United States Patent (19) 11) 3,893,369

Benelli (45) July 8, 1975

(54) INERTIA DEVICE FOR RETARDING THE 2,466,902 4/1949 Lochhead............................. 89/82
UNLOCKING OF A BOLT ASSEMBLY
(75) Inventor: Giovanni Benelli, Urbino, Italy Primary Examiner-Stephen C. Bentley
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Amster & Rothstein
73) Assignee: Benelli S.p.A. Divisione Armi,
Urbino, Italy (57) ABSTRACT
22 Filed: Feb. 23, 1973 The pistol comprises a bolt provided with ribs extend
(21) Appl. No.: 334,976 ing transversely to the bolt axis and adapted to engage
in and disengage from corresponding mating grooves
provided in the receiver breech upon a slight rotation
30 Foreign Application Priority Data of said bolt with respect to said receiver breech. A
Feb. 29, 1972 Italy.................................. 44012172 locking link provided between the bolt and the bolt
carrier is caused, upon firing, to rotate in such a direc
52) U.S. Cl. ....................... 89/182; 89/184; 89, 196 tion that said link holds said bolt urged against the re
51 int. Cl. .............................................. F41d 1108 ceiver breech, with said ribs engaged in the mating
58 Field of Search............. 89/180, 181, 182, 183, grooves. Once the inertial force of said bolt carrier has
89/184, 190, 194, 195, 196, 197 failed, the residual pressure of exhaust gases applies a
force to said bolt which causes the bolt to rotate with
(56) References Cited respect to said receiver breech so as to disengage said
UNITED STATES PATENTS ribs from the associated grooves in said receiver
breech.
1,391496 9/1921 Pedersen.............................. 891.83
2,247,011 6/1941 Browning.............................. 89f 184 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures
pATF TFn JUL. 8 1975 *893, 36S
 3,893,369
1 2
INERTIG DEVICE FOR RETARDING THE FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 and 2,
UNLOCKING OF A BOLT ASSEMBLY showing the pistol with the bolt assembly in an unlock
ing position;
This invention relates to automatic firing and defense FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, axial sectional view of the re
pistols. Automatic firing and defense pistols heretofore ceiver breech of the pistol shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;
known of the kind having a fixed barrel and a recoiling FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section of the receiver
bolt carrier are limited in use to very low pressure am breech taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;
munition. This kind of weapons is provided with a strik FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the bolt assembly
ing bolt assembly. In operation the barrel is stationary, of the pistol of FIGS. 1 to 3; and
whereas the bolt carrier recoils due to the pressures de O FIG. 7 is a cross-section of the bolt assembly taken
veloped by the gases on the cartridge cases. along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.
This system generally accepted in almost all of the As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the automatic pis
automatic firing and defense pistols, has the advantage tol comprises a fixed barrel 1, rigidly connected to a re
of being simple in construction and accurate in firing; ceiver breech 10 and a receiver 9 so as to form an uni
however, this system is suitable only where the pres 15 tary body therewith. A bolt assembly 3 has an outer
sures are not very high, otherwise it is necessary to rein semicylindrical portion at its bottom provided with two
force the locking of the bolt assembly by means of crescent ribs 7 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) exactly aligned with
strong recoil springs or increase the bolt carrier inertia, two mating grooves 8 provided in the receiver breech
in which case the bolt carrier would become very 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). These crescent ribs 7 have in
heavy, which results in the pistol being difficult to oper clined surfaces 12 adapted to cooperate with corre
ate and of considerable weight. The above drawbacks sponding inclined surfaces 11 provided in the grooves
practically show the reasons why the fixed barrel and 8.
recoiling bolt carrier system is generally employed with A bolt carrier 2 fastened to a stop element 5 by
short-barrel weapons and low muzzle velocity of bul means of a splined coupling (not shown) carries at one
lets. 25 end a cylindrical spring housing 15 for receiving a pre
It is the object of this invention to overcome these loaded spring 6 which bears at one end against the bot
drawbacks. tom of the spring housing and at the other end against
The automatic firing and defense pistol according to a washer 16 received on a spring guide rod 17 extend
the present invention is characterized in that it com ing from an abutment surface 18 of the receiver breech
prises a bolt provided with ribs extending transversely 10, the spring 6 holding the washer 16 against said
to the bolt axis and adapted to engage in and disengage abutment surface 18.
from corresponding mating grooves provided in the re The bolt assembly 3 has a spherical cavity provided
ceiver breech upon a slight rotation of said bolt relative therein, which houses a spherical end of a locking link
to said receiver breech, and a link one end of which is 4, the other end of which bears against the upper wall
articulated in a cavity provided in said bolt and the 35
of the bolt carrier 2 and also against the stop element
other end of which in subjected to the pressure exerted 5 by being held in engagement with the latter by the
thereon by said bolt carrier under the bias of a pre force of the spring 6. Assuming that the weapon is
loaded spring, the contact of said link with said bolt and charged and ready for firing, then, under these condi
bolt carrier being established in such locations relative tions, the link 4 is inclined about 45° relative to the bolt
40 axis and the link exerts on the bolt a thrust which
to the pistol axis that, upon firing, the force applied to
said link by said bolt carrier due to the inertia of the lat causes the latter to be held-down with the crescent ribs
