Safety means for the bolt of automatic and semiautomatic pistols

Abstract: Disclosed is a safety means for the bolt (11) of semiautomatic and automatic pistols (10), which comprises, on at least one side of the bolt (11), a throat (14), complete with striking step (15) and arresting element (16) provided and coupled therewith, for the prevention of dangerous rearward projections of the bolt (11) against the user, when the rear portion of the bolt (11) has suffered a breakage due to improper or accidental causes.

Description: The present invention relates, in general, to semiautomatic and automatic pistols and, more particularly, to a safety means for arresting the bolt of these pistols in case of an emergency. Semiautomatic, as well as automatic pistols comprise usually a bolt which is guidedly capable of operational, longitudinal movements or displacements, back and forth along and on the body of the firearm. FR-A-533 077 discloses a pistol in which the retromovement of the breech bolt is limited through an arresting means situated at the rear end of the body. In such a pistol, said body has lateral guide ribs on which runs the bolt having two corresponding grooves. The arresting means comprises a step at the rear end of at least one of the guide ribs and a step within the corresponding groove. The two steps interact to lock the bolt in case of breakage. US-A-1 557 435 also discloses a pistol in which the retromovement of the bolt is limited through a stop means situated at the rear end of the body. In this case, the stop means comprises a pin mounted on the pistol body and pushed towards the bolt to interact with a step in the bolt. In the both arrangements, the arresting means are thus situated at the rear part of the pistol body and are functional: no other safety devices are envisaged for the bolt. A pistol arrangement disclosed in US-A-1 382 317 has a stop means which is identical to the one in US-A-1 557 435 above, but differs in that it is designed to limit the forward movement of the bolt. In practice and in the market there are also pistols in which the breech bolt is fitted with a arresting means situated at the front and interacting with the fixed shoulder at the front of said body to limit the retromovement of said bolt. The forward movement of the bolt is limited on closure when it comes into contact with the pistol body. In fact, this known pistol arrangement comprises a pistol body including and upper bolt-engaging portion with a fixed shoulder adjacent to the front end of said pistol body, and a bolt including an arresting portion adjacent to the front end of said bolt, with said arresting portion engaging said fixed shoulder upon retromovement of said bolt along the pistol body by propelling gases of a shell, for limiting the retromovement of said bolt with respect to said pistol body, said arresting portion being positioned spaced a distance from said fixed shoulder in a pre-firing state, said distance from said arresting portion to said fixed shoulder defining a retromovement distance. Furthermore, the breech bolt of such a pistol arrangement may, for structural and functional reasons, have an intermediate part of reduced cross section and resistance situated behind the arresting portion. Now, unexpected or accidental causes or reasons, such as the incorrect use of the pistol, the careless maintenance thereof, the employment of improper ammunition or of cartridges with excessive charge, etc. may be a source of cracks or faulty lines, which as time goes on result in the breaking of the bolt. The breakage may occur in areas of lesser resistance, such as those in the back of the arresting means which limit the retro movement of the bolt. In such a case, the normal arresting means provided on the bolt are insufficient to prevent that the rear portion there of no longer held, be violently projected rearwardly when the projectile that causes the final ultimate breakage of the bolt is fired, with the attendant danger to the user of the pistol. Hence, the need to previde this type of pistols with means which can prevent such an occurrence, in the event that the bolt be broken, and keep the user from physical injury. It is therefore, the main object of the present invention to provide a safety means for pistols in addition to the usual arresting means at it front end, which safety means might block on the body of the firearm, preventing its retro-movement, the rear portion of the bolt and, thusly, avoid that the eventually cracked and broken part of the bolt be projected against the user. Thus, the present invention is directed to a pistol arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1, and characterized in that the bolt is provided with a longitudinal throat having a front end providing a striking step facing toward rear end of said bolt, and in that a stationary arresting element is fixed to the pistol body, said stationary arresting element including a portion projecting into said throat for engaging said striking step to arrest said bolt with respect to said pistol body in the event of breakage of said bolt and said portion projecting into said throat not engaging said striking step during normal retromovement of said bolt along said pistol body. Arresting element serves to intercept the striking step, so as to arrest or block on the body of the firearm, in case of accidental breakage of the bolt, that portion of the latter which, no longer held, would be projected rearwardly against the user. Advantageously, the stationary arresting element is attached to or is integral with a removable and interchangeable part, mounted on the body of the firearm, preferably to the pivot or pin bearing the hammer of the pistol. Specifically, such an arresting element may consist of a swelling or head, integral with the pivot or pin and coinciding with the throat of the bolt, in position of intercepting the striking step, when at least a portion of the bolt is moving rearwardly beyond the limit defined by the normal means provided for arresting the retro movement of the bolt. The device of the invention has the ability of being incorporated in pistols of new manufacture, as well as in already existing pistols, without particular problems or limitations and at reasonable cost. It is, thus, possible to regenerate firearms already in use and provide them with the instant safety means, without additional parts or changes, but simply by utilizing the existing or readily interchangeable parts of a pistol. In fact, the application of the safety means of the invention to pistols already in use affords simply the substitution of a portion of the pistol, such as the hammer's pin, which is interchangeable anyway, with an analogous one which is provided with an arresting element, and the installation of the throat and corresponding terminal striking step on the bolt. In addition, in the event that a breakage of the bolt really occurs, since the body and the other portions of the pistol are not exposed to damage, the integrity of the weapon may be restored simply by a replacement of the bolt, with eventual prior substitution of the arresting element, in case the bolt is notched. An example of a practical embodiment of the invention will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of the body and bolt of a pistol, the bolt being in the forward, closed position; Figure 2 is a view analogous to that of Figure 1, but with the bolt in the retro, open position; Figure 3 is an enlarged, sectional view of the pistol, taken along arrows III-III of figure 1; and Figure 4 is a view analogous to that of figure 2, but with the rear portion of the bolt broken in condition of blockage on the body of the firearm. Referring now to the accompanying drawings, numeral 10 represents in general the body of the pistol and numeral 11 the bolt thereof, which is guided and movable longitudinally forward and back on the body 10 in manner known per se. The bolt 11 is provided, in its front part, with an arresting or blocking portion 12 which interacts - see figure 2 - with a fixed shoulder 13 situated on an intermediate part of the body, so as to limit the retro movement of the bolt. The forward movement of the bolt is limited, instead, by its own support, when in the closed position, as shown in figure 1. In accordance with the invention, at least on one side of the bolt, there is provided a longitudinal throat 14 of limited length and, optionally, also open in the rear part of the bolt, but, in any event, closed toward the front of the bolt, so as to form a striking step 15 which faces toward the back. To the body 10, there is attached, directly or indirectly, a stationary arresting element 16, which interacts with the throat 14 and serves, in particular, to intercept the striking step 15. In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the arresting element 16 is formed by a swelling or head 17 which is either attached to or integral with a pivot or pin 18, mounted transversely on the body 10 and carrying the hammer 19 of the pistol - see figure 3. The head 17 coincides with the throat 14 of the stricking pin of the pistol and is at least partially at level height with the striking step 15. The length of the throat 14, or the position of the striking step 15 and, conversely, the arresting element 16, is such as not to interfere with the normal longitudinal displacements of the bolt 11 - see figures 1 and 2 - defined, toward the rear, by the arresting portion 12 with the shoulder 13 and, toward the front, by the closing support of the bolt. If, however, for any reason whatever, the bolt is subject to breakage in back of the arresting portion 12 - see figure 4 -, the rear part 11a of the bolt, no longer held when propelled by the gas pressure resulting from a shell firing, is projected rearwardly beyond its normal limit. Then, the striking step 15 comes to rest against the arresting element 16, so as to keep safely the part 11a of the bolt attached to the body 10, preventing the projection toward the back against the user and achieving the safety purpose which is the object of this invention.

