Concentric cylinder gas-operated automatic firearm
OwnerJ. Patrick O'Brieninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fixed-barrel, gas-operated firearm having its barrel concentrically mounted within a pressure tube enclosing substantially all of the moving parts of the firearm's action. A gas cup reciprocates under the influence of propellant gas pressure when the firearm is fired, driving slide members that link the pressure cup to the firearm's bolt rearward within the pressure tube, unlocking the breech, rotating and retracting the bolt, discharging the spent cartridge casing and then advancing the bolt to chamber a new cartridge.
Claims18
A firearm comprising:
- a barrel having a bore extending therethrough and defining a central lengthwise barrel axis through the bore, and a chamber on one end configured to receive a loaded round of ammunition;
- a cylindrical pressure tube surrounding the barrel and having a pressure tube axis coincident with the barrel axis;
- and
- a muzzle cap secured around a forward end of the barrel and a breech block secured around a breech end of the barrel thereby forming an annular enclosure between the interior of the pressure tube and the exterior of the barrel.
(canceled)
A firearm comprising a barrel concentrically mounted within a pressure tube, the pressure tube forming an enclosure within which a bolt moveable between an advanced position in engagement with a breech end of the barrel for firing of the firearm and a retracted position away from the breech end of the barrel for discharge of a spent cartridge casing.
(canceled)
A locked-breech action firearm comprising:
- a barrel having a breech end, a muzzle end, and an internal bore;
- a pressure tube surrounding the barrel;
- an annular space between an outer surface of the barrel and an inner surface of the pressure tube, the annular space is configured to facilitate the movement of at least a portion of the firearm's operating mechanism therein;
- and
- a bolt movable upon operation thereon by the firearm's operating mechanism between an advanced position in engagement with the breech end of the barrel for firing of the firearm, and a retracted position away from the breech end of the barrel for discharge of a spent cartridge casing, the bolt including one or more locking elements for engaging and disengaging cooperating engagement features of the firearm to lock the bolt in a forward position during firing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.