Patent GB-1138423-A (GB)
Title: Machine gun
Inventor: ROY ROBERT EARL
IPC: F41A11/02
Filed: 1967-03-14
Abstract: 1,138,423. Machine guns; belt feed. COLT'S Inc. 14 March, 1967 [30 March, 1966], No. 11980/67. Heading F3C. A gas operated machine gun having a trigger system including a sear 166, a gas recoil piston system 12, a reciprocating bolt carrier assembly 14 mechanically separate from the gas recoil piston but responsive to operation thereof, has a cartridge feed drive means 121 included with the assembly 14 and a cartridge feed system including a belt stripping station 24 co-operating with the bolt 126 to strip and chamber a round and belt advancing means including a movable feed arm 254 (Fig. 4) responsve to the feed drive means 121 during bolt assembly reciprocation. Belt feed (Figs. 4, 6).-The feed arm 254, pivoted at 256 to the top cover 204, is formed with a lower track engageable with the head 121 of a pin 122 slidably located in the block carrier 14 and biased by a spring 127. As the block carrier reciprocates the bent arm 254 oscillates against springs 258, 259, its forked end 260 embracing a pin 261 on a slidable pawl carrier 262, the pawl 266 advancing the rounds in the link belt 214 to the stripping station to which they are depressed by the leaf spring guide 252. A lug 128 on the bolt 126 projects through a slot 210 in the feed tray 206 to strip and chamber the rotmd as the bolt advances. The top cover is secured to the gun at the rear by a latch 234 and at the front by a pin 202 provided with a rectangular end 224 engaging an aperture 222 in the feed tray 206, the head of the pin having a flat 230 and a groove 228 which latter is engaged by a locking lug 232 to retain the pin when the cover is in the latched position. If pin 122 is not aligned with the track of feed arm 254 when the cover is moved down to latched position the pin is depressed against its spring until it can enter the track during rearward movement of the bolt carrier. The Bolt Carrier 14 is reciprocable in guides 40 against drive springs 180 on guide rods 170 passing through rings 178 on the carrier, the guide rod assembly also providing a buffer heat 184 supported by Belleville washers 186. The carrier includes a firing pin 124 secured therein by pin 121, 122, and the bolt 126 which is slidable and rotatable therein within the limits allowed by a cam pin 130 secured to the bolt and passing through a tapered slide slot 132 in the carrier. The bolt lugs 128 are complementary to lugs 108 on the barrel extension 94 and co-operate therewith to lock the bolt during firing. A lug 146 at the forward end of the bolt carrier is positioned to be struck by the drive ram 88 of the gas piston assembly to return the bolt carrier rearwardly after firing. The bolt is also provided with ejector button and an extractor. The barrel has a threaded engagement with the barrel extension 94 and the latter is releasably attached to the receiver block 28 by a pin 64 actuable by a spring biased latch 96. A cocking handle 22 has a latch 196 to retain it in a forward position until it is manually pulled to the rear, its leg 190 then engaging the front of the bolt carrier to move the latter rearwardly against springs 180 until the trigger sear engages shoulder 142 or, normally 144 at the cocked positions. A shoulder butt may be provided, and the trigger modified (161, Fig. 3, not shown) to provide for remote firing by a solenoid.