Claims: A pistol arrangement comprising a pistol body (10) including and upper bolt-engaging portion with a fixed shoulder (13) adjacent to the front end of said pistol body, and a bolt (11) guided on the pistol body and including an arresting portion (12) adjacent to the front end of said bolt, with said arresting portion (12) engaging said fixed shoulder (13) upon retromovement of said bolt along the pistol body by propelling gases of a shell, for limiting the retromovement of said bolt with respect to said pistol body, said arresting portion (12) being positioned spaced a distance from said fixed shoulder (13) in a pre-firing state, said distance from said arresting portion (12) to said fixed shoulder (13) defining a retromovement distance, characterized in that the bolt (11) is provided with a lingitudinal throat (14) having a front end providing a striking step (15) facing toward rear end of said bolt, and in that a stationary arresting element (16) is fixed to the pistol body, said stationary arresting element (16) including a portion (17) projecting into said throat (14) for engaging said striking step (15) to arrest said bolt with respect to said pistol body in the event of breakage of said bolt, and said portion projecting into said throat not engaging said striking step during normal retromovement of said bolt along said pistol body. Pistol arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein said stationary arresting element (16) is attached to or integral with a removable and interchangeable element (18) mounted on the body of the pistol, said removable and interchangeable element (18) being a pivot or pin transversely mounted on the body of the pistol and carrying the hammer therefor, and the stationary arresting element (16) consisting of a swelling or head (17) which is integral with said pivot or pin and is placed in interception position with said striking step (15) on the bolt (11). Pistol arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein said throat (14) is open at the rear of the bolt (11) and is interrupted by said striking step (15) at a place intermediate the length of the bolt.

Inventors: BERETTA PIER GIUSEPPE, BERETTA, PIER GIUSEPPE
Applicants: BERETTA ARMI SPA, FABBRICA D'ARMI P.BERETTA S.P.A.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: F41A17
IPC codes: F41A3