GB2107033A

GB2107033A - Trigger mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2107033A
Application number: GB08228338A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Horst Georg Hetsch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-10-07
Filing date: 1982-10-05
Publication date: 1983-04-20
Also published as: FR2514122B1; GB2107033B; FR2514122A1; DE3139882C2; DE3139882A1

Abstract

A trigger mechanism, for a firearm, e.g. a bazooka, has at least one firing pin (9a,9b) which can be cocked by a spring (10) and which can be impelled into a firing position via a trigger arm (43) lockable by a safety mechanism. The safety mechanism consists of three separately actuable individual safety devices (A,B,C) which act mechanically on one another, and for unlocking the trigger arm ready for firing, the three individual safety devices can be brought into their unlocking positions only in a predetermined sequence. For this purpose, at least one (B) of the individual safety devices is resiliently biased and is coupled mechanically to a further individual safety device (C), in such a way that when the actuating force ceases for a short time it returns automatically from its unlocking position, and the further individual safety device (C) is likewise transferred into its locking position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fire-arm trigger mechanism The present invention relates to a fire-arm trigger mechanism of the type having a trigger arm lockable by means of a safety catch.

Known trigger mechanisms of this type, such as are used for example for bazookas or other usually single-shot weapons, are extremely complicated, heavy and expensive to manufacture. In addition, for reasons of cost, for the purpose of repeated use of the trigger mechanism it is normal to attach it each time to the weapon to be fired and to fasten it temporarily thereto, which requires additionai expensive fastening means for this purpose, and a precondition must be that the weapon can be fired only once. Moreover, in the known trigger mechanisms, there is insufficient safeguard against unintentional or accidental actuation of the trigger guard.In particular, it has been shown in practice that the safety lever provided conventionally is inadequate alone for preventing accidents or faulty shots when the weapon has for example been unlocked and then put to one side for a short time before again being aimed. If the operator, when putting the weapon to one side, has forgotten to pivot the safety lever back, then when he brings the weapon into position again he can easily actuate the unlocked trigger arm by mistake, before the weapon is aimed correctly.

The object of the present invention is to provide a trigger mechanism of the type mentioned in the introduction, which has a substantially simpler construction, is lighter and is cheaper to manufacture than the known mechamism and which is fool-proof against incorrect operation.

According to the invention, there is provided a trigger mechanism with at least one firing pin which can be cocked by a spring and which can be impelled into a firing position via a trigger arm lockable by means of a safety mechanism, said safety mechanism consisting of three separately actuable individual safety devices which act mechanically on one another, wherein the three individual safety devices are arranged so they can only be brought into their unlocking positions to unlock the trigger arm for firing by following a predetermined sequence. So that he can pull the trigger arm, the operator previously had to actuate three individual safety devices in a specific sequence, and incorrect operation is reliably prevented even under difficult circumstances, for example in darkness or when the weapon is dirty or when time is short.The trigger mechanism can be unlocked completely only when the individual safety devices are actuated in the predetermined sequence. Since they are coupled mechanically to one another, this also means that the trigger arm is not released when only one individual safety device is actuated.

Despite the fact that they are coupled mechanically, the three individual safety devices can be made of relatively light-weight and reliably operating parts which can be produced simply and cheaply, and can be accommodated in the trigger mechanism. The trigger mechanism as a whole is so cheap that it can be attached fixedly to the weapon and does not have to be used for several different firing tubes for reasons of cost.

Since it may happen, under difficult conditions, that the operator is disturbed during the unlocking operation or has for other reasons already partially unlocked the weapon and put it to one side, and since there is a danger, when he puts the weapon into position again, that the shot will be fired prematurely or unintentionally at least one of the individual safety devices is resiliently biased and is coupled mechanically to at least one further of the individual safety devices in such a way that, in the event that its actuating force is released for a short time, it automatically returns into its locking position and the said further individual safety device is likewise transferred into its locking position.When the sequence of individual unlocking steps does not proceed at the predetermined rate, but one individual safety device either is not actuated or is actuated only briefly, it cancels out again, as it were, the other individual safety devices which are already in the unlocking positions, so the weapon has to be unlocked again completely.

