UNDERWATER SPORTING PISTOL

Abstract: A pistol to be used for underwater sporting fire employing powder-charge cartridges, comprising two barrels (5) and two translationally movable firing pins (10) actuated sequentially from one trigger (18). To cock the firing pins, a hinged lever member (8) is provided on the barrel assembly, said lever member being detached from the firing pins at the end of closing said barrel assembly at the expense of a bevel (P) provided in a receiver. A striker point (21) is movably mounted on the firing pin and springloaded with respect thereto, said receiver is provided with an opening to accommodate, at the end of the firing pin travel, a collar of the striker point, a cylindrical part (23) of the firing pin and water contained therebetween, which allows energy from the firing pin to be transferred to said striker point and to a primer at the expense of hydro-dynamic shock. In connection with the aforementioned, a pistol design rules out an intentional or accidental discharge of the weapon in the open air.

Description: UNDERWATER SPORTING PISTOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of small arms directed to the manufacture of a sporting underwater weapon used for firing with powder-charge cartridges and designed both for amateur sporting target-oriented fire and for sporting underwater hunting and frightening away of large predatory fishes. II. Description of the Prior Art At present, underwater firearms is widely used both by sportsmen-divers and for the self-defence of combat swimmers. Combat weapons used by combat swimmers must fire both in water and, if need be, in the open air. Therefore, multibarreled systems, as a rule, employ a firing pin mechanism giving a firing pin one turn upon a trigger being regularly depressed by the user (for example, the underwater pistol SPP-1 , Russia). For an underwater sporting weapon, one among a number of requirements is the matter of safety and impossibility to perform a premeditated or accidental discharge in the underwater position of the weapon. This task has been solved in a prior art dealing with an underwater spear gun for underwater hunting issued under USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 295958 on December 3, 1970 (the application of April 25, 1969). This closest prior art describes a pistol comprising a barrel assembly, a receiver, and a firing-trigger mechanism, wherein a firing pin being disposed in a pistol grip handle whereas a striker point with a collar being disposed in the receiver. In so doing, the firing pin does not have a kinematic link with the striker point, and striking energy of the firing pin is transferred to the striker point only through water in case where a trigger release has been accomplished in water. A disadvantage of this technical solution consists in that upon each reloading of the pistol, the forong pin must be placed in a cocked position. Another disadvantage is that the striker travels essentially perpendicular to the travel of the striker point, which results in additional pressure drop when energy is transferred from the firing pin to the the striker point and, hence, in the increase of force of cocking said firing pin (that is to say, in the increase of forces exerted on the fring-pin spring). SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages by providing a compact pistol for underwater sporting fire which rules out the possibility of a premeditated or accidental discharge in the above-water position of the weapon. The previously mentioned object is obtained in accordance with the present invention by the provision of an underwater sporting pistol comprising a receiver, a barrel assembly, and a firing-trigger mechanism, wherein the improvement resides in that said barrel assembly, closer to a breech end, is provided with a hinged lever member which, upon closing of said assembly, first comes into contact with a firing-pin lug and moves thereof beyond a trigger sear and then simultaneously comes into contact with an inclined plane of the receiver, which affords detachment of the lever member from the firing pin and causes the firing pin to stand on the trigger sear. To rule out a discharge in the open air (in the underwater position), a striker point is movably mounted with respect to the firing pin, a cylindrical opening is provided in the receiver to accomodate said striker point with a collar and a cylindrical part of the firing pin which are spring-connected with a preloading force slightly greater than a force of tractive resistance of moving the srtiker point with the firing pin in water. Acceleration is performed by the firing pin when said cylindrical part of the firing pin is outside the opening, whereas breaking of a primer occurs in the opening when water is contained between the walls of said opening, striker-point collar and the cylindrical part of the the firing pin. If this space contains no water, the striker point stops on the primer and the firing pin stops being knocked against the