Fire control mechanism for an automatic pistol

• Main Authors: LANGEVIN; KEVIN R, SCHMITTER; EDWARD P, GARDNER; MICHAEL R, RECONNU; JEAN-PIERRE, SNIEZAK; GARY A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.06.1997
• Edition: 6
• 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 fire control system for a semiautomatic, double-action only pistol includes a sear carried at the free end of a cantilevered spring. As in other pistols, the sear engages a striker to load it against a striker spring until it is released to fire a chambered round. In the present invention, the cantilevered spring urges the sear forward and upward, against the rearward movement of the sear as a result of the pulling of a trigger operating through a trigger arm, and restores the sear after release of the striker. The cantilevered spring is preferably a spring with a torsion spring on each end. One torsion spring operates against the frame to cantilever the spring body; the other torsion spring, supporting the sear, operates on it to urge it forward. The sear and the striker lay in the same plane. Therefore, the sear has a second cam surface that engages the striker leg when the trigger is released, urging the sear downward as the striker passes over it to set up the sear for loading the striker the next time the trigger is pulled.