Recoil assembly for a machine gun

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629927-B2
Application number	US-202117545351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2021
Priority date	Apr 25, 2018
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A recoil assembly for a rifle includes a barrel assembly, a bolt, bolt actuator, and a buffer assembly. The barrel assembly includes a barrel secured to a barrel extension. The barrel assembly is configured to be movably received through the fore end of a receiver and to move axially relative to the upper receiver when the rifle is fired. The barrel extension is coupled to a hydraulic buffer assembly located below the barrel extension and counteracts recoil forces acting on the barrel extension when the rifle is fired. An op-rod spring is coupled to an op rod extending from a gas piston assembly on the barrel. The op-rod spring counteracts recoil forces acting the bolt actuator when the rifle is fired.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recoil assembly for a rifle, the recoil assembly comprising:
a rifle upper receiver defining a first longitudinal opening along a bore axis, and defining a second longitudinal opening above the first longitudinal opening;
a barrel assembly slidably received in the first longitudinal opening and including a barrel secured to a distal end of a barrel extension, the barrel defining a bore along the bore axis; and
a hydraulic buffer assembly operatively connected to a proximal end portion of the barrel extension, the hydraulic buffer assembly vertically offset from the bore axis;
wherein the barrel assembly is configured and arranged to move rearward against the hydraulic buffer assembly during use.

2. The recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the barrel extension defines an opening along the bore axis, the recoil assembly further comprising a bolt group slidably received in the opening of the barrel extension, the bolt group including a bolt actuator coupled to a bolt.

3. The recoil assembly of claim 2 , wherein a proximal end portion of the bolt defines an opening, wherein a distal end portion of the bolt actuator is slidably received in the opening in the proximal end portion of the bolt.

4. The recoil assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas block on the barrel and in fluid communication with the bore;
a gas piston coupled to the gas block and axially displaceable in response to pressurized gas in the bore; and
an operational rod arranged between the gas piston and the hydraulic buffer assembly, wherein part of the operational rod is housed in the second longitudinal opening of the rifle upper receiver.

5. The recoil assembly of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic buffer assembly is received in the second longitudinal opening.

6. The recoil assembly of claim 4 , wherein the operational rod is axially aligned with the hydraulic buffer assembly, the recoil assembly further comprising:
a spring guide extending between the operational rod and a hydraulic buffer of the hydraulic buffer assembly, wherein the hydraulic buffer is configured and arranged to counter rearward motion of the operational rod; and
an op-rod spring on the spring guide, wherein the op-rod spring is configured and arranged to counter rearward motion of the bolt actuator.

7. The recoil assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rifle is a machine gun with an open bolt configuration.

8. The recoil assembly of claim 4 , wherein the operational rod is offset from the hydraulic buffer assembly, the recoil assembly further comprising:
a lower receiver configured to be assembled with the upper receiver and including a proximal end portion, wherein in an assembled state at least part of the hydraulic buffer assembly is received in the proximal end portion of the lower receiver;
a spring guide extending between the operational rod and the proximal end portion of the lower receiver in the assembled state; and
an op-rod spring on the spring guide, wherein the op-rod spring is configured and arranged to counter rearward movement of the operational rod.

9. The recoil assembly of claim 8 , wherein the operational rod and the spring guide are located above and extend along the barrel assembly.

10. The recoil assembly of claim 9 , wherein the rifle has a closed bolt configuration.

11. The recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the barrel assembly is free floating with respect to the upper receiver.

12. A recoil assembly for a rifle, the assembly comprising:
a barrel assembly including a barrel extension and a barrel, the barrel secured to a distal end of the barrel extension and defining a bore along a bore axis, the barrel extension defining a longitudinal opening therethrough along the bore axis;
a bolt assembly received in the barrel extension and slidable within the longitudinal opening along the bore axis, the bolt assembly comprising a bolt having a proximal end portion defining an opening, and a bolt actuator having a distal end portion slidably received in the opening in the proximal end portion of the bolt;
a gas block on the barrel, the gas block in fluid communication with the bore and including a gas piston extending rearward from the gas block along the barrel, the gas piston axially displaceable in response to pressurized gas in the bore;
an operational rod positioned proximally of and operatively coupled to the gas piston;
a connector coupled to the operational rod and to the bolt actuator, wherein part of the connector is received through a slot defined in the barrel extension; and
a hydraulic buffer assembly coupled to the barrel extension.

13. The recoil assembly of claim 12 , wherein the operational rod and the gas piston are below the barrel assembly.

14. The recoil assembly of claim 13 , wherein operational rod is axially aligned with and operatively connected to the hydraulic buffer assembly.

15. The recoil assembly of claim 14 , wherein the hydraulic buffer engages a bottom portion of the barrel extension.

16. The recoil assembly of claim 12 , wherein the operational rod and the gas piston are above the barrel assembly.

17. The recoil assembly of claim 16 , further comprising:
a lower receiver including a receiver body configured to house fire control components and including a rear portion extending up from the receiver body; and
a recoil spring guide with a recoil spring thereon, the recoil spring guide between the connector and the rear portion of the lower receiver;
wherein the connector is slidably mounted on the recoil spring guide with the recoil spring positioned proximally of the connector.

18. The recoil assembly of claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic buffer assembly is received in a recess defined in the rear portion of the lower receiver.

19. A rifle receiver assembly comprising:
a rifle receiver defining a longitudinal opening therethrough;
a barrel assembly slidably received in the longitudinal opening, the barrel assembly including a barrel secured to a barrel extension, the barrel defining a bore along a bore axis;
a hydraulic buffer assembly below and operatively coupled to a proximal end portion of the barrel extension;
a bolt assembly slidably received in the barrel extension, the bolt assembly including a bolt having a proximal end portion defining an opening, and a bolt actuator having a distal end portion received in the opening in proximal end portion of the bolt;
a connector on the bolt actuator, wherein part of the connector extends through the barrel extension;
a gas piston assembly on the barrel and in fluid communication with the bore, the gas piston assembly including a gas piston axially displaceable in response to pressurized gas in the bore; and
an operational rod coupled at a distal end to the gas piston and coupled at a proximal end to the bolt actuator via the connector;
wherein the barrel assembly is free floating with respect to the receiver.

20. The recoil assembly of claim 19 , wherein the hydraulic buffer assembly includes a hydraulic buffer and a buffer spring extending along an outside of the hydraulic buffer, the buffer spring configured and arranged to act on the barrel extension and the hydraulic buffer configured and arranged to act on the operational rod.

Assignees

• Sig Sauer Inc

Inventors

• Steimke David Luke
• Melochick Jeffery John
• Loriot Andrew Phillip
• Shawley Jacob Thomas
• Bunch Lindsay Lee

Classifications

• F41A9/29

  Feeding of belted ammunition · CPC title

• F41A3/86

  mounted under {or above} the barrel · CPC title

• F41A3/26 Primary

  semi-automatically or automatically operated, e.g. having a slidable bolt-carrier and a rotatable bolt · CPC title

• F41A5/18

  gas-operated · CPC title

• F41A25/16

  Hybrid systems · CPC title