receiver. To ensure that two firing pins are alternately released by means of one trigger, the firing pin is provided with two planes differently distant from the axis of the trigger, said planes by turns coming into contact with a spring-loaded trigger strut. When both firing pins are on the trigger sears, a rib of said trigger strut bears up against a distal plane; said strut, when the trigger being depressed by the user, comes into contact with, for example, the right trigger sear; when the firing pin contacting with the trigger strut is in the front position (that is to say, is released), then upon the next trigger pull the strut comes into contact with the left trigger sear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The various objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which: FIGURE 1 is a general view with necessary sectional views of the pistol in accordance with the invention; FIGURE 2 is a top view of the pistol in accordance with the invention; FIGURE 3 is a mechanical diagram for cocking and standing the firing pins on the respective sears; FIGURES 4a, 4b show stress diagrams for the moments of start (4a) and end (4b) of closing the barrel assembly; FIGURE 5 shows a scheme of the firing-pin operation in the open air; FIGURE 6 shows a scheme of the firing-pin operation when fire is accomplished underwater; FIGURE 7 shows arrangement of the firing pin on the sear in the rear position; FIGURE 8 is a scheme explaining operation of the firing- pin mechanism (a sectional view taken along the firing-pin axis); FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken perpendicular to the axis of the firing pins, which is aimed to explain the firing-pin mechanism operation; FIGURE 10 is a nomogram of changing the force of closing the barrel assembly, Ni, and the force of mainsprings of the firing pins, Pi, plotted against the firing-pin turning angle, Fi. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIGURE 1 , a preferred embodiment of the pistol in accordance with the present invention is thereshown and comprises a receiver 1 in which a barrel assembly 2 is installed along the axis pin 3. The barrel assembly 2 consists of a coupling 4, barrels (or a barrel) 5, a yoke 6. On the coupling 4, a lever member 8 is attached by an axis pin 7 being spring-loaded with a spring 9. A lug indicated as "A" is provided on a breech end of the coupling 4. In the receiver 1 , assembled with a slode fit are firing pins 10 spring-loaded by means of mainsprings 11 resting upon a catch 12 which holds a retainer 13 covering the firing pins 10. In the upper part of the receiver 1 , a slot indicated as "B2" is provided in which is mounted a lock 14 with a lever 15. In the bottom part of the receiver 1 , underneath the firing pins 10, the right 16 and left 17 sears are mounted, said left sear being provided with a slot indicated as "C". A trigger 18 comprises a spring(20)-loaded strut 19 having a lug indicated as "D" as viewed from the right side of the strut 19 and a lug indicated as "E" - in the front side. The firing pins 10 have grooves indicated as "F" to accomodate the sears 16, 17 and planes indicated as "G", "I" in the front side of the firing pin to contact with the lug "D" of the strut 19. A lug indicated as "J" to contact with the lever member 8 is provided in the upper part of the firing pin 10. At a height of a bore line of the barrel there is installed in the firing pin a movable striker point 21 with a spring 22 and a cylindrical part 23 of the firing pin 10. Said cylindrical part 23 is made in the form of a sleeve 23 being movably mounted on the striker point 21. A gap indicated as "K" is provided between said cylindrical part 23 of the firing pin 10 and said striker point 21 , the latter entering a cylindrical opening indicated as "L" of the receiver 1. Openings indicated as "M", "N", "O" are provided in the receiver 1 and the retainer 13. A pistol safety lock 24 to prevent from an accidental discharge locks the trigger 18. A grip handle 25 is fastened on the receiver 1 by means of a screw 26. A bevel indicated as "P" is provided in the receiver 1 to contact with the lever member 8 at the end of closing said barrel assembly. The pistol according to the present invention operates as follows. In order to load the pistol, the lever 15 of the lock 14 must be forced out backwards. In so doing, the lock 14 drops out of engagement with the lug "A" of the coupling 4, the barrel assembly 2 by the action of a spring is swung up about the axis pin 3 and the lever member 8 moves into mesh with the lugs "J" of the firing pins 10. After a cartridge chamber is filled with cartridges, the barrel assembly 2 must be closed. To do this, the barrel assembly 2 has to be pressed with a hand to the side of the receiver 1. In so doing, as shown in Figure 3, the lever member 8 provided on the barrel assembly 2 being rested upon the lugs "J" of the firing pins 10 moves them backwards. Upon a subsequent closing of the barrel assembly 2, the lever member 8 