Patent ID: 7946214

Claim:
A gas redirecting piston assembly for a gas-operated firearm of the type having a chamber and a barrel, the gas redirecting piston assembly comprising: a gas expansion housing defining an inner bore and having a gas port extending therethrough and into communication with the barrel of the firearm; a piston slideably received within the inner bore of the gas expansion housing, and having a first end, a second end, a substantially cylindrical outer wall, defining a chamber dimensioned to receive a spring-loaded connecting rod, an annular recess of a selected depth formed about at least a portion of a circumference of the outer wall of the piston at a location proximate the first end of the piston, and at least one longitudinally extending groove formed in the outer wall of the piston, in communication with and extending along the outer wall of the piston approximately from the annular recess to the second end of the piston for forming a pathway for redirecting the portion of gases from firing along the outer wall of the piston and along the bore of the gas expansion housing from the gas port thereof into engagement with the second end of the piston; wherein during operation, a flow of pressurized gases generated from firing are diverted through the gas port and are received within the annular recess of the piston, which redirects the pressurized gases along the at least one longitudinally extending groove formed in the outer wall of the piston of the piston, whereupon the pressurized gases expand along the at least one longitudinally extending groove and are redirected against the second end of the piston so as to drive the piston axially from a first, retracted position within the housing to a second, extended position.