Silenced hand-held firearm with rotating tube and sleeve

A hand-held firearm comprising:

• a muzzle silencer;
• a barrel having at least one transverse bore;
• a tube section mounted for rotation on said barrel and surrounding said barrel being spaced therefrom at least over part of the length of said tube section to define an expansion area, both ends of said tube section being connected to the barrel in a sealed relationship thereto;
• a path connecting said transverse bore and said expansion area;
• means for selectively blocking said path, including a sleeve surrounding the barrel and mounted for rotation thereon, said sleeve having a first position in which said path is open and a second position in which said path is closed;
• a positive coupling connecting said tube section to the sleeve for rotation therewith, said coupling being disengageable upon forward axial displacement of said tube section and sleeve relative to said barrel;
• a connecting member closing an end of the tube section adjacent to the muzzle of the barrel;
• means connecting said connecting member and tube section with the barrel and having a first rotational position corresponding to the first position of said sleeve in which said tube section is locked to the barrel and a second rotational position corresponding to the second position of said sleeve in which said tube section can be removed from the barrel upon forward axial movement relative thereto,
• whereby when the tube section is in rotational position to be disconnected from the barrel by forward axial movement, the sleeve is in position closing the path from the transverse bore to the expansion area, and when the tube section is in rotational position locked to the barrel, the sleeve is in position opening the path from the transverse bore to the expansion area.