ter and the force applied to said link by said bolt due 7 in firm engagement in the mating grooves 8 of the re
to the exhausted gases will generate a torque which ceiver breech 10 and, at the same time, against the bot
causes said link to rotate in such a direction that said tom of the cartridge case 20 of the cartridge introduced
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link holds said bolt urged against the receiver breech, into the barrel 1. The bolt 3 has a through hole 21 pro
with said ribs engaged in the mating grooves which are vided therein (see FIG. 7), in which a firing pin 13 is
provided in the receiver breech whereas, once the iner received which is intended to cooperate with a hammer
tial force of said bolt carrier has failed, the residual 14, only fragmentarily shown.
pressure of exhaust gases applies a force to said bolt The pistol so described operates as follows:
which causes the bolt to rotate relative to said receiver SO At the time that the firing pin 13 (FIG. 2) is struck
breech so as to disengage said ribs from the associated by the hammer 14, the firing pin reaches the cartridge
grooves provided in said receiver breech. detonator causing the explosion of the charge and the
By means of the above arrangement a retarded un bolt carrier 2 tends by its own inertia to maintain its po
locking of the bolt after firing is obtained without the 55 sition relative to the other parts of the weapon which
necessity of using strong recoil springs or a very heavy recoil against the hand of the shooter.
bolt carrier for increasing the inertia thereof. To the maintenance of this position also the pre
This invention will readily become apparent upon loaded spring 6 contributes.
reading the following specification of one embodiment If the receiver and barrel assembly 1-9-10 is taken
of the invention given by way of example only and 60 as reference, then the inertia of the bolt carrier and
therefore not limitative, taken in connection with the stop element assembly 2-5 results in a force acting on
accompanying drawing, wherein: the link 4 in a location where it is in contact with the
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, fragmentary, axial sectional bolt carrier and stop element assembly 2–5. Simulta
view of a pistol in accordance with the invention, with neously, the action of gases on the bolt results in a force
the bolt assembly in a locking position and therefore 65 acting on the fulcrum of the link 4.
ready for firing; These two forces form a torque which, with the link
FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1, showing 4 being supposed free, would cause the link to rotate
the pistol after firing; in counterclockwise direction about its gravity center.
 3,893,369
3 4.
Due to the constraints of the mechanical system ac What I claim is:
cording to this invention the resultant, will be a force 1. An automatic firing and defense pistol comprising
tending to hold-down the bolt 3 with the crescent ribs a fixed barrel having an axis;
7 in engagement within the mating grooves 8 of the re a bolt carrier axially aligned with said barrel and lo
ceiver breech 10. cated adjacent thereto;
Therefore, at the most dangerous time that the forces said bolt carrier including a stop element extending
developed by the propelling gases of the cartridge case transversely to said axis,
violently eject the bullet, the system provides for an ex a bolt assembly slidably mounted within said bolt car
tremely stiff locking of the bolt assembly. rier, said bolt assembly having a plurality of pro
This condition continues as long as the inertial force O jecting ribs, and said ribs having faces inclined with
of the bolt carrier-stop element assembly 2-5 is pres respect to said axis,
ent. Once this force has failed, the only force acting on a receiver breech attached to said barrel and includ
the system is that due to the residual gas pressure acting ing a plurality of grooves corresponding to and pro
in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the barrel. viding mating engagement with said ribs prior to
As the bolt is recoiled by the high pressure developed firing of the pistol;
by the residual gases, it is no longer held-down by the a link having one end pivotally mounted on an end of
link 4, which now is no longer subjected to the force said bolt assembly remote from said barrel and the
generated by the bolt carrier inertia and the bolt, there other end of said link freely bearing against said
fore, due to the mutual action of inclined surfaces 12 stop element;
of the ribs 7 provided on the bolt, and the mating in a preloaded spring associated with said barrel and ap
clined surfaces 11 of the grooves 8 provided in the re plying a bias to said stop element thereby exerting
ceiver breech 10, it slightly pivots upwards, with the a thrust force on said link to maintain engagement
crescent ribs 7 disengaging from the mating grooves 8 of said ribs;
of the receiver breech 10, and therefore, it recoils to said link having an inclination of approximately 45°
gether with the bolt carrier and stop element assembly, 25 to said axis prior to firing, and said link temporarily
thereby causing the cartridge case 20 to be ejected maintaining said inclination and rib engagement
from the pistol. The recoil spring 6 then returns the bolt upon firing due to inertia force of said bolt carrier
forward together with the bolt carrier, thereby intro and stop element; and
ducing a new cartridge in the barrel; in such a manner said link movable to be axially aligned with said bar
the weapon will be again with the bolt in locked posi 3) rel due to force of residual gases following firing
tion and ready for firing. thereby allowing disengagement of said ribs and
From the above description it will be readily appar sliding movement of said bolt assembly.
ent that the bolt cannot unlock until the recoil move
ment tends to terminate. Therefore, the system attains to2.claim An automatic firing and defense pistol according
1 wherein said ribs are two in number and have
the object to provide a positive bolt locking for the 35
fraction of time necessary for the bullet to be ejected a transverse crescentk configuration.
ck sk k ck
from the barrel.

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