Bullpup-type firearm The present invention relates to a bullpup-type firearm, comprising a buttstock and, in front of it, a grip part pointing downwards in the use position and a trigger, as well as a magazine well, which is disposed between the buttstock and the grip part and which is equipped with an actuatable catch for releasably latching a magazine in the magazine well, wherein in front of the or on the grip part there is an actuation element mounted movably on the firearm, by means of which the catch is actuatable via a mechanism, and wherein the actuation element is mounted on the firearm at a distance in front of the trigger. A firearm of this type is known from WO 2015/106163 A1 or US 2014/0013640 A1. In earlier bullpup-type firearms, also called breech-loading rifles, in which the magazine well thus lies behind the grip part, the hand of the shooter used to change the magazine – whether the shooting hand on the grip part or the supporting hand - had to carry out two actuation steps. Firstly, the catch had to be actuated to unlatch the rod magazine, which then generally easily falls out downwards from the magazine well, and then the new magazine had to be grasped from the holster and plugged in place. In WO 2015/406163 A1 and US 2014/0013640 A1 it was therefore proposed to mount an actuation element on the firearm in front of the trigger, by means of which actuation element the catch is actuatable via a mechanism. With the shooting hand on the grip part, the actuation element mounted in front of the grip part may be actuated to eject the magazine, whilst at the same time the hand used to change the magazine may already reach for the new magazine in the holster and this magazine may be used immediately.
In WO 2015/106103 A1 the actuation element is a cross pin, which projects from lateral openings in the front stock, which is difficult to reach with the trigger finger since for this purpose it has to be removed from the trigger guard. In US 2014/0013640 A1 the actuation element is an actuation lever pivotable forwards in front of the trigger about a horizontal axis. When extending the trigger finger, either the fingernail contacts the actuation lever laterally, without being able to actuate the latter, or the finger is too short and has to be pushed forward a further amount in order to actuate the actuation lever. All of this costs the shooter valuable and critical time. The objective of the invention is to create a bullpup firearm that can be operated more easily and more quickly. This objective is achieved in accordance with the invention in the case of a firearm of the type described at the outset in that the actuation element is an actuation lever mounted on the firearm so as to be deflectable to the side about an axis that is approximately vertical in the use position. The removal of the trigger finger from the trigger by leaving its angled position and the – at least partial – extension of the trigger finger leads “automatically” so to speak to a movement path of the (partially or wholly) extended trigger finger, which goes to the side. An actuation element arranged there in the movement path of the trigger finger is thus easily pushed to the side and may thus be actuated very easily and intuitively, which may be decisive in critical situations. It is particularly favourable if the actuation lever can be selectively deflected either to one side or the other of the firearm. This opens up a symmetrical actuation option for the actuation element so that it can be actuated equally easily by a left-handed person with a left firing hand and by
a right-handed person with a right firing hand, for example. This also means that the same left-handed or right-handed shooter can actuate the actuation element with one or more fingers of their firing hand in one direction or the other as required, which also contributes to failsafe operation "by design", as the shooter does not need to pay attention to the direction of actuation of the actuation element to eject the magazine. Preferably, the actuation lever is spring-biased into its centre position so that the shooter can rely on the actuation lever always being in a constant rest position and can actuate it "blindly". The mechanism via which the actuation element acts on the detent catch of the magazine can also be configured in any way known in the art, e.g. in the form of a pull cable, a pull, push or torsion rod, by hydraulic or pneumatic means or even by electrical means if the actuation element is an electrical switch that controls an electrical actuator to actuate the catch. The mechanism may also include any gear, connecting rod, lever and/or link constructions to convert the movement of the actuation element to a movement of the catch. In a preferred embodiment, the mechanism comprises a rod, particularly preferably a pull rod, which engages with its rear end on a lever which can release the catch from its latching position. Such a rod is particularly resistant to failure and said lever is often already included in conventional magazine ejection mechanisms, so that it can also be used for the invention. Preferably, the lever is spring-loaded so that the mechanism returns to a defined starting position after it has been actuated. Moreover, the spring load of the lever can also act on the actuation element via the rod so that the actuation
element does not have to be spring-loaded separately in order to bias it under spring load it into its rest position. Such a lever, which acts at the rear end of the rod between the rod and the catch, can also be - at least partially - accessible from the outside for direct manual actuation. This may, for example, be the magazine release lever located behind the grip part on conventional bullpup firearms. When a rod is used in the mechanism between the actuation element and the catch, in a preferred embodiment the rod can have, at its front end, a projection against which the actuation element or a cam carried by it comes into contact. This results in a particularly trouble-free transmission of the actuating force from the actuation element to the rod. With a laterally deflectable actuation lever as the actuation element, this can act directly - or via the carried cam - on the projection in such a way that the deflection of the actuation lever displaces the rod in the longitudinal direction. If the rod is a pull rod, the actuation element or its cam can push the pull rod forwards on the side of the projection facing it. In particular, the projection can be formed by one side of a slide mounted on the rod, which slide is mounted in the firearm so as to be linearly displaceable. Preferably, the slide also has a bore for the passage of a trigger bar acting between the trigger and the trigger or firing mechanism of the firearm, on which trigger bar the slide is guided. In this way, the trigger bar can also be used to guide the slide and thus the bar for magazine ejection. A separate linear guide for the slide or the rod is therefore not required in the firearm.
