Patent GB-1056056-A (GB)
Title: An improved rifle
IPC: F41A3/26
Filed: 1965-05-10
Abstract: 1,056,056. Rifles. ARMALITE Inc. May 10, 1965 [Feb. 12, 1965], No. 19572/65. Heading F3C. A rifle for automatic and semi-automatic selective firing comprises an upper receiver portion 8 of sheet metal formed into a generally rectangular tube and having a sleeve 3 attached thereto into which is threaded the end of a barrel and a lower receiver portion of a sheet metal box generally co-extensive with the upper portion that together house the action of the rifle. Lugs 50, 37 are formed on the lower portion and the sleeve 3 to enable the two portions to hinge about pivot pin 10. A sheet metal bracket 16 is welded to the sides of the lower portion and is formed with brackets 54 to which is attached a butt and a wall 16 having holes 18 therein. The upper portion is provided with two rods 21 the ends 21<SP>1</SP> of which engage in holes 18 and are held therein by the bias of springs 53 to lock the two portions together. A bolt carrier actuated by a gas piston operated rod 5 is slidable along rods 21 with clearance in the upper portion and is provided in its upper part with a spring buffer and in its lower part with a bolt 7 through a bore of which extends a firing pin. The carrier 6 is provided with a transverse pin 76, Fig. 4 (not shown), guided in channel 22 welded to the side of the upper portion and a cam slot 80 through which projects a pin 94 secured to the bolt and which is guided in channel 22 during most of the bolt carrier movement. When the bolt carrier is beginning its rearward movement and ending its forward movement the bolt and bolt carrier are rotated relative to each other by cam slot 80 and pin 94 to respectively disengage and engage lugs on the forward end of the bolt with lugs at the rear of sleeve 3. The lower portion is provided with a magazine receiving portion into which is fitted a magazine 15<SP>1</SP>. A lever 150 pivoted at 151 is provided with a detent which is normally biased to a position below the path of the bolt carrier by spring- loaded pin 154 engaging the bottom portion 44 of the upper portion. After the last round has been fed into the firing chamber ledge 57 on magazine plate 55 biases the detent on lever 150 into the path of the bolt carrier to retain it in the cocked position after the last round has been fired. A lever 165 (not shown) controls a cam 168 to permit automatic or semi-automatic firing or to retain the rifle in safe condition. In the latter condition the cam 168 engages surfaces 123, 128, Fig. 14 (not shown), of trigger 17 and lever 121 to prevent movement thereof to fire the rifle. When the cam 168 is in the automatic firing position recoil of the bolt carrier pivots the hammer 120 rearwardly until a pivoted detent 105 engages in the recess 135 of the hammer; the lever 121 is held in an inoperative condition by the cam 168. At the end of the forward movement of the bolt carrier the latter strikes detent 103, Fig. 17 (not shown), of the automatic sear 101 to pivot the detent 105 to release the hammer to fire the rifle. This action will continue until the trigger is released when the hammer is retained in the cocked position by engagement of the detent 131 on the trigger with the recess 132 of the hammer. In the semi-automatic firing position of the cam the automatic sear 101 is cammed out of bolt carrier engaging position and the lever 121 is free to move. The latter is moved clockwise by pulling the trigger by the action of the spring 126 therebetween so that when the hammer is moved anticlockwise by recoil of the bolt carrier claw 129 of the lever 121 engages surface 130 of the hammer to hold it cocked. When the trigger is released pin 122 thereon under the bias of the trigger spring forces the lever 121 anticlockwise to disengage claw 129 from surface 130 and allow trigger detent 131 to engage recess 132 ready to fire the next shot. A two-position pivoted sight is attached to the upper surface of the upper portion and is biased to one of two positions by the curved spring beneath.