Cartridge feeding assembly for smooth-bore guns with semiautomatic or pump operation

Abstract

The present invention relates to smooth-bore guns having a tubular magazine and an operating system either semiautomatic indifferently of the inertial type, of the gas intake type or of the recoiling barrel type, or manual pump-operated or convertible from one system to the other, relating essentially to a new cartridge feed system adapted to these types of firearms. The invention comprises a new cartridge descent lever which, causes the cartridges to pass from the magazine tube into the barrel, either automatically or manually. For the feeding with semiautomatic operation of the firearm, part of the energy of the spring of the hammer of the firearm is used to cause the vertical rotation of the cartridge descent lever so that a cartridge exits from the magazine tube. For the feeding with manual pump operation of the firearm, the same movement is caused by the bolt when it opens manually, by means of the cocking rod, for the expulsion of the case in the barrel. Finally, for the manual change of the cartridge in the barrel, the same movement can be caused by the hand of the shooter which, with the finger which presses the trigger, finds, in an easily accessible position, a tab of the cartridge descent lever protruding from the lower level of the body of the firearm. In all the cases described above, the successive passage in the barrel of the cartridge, exiting from the magazine tube, occurs in a conventional manner for the type of firearm considered. In the various operating systems all the movements of the new cartridge descent lever are in any case synchronized and compatible with the used operation without the need for adjustments. The new cartridge feed system allows, in an entirely simple and original manner, the use of the same parts on a gun with automatic operation, on a gun with manual (pump) operation and on a gun convertible from semiautomatic to pump operation. Considerable economic advantages, extreme versatility of models, a substantial reduction of the overall number of components, and an improved reliability in use are achieved thereby.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.