Smooth bore firearm having axially rotatable barrel
AssigneeO. F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.
InventorAlan I. Mossberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A firearm having a movable barrel including an axially elongated smooth bore. The barrel moves in an axial direction and simultaneously rotates about its axis when a round of slug ammunition is discharged by the firearm whereby to impart rotary motion to the slug as it travels through the bore so that the slug is rotating about its axis of trajectory as it leaves the muzzle of the firearm and travels toward a target.
Claims18
In a firearm having a receiver, an axially elongated barrel assembly supported on and projecting in an axially forward direction from the receiver and defining a coaxial bore extending therethrough, means defining a chamber for communicating with the rear end of the bore, and a firing mechanism supported by the receiver for discharging a round of ammunition contained within the chamber, the improvement comprising said barrel assembly including a barrel member defining said bore, means supporting said barrel member for axial and rotational movement relative to the receiver, means for moving the barrel member in an axially forward direction relative to the receiver in response to pressure exerted by gases of explosion generated by the discharge of a round of ammunition within said chamber, and means for rotating said barrel member about its axis in response to axial movement of said barrel member relative to said receiver.
In a firearm having a receiver, a barrel assembly mounted on the receiver and defining an axially forwardly extending bore, means defining a chamber for communicating with the rear end of the bore and receiving a round of ammunition therein, and firing means associated with the receiver for discharging a round of ammunition contained within the chamber, the improvement comprising said barrel assembly including a generally cylindrical barrel having a smooth bore and a rearwardly facing annular shoulder at its rear end, said barrel assembly having means for supporting said barrel for axial reciprocal movement and rotational movement about its axis relative to said receiver and including a barrel sleeve mounted in fixed position on said receiver and defining said chamber, said barrel sleeve having a diametrically enlarged bore forward of said chamber and in coaxial alignment with said chamber for receiving said barrel therein, said barrel sleeve having a forwardly facing annular abutment surface surrounding said chamber at the junction of said chamber and said sleeve bore, means for moving said barrel in an axially forward direction within said barrel sleeve in response to gases of explosion produced by the discharge of around of ammunition within said chamber and including said rearwardly facing annular shoulder and said forwardly facing annular abutment surface, and means for rotating said barrel about its axis in response to forward movement of said barrel within and relative to said barrel sleeve and including a spiral groove formed in said barrel sleeve and opening into said sleeve bore and a lug projecting radially outwardly from said barrel and extending into said groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.