Recoil-operated automatic pistol

#My present invention relates to an automatic pistol operating by blowback action, i.e. with recurrent cocking of its spring-loaded hammer by the recoil of a breechblock slidably mounted in its gunstock.

#In conventional firearms of this type, the slidable breechblock or carriage is held in place by a retaining member which is hinged to the gunstock and is normally latached thereto. With carriage encased in a housing, a manually operable arming button with a stem traversing the retaining member must be provided to facilitate the loading of the first cartridge from a magazine clip into the breech behind the gun barrel; this button must be removed prior to disassembly for inspection and cleaning purposes. Even where the carriage is not encased, such disassembly is rather cumbersome in the known automatic pistols of this type and generally requires removal of the barrel from the gunstock. Finally, the need for a rear carriage stop on the gunstock prevents a mounting of the hammer at an external, readily accessible location behind the breechblock.

#The object of my present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved mounting for the slidable breechblock and the associated firing mechanism which obviates the aforestated disadvantages.

#The above and other features of my invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

#FIG. 1 is an exploded side-elevational view of the principal components of an automatic pistol embodying my invention, including a gunstock, a breechblock and a retaining member;

#FIG. 2 is a similar view of the same components in their assembled state;

#As shown in the drawing, an automatic pistol according to my invention comprises essentially a gunstock 1 with barrel 2 (which may be rifled in the usual manner), a breechblock 3 slidable along a track 47 formed by the breech 4 of the gunstock, and a retaining member 5 in the form of an elongate lid adapted to be detachably secured to the gunstock 1 above track 47.

#A magazine 48 (FIG. 9) for the insertion of an ammunition clip, not further illustrated, opens onto the front of track 47 just behind the barrel 2.

#Lid 5 is provided with a generally yoke-shaped extension 6 articulated to it by a pin 21 for swinging in a vertical plane, the bight of the yoke carrying a rear gunsight 6' coacting with a front gunsight 2' at the tip of a separate member encasing the barrel 2. Underneath the sight 6' the yoke 6 forms a lug 20 engaging behind a pair of upstanding wings 7 which are rigid with gunstock 1 and flank the track 47. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the wings 7 have horizontal grooves 10 matingly receiving a pair of ribs 9 of lid 5 while a cutout 12 of that lid is engaged by a latch 11 rising from an elevated land 49 of the gunstock adjacent barrel 2. Thus, the lid 5 can be detached from the gunstock by forward sliding upon a lifting of yoke 6 to disengage the lug 20 from the wings 7, as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 2. That disengagement is resisted by a pair of springs 22", one of which is shown in FIG. 8, received in confronting channels 22 of yoke 6 (see also FIG. 6); these springs bear from below upon opposite ends of a transverse pin 22' projecting from lid 5. The arms of yoke 6 also accommodate a pair of ball checks 50, FIG. 8, which coact with pivot pin 21 to index the yoke in one of several positions of different inclination for the purpose of properly aligning the two sights 2' and 6' with each other. The selected angle of inclination is maintained with the aid of an adjustable seat for the yoke, formed by a setscrew 23 in a vertical bore of lid 5.