The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the appended drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a firearm according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows some components of the firearm from Fig. 1 in a perspective view; and Figs. 3 and 4 show details of the components from Fig. 2, in each case in detailed enlarged perspective views. Fig. 1 shows a bullpup-type firearm 1, also known as a breech-loading rifle. The firearm 1 has a housing 2 with a buttstock 3, a forend 4, a grip part 5 between the buttstock and the forend 4, and a barrel 6 projecting from the forend 4. A magazine well 7 for holding a magazine 8, in particular a rod magazine, is located between the buttstock 3 and the grip part 5. In front of the grip part 5 is a trigger 9 protruding from the housing 2 and/or the grip part 5, which trigger – possibly together with the grip part - can be protected by an optional guard 10. The guard 10 is located at a distance in front of the grip part 5 and the trigger 9. The guard 10 can, for example, be formed from the housing 2 and/or the grip part as an extension of the latter or be attached to it. Fig. 1 also shows, behind the magazine well 7, a lever projecting from the magazine well 7, the buttstock 3 or the housing 2 and intended for releasing or removing (“ejecting”) the magazine 8 from the magazine well 7, as well as an ejection port 12 for cartridge cases on the upper side of the housing 2. Further details of the firearm 1, such as the barrel root, barrel bushing or cartridge chamber of the barrel 6, a breech for the barrel 6, a knock-off device for cartridges in the cartridge chamber, a trigger device acting on the knock-off device from the trigger 9, and the components for feeding cartridges from the magazine 8 into the cartridge
chamber and for extracting and ejecting the knocked-off cartridge cases, are of a conventional nature, are not relevant to the present invention and are not shown in the drawings for the sake of clarity. The housing 2 can, for example, enclose the breech, the knock-off device and the trigger device and include one or more of the parts constituted by the buttstock 3, forend 4, grip part 5, magazine well 7 and guard 10 and can be embodied in one or more parts with these. To enable the shooter to actuate the magazine ejection with the firing hand on the grip part 5, an actuation element is provided within reach of the firing hand, in particular within reach of the trigger finger on the trigger 9, to release the latching of the magazine 8 in the magazine well so that it can fall downwards out of the magazine well 7 or can be pulled out of it by gravity ("ejection" of the magazine). The shooter can thus use the firing hand to eject the magazine 8, and the magazine ejection lever 11 behind the grip part 5 could even be omitted if desired. Figs. 2 to 4 show the actuation element 13 and the mechanism 14, via which it is connected to the components for latching and releasing the magazine 8 in the magazine well 7, in detail. The magazine well 7 is equipped with an inwardly pointing catch 15, which is pivotably mounted on the magazine well 7, in the buttstock 3 and/or in the housing 2 about an, e.g., vertical axis 16. The catch 15 can engage or latch into a corresponding recess or on a corresponding projection of the magazine 8. The catch 15 can be actuated via the mechanism from the actuation element 13, as described in more detail later, but can - optionally - also be actuated directly by means of the lever 11.
