as follows: on pressing the trigger, the trigger nose lifts the lever (18) which is attached to the sear (19), the lifting of the sear allows the main-spring to act backwards on the hammer, which impinges on the striker and fires the cartridge. At this moment the bolt is locked by the two upper teeth (13) of the bolt-lock, which is itself held up by the lock frame projection (13). But, the barrel body and bolt recoiling together 316 of an in, the rear end of the bolt-lock (10) is no longer supported, the rocker (15) acting on the forward tooth (14) pulls down the bolt-lock and its upper teeth, the nose of the bolt-lock falling into the recess just behind the projection (12). Thus the barrel and body come to a standstill and the remaining recoil energy is used in driving back the bolt (now free) and extracting the cartridge case when this energy is used up the bolt spring (8) reasserts itself, drives the bolt forward and pushes another cartridge into the chamber as in the magazine rifle, and the main-spring, acting on the rocker, pulls up the boltlock again and engages the teeth (13) in the bolt, locking it for the next shot. The releasing of the trigger brings the sear to its former position, cocking the pistol.
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| Fig. 10.—Colt automatic pistol. |
This pistol is usually supplied with a wooden holster which can also be attached to the grip of the pistol and so form a shoulder-stock for long-range shooting. It is sighted from 50 to 1000 yards.
The Colt Automatic Pistol, calibre ·38 (fig. 10) consists of four main parts, namely the frame (F), the barrel (B), the slide (S), and the magazine (M) The frame forms, at its rear and lower part, the handle (A), which is hollow, and contains the seat for the magazine. After being charged with seven cartridges, the magazine is seated from below and held in lace by the magazine catch (n) which slightly projects from the bottom of the handle. This projection serves to release the magazine from the catch, when it can be readily drawn from the handle for re-charging. In front of the handle is the trigger guard (g), in which the trigger (t) is found, and in the rear and above the grip the firing mechanism is placed in the part of the frame called the receiver (R). The firing mechanism consists of the hammer (h), the sear (w), the trigger (t), a safety device (a), the main-spring (z) and sear spring (e), the lower part of the latter serving to operate the magazine catch. The top of the receiver extends forward from the handle, and to it the barrel, is attached by two short links, one (l) near the front end of the barrel, and the other (o) at its rear end; these links are pivoted to the receiver and also to the barrel, and allow the barrel to swing rearwards thereon. As both links are of the same length, the rearward movement of the barrel in swinging on these links carries the barrel slightly downwards, but keeps its longitudinal axis in parallel positions during all its movements. Below the barrel the receiver forms a tubular seat for the retractor spring (r), which in front is closed by a plug (u) fastened in the receiver by the lower pivot-pin (i) of the front barrel-link. The upper surface of the receiver and two longitudinal grooves on its sides form the seat for the slide, which is guided thereon in its rearward and forward movements. The rear part of the slide forms the bolt or breech block (K), and the front part forms a partly tubular cover (s) which encloses the barrel. In the forward part of the receiver is a transverse mortice extending through the retractor spring seat, and transverse recesses in the forward part of the slide serve to admit a key (m) which, passing through the sides of the slide and through the mortice, serves to lock the slide to the frame. The retractor spring (r), in its seat in the frame, consists of a spiral spring, the rear end of which rests against the receiver, and the front end of which carries a piston (p). The rear face of the key (m) has a slight recess, and when the key is in its place the front end of the retractor spring rests in this recess, thereby confining the key laterally. The tension of the retractor spring is exerted to force the key and the slide to their forward position. Upon the barrel are provided three transverse ribs (b), and in the interior of the slide are three corresponding recesses. These serve to lock the barrel and the slide firmly together when in their forward position. Between the locking recesses and the bolt, the slide has an opening on its right side for the ejection of the cartridge cases (J), and the bolt is provided with an extractor, a firing pin (f), a firing pin retraction spring (q), and a firing pin lock (y). This latter is pivoted at the rear end in the top of the slide, and when depressed, locks the firing pin in its retracted position, thus preventing its point from coming in contact with the cartridge primer. When raised, the firing pin lock releases the firing pin, and in this position also serves as the rear sight, being provided on the top with a sighting notch.
The operation of the pistol is as follows: When a charged magazine (M) is inserted, the slide (S) is drawn once to the rear by hand, thereby cocking the hammer (h). In this position of the slide, the carrier (c) and carrier spring in the magazine raise the topmost cartridge so as to bring it into the path of the bolt (K). On releasing the slide, it, with the bolt, is carried forward by the retractor spring (r), and during this movement the bolt forces the topmost cartridge into the barrel (B). As the slide approaches its forward position the front of the bolt encounters the rear end of the barrel and forces the latter to its forward position. During this forward movement the barrel swings forward and upward on the links (l, o), and thus the locking ribs (b) on the barrel are carried into the corresponding locking recesses in the slide. The barrel and slide are thereby interlocked, and the pistol ready for firing.
A slight pull on the trigger (t) now serves to move the sear (w) so as to release the hammer (h) and fire a shot. The force of the powder gases driving the bullet from the barrel is exerted rearwardly against the bolt, and, overcoming the inertia of the slide and the tension of the retractor spring, causes the slide and the barrel to recoil together. After moving rearwards together, for a distance, enough to ensure the bullet having passed from the barrel, the downward swinging movement of the barrel releases the latter from the slide and stops the barrel in its rearmost position. The momentum of the slide causes the latter to continue its rearward movement, thereby again cocking the hammer and compressing the retractor spring, until, as the slide arrives at its rearmost position, the empty shell is ejected from the side of the pistol and another cartridge raised in front of the bolt. During the return or forward movement of the slide caused by the retractor spring the cartridge is driven into the barrel, and the slide and barrel are interlocked, thus making the pistol ready for another shot. These operations may be continued so long as there are cartridges in the magazine, each discharge requiring only the slight pull on the trigger. The pistol is provided with a safety device (a) which makes it impossible to release the hammer unless the slide and barrel are in their first forward position and interlocked.
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| Fig. 11.—Borchardt-Leuger (Text-book of Small Arms, by permission of the Controller of H. M. Stationery Office). |
In the Borchardt-Leuger pistol (fig. 11) the bolt is solidly supported at the moment of firing by a toggle joint. The barrel (1 A) and body (1 B) slide in the frame (1 C), the bolt (2) slides in the body and is held up to the breech by the toggle joint 3 and 4 and the pins 5 and 7, which secure the links of the toggle to the body. The centre of pin (6) is below those of the other pins so that the joint cannot bend at the moment of firing. On the rear link (4) there is a swivel (9) which is connected to tie recoil spring (10) in the grip. This pistol is fired by a spring striker, like a rifle, instead of b a hammer. The striker is within the bolt; it is cocked in the recoil position by a claw on the end of the front link (3 A) and held thus when ready to fire by the nose of the trigger sear, these engaging with a projection (8 A) on the side of the striker. The magazine (8 shot) is in the grip. The action is as follows: the first cartridge is loaded from the magazine by pulling back the toggle joint. As soon as the toggle joint is released the recoil spring acts and forces the bolt home, with the cartridge in front of it. On pressing the trigger
the barrel and body recoil a little. Then the toggle joint comes