In a further appropriate embodiment of the invention, in which the trigger arm is located in front of a handle which carries a safety lever movable between two positions, a first of said individual safety devices is located at a distance behind the handle, a second of said individual safety devices being located in the rear face of the handle, and a third of said individual safety devices being located in the handle being able to be actuated by the said safety lever. This design gives rise to a functionally convenient arrangement of individual safety devices which the operator can then actuate without watching them.

Preferably the first and second individual safety devices can each be actuated by means of a spring-loaded pivoting member, and the pivoting member of the first individual device is pivotable into the locking position, to block access to the pivoting member of the second individual safety device and to allow access thereto only in its unlocking position. As a result of this, the operator is not only impeded from actuating the second individual safety device, if the first individual safety device has not been actuated properly, but merely by his being impeded when he actuates the second individual safety device his attention will be drawn to the fact that the unlocking operation has not been started correctly.

So as not to provide any more individual components than are absolutely essential for safety and operation, said first individual safety device is a cocking device for the firing pin(s), the pin (s) being cocked in the unlocking position of the first individual safety device. In this way, a secondary function, namely cocking the firing pin, is transferred to the first individual safety device.

Advantageously the trigger arm is coupled to a slide by means of which a first passage for the firing pin(s) is opened when the trigger arm is pulled. The trigger arm can be attached in a desirable way at a distance from the firing pin, particularly in a favourabie way for gripping purposes, since it is connected to the firing pin by way of the first mentioned slide.

So that malicous unlocking can also be prevented, in its locking position the third individual safety device blocks said slide and the firing pin(s). As a result of this, the marksman can also not pull the trigger arm, but is made aware, even before the pressure point is reached, of the fact that unlocking has not been carried out properly.

This object can be achieved in an especially simple way in terms of manufacture and assembly in an embodiment wherein the third individual safety device has an engagement slide which is coupled to the safety lever and which in the locking position blocks the first mentioned slide, wherein the engagement slide is connected operatively to a blocking slide which is movable independently from the first mentioned slide and which has a second passage orifice for the firing pin(s) which orifice is in its opened position exclusively in the unlocking position of the engagement slide.

Conveniently, the engagement slide is connected to the blocking slide by way of a pivoting drive. A deliberate increase or reduction in the force applied by the safety lever on the blocking slide can then be achieved via the pivoting drive.

The individual components can be produced simply and accommodated close-packed when the engagement slide interacts with a stop in the first mentioned slide, and the pivoting drive passes through the first mentioned slide free of obstruction.

A further safety aspect is provided if the third individual safety device is biased by a spring in the direction of its locking position, and can be held in the unlocking position only by means of the second individual safety device, since the third individual safety device does not remain in the unlocking position when the second individual safety device has not been properly actuated and retained.

The last-mentioned function can be achieved in an especially simple way with an embodiment including a pivotable detent pawl with first and second detent projections and hinged resiliently under prestress against the pivoting member of the second individual safety device, wherein the engagement slide has first and second engagement depressions for the detent projections, such that in the locking position of the pivoting member of the second individual safety device the first detent projection engages into said first engagement depression and fixes the engagement slide in the locking position of the third individual safety device, whilst when the second individual safety device is actuated into its unlocking position and the third individual safety device is actuated in the direction of its unlocking position said first detent projection is released, and the second detent projection can be engaged into the second engagement depression to fix the third individual safety device in its unlocking position. By means of the pivoting member of the second individual safety device the detent pawl is brought into its particular position, in which it acts on the third individual safety device, in the way mentioned above.

