Convertible, belt/clip-fed automatic gun with positive shell casing ejection

A convertible, belt/clip-fed automatic gun, which comprises:

• a. a gun barrel having a breech;
• b. a receiver connected to the barrel and having a battery positioned disposed adjacent said barrel breech, a shell pick up position and a shell casing ejection port;
• c. a bolt assembly slidably mounted in the receiver for reciprocating movement, in response to firing of the gun, between the battery position and a recoil position rearwardly of the shell pick up position and the shell casing ejection port, the bolt assembly including a bolt having means for picking up a shell from the pick up position upon forward bolt assembly movement and for loading the picked up shell into the barrel breech and, after firing, for extracting a fired shell casing from the barrel breech upon rearward recoil movement from the battery position to the recoil position, and including a bolt carrier having an ammunition belt advancing and casing ejection cam track formed thereon;
• d. ammunition belt receiving and advancing means, comprising a cam follower pivotally mounted to the receiver, at least one belt advancing pawl mounted to the cam follower, a belt feeding adapter for receiving an ammunition belt and means for releasably attaching said belt feeding adapter to the receiver at a position adjacent to said shell pick up position and in a cooperative relationship with said cam follower,
• said cam follower having a cam track following portion in engagement with said bolt assembly cam track and being thereby responsive to rearward movement of the bolt assembly from the breech to the recoil position for causing said belt advancing pawl to inwardly advance an ammunition belt held by the belt feeding adapter in a manner moving shell in the belt into the shell pick up position and being responsive to forward movement of the bolt assembly from the recoil position to the battery position for moving said belt advancing pawl a shell distance outwardly in readiness for advancing the belt the next time the bolt assembly is moved rearwardly to the recoil position and said belt feeding adapter including at least one shell anti-back up pawl for preventing a shell in the pick up position from being moved outwardly away from said pick up position when the belt advancing pawl in moved outwardly in response to forward movement of the bolt assembly;
• and
• e. an ammunition clip holder and means for releasably attaching the clip holder to the receiver in place of the belt feeding adapter and belt advancing pawl.

A belt fed automatic gun with positive shell casing ejection, which comprises:

• a. a gun barrel having a breech;
• b. a receiver connected to the barrel and having a battery position disposed adjacent said barrel breech, shell pick up position and a shell casing ejection port;
• c. a bolt assembly slidably mounted in the receiver for reciprocating movement, in response to firing of the gun, between the barrel battery position and a recoil position rearwardly of the shell pick up position and the shell casing ejection port, the bolt assembly having means for picking up a shell from the pick up position upon forward bolt assembly movement and for loading the pick up shell into the barrel breech and, after firing, for extracting a fired shell casing from the barrel breech upon rearward recoil movement from the battery position to the recoil position, said bolt assembly having an ammunition belt advancing and shell casing ejection cam track formed thereon, said bolt assembly including a shell extractor and an ejector recess in a region opposite to said extractor;
• d. ammunition belt receiving and advancing means, comprising a cam follower pivotally mounted to the receiver, at least one belt feeding adapter for receiving an ammunition belt and and means for releasably attaching said belt feeding adapter to the receiver at a position adjacent to said shell pick up position and in a cooperative relationship with said cam follower,
• said cam follower having a cam track following portion thereof in engagement with said bolt assembly cam track and being thereby responsive to rearward movement of the bolt assembly from the battery position to the recoil position for causing said belt advancing pawl to inwardly advance an ammunition belt held by the belt feeding adapter in a manner moving a shell in the belt into the shell pick up position and being responsive to forward movement of the belt assembly from the recoil position to the battery position for moving said belt advancing pawl a shell distance outwardly in readiness for advancing the belt the next time the bolt is moved rearwardly to the recoil position, said cam follower including a shell ejector portion which is caused, responsive to the bolt assembly moving rearwardly from the battery position to the recoil position, to move into said bolt assembly ejector recess and cause ejection, through said shell casing ejection port, of a shell casing held by the shell extractor when the bolt assembly has moved rearwardly to a preestablished position relative to said shell ejection port.