Handgun

A handgun comprising a frame, a barrel assembly supported on said frame and including a plurality of barrels, each of said barrels having an associated cartridge chamber, a trigger supported on said frame for movement between ready and firing positions, a hammer pivotally supported on said frame for movement between releasing and striking positions, a firing element supported on said hammer for rotary indexing movement relative to said hammer to successive striking locations, detent means carried by said hammer and cooperating with said firing element for accurately aligning and releasably retaining said firing element in each of its striking locations, said firing element in each of its striking locations being aligned with an associated one of said cartridge chambers, indexing means for rotating said firing element to one of its striking locations in response to movement of said hammer to its releasing position, means for biasing said indexing means in the direction of said striking position and toward engagement with said firing element, strut means for biasing said hammer from its releasing position toward its striking position and including a strut engageable with said hammer and a strut spring acting between said strut in said frame, sear means for moving said hammer to its releasing position in opposition to the biasing force of said strut means and releasing it in its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger from its ready position to its firing position, stop means for arresting movement of said strut in the direction of said striking position, said strut means being out of engagement with said hammer during the initial portion of the travel of said hammer toward its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger from its ready position toward its firing position and during the final portion of the travel of the hammer from its releasing position to its striking position, and means for disabling said indexing means while said trigger is in its firing position and during at least a portion of the movement of the trigger from its firing to its ready position.

A handgun comprising a frame, a barrel assembly supported on said frame and including a plurality of barrels, each of said barrels having an associated cartridge chamber, a trigger supported on said frame for movement between ready and firing positions, a hammer pivotally supported on said frame for movement between releasing and striking positions, a firing element supported on said hammer for rotary indexing movement relative to said hammer to successive striking locations, said firing element in each of its striking locations being aligned with an associated one of said cartridge chambers, indexing means for rotating said firing element to one of its striking locations in response to movement of said hammer to its releasing position and including a plurality of outwardly opening notches equal in number to said striking locations and formed in said firing element and a pawl engageable with an associated one of said notches when said firing element is at one of said firing locations, detent means for accurately aligning and releasably retaining said firing element in said one striking location and including a detent member engageable with another of said notches when said firing element is at said one firing location, means for biasing said indexing means in the direction of said striking position and toward engagement with said firing element, strut means for biasing said hammer from its releasing position toward its striking position and including a strut engageable with said hammer and a strut spring acting between said strut in said frame, sear means for moving said hammer to its releasing position in opposition to the biasing force of said strut means and releasing it in its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger from its ready position to its firing position, and stop means for arresting movement of said strut in the direction of said striking position, said strut means being out of engagement with said hammer during the initial portion of the travel of said hammer toward its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger from its ready position toward its firing position and during the final portion of the travel of the hammer from its releasing position to its striking position, said means for biasing said indexing means acting through said indexing means and said firing element and biasing said hammer toward its striking position when said trigger is in its ready position and during initial movement of said hammer toward its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger toward its firing position.

A handgun comprising a frame, a barrel assembly supported on said frame and including a plurality of barrels, each of said barrels having an associated cartridge chamber, a trigger supported on said frame for movement between ready and firing positions, a hammer pivotally supported on said frame for movement between releasing and striking positions, a firing element supported on said hammer for rotary indexing movement relative to said hammer to successive striking locations, said firing element in each of its striking locations being aligned with an associated one of said cartridge chambers, indexing means for rotating said firing element to one of its striking locations in response to movement of said hammer to its releasing position, means for biasing said indexing means in the direction of said striking position and toward engagement with said firing element, strut means for biasing said hammer from its releasing position toward its striking position and including a strut engageable with said hammer and a strut spring acting between said strut in said frame, sear means for moving said hammer to its releasing position in opposition to the biasing force of said strut means and releasing it in its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger from its ready position to its firing position, means for disabling said indexing means while said trigger is in its firing position, and stop means for arresting movement of said strut in the direction of said striking position, said strut means being out of engagement with said hammer during the initial portion of the travel of said hammer toward its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger from its ready position toward its firing position and during the final portion of the travel of the hammer from its releasing position to its striking position, said means for biasing said indexing means acting through said indexing means and said firing element and biasing said hammer toward its striking position when said trigger is in its ready position and during initial movement of said hammer toward its releasing position in response to movement of said trigger toward its firing position.