Pistol Barrel Bushing Design for Accuracy and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slide/barrel guiding structures in semi-automatic pistols require additional space, reducing the barrel's weight and impairing accuracy in sport shooting, while being difficult to assemble in configurations like the M1911 design.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece barrel bushing with a cutout allows the barrel to be inserted from the front, reducing clearance and maintaining the barrel's weight, and features a curved outer surface for stable guidance, enabling easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a two-part guiding structure (housing with spherical bushing) is used, then stable guidance is achieved, but additional free space is required which reduces barrel weight and increases recoil
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the housing and spherical bushing into a single integrated barrel bushing component. This eliminates the need for separate housing and bushing parts, reducing the total space required in the guiding structure while maintaining the guidance function. The integrated design allows the barrel to have greater outer diameter and weight without increasing the overall space occupation in the slide.
2Reliability
If a two-part guiding structure is used, then guidance function is achieved, but device complexity increases and assembly becomes difficult in M1911 configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components (housing and spherical bushing) into a single integrated barrel bushing, reducing the number of parts from two to one. This simplification directly reduces device complexity and makes assembly more straightforward, particularly for M1911 configurations where front-insertion assembly is preferred.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated barrel bushing is designed with a through-opening that segments the structure to allow the barrel to pass through during assembly. This strategic segmentation enables the barrel to be inserted from the front of the slide, facilitating easier assembly in M1911 configurations while maintaining the complete guidance function.
3Reliability
If additional free space is allocated for guiding structure, then stable guidance is achieved, but barrel outer diameter is reduced impairing sport shooting accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the housing and bushing into one integrated component, the patent reduces the total volume occupied by the guiding structure. This space optimization allows the barrel to have a larger outer diameter while the guiding structure occupies less space, thereby improving sport shooting accuracy through increased barrel mass without compromising guidance stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A pistol (10), comprising frame (12), a slide (14) slidably mounted on the frame (12), the slide (14) defining an inner guiding space (18), a barrel (16) having a tubular barrel body (20) guided in the inner guiding space (18) of the slide (14) such that the tubular barrel body (20) and the slide (14) are movable relative to each other along an axial direction, the barrel (16) comprising a pivotable barrel link (30) protruding outwardly from the barrel body (20) and configured to allow additional pivotal movement of the barrel body (20) relative to the slide (14) in a direction transverse to the axial direction, and a barrel bushing (48) accommodated in the inner guiding space (18) of the slide (14) to reduce clearance between the barrel body (20) and the slide (14) in the relative axial and pivotal movements thereof, the barrel bushing (48) being stationary relative to the slide (14) in the axial direction. The barrel bushing (48) is formed of a single ring element (50) having a cutout (56) extending in the axial direction to allow, during assembly, the barrel body (20) to be inserted into the guiding space (18) of the slide (14) from a front end (22) thereof while passing the barrel link (30) along the axial direction through the cutout (56) of the ring element (50) accommodated in the slide (14).