US 2004.0025680A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2004/0025680 A1 Jebsen et al. (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 12, 2004 (54) FIREARM WITH ENHANCED RECOIL AND (30) Foreign Application Priority Data CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS Jun. 7, 2002 (CH).............................................. 0975/02 (76) Inventors: Jan Henrik Jebsen, Nyon (CH); Jul. 31, 2002 (CH).............................................. 1343/02 Renaud Kerbrat, Nyon (CH); Klaus Apr. 15, 2003 (CH).............................................. 0679/03 Jenny, Nyon (CH) Publication Classification Correspondence Address: WILEY, REIN & FIELDING, LLP (51) Int. Cl." - F41F 1700 ATTN: PATENT ADMINISTRATION (52) U.S. Cl. ................................................................ 89/199 1776 K. STREET N.W. WASHINGTON, DC 20006 (US) (57) ABSTRACT (21) Appl. No.: 10/454,780 The invention comprises an improved recoil control device comprising a bolt head and an inertia block or slider for use (22) Filed: Jun. 5, 2003 in a variety of firearms. In one embodiment, the bolt head and inertia block are articulated So that the displacement of the bolt head results in a force component outside the firing Related U.S. Application Data axis of the barrel of the firearm. The device can be incor porated into firearms of a variety of sizes and configurations (60) Provisional application No. 60/459,969, filed on Apr. to produce recoil reduction and/or weight reduction advan 4, 2003. tageS. AAA. As R. R. S. Nassa Aww.nasa Yawyy-Ala-Saws a ZaaZZ Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 1 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 sex SAS sesse-NA,Zaaaay a.9. - - -A - - - - - - - - YS A. FIG. 1 Sox SS-Xxxx Y S. r Reza OlsZX == in, N.&Z FIG. 2 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 2 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 N N y Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 3 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 : Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 4 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 : Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 5 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 S. y Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 6 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 s 2 s N s 8 C. -Hi 3- Y - i-A) 8 T s it S Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 7 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 s s 3 CO O L Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 8 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 103 108 P103 P102 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 9 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 10 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 11 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 12 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 13 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 14 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 23 33 141 28 30 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 15 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 16 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 17 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 18 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2004 Sheet 19 of 19 US 2004/0025680 A1 FIG. 32 US 2004/0025680 A1 Feb. 12, 2004 FIREARM WITH ENHANCED RECOIL AND breech to the barrel, until the gas pressure falls to a safe level CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS once the projectile has exited the barrel. The main breech locking Systems developed employed Separate revolving RELATED APPLICATIONS chambers, the rotation of which provides an adequate dura tion of protection, or toggle Systems, rotating bolts, tilting 0001. This application claims priority benefit to U.S. breech blocks, lug Systems, or even non-ramming breech Provisional Application No. 60/459,969, filed Apr. 4, 2003, blocks. A common but unsatisfactory feature among all which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This these mechanisms is that they do not prevent the undesirable application also claims priority to Swiss Application No. Side effects during automatic firing, which accounts for the 0975/02, filed Jun. 7, 2002, Swiss Application No. 1343/02, adverse effects on accuracy and ease of use. filed Jul. 31, 2002, and Swiss Application No. 0679/03, filed Apr. 15, 2003, which are incorporated herein by reference in 0005 Thus, the mechanisms found on current firearms, their entirety. although reliable and widely employed, nevertheless Suffer from a number of deficiencies. For example, Some mecha FIELD OF INVENTION nisms increase the length of the housing of the breech, resulting in interior clutter and increased weight. The ampli 0002 This invention relates to small and heavy caliber tude of recoil is relatively critical due to its effect on firearms and cannons as well as to improved methods and accuracy, and the existing mechanisms fail to provide a devices for reducing the consequences of recoil and improv Satisfactory or optimum reduction in recoil, which permits ing performance in firearms and cannons. In a particular the resulting upward movement of the barrel. More particu embodiment, the device relates to the control or manage larly, the direction of the recoil forces generally coincides ment of the recoil forces for Small caliber Semiautomatic or with the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel. The gun barrel automatic firearms. is generally located above the shoulder in a perSon firing a rifle or above the hand in a handgun, and more precisely BACKGROUND FOR AND INTRODUCTION TO above the gap between the thumb and index finger of a THE INVENTION person firing a handgun. This configuration generates a moment that causes the upward jerking of the gun familiar 0003. Historically, automatic weapons were intended to to every user. Heavy caliber firearms and cannons experi be loaded mechanically and, therefore, fired much faster ence the Same upward forces upon firing. For these and other than hand-loaded firearms. However, the rapid firing of reasons, improvements in the design and operation of Small Successive cartridges induces various Side effects that proved detrimental both to accuracy and the effectiveness of and heavy caliber firearms and cannons are desired in the art. an automatic weapon. Traditionally, a gun was considered to 0006 The innovative approaches taken here make a more work like a heat engine, in which about thirty percent of the effective use of the available energy and, in particular, energy developed by the propellant powder is dissipated as recycle, as much as practicable, the wasted energy by heat, forty percent as muzzle blast and recoil, and only the departing from the traditional and historical mechanisms. In remaining thirty percent was effectively used to propel the one aspect, this invention provides new Solutions, mecha bullet out of the barrel. Successive designs of automatic nisms, and Systems for operating the firing action of a weapons tried to make use of the vast amount of wasted firearm and allows revolutionary changes in the ergonomics energy to help make the automatic cycling operate better. applicable to firearm design and use. Three general Systems were used. Hiram Maxim was the 0007 Taking into account all these adverse or secondary first to use recoil forces to mechanize the ejection and effects that impede the use of all firearms, and in particular loading actions in a machine gun, Browning put the muzzle automatic firearms, in which energy is essentially wasted blast to effective use, and Bergman devised the Simple beyond that necessary for propelling the projectile, the blowback action. Thus, the three basic ways of obtaining an present approach is new and innovative. In general and in automatic operation were developed from the use of recoil, one aspect, the invention is aimed at addressing the design gas, or blowback actuation. Later applications of the blow of a new firearm by taking advantage of available energy to back operation used either simple blowback or assisted help operate the firearm and consequently minimize and/or blowback, with or without locked, delayed, hesitation or compensate for the adverse effects and improve control. A retarded blowback, and even blowback with advance primer first innovation is the deliberate use and control of energy to ignition. Gas operation leads to the use of long and short address all the adverse effects during operation. This allows Stroke pistons and even, in more modern weapons, direct gas one to conceive of a new firearm design and organization, action, where the derived gas directly activates a bolt carrier Still dependable, but vastly improved. This new approach in which an adequate receSS is managed. Recoil operation also allows a firearm designer to address concerns and traditionally provided the locking mechanism of the bolt to constraints as part of a whole rather than as individual the barrel so that they can slide together under the thrust of problems, So as to take into account the advantages and the pressure when firing, either under a short or long recoil interfaces between firearm components during operation. operation and with or without muzzle boosters or recoil Considering the operation as a whole, as this invention intensifiers. exemplifies, allows completely new concepts and expands 0004 Throughout the time these improvements were the universe of designs, configurations, and mechanisms made a main issue was Safety. Depending on the design, possible for firearms. operators were Susceptible to explosive forces from an improperly chambered round or an incomplete breech lock SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION on the chambered round. Therefore, all Systems were engi 0008. The present invention addresses the problems and neered in order to Secure an accurate locking duration for the disadvantages associated with conventional firearms and US 2004/0025680 A1 Feb.