Firearm End Cap Retention via Transverse Resilient Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lightweight striker fired semiautomatic pistols relying on spring biasing to maintain the striker assembly within the slide face issues with recoil-induced inertial forces, causing the end cap to become dislodged and potentially leading to pistol stoppages when firing large caliber rounds.
Innovation Solution
An end cap with transversely extending resilient projections that engage within a recess in the slide, providing mechanical retention and resistance to inertial forces, combined with a metal plate for engagement with the striker bushing, ensures secure positioning of the striker assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If spring biasing is used to maintain the striker assembly within the slide, then the pistol can be made lightweight, but the end cap may become dislodged under recoil forces from large caliber rounds
Solution Approach 1:
The end cap is divided into multiple functional elements: a body portion, a first resilient projection for lateral retention, a second resilient projection for additional retention, and a metal plate for striker bushing engagement. This segmentation allows each element to address specific retention requirements independently, preventing end cap dislodgement while maintaining overall lightweight construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient projections are designed to be flexible and capable of dynamic deformation. They can compress and expand to accommodate the end cap's movement during firing while maintaining continuous retention force. This dynamic behavior allows the projections to absorb recoil forces and maintain reliable engagement with the slide recesses throughout the firing cycle.
2Reliability
If the end cap is made resiliently flexible to improve retention, then resistance to inertial forces increases, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The end cap incorporates resilient projections made from flexible material that can deform under load. These thin, flexible elements provide the necessary compliance to absorb recoil forces while maintaining structural integrity. The flexible nature of these projections allows them to function as both structural and retention elements, reducing the need for additional complex retention mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functions are merged into the end cap structure: the body provides the main retention surface, the first and second resilient projections provide lateral retention and compliance, and the metal plate provides engagement with the striker bushing. This consolidation of multiple retention and engagement functions into a single integrated component achieves reliable retention without requiring separate complex retention mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively secures the striker assembly, reducing the likelihood of malfunction by resisting recoil forces, thereby maintaining proper function even with large caliber cartridges in lightweight pistols.
Implementation Method 1
the first projection is resiliently flexible... the second projection is resiliently flexible
Data Source
AI summary
An end cap for a semiautomatic pistol is mounted at the breech end of a slide to maintain the striker assembly in place when subject to inertial loads. The end cap includes a body with a base and a cover. A metal plate is mounted between the base and cover to prevent striker blow-out in the event that a primer is pierced. Flexible, resilient projections extend from the base and engage the slide within a recess, the projections extending transversely to the firing axis to counter inertial forces that might otherwise dislodge the end cap and cause a stoppage.