Abstract: A firearm includes a frame having at least one interior receptacle defined by opposed interior walls and having opposed guide rails extending from the opposed interior walls, and at least one modular housing disposed in the receptacle and accommodating at least one operational component of the firearm. The modular housing is defined by opposed sidewalls having opposed guide channels formed therein, the guide channels being configured to selectively engage the guide rails to facilitate the aligning of the modular housing with respect to the interior receptacle. The at least one operational component and the modular housing are pre-assembled together as an integrated unit for drop-in insertion into the receptacle during assembly of the firearm.

Abstract: An extractor is mounted on a slide of an auto-loading firearm. The extractor is capable of rotational and translational motion relative to the slide resulting in improved functioning through an increase in flag distance and reduced friction between the extractor and cartridge when the slide moves into battery. The extractor has a cam follower which cooperates with a cam on the slide to maintain the extractor hook in engagement with the rim of the cartridge during extraction. The extractor is biased into engagement with the cam, and a second cam follower on the extractor is engageable with the barrel face when the slide moves into battery.

Abstract: A trigger assembly has a sear with a stop surface engageable with a reciprocating component for holding the reciprocating component in a cocked configuration. The sear also has a sear cam engageable with a lever movably mounted within the assembly. A trigger is movable into and out of engagement with the lever. Pulling the trigger moves it out of engagement with the lever and releases the sear. A trigger return pendulum has a trigger cam engageable with the trigger, a lever cam engageable with the lever, and a head cam follower engageable with the reciprocating component. Motion of the reciprocating component acting through the head cam follower of the trigger return pendulum forces the lever cam into engagement with the lever and the trigger cam into engagement with the trigger to return the lever and the trigger to a configuration of engagement between the trigger and the lever.

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.

Abstract: An extractor for a self-loading firearm is mountable on a breech block and is formed of a body having a hook at one end. The body is pivotally mounted via a pivot pin. A surface is positioned between the pivot pin and the hook. The surface is divided into at least two surface portions offset from one another. One of the surface portions has a plurality of step surfaces offset from one another. The step surfaces are used to fix the bar dimension of the hook. The invention also encompasses a slide on which the extractor is mounted, as well as a self-loading firearm having the slide. A method of fitting the extractor to the pistol or slide is also disclosed.

Abstract: A rifle having a receiver formed of upper and lower receiver portions attached to one another has one or more elastic bodies positioned between facing surfaces of the upper and lower receiver portions. The elastic bodies reduce play or lost motion between the upper and lower receiver portions for improved accuracy.

Abstract: A firearm has ambidextrously actuatable safety levers with the connection between the levers being effected within the frame and offset from the frame centerline to mitigate lost motion between the levers and prevent yielding of the shaft connecting them. The levers have raised surface portions which are hidden behind a plate. The raised surface portions contact the frame and, because they are hidden behind the plate, leave no visible marks on the finish due to rotation of the levers.

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.

Abstract: A safety for a firearm includes a blocking member that has a relieved portion adjacent to a relieved portion of a firing pin of the firearm. The blocking member is movable between a safe position wherein the relieved portions are not in registration and a fire position wherein the relieved portions are in registration. The blocking member moves from the safe to the fire position in response to a pull of the firearm's trigger. Movement of the blocking member is rotational in response to a pawl as would also be used to rotate the cylinder of a revolver.

Abstract: Several improvements to the components and assembly method of a bolt-action firearm are disclosed. An improved bolt includes two separate members, which makes the bolt less expensive to manufacture while having a stronger extension handle. An improved takedown system and buttonless stop provide two easy ways to remove a bolt from a receiver when desired without misplacing any parts. An improved scope mount has a base connected to a receiver with two ends that substantially cover the top surface of the receiver and a middle portion that is narrowed over an opening to the receiver to accommodate a cartridge. A method of assembling a firearm involves providing a barrel with a threaded portion, fitting a crush washer over the threaded portion, inserting the threaded portion into a corresponding threaded portion of a receiver, and adjusting the barrel about the crush washer until a proper headspace is achieved.

Abstract: An extractor for a self-loading firearm is mountable on a breech block and is formed of a body having a hook at one end. The body is pivotally mounted via a pivot pin. A surface is positioned between the pivot pin and the hook. The surface is divided into at least two surface portions offset from one another. One of the surface portions has a plurality of step surfaces offset from one another. The step surfaces are used to fix the bar dimension of the hook. The invention also encompasses a slide on which the extractor is mounted, as well as a self-loading firearm having the slide. A method of fitting the extractor to the pistol or slide is also disclosed.