Since a relatively large force is expedient for cocking the firing pin, but since it should, at the same time, be possible for the operator to carry out unlocking and cocking relatively easily, the pivoting member of the first individual safety device is connected to a pivotable cam by means of which the spring for the or a firing pin can be cocked. By means of an adjusting cam, an exact adjustment and cocking of the spring for the firing pin can be achieved without any appreciable outlay of force.

Buckling of the spring for the firing pin when the latter is cocked is prevented in a simple way when mounted on the pivot pin of the cam is a guide rod which projects into a bore for the or a firing pin and guides the firing pin spring which is supported on the cam by way of a sliding shoe.

So that the weapon can be fired reliably, there are two firing pins which are located next to one another and can be cocked together by means of the cam and are accommodated separately from one another in a lock. When there are two firing pins, the certainty that the detonator will ignite is substantially greater than when there is only one firing pin.

Conveniently the two firing pins are arranged to be impelled upwards in succession. In this way the firing pins take effect in succession.

This aim can be achieved in an especially simple way if the first mentioned slide has a release edge extending obliquely to its direction of movement for the firing pins. The sloping release edge then impels one firing pin upwards in advance of the other.

Since the firing pins, under certain circumstances, exert on the slide considerable forces which run perpendicularly to its direction of movement, it is appropriate if the first mentioned slide is guided to counter the pressure of the cocked firing pins. Better still, the first mentioned slide is guided by engagement of a dovetail guide of the first mentioned slide in the lock. These forces then cannot take effect in the unlocking and trigger system as a whole.

Preferably the lock and the first mentioned slide and blocking slide are located above the first said individual safety device, and the first mentioned and blocking slides extend above the handle between the latter and the lock, the two slides being biased in the direction of their locking positions by restoring springs. This takes account of the requirements often demanded of being able to arrange the trigger arm with the firing pins separately from the lock. The restoring springs ensure that the individual components each return reliably into their locking positions when the individual safety devices have likewise been brought into the locking positions.

As a result of the relatively cheap and simple production of the individual components of the mechanism, the mechanism can be attached fixedly to the firing tube directly and does not need to be refitted for several firing operations for reasons of cost. This means that it becomes extremely simple to operate.

Finally, this positive effect is brought about as a result of making the parts of the trigger mechanism of sheet metal which has been pressed, bent or stamped, since individual components of this type are relatively lightweight and functionally reliable and can be produced cheaply.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective side view of part of a firearm; Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the trigger mechanism which is attached fixedly to the firearm of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows detail from Figure 1, in the locking position of the trigger mechanism; Figure 4 shows detail of Figure 3 in the unlocking position; and Figure 5 shows a section in the plane V-V of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a single-shot firearm, for example a bazooka 1, in which a trigger mechanism 5 is attached to a tubular body 2 with a front shield 3 through which passes the actual firing tube 4. A portion of the front part 6 of the firing tube can also be seen. On the trigger mechanism 5 there are, from back to front, three individual safety devices A, B, and C which interact mechanically with the actual trigger D, as may be seen in the detail from Figure 2. Of the third individual safety device C, a safety lever 56 may be seen in Figure 1, and this is pivotable to and fro in a conventional way between two positions S and F.

Attached to the rearward end of the trigger mechanism 5 and integrated into the firearm 1 is a guide part 7 with two through-bores 8 for two firing pins 9a, 9b located next to one another (Figure 5). The firing pins 9a, 9b are guided so as to be movable longitudinally in bores 11 of a lock 57 located underneath and are each biased upwards by a cocking spring 1 0. There projects from below into each bore 11 a pressure rod 12 connected operatively to an eccentric cam 13 which is mounted pivotably about a pivot pin 14 in the trigger mechanism 5. The construction of this part of the trigger mechanism 5 is explained in detail later with reference to Figure 5.

