Abstract: Firearms have a lower frame including a trigger and a grip, an upper frame including a barrel and a bolt, and a magazine receptacle configured to receive a magazine and positioned between the upper and lower frames. The lower frame and upper frame may each have forward portions pivotally connected to each other to form a pivotal connection. The pivotal connection may be operable to pivot on a horizontal axis transverse to the firearm. The upper and lower frames may be movable between an open position in which the upper and lower frame are angularly separated from each other and the magazine receptacle is accessible for removal and replacement of a magazine, and a closed position in which the magazine is closely received between the upper and lower frames. The magazine receptacle may be laterally open on both sides of the firearm.

Abstract: A weapon for firing cased telescoped (CT) ammunition includes a barrel. a chamber cavity aligned with the barrel, and a translating chamber member defining a chamber for holding a CT round for firing. The chamber member moves between a firing position in the chamber cavity and an ejection/loading position for ejecting a spent CT round and receiving a next CT round. A breech member closes a rear end of the chamber. A carrier performs a counter-recoil operation in which (1) the chamber member is moved from the ejection/loading position to the firing position with the next CT round therein, and (2) the breech is urged into a closed position against the next CT round in the chamber to remove headspace before the next CT round is fired from the weapon.

Abstract: A drill string comprises a mechanical drill bit and a ram accelerator with a launch tube proximate to the mechanical drill bit. A projectile accelerated by the ram accelerator exits the mechanical drill bit through an orifice and impacts a geologic formation. The impact weakens a portion of the formation, enabling the drill bit to penetrate the weakened portion more easily. An endcap may be used to prevent outside material from entering the ram accelerator. The projectile may pass through or otherwise displace the endcap during operation. The launch tube may be positioned at an angle relative to the drill bit such that projectiles impact and weaken the formation on a particular side. Contact between the drill bit and the formation may direct the drill bit toward the weakened side, enabling the ram accelerator to be used to steer the drill bit.

Abstract: A handgun which vertically displaces a magazine and cocks and snaps a hammer so as to fire a bullet out of the magazine once a trigger handle has been displaced from a first position to a second position. The handgun is made up of a body, a trigger handle, a barrel, and a magazine. A magazine lift mechanism is disposed in the body and functions to vertically displace the magazine upon displacement of the trigger handle. A firing mechanism is disposed in the body, trigger handle, and barrel of the handgun and functions to fire bullets in the magazine upon displacement of the trigger handle. A trigger force mechanism is disposed in the trigger handle and provides a force against which the trigger handle is displaced. The trigger force mechanism returns the trigger handle to the first position when the trigger handle is released from the second position.

Abstract: A firearm includes a magazine cavity in a handle defined by a frame. A stack of chamber tubes each holding a cartridge is loaded into the magazine cavity. A firing recess just to the rear of a bore defined in a firearm barrel receives the topmost chamber tube and cartridge and is urged against a partially circular contour defined within the recess by a feed spring which contour center is aligned with the bore. Each cartridge is fired while in its chamber tube by a firing mechanism and each chamber tube and fired cartridge are both ejected by gas pressure exerted on one side of the chamber tube through an ejection port defined by an opening in one side of the firing recess remote from the one side of the chamber tube. The ejection port allows a chamber tube positioned therein to be readily viewed or felt through the ejection port to make it possible to easily and reliably determine if the firearm is ready to be fired.

Abstract: A recoil-operated, impulse averaging, air-cooled, magazine-fed, automatic weapon. An operating group of the weapon includes a chamber, a bolt, a barrel extension and one or more toggles. The recoil action of the weapon from firing a first round drives the toggles in a motion constrained by a cam way. The toggles then drive the chamber in a linear reciprocating motion ejecting a first round and over-riding the next round. An impulse averaging system controls the speed of the recoil.

Abstract: Firearms include a specially designed trigger capable of verifying a user's identity so that only an authorized user can discharge the firearm. In some embodiments, a user is identified by matching a signal representing force applied to the trigger as a function of time with a preprogrammed activation sequence.

Abstract: Automatic and semi-automatic firearms of remarkably reduced mass yet capable of long-range accuracy because of unique recoil reduction are characterized by (A) a temporary combination of a barrel, an integral breech and a separable chamber that in operation of the firearm is moved by a compressed spring distally before and while a chambered cartridge is fired, (B) run-out of such temporary operative combination diminishes firearm recoil, (C) recoil of the temporary operative combination recompresses the spring and (D) the separable chamber is loaded with a round while spatially separated from the breech and barrel.

Abstract: This invention provides two broad features. First, there is a firearm having a movable ramp (20) for receiving a cartridge (12a) stripped from a magazine (10) thereon. The ramp (20) is situated behind and below the firing chamber (28) and is movable between a tilted position, in which the ramp (20) guides the cartridge (12a) upward as it advances towards the chamber, and an elevated position, in which it supports the cartridge (12a) in alignment with the chamber (28). The firearm includes a slide-bolt assembly for advancing cartridges (12a) into the chamber, and the ramp (20) and the slide-bolt assembly engage each other such that the ramp (20) moves to the elevated position as the slide-bolt assembly moves towards the chamber (28). Second, there is a firearm adapted for a dual clip (116a, 118a) magazine (100) so that either of two different types of cartridges (102a, 10 4a) may be chosen for firing.

Abstract: In a revolving firearm having a barrel and a rotating cartridge cylinder actuated by an axially slidable pump-action type foregrip, indexing means are provided for converting the back and forth movement of the foregrip into a stepwise rotational movement of the cartridge cylinder for bringing one chamber of the cartridge cylinder after another in axial alignment with the barrel.

Abstract: A magazine and compact feed mechanism for firearms includes an end cap on the magazine to keep cartridges from falling out and a stop mechanism for preventing a rotating cartridge transfer disk from traveling beyond 90°. The magazine is placed in a horizontal position so that it is parallel to the barrel and includes an end cap that is shaped to prevent cartridges from inadvertently falling out of the magazine. A spring-loaded cover may also be added to the magazine for further protection. Cartridges from the magazine are delivered to a rotatable transfer disk by an injector arm driven by the recoil of the slide mechanism. A rotatable cartridge transfer disk is also driven by the recoil of the slide mechanism and functions to receive the cartridge from the horizontal magazine and rotate it 90° so as to present it properly to the breech mechanism so that it can be presented to the barrel.

Abstract: A device for controlling the feeder system of pump-action shotguns having a breech-block which is operatively associated, by virtue of two braces, with a cocking rod (3) moving between two stroke limit positions of the breech-block, a closed position and an open position. The rod motion actuates the feeding of a cartridge from a tubular magazine (5) to a rising block when the breech-block reaches the open position and from the rising block into the firing chamber of the barrel (7) when the breech-block returns to the closed position. The device includes a limiter (9) for limiting the opening stroke of the breech-block and for selectively preventing the breech-block from reaching the open stroke limit position.

Abstract: Semiautomatic pistol which is small enough to be carried in a pocket or otherwise concealed on the body of a person, and caseless ammunition for use in the pistol. The pistol has a grip adapted to be held in the hand of a shooter, a barrel extending in a forward direction from the grip, a closed chamber at the rear of the barrel, means for firing a caseless cartridge in the chamber with the entire cartridge being discharged through the barrel, and means responsive to the firing of the cartridge for opening the chamber and loading another cartridge into the chamber. The caseless cartridge consists of a hollow projectile filled with gunpowder, and a primer for igniting the powder. The primer is mounted directly to the projectile, and there is no casing or other material to ejected from the chamber before another round is loaded.