Abstract: An extractor mechanism for a firearm includes a firearm slide having a pocket, the pocket extending in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to a firing axis of a firearm and having an opening proximate to a breech face of the slide, and an extractor arm having a body portion and a hook portion, the body portion being disposed at least partially within the pocket and the hook portion extending at least partially out of the opening and having a distal edge sized to engage a cartridge rim, wherein the extractor arm is pivotally and slidably mounted to the slide such that the hook portion is capable of being pivoted toward and away from the firing axis and the extractor arm is capable of translational movement with respect to the slide in a direction substantially parallel to the firing axis.

Abstract: A firearm includes a frame having at least one interior receptacle defined by opposed interior walls and having opposed guide rails extending from the opposed interior walls, and at least one modular housing disposed in the receptacle and accommodating at least one operational component of the firearm. The modular housing is defined by opposed sidewalls having opposed guide channels formed therein, the guide channels being configured to selectively engage the guide rails to facilitate the aligning of the modular housing with respect to the interior receptacle. The at least one operational component and the modular housing are pre-assembled together as an integrated unit for drop-in insertion into the receptacle during assembly of the firearm.

Abstract: A rifle having a receiver formed of upper and lower receiver portions attached to one another has one or more elastic bodies positioned between facing surfaces of the upper and lower receiver portions. The elastic bodies reduce play or lost motion between the upper and lower receiver portions for improved accuracy.

Abstract: A breech plug for a muzzle loading firearm is attachable to a barrel having a muzzle end and a breech end. A breech element having a breech face is connected to the breech end of the barrel. The breech element moves between an open position in which the breech face is away from the breech end of the barrel, and a closed position in which the breech face abuts the breech end of the barrel. A breech plug body is removably attachable to the breech end of the barrel. The breech plug body has a rear face that abuts the breech face when the breech element is closed, so that a primer contained in a primer pocket in the rear face of the breech plug body is fully supported on all sides.

Abstract: A firearm comprising a frame, a barrel with a firing axis connected to the frame, a cylinder pivotally attached to the frame and positioned within an opening in the frame and having a plurality of firing chambers sized to receive a cartridge, and a firing mechanism including a trigger attached to the frame to actuate the firing mechanism, wherein the frame is substantially nonmetallic and includes at least one metal insert having a polymer over-molding. A cylinder retaining mechanism selectively retains the cylinder in a first position within a window in the frame and comprises a biasing pin operatively attached to a yoke and which is oriented in a direction substantially transverse to the bore axis when the cylinder is in the first position.

Abstract: A muzzle loading firearm has a barrel with a bore on a bore axis, and has a muzzle end and a breech end. A frame is connected to the barrel, and has a breech face. The frame moves between an open position in which the breech face is away from the breech end of the barrel, and a closed position in which the breech face abuts the breech end of the barrel. A breech plug is removably attached to the barrel, and is connected to the barrel by way of interrupted, or multistart threads, or locking lugs. The breech plug may have a rear face that abuts the breech face when the frame is closed, so that a primer contained in a primer pocket in the rear of the breech plug is fully supported on all sides.

Abstract: A trigger assembly for a firearm includes a trigger and a trigger spring. The trigger assembly is mounted and retained in a frame of the firearm and, more specifically, in an elongated recess defined by the frame. The frame further defines lateral annular grooves and retaining lips near an opening of the elongated recess. The trigger includes an upper trigger piece and a lower trigger piece that are connected to each other. The upper trigger piece is mounted to the lateral annular grooves and retained by the retaining lips. The lower trigger piece is configured to fit in the opening and protrude from the frame. The trigger assembly also includes a trigger spring, mounted in a spring recess defined in the upper trigger piece, that spring biases the trigger into a resting position by abutting and engaging a trigger bar of the firearm under a torsional compression.

Abstract: A barrel for use with a muzzle loading firearm has an elongated sleeve with rifling along at least a portion of its inner surface. The sleeve has a muzzle end and a breach end. The breech end has internal threading and a smooth cylindrical section. A portion of the smooth cylindrical section is configured to deform a sealing element on a breech plug from an initial diameter to a smaller final diameter during insertion of the breech plug into the breech end of the sleeve.

Abstract: A firearm has a firing mechanism that includes a firing pin, a drop safety, a spring mounted to the drop safety and a trigger in mechanical communication with the firing pin and the drop safety. The drop safety includes a roller portion having an outer circumferential surface and an inner opposing wall. When the trigger is actuated, the opposing wall of the drop safety abuts and engages the firing pin in the forward-most axial position thereof, thereby allowing the firing pin to strike a primer of a chambered round of ammunition. In all other configurations, the spring rotationally biases the drop safety so that the outer circumferential surface of the roller portion of the drop safety blocks the forward axial reciprocation of the firing pin, preventing the firing pin from engaging the primer of a chambered round of ammunition.