Attached fixedly to the eccentric cam 1 3 is a lever 15, on the end of which rests an annular pivoting member 1 6. The pivoting member 16 can pivot out of the locking position of the individual safety device A shown in unbroken lines into the position shown by broken lines in which it penetrates into a recess 1 7 in the mechanism 5 (the unlocking and cocking position for the firing pins 9a, 9b).

In Figure 2, the trigger mechanism is in the locking position. Consequently, above the firing pins 9a, 9b a firing-pin blocking device 1 8 is attached to a blocking slide 1 9 which is guided so as to be supported by means of its rearward end 20 via a spring 62, the spring 62 biasing it in a direction in which (Figure 3) two releasing orifices 49 are offset relative to the firing pins 9a, 9b, so that these can under no circumstances penetrate into the bores 8, even if their springs 10 were to be cocked.

At the front end of the blocking slide 1 9 there is a recess 70 into which engages one end 22 of a L-shaped pivoting lever 21 which is mounted pivotably about a pivot pin 23 in the trigger mechanism. Formed in the other arm of the pivoting lever 21 is a slit 24 into which engages a peg 25 located on an engagement slide 26 guided so as to be vertically displaceable. The engagement slide 26 is guided by means of a guide pin 27 so as to be displaceable up and down against the force of the spring 28 and is biased upwards by the spring. The pivoting lever 21 is coupled to the safety lever 56 (Figure 1) via its pivot pin 23 and can pivot when the safety lever is adjusted, and it moves the blocking slide 1 9 and the engagement slide 26 to and fro.

Formed in the engagement slide 26 at a specific distance from one another are two engagement depressions 29 and 30 which interact with an engagement pawl 31 or with detent projections 32 and 33 located at its two ends. The pawl 31 is prestressed resiliently by a spring 35 at its prolonged end 34 and is connected in terms of movement to a pivoting member 37 of the second individual safety device B, the pivoting member 37 and the pawl 31 being pivotable together about a fixed pivot pin 36. The pivoting member 37 is biased by a spring 38. In the locking position illustrated, the pivoting member 37 projects from a recess 39 in a handle 40 of the trigger mechanism rearwards in relation to its actuation. The pivoting member 37 is pivoted into the recess 39 in a clockwise direction in Figure 2 when an operator grasps the handle, since he then necessarily has to pivot the pivoting member 37 with the ball of his thumb.

In the locking position illustrated, the engagement slide 26 is pushed upwards by the spring 28 until the detent projection 32 has engaged in the engagement depression 29. Via the spring 38 and the pivoting member 37 which has an engagement projection (not shown) for the pawl 31 , the detent projection 32 is retained in the engagement depression 29. Even when the safety lever 56 is actuated the engagement slide 26 cannot be displaced upwards. Only after the pivoting member 37 is pressed into the recess 39 counter to the force of the spring does the spring 35 press the detent projection 32 out of the engagement depression 29 via the end 34 of the pawl 31. The engagement slide 26 can then be displaced upwards via the safety lever 56, until the other engagement projection 33 drops into the engagement depression 30 and retains the engagement slide 26.The engagement slide 26 can be retained in this position only if the pivoting member 37 of the second individual safety device remains pressed at the same time, since otherwise the spring 28 forces the engagement slide 26 up again and the detent projection 32 engages again into the engagement depression 29 in the upper locking position of the third individual safety device C.

Guided displaceably underneath the blocking slide 19 is a further slide 41 which is coupled to the actual trigger arm 43 pivotable about a fixed pivot pin 42. In this embodiment, the free end 44 of the trigger arm 43 passes through a passage 45 in the slide 41, so that the slide 41 follows the pivoting movements of the trigger arm 43 in both directions. The front end of the slide 41 penetrates into a guide 47, whilst its rear end 48 forms a release edge for the firing pins 9a, 9b. The slide 41 and the trigger arm 43 are biased by a spring 46 in a direction in which the release edge 48 has passed beyond the bores 11, so that the firing pins 9a, 9b are prevented from being impelled upwards.

