used.

[0078] The support struts 401 can be connected to the handle 100, for example, by means of a mounting bolt 600. The handle 100 can have a recess into which the mounting bolt 600 is inserted, as shown in Figures 1 to 4. The support struts 401 have a curvature corresponding to the mounting bolt 600 on the side facing the mounting bolt 600 (i.e., on the side facing away from the body of the sight rail 400). If the mounting bolt 600 fits precisely within this curvature, this prevents the sight rail 400 from shifting forward and / or backward, depending on the curvature. If the curvature is only a quarter circle (or generally a continuously increasing or decreasing curvature), this prevents movement in one direction.However, if the curvature is a semicircle (or, more generally, a curvature that is both rising and falling with a maximum between the outermost points, as shown in Figure 6), this prevents displacement both forwards and backwards. In summary, the mounting bolt 600 prevents the sight rail 400 from being displaced in at least one direction parallel to the bore axis L when the mounting bolt 600 is located in the grip 100.

[0079] In general, the mounting bolt 600 could be inserted into and removed from the grip 100. In this configuration, the mounting bolt 600 would be in a first position, locking the sight rail 400 when inserted into the grip 100, and releasing the sight rail 400 when removed. However, as described below, a variant can also be implemented in which the mounting bolt 600 does not need to be removed from the grip 100 to release the sight rail 400.

[0080] As shown in Figures 11a and 11b, the mounting bolt 600 can essentially have two first grooves 601 extending parallel to the bore axis L. The grooves 601 are each as wide as, or wider than, the support struts 401. The mounting bolt 600 can be positioned within the grip 100 in two different positions, with the mounting bolt 600 locking the sight rail 400 in a first position (Figure 13b) and releasing it in a second position (Figure 13a). In the first position, the grooves 601 are not aligned with the support struts 401; that is, the grooves 601 are located in a direction perpendicular to the bore axis L at a distance from the support struts 401, whereby the cylindrical body of the mounting bolt 600 prevents the support struts 401 from moving forward or backward.to move backwards, since the curvature of the support struts 401 is located precisely above the mounting bolt 600, or since the support struts 401 are not yet located above the mounting bolt 600 and the aforementioned curvature prevents the support struts 401 from being moved over the mounting bolt 600.

[0081] However, if the grooves 601 are aligned with the support struts 401, the support struts 401 are not blocked by the cylindrical body of the mounting bolt 600, allowing the support struts 401 to pass the mounting bolt 600 thanks to the grooves 601. Preferably, the curvature of the support struts 401 is such that the front end 431 of the support struts 401 is lower than the rear end 432. The rear end 432 is designed to be deep enough to slide over the grooves 601 when the mounting bolt is in the second position. Since the front end 431 is lower than the rear end 432, the front end 431 can define a stop for the support struts 401 at the mounting bolt 600 when the sight rail 400 is in a mounting position. The front ends 431 thus prevent the sight rail 400 from being inserted too far into the grip 100.

[0082] In the simplest case, the mounting bolt 600 could protrude so far on both sides from the handle 100 that it can be manually moved from the first position to the second position by pushing from the left or right.

[0083] Preferred variants, however, provide that the mounting bolt 600 is pre-tensioned into the first position by means of a spring mechanism. The spring mechanism can be implemented, for example, by a spring wire 602 connected to the body of the mounting bolt 600. Starting from the body of the mounting bolt 600, the spring wire 602 initially runs essentially parallel to the axis of travel L, but is then curved in a direction perpendicular to the axis of travel L in order to pre-tension the mounting bolt 600 into the first position.

[0084] Furthermore, a mechanism can be provided to automatically move the mounting bolt 600 into the second position when the sight rail 400 is to be locked in the grip 100. For this purpose, the mounting bolt 600 has chamfers 603 to widen the grooves 601 at the front. The support struts 401 can each have a corresponding chamfer 409 on their rear side. As shown in Figure 14, the support struts 401 can also have two chamfers 409 on their rear side, one on the left rear side and one on the right rear side. This allows the mounting bolt 600 for right-handed users to be interchanged with a mounting bolt 600 for left-handed users, as explained in more detail below.

