Self-loading grenade launcher

A self-loading grenade launcher comprising:

• a cartridge belt feed including a plurality of pawls engaging in said cartridge belt, conveying a cartridge in horizontal direction up to a front of a cartridge chamber, said pawls being supported by at least two slides movable in opposite directions transverse to a firing direction and said pawls are arranged in a swingable feeder cover and protrude downwardly,
• an inertia bolt, traveling from a release position due to a spring force of at least one closure spring, forward along a path of movement towards a cartridge chamber, said inertia bolt is adapted, upon forward travel, to push the cartridge conveyed by the pawls out of the cartridge belt into the cartridge chamber, and, after firing, due to the resultant recoil, to move back in return travel over the path of movement and cock said at least one closure spring,
• a control connected to said inertia bolt and said at least two slides and converts said forward and said backward travel of said inertia bolt into transversely directed alternating movement of said slides,
• a firing device including a firing pin cocked and held in cocked position by a lock, the lock being released and said cartridge fired before the inertia bolt has completed said forward travel, only when the cartridge has been introduced far enough into the cartridge chamber for withstanding the gas pressure of the firing, and
• a housing connected to said cartridge chamber, extending along the path of movement and surrounding said chamber at least in part, said housing having a longitudinal center line including a center axis of said cartridge chamber;
• and
• wherein between said inertia bolt and said housing, there is arranged a barrier comprising at least one ratchet pawl and ratchet teeth permitting said forward travel of said inertia bolt only after said inertia bolt has been moved backward to a minimum cocking position on a preceding return travel.