Behind the passage 45 the slide 41 has a longitudinal slit 58 through which the arm 22 of the pivoting lever 21 projects free of obstruction and into which the upper end of the engagement slide 26 also projects. The slit 58 forms, here, a stop for the engagement slide 26, so that the slide 41 in Figure 2 cannot be moved to the left as long as the upper end of the engagement slide 26 passes through the slit 58, this always being the case in the locking position of the third individual safety device C.

It can be seen more clearly from Figures 3 and 4 how the weapon 1 is fired by impelling the firing pins 9a, 9b upwards. In the locking position of the individual safety devices, A, B, C, there is located above the firing pins 9a, 9b not only the rear end 48 of the slide 41 by means of its release edge 48a but additionally also the blocking slide 19 by means of the firing-pin blocking device 18, the release orifices 49 of which are offset relative to the firing pins 9a and 9b. Figure 3 emphasises that the release edge 48a of the slide 41 is sloping, so that when the two firing pins 9a, 9b are overrun one is released in advance of the other and can consequently also be impelled upwards in advance.

This stage is illustrated in Figure 4. During unlocking of the weapon, after the first individual safety device has been actuated and the springs 10 have consequently been cocked, the second individual safety device B has been actuated so that via the third individual safety device C the blocking slide 19 can be pulled forwards until the releasing orifices 49 come to rest above the firing pins 9a, 9b. The trigger arm 43 is thereafter actuated, that is to say pivoted in an anticlockwise direction, until the slide 41 moves to the left until its release edge 48a releases the firing pin 9a at the bottom in Figure 4 and impels it upwards. Should this firing pin 9a fail to result in ignition of the detonator, the second firing pin 9b is also released with a delay and ensures proper ignition.

Figure 5 shows a section in the plane V-V of Figure 2, and particularly the first individual safety device A or cocking device for the firing pins in detail. The two firing pins 9a, 9b are mounted displaceably in the bores 11 of the lock 57. Their ends are made pointed or rounded in a conventional way. The lock 57 is fastened in an appropriate part of the trigger mechanism 5. The spring 10 projects from the lower end of each bore 11 and is supported via a sliding disc shoe 53 on the outer periphery of the adjusting cam 1 3. Guided, in turn, in the spring 10 is the guide rod 1 2 which consequently safeguards the spring 10 against buckling.The lower end of the guide rod 12 is mounted pivotably, via a support 52 resembling a connecting rod, on the pivot pin 14 of the eccentric cam in the bearing 50. For this purpose, the cam 13 is provided with slits 51 extending over some of its periphery. The slide 41 rests on the top side of the lock 57 for movement out of the drawing plane. On its underside it has, for example, a T-shaped extension 55 which engages into a complementary guide groove 54 in the lock. In this way, the slide 41 is supported against the possibly considerable upward forces of the firing pins 9a, 9b, thus benefiting its ease of movement and also making it impossible for the blocking slide 19 together with the firing-pin blocking device 18 to move only with difficulty.

Instead of the guide 54, 55, another guide for example even in the housing of the trigger mechanism 5, which can absorb the pressure forces of the firing pins 9a, 9b, could also be used.

The trigger mechanism functions as follows: As a result of the effect of the individual springs, basically all the individual components are in the positions shown in Figure 2, that is to say, the weapon or the trigger mechanism 5 is completely safeguarded. The cam 13 exerts no noticeable prestress on the firing pins 9a, 9b, but projects by means of its pivoting member 1 6 into the recess of the trigger mechanism 5 behind the handle 40, so that no engagement is possible here. The pivoting member 37 is pivoted out of the recess 39. The engagement projection 32 engages into the engagement depression 29 and retains the engagement slide 26 in its upper position where it interacts with the slit 58 of the slide 41 to form a block. The safety lever 56 is likewise located in its locking position. The trigger arm is in its position of readiness, so that the bores 11 in the lock 57 are closed both by the slide 41 and by the firing-in blocking device 18. The weapon 1 cannot be actuated. Now when the operator picks up the weapon and presents it, he first has to pivot the pivoting member 1 6 in an anti-clockwise direction into the position shown by broken lines in the recess 1 7. The firing pins 9a, 9b are thereby cocked by the springs 10.

