A semi-automatic handgun, comprising:
- a frame, having upper and lower ends, including a grip, a trigger guard, a trigger, and a cartridge magazine removably mounted in said grip;
- said cartridge magazine adapted to have cartridges contained therein in a vertically stacked manner;
- a barrel housing, having rearward and forward ends, on the upper end of said frame;
- said barrel housing having a breech formed therein which has rearward and forward ends;
- said breech being in communication with said cartridge magazine whereby cartridges may be delivered to said breech;
- said barrel housing having an ejection port formed therein which communicates with said breech;
- said barrel housing having a first elongated opening formed therein which extends forwardly from said forward end of said breech, to said forward end of said barrel housing;
- said barrel housing having a second elongated opening formed therein which extends rearwardly from said rearward end of said breech towards said rearward end of said barrel housing;
- an elongated barrel, having forward and rearward ends, movably mounted in said barrel housing between a rearward battery position in said barrel housing to a forward position in said barrel housing;
- said barrel having a rifled bore extending therethrough;
- a barrel spring in said barrel housing which yieldably urges said barrel to its said rearward battery position;
- said barrel closing said breech when in its rearward battery position;
- a spring-loaded firing pin positioned in said second elongated opening in said barrel housing;
- a hammer pivotally mounted on said frame which is movable between a rearward cocked position and to a forward firing position;
- said trigger being operatively connected to said hammer by means of a sear assembly;
- a hammer spring in said frame connected to said hammer for driving said hammer from its rearward cocked position to its forward firing position when said trigger is operated;
- said hammer striking said firing pin when said hammer is driven from its said rearward cocked position to its said forward firing position;
- said rearward end of said barrel including a chamber for receiving the uppermost cartridge in said cartridge magazine when said barrel is moved from its said forward position to its said rearward position so that the cartridge will be aligned with said firing pin;
- said firing pin causing the detonation of the cartridge in said barrel when said hammer strikes said firing pin;
- the detonation of said cartridge causing said barrel to move from its said rearward position to its said forward position;
- a piston, having rearward and forward ends, movably mounted in said second elongated bore in said barrel housing;
- said piston being movable between a forward position and a rearward position;
- a spring urging said piston to its said forward position;
- said forward end of said piston being closely positioned adjacent the cartridge in said barrel;
- said hammer being positioned rearwardly of said rearward end of said piston when said hammer is in its said forward firing position;
- said firing pin extending through said piston;
- the detonation of the cartridge in said barrel causing said piston to move from its forward position to its said rearward position thereby causing said firing pin to move said hammer from its said forward firing position to its said rearward cocked position.