Firearm Slide Mechanism for Reliable Breech Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-loading firearms with Browning and blowback actions face issues such as reduced precision and increased susceptibility to malfunctions due to complex constructions and high mass inertia, which are exacerbated by the barrel not being firmly seated in the receiver.
Innovation Solution
A self-loading firearm action with a fixed barrel, where the slide is supported inside the receiver and coupled with a drive clip and latch block, utilizing recoil and latch springs to manage gas pressure and maintain breech closure, allowing for a compact and reliable design with fewer parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the Browning system is used with a movable barrel and slide subassembly, then the high mass inertia effectively reduces initially high gas pressure, but the barrel is not firmly seated in the receiver leading to reduced precision and greater susceptibility to malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The action is divided into two independent phases: (1) barrel and slide move together initially to maintain breech closure against high gas pressure, and (2) barrel pivots downward to decouple from slide while remaining firmly seated in receiver. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both reliable breech closure and firm barrel seating.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrel is designed with pivoting capability that allows it to transition from a coupled state with the slide during firing to a decoupled, firmly-seated state in the receiver after firing. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the barrel's position and connection state to different operational phases.
2Reliability
If the blowback action is used with two masses and roller bearings, then the initially high gas pressure is made available for driving the cartridge, but the construction is very complicated with a great number of parts increasing susceptibility to malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The complex roller bearing mechanism and dual-mass slide construction are completely removed from the design. Instead, a single integrated slide moves rearward on simple guide surfaces within the receiver, extracting the unnecessary complexity while preserving the ability to utilize gas pressure for driving the cartridge and reloading.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide itself performs multiple functions without auxiliary mechanisms: it guides the barrel during firing, contains the firing pin, stores the cartridge, and ejects the casing. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate roller bearings and dual masses, reducing part count while maintaining reliability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the slide, latch block, and drive clip are made small to fit inside the receiver, then all parts can be accommodated inside the receiver reducing external contamination, but the mass inertia is low requiring appropriately selected spring forces
Solution Approach 1:
The spring forces (recoil spring and latch spring) are specifically calibrated to provide the necessary counterforces for the reduced mass of the compact components. By adjusting the spring parameters, the system compensates for the lower mass inertia while maintaining adequate force to keep the breech closed and enable reliable operation within the compact receiver.
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
This configuration ensures reliable operation with reduced malfunctions and improved accuracy by effectively managing high gas pressure and maintaining breech closure, enabling all components to fit inside the receiver and minimizing external contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a drive clip supported inside the receiver is coupled with the slide and is biased by a recoil spring toward a front closed position
Implementation Method 2
a latch block supported inside the receiver is also coupled with the slide when the slide is in the front closed position, the latch block being biased by a latch spring toward this position
Implementation Method 3
The initially high gas pressure consequently acts against the applied spring force as well as against the masses of the three components, which keeps the breech closed long enough to fire the cartridge
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a firearm comprising a housing (1) with a rigid barrel (2) arranged therein, a magazine that can be mounted in the receptacle of the housing (1) and provided with cartridges (4), a closure (3) that can be moved with respect to the housing (1) in the longitudinal direction of the barrel (2) and that is used to guide cartridges (4) from the magazine into a cartridge holder (5) or for ejecting empty cartridge cases. The closure (3) is mounted completely inside the housing (1) over its entire movement path. A sear frame (6) is coupled to the closure (3) which is tensioned by means of a closing spring (7) in the direction of the front closed position of the closure (3). The invention also relates to a locking block (8) coupled to the closure (3) when the closure is in the front closed position. The locking block (8) can be tensioned by a locking spring (9) in the direction of said position, and the locking block (8) can be moved when triggering a shot through the closure (3) by compressing the locking spring (9) only for one part of the movement path of the closure (3) until the decoupling position is reached together with the closure (3).