Pistol with loaded chamber indicator

• Main Author: MCGARRY, JAMES
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 04.01.2006
• Subjects: BLASTING; FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS ANDORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE; WEAPONS

A centerfire autoloading pistol (20) including a loaded chamber indicator (60) to identify the presence of a cartridge (50) loaded in the firing chamber (48). The pistol (20) may generally include a housing having an external surface and defining a chamber (48) to receive a cartridge (50), a barrel unit (24) disposed at least partially in the housing, and an indicating element (60) having two ends. In one embodiment, the indicating element (60) may be pivotally mounted to the housing proximate to one of the ends. The indicating element (60) is displaceable in response to contact by the cartridge (50) from a first position which may in one embodiment correspond to an absence of a cartridge (50) loaded in the chamber (48), to a second position which may in one embodiment correspond to a presence of a cartridge (50) loaded in the chamber (48). A biasing member, such as a spring (150), may be provided for biasing the indicating element (60) towards the first position. In one embodiment, the indicating element (60) protrudes outwards from the external surface of the pistol (20) in response to contact by the cartridge (50) to provide visual and tactile indication of a loaded chamber condition to a user of the pistol (1). Indicia (I) which may include alphanumeric characters, symbols, colors, or a combination thereof may be provided on the indicating element (60).