Cylinder latch mechanism for revolvers

In a revolver having a frame;

• a cylinder rotatably mounted on the frame, the exterior surface of the cylinder being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced cylinder latch notches;
• a trigger pivotally mounted on a trigger pivot pin below the cylinder for rotation from its at-rest position to its ready-to-fire position and return;
• a trigger spring urging the trigger to its at-rest position;
• a cylinder pawl pivotally mounted on the trigger for rotating the cylinder when the trigger is pulled;
• a cylinder latch disposed below the cylinder for successively engaging each of the cylinder latch notches of the cylinder when the cylinder is rotated;
• and a cylinder latch spring urging the cylinder latch into engagement with said cylinder latch notches;
• said cylinder latch being withdrawn from engagement with one cylinder latch notch and then engaging the next cylinder latch notch of the cylinder when the trigger is rotated from its at-rest position to its ready-to-fire position;
• the improvement which comprises:
• a trigger having a trigger pivot portion that is formed with a transverse pivot pin hole, with a longitudinally extending actuator receiving slot through which the trigger pivot pin extends and with an actuator restraining lug that extends transversely over the actuator receiving slot formed in said pivot portion;
• a cylinder latch actuator slidably mounted within said actuator receiving slot and on said trigger pivot pin for limited longitudinal and rotational movement on said pin within said slot;
• a cylinder latch having a nose portion adapted to engage the cylinder latch notches of the cylinder and a foot portion adapted to engage the forward end of the cylinder latch actuator, said cylinder latch being pivotably mounted on the revolver for rotation of the nose portion thereof into and out of engagement with said cylinder latch notches;
• and spring means urging the cylinder latch actuator into engagement with the foot portion of the cylinder latch;
• rotation of the trigger from its at-rest position to its ready-to-fire position causing the forward end of the cylinder latch actuator to contact and press against the foot portion of the cylinder latch and thereby move the forward end of the cylinder latch actuator upwardly into engagement with the actuator restraining lug of the trigger to block rearward movement of said cylinder latch actuator, and also thereby depress and then release the foot portion of the cylinder latch to rotate the nose portion of the cylinder latch downwardly out of engagement with one of the cylinder latch notches and then upwardly into engagement with the next cylinder latch notch of the cylinder;
• and rotation of the trigger from its ready-to-fire position to its at-rest position causing the foot portion of the cylinder latch to move the forward end of the cylinder latch actuator downwardly out of engagement with the actuator restraining lug of the trigger and then rearwardly a sufficient distance to allow the forward end of said cylinder latch actuator to clear the rearward end of the foot portion of said cylinder latch.