[0085] When the support struts 401 are moved into their initial position, as shown in Figure 13a, i.e., in front of the mounting bolt 600, it is possible to move the sight rail 400 rearward. Due to the chamfers 603, the mounting bolt 600 will move from the first position to the second position against the spring force, allowing the support struts 401 to be moved through the grooves 601 until they are positioned directly above the mounting bolt 600, i.e., the sight rail 400 is in a mounted position. At this point, the spring action will automatically return the mounting bolt 600 to its first position, and the sight rail 400 will be locked in the grip, as shown in Figure 13b.

[0086] While Figures 11a and 11b show the mounting bolt 600 in an embodiment for left-handed users, Figures 12a and 12b show the mounting bolt 600 in a version for right-handed users. The difference is that the spring wire 602 is pre-tensioned in a different direction in each case, and the chamfers are located on opposite sides of the grooves 601. If the handle 100 has a Y-shaped receptacle 105 for the spring wire 602, the same handle 100 can be used with both the mounting bolt 600 for right-handed users and the mounting bolt 600 for left-handed users, since the spring wire 602 can be inserted into a different leg of the Y-shaped receptacle 105 in each case.

[0087] Figures 1a and 11b further show that the mounting bolt 600 has a central notch 604 for the barrel 200. This allows the barrel 200 to be partially inserted through the mounting bolt 600, thereby lowering the barrel axis L further. However, this is purely optional. Furthermore, the mounting bolt 600 can have a handle 605 on one side, which is recessed in the grip 100 in the first position of the mounting bolt 600. This allows the mounting bolt 600 to be pushed from the side opposite the handle 605 and then pulled from the side of the handle 605 to move the mounting bolt 600 into the second position. Since pressing alone is not sufficient to move the mounting bolt 600 into the second position, two-handed operation of the mounting bolt 600 is required to remove the sight rail 400, which prevents unintentional removal of the sight rail 400.

[0088] As shown in Figures 13a and 13b, the sight rail 400 can have, in addition to the support struts 401, second mounting elements, which can be formed, for example, by L-shaped grooves or recesses 402. A first leg of the L-shaped groove or recess 402 extends upwards from the lower end of a side wall of the body of the sight rail 400, and the second leg of the L-shaped groove or recess 402 extends forwards from the upper end of the first leg. The handle 100, in turn, has an L-shaped or T-shaped projection 103 with a leg that can be inserted into the L-shaped groove or recess. In the aforementioned initial state, the projection 103 is inserted into the first leg of the L-shaped groove or recess 402 until it is located at the upper end of the first leg (or at the rear end of the second leg) of the L-shaped groove or recess 402 of the sight rail 400, see Figure 13a.When the sight rail 400 is moved rearward into the assembled position, the leg of the projection 103 is located at the front end of the second leg of the L-shaped groove or recess 402 of the sight rail 400, as shown in Figure 13b. As illustrated in Figure 15, the sight rail 400 optionally has a third mounting element, which is formed, for example, by a T-shaped projection 406 on the rear side of the sight rail 400. The T-shaped projection 406 can be inserted into a T-shaped groove 106 of the handle 100. In the aforementioned initial position, the T-shaped projection 406 is located in front of the T-shaped groove 106. After the sight rail 400 is moved back into the assembled position, the T-shaped projection 406 is located in the T-shaped groove 106.

[0089] In summary, the illustrated handgun 1 has three mounting points where the sight rail 400 is connected to the grip 100: the support struts 401 (i.e., first mounting elements), the second mounting elements, and the third mounting elements. In the assembled state, where the sight rail 400 is locked in the grip 100, the support struts 401 and the mounting bolt 600 prevent the sight rail 400 from moving forward or backward, the second mounting elements prevent the sight rail 400 from moving backward or upward, and the third mounting elements prevent the sight rail 400 from moving upward. The support struts 401 are typically the foremost mounting elements. In the direction of fire, the second mounting elements are located between the first and third mounting elements. However, in other cases, only two mounting elements might be used, e.g.,the first assembly elements and the second assembly elements, or the first assembly elements and the third assembly elements.

