GB2152646A - Air weapons - Google Patents

Abstract

An air weapon has a bolt 4 reciprocable to load a projectile (not shown) offered by a magazine (not shown) located in a receiver 10 in front of the bolt 4 in a first position of the bolt which will drive the projectile into the breach 7 when moving to a second position, compressed air from a reservoir being fed to the loaded projectile through a passage 8 in the bolt 44 to propel the projectile from the weapon and the bolt being returnable to the first position by means of a hand-piece 5 for reloading the weapon. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to gas weapons This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to gas weapons using compressed gas, usually air, as the propellant for the projectiles, the gas being pre-compressed before firing as opposed to a gas under pressure created by an explosive charge.

It is known to provide air weapons in which slugs are loaded individually between shots into a breach, the loading being effected manually by the marksman usually after 'breaking' the gun to expose the breach. The breaking action usually achieves compression of the propellant air charge.

According to the present invention there is provided a gas weapon having a body which is located between a barrel and a reservoir for pressurised gas propellant, the body receiving a reciprocable bolt movable between a first position in which it is spaced from a breach communicating with the barrel and a second position abutting that portion of the weapon defining the breach, a passage extending longitudinally through the bolt for passage of propellant gas from the reservoir to the breach and means between the breach and the bolt in its first position to receive a magazine movable to locate a projectile in the path of the bolt which in moving to the second position will locate that projectile in the breach.

The magazine is preferably a disposable member which is preloaded so that a marksman will not need to load a magazine but simply obtain magazines ready loaded and thrown them away when empty.

In order that the invention may be well understood there will now be described one embodiment, given by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 diagrammatically shows in section the body of an air weapon body where a bolt lies and a magazine may be received, the bolt being shown in a first or open position, Figure 2 is the same view as Fig. 1 but with the bolt in a second or closed position, Figure 3 is an end view in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1, Figure 4 is an end elevation of a magazine, Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Fig.

4 and Figure 6 is a detail of a magazine chamber.

The air weapon comprises a body 1, from which extends a barrel 2, and a reservoir 3 which, with firing control means forms no part of the present invention and may be of any suitable kind known in the art.

In the body is a bolt 4 which, by means of a hand piece 5 can be reciprocated between the first or open position of Fig. 1, where a nose 6 of the bolt is spaced from breach 7 defined here by barrel 2, and a second or closed position where the nose 6 engages the breach in a gas tight manner when a projectile (not shown) is in the breach. Through the bolt extends a bore 8 for passage of propellant air from the propellant reservoir to a projectile, when located in the breach and held there by the bolt locked in the second position. Hand piece 5 extends through slot 9 in the body and locking means (not shown) are provided to lock it in the second or closed condition.

For use of the weapon a magazine is located in a magazine receiver 10 formed in the body 1 between the breach and the bolt when the latter is in its first position. Many forms of magazine could be devised but a preferred magazine, is shown in Figs. 4 to 6.

The magazine is a one piece moulding 11 of synthetic plastics material, preferably polyurethane, has a central bore 1 2 for mounting on a spindle of an air weapon so as to be rotatable to bring each chamber 1 3 into register with a breach of the weapon. A spring loaded member such as a ball bearing (not shown) is preferably provided on the weapon on the pitch circle diameter of the chambers to engage each chamber when another chamber is coaxial with the breach.

The wall of each chamber is interrupted at 14 in a plane which contains the magazine central axis and each chamber has a slightly ovoid section as indicated at 1 5 (Fig. 6).

When a pellet is inserted into such a chamber coaxially with the chamber axis, the walls of the chamber to either side of the interruption will be urged apart so that when loaded in the chamber a pellet will be gripped by the chamber wall.

The magazine is shown with a V-shaped groove 1 6 between each pair of adjacent interruptions 1 4 and these grooves may contribute to the resilience of the chamber walls and may serve for mechanically advancing the magazine to present the chambers successively to the breach of the weapon Reverting to Figs. 1 to 3, the spindle may be mounted in any suitable fashion on the body or elsewhere on the weapon. When a loaded magazine is secured so as to extend into the receiver 10 with a pellet coaxial with the bolt, the bolt is moved to and locked in the second position, thus loading that pellet in the breach and locking it there. To fire, a safety catch, if provided, is released, propellant air is released, passes through the bolt and propels the loaded pellet out of the barrel. Reciprocation of the bolt will reload the weapon ready for the next shot, any suitable means, automatic or manual being provided to rotate the magazine to present another projectile to the bolt for reloading. When the magazine is empty, if it is as above described and illustrated, it may be thrown away, and a preloaded replacement mounted on the weapon.

Claims (8)

1. A gas weapon having a body which is located between a barrel and a reservoir for pressurised gas propellant, the body receiving a reciprocable bolt movable between a first position in which it is spaced from a breach communicating with the barrel and a second position abutting that portion of the weapon defining the breach, a passage extending longitudinally through the bolt for passage of propellant gas from the reservoir to the breach and means between the breach and the bolt in its first position to receive a magazine movable to locate a projectile in the path of the bolt which in moving to the second position will locate that projectile in the breach.

2. A weapon according to claim 1 in which the bolt is reciprocable by means of a hand piece extending through a slot in the body.

3. A weapon according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the magazine is rotatably mounted on the weapon so that upon rotation it presents projectiles contained thereby sequentially to the bolt for movement into the breach.

4. A weapon according to claim 3 in which the magazine is a moulding of synthetic plastic having mounting means for rotation of the magazine and a plurality of passages therethrough whose axes are parallel with the axis of rotation and in which each wall defining a passage is interrupted to provide resilience of the wall of each passage whereby a projectile received by a passage is resiliently gripped by the wall.

5. A gas weapon substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A magazine for a bolt action gas weapon as claimed in claim 1, the magazine comprising a moulding of synthetic plastic having mounting means for rotation of the magazine and a plurality of passages therethrough whose axes are parallel with the axis of rotation and in which each wall defining a passage is interrupted to provide resilience of the wall of each passage whereby a projectile received by a passage is resiliently gripped by the wall.

7. A magazine according to claim 6 which each passage is ovoid in cross section.

8. A magazine substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.