Abstract: A firing mechanism for a pistol comprises a firing pin, a hammer for striking on the firing pin, a hammer spring biasing the hammer, and a catch lever for temporarily locking the hammer in a cocked position is designed to have a safety function. In order to provide a structurally simple mechanism which provides perfect safety against an unintended discharge of a shot without need for additional parts, the catch lever is provided with two locking surfaces. When the hammer is uncocked, the firing pin bears on one of said locking surfaces in the firing direction and the hammer bears on the other of said locking surfaces in the striking sense.

Abstract: An end-burning grain of a solid gas-generating composition which may be a propellant for use in rocket motors, in which an elongate metal heat conductor is embedded to increase mass burning rate by the effect of heat transferred from the hot combustion gas to the unburned gas-generating composition through the heat conductor. The improvement resides in that the heat conductor is constituted of a plurality of relatively thin wires which are loosely twisted together. This heat conductor can produce greater extent of increase in the burning rate and has a mechanical strength sufficient for embedding in a practical grain.