[0090] The details of the rotary locking system are described below with reference to Figures 16 to 26d. Figures 16 and 17 show that the barrel 200 has a substantially cylindrical body 201, a control lug 202, a guide lug 203, and two locking lugs 204. However, the barrel 200 could also have only one locking lug 204 or more than two. If two or more locking lugs 204 are used, they are located substantially along a line parallel to the barrel axis L. The locking lugs 204 are located at the rear end of the barrel 200, specifically in the rear third of the barrel 200. The control lug 202 and the guide lug 203 are located in the front half of the barrel 200. For the purposes described below, the guide lug 203 typically has a chamfer 205 at its front end.Viewed in the direction of firing, the control lug 202 is located at a 6 o'clock position, the guide lug 203 at a 3 o'clock position, and the locking lugs 204 at a 12 o'clock position, each in a rest position of the slide 500. These orientations may be subject to an angular offset, e.g., of + / - 10% or + / - 20%. In other words, the control lug 202 is located in a 180° + / - 20° position and the guide lug 203 in a 90° + / - 20° position or a 270° + / - 20° position when at least one locking lug 204 is in a 0° position, viewed in the direction of the barrel axis L.

[0091] The control lug 202 is guided in a control cam 110 in the grip 100. This allows the barrel 200 to be moved from a first position, which the barrel 200 occupies in the rest position of the slide, to a second position, the second position being behind the first position. When the barrel 200 is in the first position, the control lug 202 is located at the front end or between the front and rear ends of the control cam 110. When the barrel 200 is in the second position, the control lug 202 is typically located at the rear end of the control cam 110.

[0092] The control cam 110 is designed such that the barrel 200 rotates when the slide 500 retracts. For this purpose, the control cam 110 has at least one section that runs obliquely to the barrel axis L to effect the rotation of the barrel. Particular reference is made to Figure 19, which shows that the control cam 110 has a first section that runs essentially parallel to the barrel axis L, resulting in a purely linear movement of the barrel 200 without rotation. This first section is not essential, however, and may only be provided to facilitate the insertion of the barrel 200 into the grip 100. Furthermore, the control cam 110 also has a second section that runs obliquely, which causes the barrel 200 to rotate when the control lug 202 is guided in the control cam 110.

[0093] Reference is again made to Figure 1, which shows that the barrel 200 assumes the first position when the carriage 500 is in its rest position. In Figure 2, the carriage 500 is in the intermediate position, in which the barrel 200 assumes the second position. Further retraction of the carriage 500 does not change the position of the barrel 200, so that the barrel 200 remains in the second position when the carriage 500 moves from the intermediate position to its fully retracted position.

[0094] To ensure that the barrel 200 is only partially moved along with the slide 500, locking lugs 204 are provided, which are received in a locking body 510 of the slide 500 when the slide 500 is in its rest position. As the slide 500 retracts, the locking lugs 204 remain in the locking body 510 until the barrel 200 has rotated sufficiently for the locking lugs 204 to move out of the locking body 510. As can be seen in Figure 7, the locking body 510 is open laterally for this purpose, i.e., on the right side when viewed in the direction of firing. This allows the locking lugs 204 to rotate out of the locking body in a direction normal to the running axis by means of the rotational movement, whereby the locking lugs 204 are no longer in the locking body 510 and there is no longer any coupling between barrel 200 and slide 500.

[0095] Figure 18 shows the movement diagram of the locking lugs 204 in a superimposed view, while Figure 19 shows the movement diagram of the control lug 202 in a superimposed view. TI indicates that the barrel 200 is in the first position, i.e., the slide 500 is in its rest position and the locking lugs 204 are engaged in the locking body 510. When a shot is fired, the slide 500 moves backward, thus driving the barrel 200 along with it, since the locking lugs 204 are engaged in the locking body 510. However, Figure 19 shows that, as the slide retracts, the control lug 202, and consequently the entire barrel 200, rotates into the second position, designated T2, via the inclined control cam 110. Figure 18 shows that this also caused the locking lugs 204 to rotate into position T2, in such a way that they moved out of the locking body 510.However, during a further movement, the carriage 200 is no longer carried along with the carriage 500, and the carriage 500 moves without carriage 200 to the maximum retracted position.

