Semiautomatic firearm
Patent No. US9810496 (titled "Semiautomatic firearm") on Jan 16, 2015. The application was issued on Nov 7, 2017.
What is this patent about?
’496 is related to the field of semiautomatic firearm trigger assemblies, specifically focusing on safety systems for high-powered rimfire cartridges. The background context involves the inherent unreliability of traditional trigger mechanisms when adapted for modern, high-pressure rounds like the .17 HSR, which require more robust cycling and safety controls to prevent malfunctions such as out-of-breech firings.
The underlying idea behind ’496 is the integration of multiple, passive safety layers that are sequentially deactivated by a single natural finger motion. By nesting a safety trigger within a primary firing trigger, the system ensures that the mechanical path for the hammer is only cleared and the trigger itself is only unlocked when a deliberate, full-stroke pull is initiated, allowing for a low-weight trigger pull without sacrificing drop-safety or reliability.
The claims of ’496 focus on a dual-redundant safety architecture comprising a hammer with a specific capture feature and a safety trigger that controls two distinct inhibitors. The first inhibitor is a direct hammer catch that physically intercepts the hammer if it slips, while the second is a rotatable blocking member that mechanically prevents the firing trigger from pivoting until the safety trigger is depressed.
In practice, the safety trigger extends forward of the firing trigger, ensuring it is actuated first. As it moves, it rotates the blocking member to align a recess with a projection on the firing trigger, simultaneously swinging the catch portion out of the hammer's rotational path. This sequential mechanical clearance allows the sear to disengage only after all safety obstructions are removed, providing a crisp release that remains secure against inertial shocks.
This approach differs from prior solutions by providing two independent mechanical blocks—one at the trigger level and one at the hammer level—both managed by a single passive component. Furthermore, the inclusion of an arresting mechanism with a rocker arm and claw ensures semi-automatic operation by capturing the hammer during the recoil cycle even if the user keeps the trigger depressed, preventing dangerous unintended automatic fire.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2010s when ’496 was filed, semiautomatic firearm design for small-bore rimfire cartridges was typically implemented using blowback or simple recoil architectures optimized for low-pressure ammunition. At a time when trigger assemblies commonly relied on high-tension mechanical sears to prevent accidental discharge, hardware constraints made it non-trivial to achieve a low-force trigger pull without increasing the risk of malfunctions or out-of-battery firings. Systems of this era generally utilized single-stage safety mechanisms, where a manual selector or a basic mechanical block served as the primary inhibitor, often requiring a trade-off between the sensitivity of the firing mechanism and the overall safety of the platform when chambering higher-velocity or necked cartridges.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a technical advancement through the integration of a passive, redundant safety architecture that enables a low-magnitude trigger pull while maintaining mechanical security. This is achieved by an architectural shift involving a safety trigger component that is nested within and actuated in advance of the firing trigger, operatively coupled to multiple independent firing inhibitors. Specifically, the system utilizes a direct hammer catch to arrest hammer rotation and a separate blocking member that physically prevents the firing trigger from pivoting until the safety trigger is retracted. This dual-inhibitor configuration overcomes the technical constraint of accidental discharge in high-power rimfire systems by ensuring that the sear can only be released through deliberate, sequential actuation, while further enabling field-adjustable trigger tension through a simplified adjustment mechanism.
Claims
This patent contains a total of 13 claims, with claim 1 serving as the sole independent claim. The independent claim focuses on a firearm trigger assembly equipped with passive and redundant safety mechanisms, specifically utilizing a safety trigger component that both arrests the hammer and controls a blocking member to prevent the firing trigger from releasing the hammer prematurely. The dependent claims generally serve to elaborate on the mechanical configuration of the blocking member, the integration of a manual push-button safety, the specific geometry of the trigger components, and additional firearm features such as rimfire firing pin offsets and pull-weight adjustment means.
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US9810496
- Application Number
- US14599396A
- Filing Date
- Jan 16, 2015
- Publication Date
- Nov 7, 2017
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents