Abstract: A semiautomatic pistol has a takedown lever which also acts as an ejector. The takedown lever includes an ejector head and a finger. The finger is engageable with a sear when the takedown lever is rotated by depressing the ejector head through the ejection port when the slide is out of battery. This rotates the sear so that the slide may be removed by sliding it toward the muzzle end of the pistol.

Abstract: A sear mechanism for a firearm pivotably mounts a sear body on a sear lever which is pivotably mounted on the firearm frame. An actuator lever is also pivotably mounted on the frame. The actuator lever is pivoted by a trigger bar connected to the firearm's trigger. Pivoting of the actuator lever when the trigger is pulled allows the sear lever to pivot. Pivoting of the sear lever allows the sear body to fall off of a surface on a striker, releasing the striker to discharge the firearm.

Abstract: An ammunition magazine for a firearm uses a spacer to extend the grip. The spacer is attached to the magazine's tube using a combined fastener and detent mechanism which acts between the magazine's butt plate and floor plate. The butt plate is attached to the magazine tube and the spacer is captured between the butt plate and floor plate.

Abstract: A sear mechanism for a firearm pivotably mounts a sear body on a sear lever which is pivotably mounted on the firearm frame. An actuator lever is also pivotably mounted on the frame. The actuator lever is pivoted by a trigger bar connected to the firearm's trigger. Pivoting of the actuator lever when the trigger is pulled allows the sear lever to pivot. Pivoting of the sear lever allows the sear body to fall off of a surface on a striker, releasing the striker to discharge the firearm.

Abstract: An ammunition magazine for a firearm uses a spacer to extend the grip. The spacer is attached to the magazine's tube using a combined fastener and detent mechanism which acts between the magazine's butt plate and floor plate. The butt plate is attached to the magazine tube and the spacer is captured between the butt plate and floor plate.

Abstract: A semiautomatic pistol has a takedown lever which also acts as an ejector. The takedown lever includes an ejector head and a finger. The finger is engageable with a sear when the takedown lever is rotated by depressing the ejector head through the ejection port when the slide is out of battery. This rotates the sear so that the slide may be removed by sliding it toward the muzzle end of the pistol.

Abstract: A semiautomatic pistol has a takedown lever which also acts as an ejector. The takedown lever includes an ejector head and a finger. The finger is engageable with a sear when the takedown lever is rotated by depressing the ejector head through the ejection port when the slide is out of battery. This rotates the sear so that the slide may be removed by sliding it toward the muzzle end of the pistol.

Abstract: A pistol has a bolt with a surface that contacts the cartridge in the magazine to next be chambered. The bolt is mounted within the slide. As the bolt moves with the slide out of battery the surface exerts a force on the cartridge in the direction of motion of the slide. The force counteracts inertial forces on the cartridge imposed by recoil of the pistol.

Abstract: A trigger mechanism for a firearm includes a sear which interacts with a trigger. The sear and trigger are held in contact by a sear block. The sear block has dogs which engage respective locking surfaces on the sear and trigger. Pivoting motion of the sear block disengages the dogs from the trigger and sear and allows the trigger to pivot and release the sear to discharge the firearm. When the dogs are engaged with the sear and trigger the resistance to inadvertent discharge due to inertial loads imposed on the mechanism when the firearm is dropped is increased.

Abstract: An ambidextrous magazine catch for a firearm has a body movable on the frame of the firearm. A dog is rotatably mounted on the body. The dog has a jaw which is movable toward and away from the magazine well upon either motion of the body or rotation of the dog. The jaw engages a magazine in the magazine well. A plunger engaged with the body effects rotation of the dog through a cam surface on the plunger and a cam follower on the dog.

Abstract: A pistol has a bolt with a surface that contacts the cartridge in the magazine to next be chambered. The bolt is mounted within the slide. As the bolt moves with the slide out of battery the surface exerts a force on the cartridge in the direction of motion of the slide. The force counteracts inertial forces on the cartridge imposed by recoil of the pistol.

Abstract: An end cap for a semiautomatic pistol is mounted at the breech end of a slide to maintain the striker assembly in place when subject to inertial loads. The end cap includes a body with a base and a cover. A metal plate is mounted between the base and cover to prevent striker blow-out in the event that a primer is pierced. Flexible, resilient projections extend from the base and engage the slide within a recess, the projections extending transversely to the firing axis to counter inertial forces that might otherwise dislodge the end cap and cause a stoppage.

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 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 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.