Safety mechanism for firearms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11578939-B2
Application number	US-202117172778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2021
Priority date	Feb 12, 2020
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A firearm with dual-acting safety mechanism in one embodiment includes a slide movably carried by a frame, hammer, sear operable to hold the hammer in and release it from a cocked position, and firing mechanism including a trigger and trigger bar which collectively operate to actuate the sear to release the hammer. The safety mechanism includes right and left actuator levers coupled together and cooperating with a safety rocker. The safety rocker is operably interfaced with the trigger bar and pivotably movable between two positions. Moving either actuation lever to activate the safety mechanism rotates the safety rocker which simultaneously both blocks the trigger bar from movement and displaces the trigger bar to disengage the sear which can no longer be actuated via a trigger pull. In one embodiment, the safety mechanism is further operable to lock the slide in the closed breech position when the safety is activated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A firearm with dual-acting safety mechanism comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
a frame;
a striking member movably disposed in the frame, the striking member moveable between a rearward cocked position and a forward firing position;
a sear pivotably disposed in the frame, the sear configured to hold the striking member in the rearward cocked position;
a trigger mechanism comprising a trigger and trigger bar operably coupled to sear, the trigger bar movable to actuate the sear for releasing the striking member from the cocked position via a trigger pull to discharge the firearm;
a manually-operated safety mechanism comprising at least one manually movable first actuator lever pivotably mounted to the firearm and operably interfaced with the trigger bar, and a pivotably movable safety rocker operably coupled with the first actuator lever, the safety rocker engageable with the trigger bar and actuatable via moving the first actuator lever;
wherein the safety mechanism is changeable via moving the first actuator lever between: (1) a fire position in which the sear engages the trigger bar to discharge the firearm in response to the trigger pull; and (2) a safe position in which the first actuator lever disengages the trigger bar from the sear and rotates the safety rocker to block movement of the trigger bar each of which prevents the firearm from being discharged in response to the trigger pull.

2. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger bar is movable between a first position engaged with the sear, and a second position disengaged from the sear.

3. The firearm according to claim 2 , wherein changing the safety mechanism from the fire position to the safe position rotates the safety rocker which disengages the trigger bar from the sear.

4. The firearm according to claim 3 , wherein the first actuator lever comprises a forwardly protruding operating extension arm engaged with and operable to rotate the safety rocker between a blocking position when the safety mechanism is in the safe position, and a non-blocking position in which the safety rocker does not block movement of the trigger bar when the safety mechanism is in the fire position.

5. The firearm according to claim 4 , wherein the safety rocker engages a transversely oriented blocking surface of the trigger bar to block movement thereof when the safety mechanism is in the safe position.

6. The firearm according to claim 4 , wherein rotating the safety rocker from the non-blocking position to the blocking position simultaneously disengages the trigger bar from the sear.

7. The firearm according to claim 4 , wherein the safety rocker is longitudinally elongated and oriented, the safety rocker comprising an open actuation recess which engages the extension arm of the first actuator lever.

8. The firearm according to claim 7 , wherein the extension arm comprise a transversely oriented operating pin engaged with the actuation recess of the safety rocker.

9. The firearm according to claim 8 , wherein the safety rocker has a bifurcated rear end comprising rearwardly projecting upper and lower actuation prongs which define the actuation recess, the upper actuation prong engageable with the trigger bar to block movement thereof when the safety mechanism is in the safe position.

10. The firearm according to claim 9 , wherein safety rocker further comprises a forwardly projecting and elongated operating prong engaged with a disconnect hook protrusion on the trigger bar to disengage the trigger bar from the sear via rotating the safety rocker.

11. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the striking member is a hammer pivotably movably about a hammer pin, and the safety rocker is pivotably mounted to the hammer pin.

12. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the sear further comprises an upwardly extending operating arm which is engageable with a corresponding upwardly extending operating protrusion of the trigger bar to rotate the sear in response to the trigger pull.

13. The firearm according to claim 12 , wherein the striking member is a hammer pivotably movably about a hammer pin, and the sear further comprises a primary sear catch protrusion which is engageable with a primary hammer notch on the hammer to retain the hammer in the rearward cocked position.

14. The firearm according to claim 13 , further comprising a secondary sear catch arm extending forwardly from the sear and configured to engage a laterally open secondary hammer notch on the retain the hammer in the rearward cocked position in the event the primary sear catch protrusion disengages from the sear without the trigger being pulled.

15. The firearm according to claim 1 , further comprising a manually movable second actuator lever fixedly coupled to the first actuator lever such that rotating the first or second actuator lever rotates the other.

16. The firearm according to claim 15 , further comprising a spring-biased detent mechanism acting on the second actuator lever, the detent mechanism configured to retain the safety mechanism in the safe and fire positions.

17. The firearm according to claim 15 , further comprising a slide movably mounted to the firearm for movement between a forward closed breech position and a rearward open breech position, and wherein the second actuator lever comprises a slide locking surface selectively engageable with a locking notch in the slide when the safety mechanism is in the safe position.

18. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger mechanism and the safety mechanism are mounted to a firing control insert removably disposed in the frame.

19. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the firearm is an auto-loading pistol comprising a reciprocating slide movable between a forward closed breech position and a rearward open breech position.

20. An auto-loading pistol with dual-acting safety mechanism comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
a frame;
a firing control insert configured for removable mounting to the frame;
a slide movably mounted to the firing control insert for movement between a forward closed breech position and a rearward open breech position;
a firing mechanism mounted to the firing control insert, the firing mechanism comprising a hammer pivotably movable between forward firing and rearward cocked positions, a rotatable sear operable to retain the hammer in and release the hammer from the cocked position, a trigger, and a trigger bar operably linking the trigger to the sear, the trigger bar movable to rotate the sear and release the hammer from the cocked position via a trigger pull to discharge the firearm;
an ambidextrous manual safety mechanism comprising a pivotable first actuator lever operably coupled with the trigger bar, a pivotable second actuator lever operably coupled to first actuator lever, and a pivotably movable safety rocker operably coupled with the first actuator lever;
wherein the safety mechanism is manually changeable via moving the first or second actuator levers between: (1) a fire position in which the sear engages the trigger bar to discharge the firearm in response to the trigger pull; and (2) a safe position in which the safety mechanism disengages the trigger bar from the sear and rotates the safety rocker to block movement of the trigger bar each of which prevents the firearm from being discharged in response to the trigger pull.

21. The firearm according to claim 20 , wherein the second actuator lever comprises a slide locking surface selectively engagea

Assignees

• Sturm Ruger & Co

Inventors

• Lesenfants Marc

Classifications

• F41A17/56 Primary

  Sear safeties, i.e. means for rendering ineffective an intermediate lever transmitting trigger movement to firing pin, hammer, bolt or sear (F41A17/02 - F41A17/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• F41A17/46

  Trigger safeties, i.e. means for preventing trigger movement (F41A17/02 - F41A17/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• F41A19/44

  Sear arrangements therefor (F41A19/46 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F41A17/32 Primary

  the other element being the breech-block or bolt · CPC title

• F41A19/12

  Sears; Sear mountings · CPC title