Firearm having magazine safety

• US 8,935,872 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Wesson
• Original Assignee: Smith & Wesson Corporation (Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zukowski, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US13/759,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 42/702, 42/700.8
• US Class Current: 42/70.02
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/36 locking the gun automatically in a safety condition when the magazine is empty or removed F41A17/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/56 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

Abstract

A firearm has a magazine safety and a take-down mechanism. The magazine safety operates in conjunction with a trigger bar and a disconnect bar. The magazine safety has a safety arm which moves the disconnect bar out of engagement with the trigger bar when a magazine is inserted. This permits the trigger bar to engage the sear. When the magazine is removed, the safety arm disengages from the disconnect bar, permitting the disconnect bar to move the trigger bar into a position where it cannot engage the sear. The safety bar also operates as a take-down mechanism. When moved to a take-down position, the safety arm engages and moves the sear into a position where it cannot engage the striker so as to permit removal of the slide carrying the striker from the firearm.

Claims

1. A safety mechanism for a firearm having a trigger movably mounted on said firearm, a sear movably mounted on said firearm, and a well for receiving an ammunition magazine, said safety mechanism comprising:

a trigger bar attached to said trigger and movable relatively to said sear upon motion of said trigger, said trigger bar being movable between a first position wherein said trigger bar is engageable with said sear upon motion of said trigger, and a second position wherein said trigger bar is not engageable with said sear upon motion of said trigger, said trigger bar being biased toward said first position;

a disconnect bar movably mounted on said firearm, said disconnect bar being biased into engagement with said trigger bar so as to move said trigger bar toward said second position;

a safety arm movably mounted on said firearm, said safety arm being movable between a safe position projecting into said magazine well, and a live position engaging and moving said disconnect bar out of engagement with said trigger bar thereby permitting said trigger bar to move into said first position, said safety arm being biased into said safe position through engagement with said sear and moving into said live position upon insertion of said magazine into said magazine well.

2. The safety mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said trigger bar is pivotably attached to said trigger and rotatably movable between said first and said second positions.

3. The safety mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said disconnect bar is pivotably mounted on said firearm and rotatably movable into said engagement with said trigger bar.

4. The safety mechanism according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first biasing spring acting between said firearm and said disconnect bar for biasing said disconnect bar into engagement with said trigger bar;

a second biasing spring acting between said trigger and said trigger bar for biasing said trigger bar into said first position, said first biasing spring exerting a greater torque than said second biasing spring so as to bias said trigger bar into said second position when said disconnect bar engages said trigger bar.

5. The safety mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said safety arm is pivotably mounted on said firearm and rotatably movable between said safe position and said live position.

6. The safety mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said safety arm comprises a lobe engaging said magazine and said disconnect bar when said safety arm is rotatably moved into said live position.

7. The safety mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said safety arm further comprises a lobe engageable with said sear, engagement between said lobe and said sear biasing said safety arm into said safe position.

8. The safety mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said safety arm is further movable into a take-down position wherein said safety arm engages and moves said sear.

9. The safety mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said safety arm is pivotably mounted on said firearm and rotatably movable into said magazine well for movement into said take-down position.

10. The safety mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said safety arm further comprises a lobe engageable with said sear, said lobe engaging and moving said sear upon rotation of said safety arm into said take-down position.

11. A firearm fed ammunition from a magazine, said firearm comprising:

a frame;

a well, defined by said frame, for receiving said magazine;

a trigger movably mounted on said frame;

a sear movably mounted on said frame;

a trigger bar attached to said trigger and movable relatively to said sear upon motion of said trigger, said trigger bar being movable between a first position wherein said trigger bar is engageable with said sear upon motion of said trigger, and a second position wherein said trigger bar is not engageable with said sear upon motion of said trigger, said trigger bar being biased toward said first position;

a disconnect bar movably mounted on said frame, said disconnect bar being biased into engagement with said trigger bar so as to move said trigger bar toward said second position;

a safety arm movably mounted on said frame, said safety arm being movable between a safe position projecting into said magazine well, and a live position engaging and moving said disconnect bar out of engagement with said trigger bar thereby permitting said trigger bar to move into said first position, said safety arm being biased into said safe position through engagement with said sear and moving into said live position upon insertion of said magazine into said magazine well.