[0096] Without further precautions, however, there would be a risk that the barrel 200 would return to its original position (i.e., that the control lug 202 would move forward in the control cam 110) after the locking lugs 204 have moved out of the locking body 510. For this reason, the guide lug 203 is used, as it prevents the barrel 200 from rotating backward.

[0097] It should be reiterated that the slide 500 has a section 504 at its front end with a curvature adapted to the shape of the barrel 200, see Figure 20. Furthermore, two points of the curvature extend downwards to the left and right of the barrel 200; these are also referred to as frontal guides 511. In the rest position of the slide 500, the frontal guides 511 are guided by and engaged with a guide 111 in the front section of the grip 100. As can be seen in Figure 5, however, the guide 111 is short on one side, so that behind the guide 111 on that side there is a notch 112 in which the guide lug 203 can be received in the second position of the barrel 200. The guide 111 on the other side is continuous and guides one of the frontal guides 511 throughout the entire firing process.

[0098] Figure 20 shows the position of the front section 504 of the slide 500 with the two front guides 511 before firing. It is evident that the front guides 511 are located on the guides 111 of the grip 100. Figure 21 shows the state of the handgun 1 after firing, at a point when the slide 500 is in an intermediate position. It is evident that the front section 504, and thus also one of the front guides 511 of the slide 500, has moved down from the guide 111 on one side and is now positioned above the notch 112. At this point, however, the guide lug 203 is located in the recess 112 and beneath one of the front guides 511, thus preventing the guide lug 203 from rotating upwards. This prevents the barrel 200 from rotating backwards after the locking lugs 204 have been released from the slide 500. This is also shown in Figure 22.

[0099] From the view of Figure 21, it can also be seen that the guide lug 203 does not impede the rotation of the barrel 200 when the slide 500 is in the rest position, since at this time the front section 504 of the slide 500 is still in front of the guide lug 203 and the frontal guides 511 are on the guide 111 of the grip 100.

[0100] It was mentioned above that the guide lug 203 has a chamfer 205 at its front end. This allows the front section 504 of the slide 500, or one of the front guides 511, to more easily engage the guide lug 203. The front section 504 may also have a corresponding chamfer.

[0101] The length of the guide lug 203 is chosen such that the front section 504 of the carriage 500 lies above the guide lug 203 for the entire period during which the carriage 500 moves from the intermediate position to the fully retracted position. For example, the guide lug 203 has a length that is at least one quarter of the length of the barrel 200.

[0102] It should be noted that in the preceding figures, the notch 112 was located on one side. This side is determined by the direction of rotation of the barrel 200 specified by the control cam 110. The notch 112 could be located on the other side if the control cam 110 specified a correspondingly different direction of rotation for the barrel 200. In summary, the operating principle of the rotating barrel system is illustrated again in Figures 23a–26d by means of sectional views in the various states of the handgun 1 during firing.

[0103] Figures 23a-23d show the state of the slide 500 in its rest position before firing. It can be seen that the guide lug 203 is located above the guide 111 or the recess 112. The control lug 202 is located at the front end of the second section of the control cam 110. The locking lugs 204 are received in the locking body 510.

[0104] Figures 24a-24d show the state shortly after the locking lugs have moved out of the locking body 510. The control lug 202 is located at the rear end of the control cam 110. It can be seen that the guide lug 203 has moved into the recess 112. The front guide 511 has already moved down from the guide 111, but is not yet above the guide lug 203.

[0105] Figures 25a-25d show the state shortly after the front guide 511 has moved over the guide lug 203, thus preventing the barrel 200 from rotating backwards. The control lug 202 remains at the rear end of the control cam 110, and the locking lugs 204 remain outside the locking body 510.

[0106] Figures 26a-26d show the state after the front guide 511 has moved to the rear end of the guide lug 203 and the carriage is in its fully retracted position. The control lug 202 remains at the rear end of the control cam 110 and the locking lugs 204 remain outside the locking body 510.

[0107] The following section describes the firing system 300, which is illustrated in Figures 27 and 28. The firing system 300 comprises the trigger 301, a disconnect lever 302, a disconnect bolt 303, a trigger bar 304, and a hammer 305. The trigger 301 is mounted in the grip 100, for example, by gluing a threaded bolt into the trigger 501 with threadlocker. The disconnect lever 302 is pivotally mounted on the trigger 301. The disconnect bolt 303 is slidably mounted in the slide 500. The trigger bar 304 and the hammer 305 are pivotally mounted on the sight rail 400. The main function of the disconnect lever 302 is to ensure that the handgun 1 fires only a single shot after each firing, even if the trigger 301 remains depressed. Without the interrupt lever 302, the weapon would switch uncontrollably into fully automatic mode.

[0108] Figure 27 shows the firing system 300 before firing. The interrupter lever 302 is in a position where it is essentially perpendicular to the interrupter bolt 303. When the trigger 301 is pulled, the trigger 301 moves rearward and the interrupter lever 302 moves essentially upward. Since the interrupter lever 302 is essentially perpendicular to the interrupter bolt 303, pulling the trigger 301 also pushes the interrupter bolt 303 upward until the trigger bar 304 has pivoted sufficiently to release the hammer 305, which then strikes the firing pin 503. The movement of the firing pin 503 against a cartridge in the barrel fires a shot.

[0109] After the shot is fired, the slide 500 moves backward. This also moves the interrupter bolt 303 backward, releasing it from the interrupter lever 302. The interrupter bolt 303 then falls back down inside the slide 500. However, if the trigger 301 remains depressed and the slide 500 has returned to its rest position, the interrupter lever 302 will be positioned next to the interrupter bolt 303, as shown in Figure 28. Therefore, automatic firing is not possible, and the trigger 301 must first be returned to its original position so that the interrupter lever 302 can be moved below the interrupter bolt 303. At this point, the position shown in Figure 21 is restored, and another shot can be fired.

[0110] To pivotally connect the trigger 301 to the interrupter lever 302, the prior art provided that the trigger 301 and the interrupter lever 302 each comprised a hole, and a bolt was inserted through this hole. However, an improvement to this system was found by manufacturing the interrupter lever 302 and the trigger 301 in a single step, e.g., using a 3D printing process such as metal sintering. This ensures that the interrupter lever 302 is permanently and irremovably fixed within the trigger 301.

[0111] To permanently integrate the interrupter lever 302 into the trigger 301 during a 3D printing process, the interrupter lever 302 can be designed as shown in Figures 29 and 30. As shown, this interrupter lever 302 can comprise a lever arm 310 and a bearing pin 311 integrally formed thereon. The bearing pin 311 forms two projections extending laterally from the lever arm 310. The bearing pin 311, or rather the projections of the bearing pin 311, can be received in two annular receptacles 320 of the trigger, with the lever arm 310 protruding from the trigger 301 between the annular receptacles 320. In other words, the interrupter lever 302 can only rotate about one axis of rotation, but otherwise, in relation to the trigger 301, can essentially perform no translational movement without deforming and / or destroying the trigger 301.The interrupter lever 302 is thus pivotably mounted in the trigger 301 and positively connected to the trigger 301 in all three spatial directions.

[0112] As shown in Figures 29 to 31, there could thus be exactly one bearing pin 311 located on one (lower) side of the lever arm 310, and the bearing pin 311 could form two projections extending from the lever arm 310, which are arranged coaxially and supported in opposing recesses 320 of the trigger 301. It is understood, however, that the breaker lever 302 need not be designed as shown in Figures 29 and 30, but could, for example, be provided with two bearing pins 311, so that the breaker lever 302 could be formed by a lever arm 310 with two (or only one) bearing pins 311 projecting laterally from it, each forming a projection, the bearing pins 311 or projections being supported in the receptacles 320 of the trigger 301. In other words, two bearing pins

[0113] 311 are present, each of which is located on a side wall of the lever arm 310 and forms two projections extending from the lever arm 310, which are arranged coaxially and are mounted in opposite recesses of the trigger 301.

[0114] If the combination of trigger 301 and breaker lever 302, hereinafter referred to as the "trigger system", is 3D-printed in this configuration in a single operation, the breaker lever 302 can no longer be removed from the trigger 301; that is, it is permanently embedded within the trigger 301. Such manufacturing is particularly suitable for small-batch production where only a manageable number of units are produced and the labor involved in inserting the bolt can be saved.