However, they cannot be impelled upwards. At the same time, the space behind the handle 40 has become free, so that the operator can grasp the handle 40 and thus displace the pivoting member 37 in a clockwise direction into the recess 39 with the ball of his thumb. The detent projection 32 moves out of the engagement depression 29, so that in a further sequence the operator can tilt the safety lever 56 with the thumb of the hand grasping the handle 40 and displaces the engagement slide 26 downwards via the pivoting lever 21, until the engagement projection 33 which is now under spring pressure penetrates into the engagement depression 30 and retains the engagement slide 26 at the bottom. During the movement of the pivoting lever 21, the blocking slide 19 is displaced until the recesses 49 of the firing-pin blocking device 1 8 come to rest in front of the bores 11.The weapon is unlocked as a result. When the operator pivots the trigger arm 43 in an anticlockwise direction, the slide 41 in Figure 2 is also pulled to the left and the firing pins 9a, 9b are impelled upwards. The shot is fired. When the operator then lets go of the weapon, the individual springs ensure that the second and third individual safety devices return into the locking position again.

When, after pivoting the pivoting member 1 6 and the pivoting member 37 and, if appropriate, the safety lever 56, the operator has to let go of the weapon again for any reason, the spring 38 presses the pivoting member 37 back again into the position shown in Figure 2, so that the engagement projection 33 moves out of the engagement depression and the spring 28 pushes the engagement slide 26 into the slit 58 of the slide 41. At the same time, the safety lever 56 is brought back into the locking position via the peg 25 and the pivoting lever 21. When the operator then picks up the weapon again and wants to fire it again, the weapon is, however, locked again.

The trigger arm 43 cannot be actuated. Instead, he first has to press the pivoting member 37 again and then tilt the safety lever 56. If, on the other hand, he should have forgotten to tilt the pivoting member 1 6 out of the position shown in Figure 2, the operator is reminded of this without visual contact, since he cannot grasp the handle 40 because the pivoting member 1 6 is in the way.

Any operator is therefore compelled to actuate the three individual safety devices A, B, C, in the predetermined sequence, and, even after actuation has been interrupted, is reminded to carry out at least two of the safety steps again in the correct sequence so that the weapon can be fired. Danger caused by unintentional firing of the weapon or a shot when the firing pin is not cocked is reliably prevented.

The trigger mechanism 5 can consist of simple sheet-metal pressed parts, sheet-metal stamped parts and/or sheet-metal bent parts which are cheap to produce and all together have only a low weight. The trigger mechanism can therefore be produced at moderate cost and can remain fixed to the weapon, although this weapon is used only for a single shot. Of course, however, it is also possible to make the individual components of the trigger mechanism 5 of plastic, thus contributing to a further reduction in cost and a saving of weight.

Claims

1. A trigger mechanism with at least one firing pin which can be cocked by a spring and which can be impelled into a firing position via a trigger arm lockable by means of a safety mechanism, said safety mechanism consisting of three separately actuable individual safety devices which act mechanically on one another, wherein the three individual safety devices are arranged so they can only be brought into their unlocking positions to unlock the trigger arm for firing by following a predetermined sequence.

2. A trigger mechanism according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the individual safety devices is resiliently biased and is coupled mechanically to at least one further of the individual safety devices in such a way that, in the event that its actuating force is released for a short time, it automatically returns into its locking position and the said further individual safety device is likewise transferred into its locking position.

3. A trigger mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the trigger arm is located in front of a handle which carrier a safety lever movable between two positions, a first of said individual safety devices being located at a distance behind the handle, a second of said individual safety devices being located in the rear face of the handle, and a third of said individual safety devices being located in the handle being able to be actuated by the said safety lever.