will rise up along the bevel P and disengage the lever member 8 with the lugs "J" of the firing pins 10. The firing pins 10 being advanced by the action of the mainsprings 1 1 will stand on the respective sears. The lock 14 which is spring-actuated by its own spring will move into mesh with the lug "A" of the coupling 4 of the barrel assembly 2 - now the barrel assembly is closed. The strut 19 of the trigger 18 will be installed, by means of its own lug, on the plane "G" of the firing pin 10, i.e. the plane located at the greatest distance from a trigger axis pin, whereas the lug "E" of the strut 19 will be installed opposite the right sear 16 and the slot "C" of the left sear 17. Upon the trigger 18 being depressed by the user, said trigger 18, making a turn with its strut, rests upon the right sear 16 and, moving with its lug "D" along the plane "G" of the firing pin 10, shifts the sear 16 backwards. In so doing, the lug "E" of the strut 19 enters the slot "C" of the sear 17. The right firing pin 10 is released and advances to strike the primer. Upon release of the trigger 18 the latter, being spring-actuated, will take up its initial position. In this case, the lug "D" of the strut 19 will be disposed over the other plane, "I", of the firing pin 10 which is in front position. Upon the trigger 18 being depressed by the user over again, the strut will contact with the left sear 17 above the slot "C" and release the left firing pin 10. As shown in Figure 5, upon the sear 18 being depressed by the user in the open air, the firing pin 10 advances to strike the primer with its striker point 21 only, because the latter is connected to the firing pin 10 through a weak spring 22 and air freely escapes through the gaps. With reference now to Figure 2, when firing is performed underwater, water through the openings "M", "N" and "O" finds its way into the firing pin 10 and fills the gap "K". That is why in the front position of the firing pin 10, the striker point 21 communicates with said firing pin through water (see Figure 6) which, as is known, has an extremely low contraction coefficient. In this connection, essentially all energy of the firing pin is transferred through the striker point 21 to the primer. So a shot is fired. When reloading of the pistol and depressing of the trigger are accomplished over again, a sequence of operation of the mechanisms is repeated. Calculations performed show that a force of cocking the firing pins when closing the barrel assembly lies, under specific conditions, within acceptable limits. Figure 3 shows a mechanical diagram for cocking the firing pins when closing the barrel assembly, where P denotes a cocking force, R denotes a force within the lever member 8, N denotes a force of moving the firing pins 10 by the action of the force P. Figures 4a, 4b show stress diagrams for the change in the force N plotted against the change in a barrel-assembly turning angle. Figure 10 shows a nomogram of changing the force of cocking, Ni, and the force exerted on the firing pins, Pi, plotted against a barrel-assembly turning angle, Ti, when affording residual energy of the firing pin to strike the primer (Δ = 5.21 J, Erequh-ed = 2.03 J). Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention as further defined in the appended claims.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A pistol to be used mostly for underwater sporting fire, comprising a receiver, a barrel assembly, and a firing-trigger mechanism wherein said barrel assembly, closer to a breech end, is provided with a hinged lever member coming into contact, upon closing of said assembly, with a firing pin disposed in the receiver up to its travel beyond a trigger sear, and interacting, at the end of locking, with an inclined plane of the receiver. 2. The pistol as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lever member being arranged to contact in parallel with two firing pins, a body of at least one of said firing pins comprising two planes differently distant from the axis of a trigger, said planes by turns coming into contact with a rib of a spring-loaded trigger strut. 3. The pistol as claimed in claim 1 wherein said firing pin is equipped with a striker point movably mounted therein, a gap is provided between a cylindrical part of the firing pin and a collar of the striker point, a cylindrical opening is provided in the receiver to accomodate said striker point with the collar and said cylindrical part of the firing pin being spring-connected to the striker point. 4. The pistol as claimed in claim 1 wherein firing-pin mainsprings have a low preloading, but a greater rigidity of 60 - 150 h/m 2 - 15 h.

Inventors: MIKHAILENKO SERGEI ANATOLIEVIC, SLIPCHENKO NIKOLAI NIKOLAEVICH, MIKHAILENKO, SERGEI ANATOLIEVICH, SLIPCHENKO, NIKOLAI NIKOLAEVICH
Applicants: MIKHAILENKO SERGEI ANATOLIEVIC, SLIPCHENKO NIKOLAI NIKOLAEVICH, MIKHAILENKO, SERGEI ANATOLIEVICH, SLIPCHENKO, NIKOLAI NIKOLAEVICH
Application year: 1996
Main classification: F41C9
IPC codes: F41A19, F41C9