12. The firearm according to claim 11, wherein said trigger bar is pivotably attached to said trigger and rotatably movable between said first and said second positions.

13. The firearm according to claim 12, wherein said disconnect bar is pivotably mounted on said frame and rotatably movable into said engagement with said trigger bar.

14. The firearm according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first biasing spring acting between said frame and said disconnect bar for biasing said disconnect bar into engagement with said trigger bar;

a second biasing spring acting between said trigger and said trigger bar for biasing said trigger bar into said first position, said first biasing spring exerting a greater torque than said second biasing spring so as to bias said trigger bar into said second position when said disconnect bar engages said trigger bar.

15. The firearm according to claim 11, wherein said safety arm is pivotably mounted on said frame and rotatably movable between said safe position and said live position.

16. The firearm according to claim 15, wherein said safety arm comprises a lobe engaging said magazine and said disconnect bar when said safety arm is rotatably moved into said live position.

17. The safety mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said safety arm further comprises a lobe engageable with said sear, engagement between said lobe and said sear biasing said safety arm into said safe position.

18. The firearm according to claim 11, wherein said safety arm is further movable into a take-down position wherein said safety arm engages and moves said sear.

19. The firearm according to claim 18, wherein said safety arm is pivotably mounted on said frame and rotatably movable into said magazine well for movement into said take-down position.

20. The firearm according to claim 18, wherein said safety arm further comprises a lobe engageable with said sear, said lobe engaging and moving said sear upon rotation of said safety arm into said take-down position.

21. The firearm according to claim 11, wherein said firearm comprises a pistol.

22. A pistol, fed ammunition from a magazine, said pistol comprising:

a frame;

a well, defined by said frame, for receiving said magazine;

a trigger movably mounted on said frame;

a slide movably mounted on said frame;

a striker movably mounted on said slide;

a sear movably mounted on said frame;

a trigger bar attached to said trigger and movable relatively to said sear upon motion of said trigger, said trigger bar being movable between a first position wherein said trigger bar is engageable with said sear upon motion of said trigger, and a second position wherein said trigger bar is not engageable with said sear upon motion of said trigger, said trigger bar being biased toward said first position;

a disconnect bar movably mounted on said frame, said disconnect bar being biased into engagement with said trigger bar so as to move said trigger bar toward said second position;

a safety arm movably mounted on said frame, said safety arm being movable between a safe position projecting into said magazine well, and a live position engaging and moving said disconnect bar out of engagement with said trigger bar thereby permitting said trigger bar to move into said first position, said safety arm being biased into said safe position through engagement with said sear and moving into said live position upon insertion of said magazine into said magazine well.

23. The pistol according to claim 22, wherein said trigger bar is pivotably attached to said trigger and rotatably movable between said first and said second positions.

24. The pistol according to claim 23, wherein said disconnect bar is pivotably mounted on said frame and rotatably movable into said engagement with said trigger bar.

25. The pistol according to claim 24, further comprising:

a first biasing spring acting between said frame and said disconnect bar for biasing said disconnect bar into engagement with said trigger bar;

a second biasing spring acting between said trigger and said trigger bar for biasing said trigger bar into said first position, said first biasing spring exerting a greater torque than said second biasing spring so as to bias said trigger bar into said second position when said disconnect bar engages said trigger bar.

26. The pistol according to claim 22, wherein said safety arm is pivotably mounted on said frame and rotatably movable between said safe position and said live position.

27. The pistol according to claim 26, wherein said safety arm comprises a lobe engaging said magazine and said disconnect bar when said safety arm is rotatably moved into said live position.

28. The safety mechanism according to claim 26, wherein said safety arm further comprises a lobe engageable with said sear, engagement between said lobe and said sear biasing said safety arm into said safe position.

29. The pistol according to claim 22, wherein said safety arm is further movable into a take-down position wherein said safety arm engages and moves said sear into a position wherein said sear cannot engage said striker.

30. The pistol according to claim 29, wherein said safety arm is pivotably mounted on said frame and rotatably movable into said magazine well for movement into said take-down position.

31. The pistol according to claim 30, wherein said safety arm further comprises a lobe engageable with said sear, said lobe engaging and moving said sear upon rotation of said safety arm into said take-down position.

32. The pistol according to claim 31, wherein said sear is pivotably mounted on said frame and rotatably movable into said positioned wherein said sear cannot engage said striker.