[0115] Figure 30 further shows that a pin 312 for a spring between the trigger 301 and the breaker lever 302 can be provided on the breaker lever 302. The pin

[0116] The pin 312 can be formed integrally with the lever arm 310, with the pin 312 guiding a spring located between the lever arm (310) and the trigger 301. Figure 31 shows the interrupter lever 302 of the firing mechanism in a sectional view.

[0117] It is evident that the recesses 320 are through openings. However, the recesses 320 could also be designed as blind holes, so that the bearing journal(s) are covered on the outside.

Claims

Claims:

1. Handgun (1) comprising a grip (100), a barrel (200) mounted in the grip (100) with a barrel axis (L), a firing mechanism (300), a sight rail (400) and a slide (500), wherein the sight rail (400) can be locked immovably to the grip (100) such that the barrel axis (L) lies between the grip (100) and the sight rail (400), and wherein at least a part of the firing mechanism (300) is mounted on the sight rail (400), wherein the slide (500) is displaceable from a rest position to a maximally retracted position, characterized in that the barrel (200) has a control lug (202), a guide lug (203) and at least one locking lug (204), wherein the grip (100) has a control cam (110) for the control lug (202), wherein the control cam (110) is designed such that the barrel (200) is positioned from a first position which the barrel (200) assumes in the rest position of the carriage (500),can be moved into a second position, wherein the barrel (200) is rotated in the second position relative to the first position and offset along the barrel axis (L), wherein the slide (500) has a locking body (510), wherein the at least one locking lug (204) is received in the locking body (510) when the slide (500) is in the rest position, and the locking lug (204) is located outside the locking body (510) when the barrel (200) is in the second position, and wherein the slide (500) further has a frontal guide (511) which is located on the guide lug (203) and thereby prevents rotation of the barrel (200) when the barrel (200) is in the second position.

2. Handgun (1) according to claim 1, wherein the front guide (511) is guided in a guide (111) in the grip (100) when the slide (500) is in the rest position.

3. Handgun (1) according to claim 2, wherein the guide (111) in the grip (100) is located on both sides of the barrel (200) and has a recess (112) only on one side in which the guide lug (203) is received when the barrel (200) is in the second position.

4. Handgun (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the slide (500) has a curvature at its forward end in the direction of firing which corresponds to a curvature of the barrel (200), wherein the curvature is substantially above the barrel (200), wherein one of the lower ends of the curvature forms the frontal guide (511).

5. Handgun (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide lug (203) has a length that corresponds to at least one quarter of the length of the barrel (200).

6. Handgun (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking body (510) has a lateral opening from which the locking lugs (204) can move out by rotation from the first position of the barrel (200) to the second position of the barrel (200).

7. Handgun (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the barrel (200) comprises two locking lugs (204) spaced apart from each other in the direction of the barrel axis (L), and wherein the slide (500) has two receptacles in the locking body (510) spaced apart from each other in the direction of the barrel axis (L).

8. Handgun (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control cam (110) has a first section and a second section, wherein the first section is located in front of the second section in the direction of firing, wherein the first section runs exclusively parallel to the barrel axis (L) and the second section runs obliquely to the barrel axis (L) to effect a rotation and translation of the barrel (200).

9. Handgun (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a front side of the sight rail (400) lies behind a front side of the slide (200), viewed in the firing direction of the handgun (1), wherein the sight rail (400) is preferably at least partially covered by the slide (500) on the upper side of the handgun (1) facing away from the grip (100) when at rest, and wherein the slide (500) has a recess on its upper side through which a part of the sight rail (400) passes, and wherein the recess preferably has a length in the direction of the barrel axis (L) that corresponds substantially to the length of said part of the sight rail (400) plus the distance between the rest position and the fully retracted position.

10. Barrel (200) for a handgun (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the barrel has a control lug (202), a guide lug (203) and at least one locking lug (204), wherein the control lug (202) is in a 180°+ / -20° position and the guide lug (203) is in a 90°+ / -20° position or 270°+ / -20° position when the at least one locking lug (204) is in a 0° position, seen in the direction of the barrel axis (L).

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