4. A trigger mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the trigger arm is coupled to a slide by means of which a first passage for the firing pin(s) is opened when the trigger arm is pulled.

5. A trigger mechanism according to claim 4, wherein in its locking position the third individual safety device blocks said slide and the firing pin(s).

6. A trigger mechanism according to claim 3, together with claims 4 or 5 wherein the third individual safety device has an engagement slide which is coupled to the safety lever and which in the locking position blocks the first mentioned slide, wherein the engagement slide is connected operatively to a blocking slide which is movable independently from the first mentioned slide and which has a second passage orifice for the firing pin (s) which orifice is in its opened position exclusively in the unlocking position of the engagement slide.

7. A trigger mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the engagement slide is connected to the blocking slide by way of a pivoting drive.

8. A trigger mechanism according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the engagement slide interacts with a stop in the first mentioned slide, and the pivoting drive passes through the first mentioned slide free of obstruction.

9. A trigger mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first and second individual safety devices can each be actuated by means of a spring-loaded pivoting member, and the pivoting member of the first individual safety device is pivotable into the locking position, to block access to the pivoting member of the second individual safety device and to allow access thereto only in its unlocking position.

10. A trigger mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said first individual safety device is a cocking device for the firing pin(s), the pin(s) being cocked in the unlocking position of the first individual safety device.

11. A trigger mechanism according to claim 9 or claim 10, taken together with claim 3, and including a pivotable detent pawl with first and second detent projections and hinged resiliently under prestress against the pivoting member of the second individual safety device, wherein the engagement slide has first and second engagement depressions for the detent projections, such that in the locking position of the pivoting member of the second individual safety device the first detent projection engages into said first engagement depression and fixes the engagement slide in the locking position of the third individual safety device, whilst when the second individual safety device is actuated into its unlocking position and the third individual safety device is actuated in the direction of its unlocking position said first detent projection is released, and the second detent projection can be engaged into the second engagement depression to fix the third individual safety device in its unlocking position.

12. A trigger mechanism according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the pivoting member of the first individual safety device is connected to a pivotable cam by means of which the spring for the or a firing pin can be cocked.

13. A trigger mechanism according to claim 12, wherein mounted on the pivot pin of the cam is a guide rod which projects into a bore for the or a firing pin and guides the firing pin spring which is supported on the cam by way of a sliding shoe.

14. A trigger mechanism according to claim 1 3 or 14, wherein there are two firing pins which are located next to one another and can be cocked together by means of the cam and are accommodated separately from one another in a lock.

1 5. A trigger mechanism according to claim 14, wherein the two firing pins arranged to be impelled upwards in succession.

1 6. A trigger mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the first mentioned slide has a release edge extending obliquely to its direction of movement for the firing pins.

1 7. A trigger mechanism according to claim 16, wherein the first mentioned slide is guided to counter the pressure of the cocked firing pins.

1 8. A trigger mechanism according to any one of claims 14 to 1 7, wherein the first mentioned slide is guided by engagement of a dovetail guide of the first mentioned slide in the lock.

1 9. A trigger mechanism according to any one of claims 14 to 18, together with claim 7, wherein the lock and the first mentioned slide and blocking slide are located above the first said individual safety device, and the first mentioned and blocking slides extend above the handle between the latter and the lock, the two slides being biased in the direction of their locking positions by restoring springs.

20. A trigger mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the third individual safety device is biased by a spring in the direction of its locking position, and can be held in the unlocking position only by means of the second individual safety device.

21. A trigger mechanism according to claims 1 to 20, when attached fixedly to the firing tube of the weapon.

22. A trigger mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 21, when consisting very largely of sheet-metal parts which are formed by pressing, bending or stamping.

23. A trigger mechanism constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in.

the accompanying drawings.