For example, the lever 11 is pivotably mounted on the magazine well 7, in the buttstock 3 and/or in the housing about an approximately horizontal axis 17 and has an extension with a run-on ramp (link) 19, on which a plunger projecting from the catch 15 rides. The plunger 20 is, for example, the second arm of a two-armed lever, the first arm of which forms the catch 15 and which is hinged pivotably about the axis 16. When the lever 11 is pushed up, the extension with the run-on ramp 19 moves upwards and pushes the plunger to the side (in Fig. 3: to the right), causing the catch 15 to disengage from its latching position on the magazine about the axis 16 (in Fig. 3: moves to the left), so that the magazine falls out of the magazine well 7 or can at least be pulled out of it by hand. When a new magazine 8 is inserted into the magazine well 7, the catch 15 is first deflected by the magazine 8 entering (in Fig. 3: to the left), e.g. against the force of a corresponding preload spring (not shown), until it then latches in the corresponding recess or behind the corresponding projection of the magazine 8 when the magazine is fully inserted and holds it in the inserted position. The mechanism 14, which runs from the actuation element rearwards to the catch 15, is used to actuate the catch 15 by means of the actuation element 13, which is located in front of the grip part 5 (in Fig. 1: to the right of the grip part 5). In the example shown, the mechanism 14 comprises a rod 21, here: a pull rod, which engages with its rear end 22 (e.g. bent in a hook shape) either directly on the catch 15, e.g. its plunger 20, or indirectly on the catch 15 via a corresponding deflection gear. In the example shown, the rod 21 engages with the catch 15 via the lever 11 serving as a deflection gear. For this purpose, the lever 11 has an upwardly projecting lug 23, on which the rear end 22 of the pull rod 21 acts and pulls the
lever 11 upwards about its axis 17 in the direction of the extension 18, so that the plunger 20 of the catch 15 rides inwards on the run-on ramp 19 and releases the catch 15 from its latching position on the magazine 8. It is understood that instead of a pull rod, a push rod could also be used as the rod 21, which therefore presses rearwards when the actuation element 13 is actuated and acts on the catch 15, for example directly or via a corresponding deflection gear, to release it. Other types of mechanisms 14 are also conceivable, for example a pull cable or a torsion bar, which act on the catch directly or via corresponding gears, lever deflections, link control systems or the like. A hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical transmission of the actuation of the actuation element 13 to a release movement of the catch 15 is also conceivable. For example, the actuation element 13 could move a hydraulic or pneumatic piston, which moves a corresponding working piston via a hydraulic or pneumatic line to actuate the catch 15. Or the actuation element 13 could be an electrical switch or sensor that controls a corresponding electrical actuator or servomotor for the catch 15 via a control line. In the example shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the actuation element 13 is mechanically coupled to the rod 21. In this example, the actuation element 13 is an actuation lever 25 mounted on the firearm 1, e.g. on one or more of the parts constituted by the housing 2, forend 4, grip part 5, trigger and guard 10, so as to be laterally deflectable about an approximately vertical axis 24. In the example shown, the actuation lever 25 faces the shooter with respect to its pivot axis 24, i.e. points to the rear, and is located at a distance A in front of the trigger 9. The distance A is dimensioned such that the shooter can
actuate the actuation lever 25 with the trigger finger resting at an angle on the trigger 9 by extending the trigger finger, in this case: by lateral deflection. The actuation lever can be deflected to one side only or optionally to one side and to the other side of the firearm 1. In the latter case, the actuation lever 25 can be actuated both by a right-handed person with the trigger finger of the right hand and by a left-handed person with the trigger finger of the left hand by extending the trigger finger. The actuation lever 25 is optionally spring-biased into its centre position, i.e. its non-deflected position. This can be achieved either by the actuation lever 25 being resiliently biased about its pivot axis 24 into the centre position, for example by means of a spring (not shown), or - particularly in the case of mechanical coupling via the mechanism 14 with the catch 15 - also by a spring load on the catch 15 itself. If, for example, the catch 15 is resiliently biased by a spring (not shown) about its pivot axis 16 into its latching position, then it pulls the actuation element simultaneously into its rest or centre position via the lever 11 and the rod 21. The coupling of the actuation element 13 or the actuation lever 25 with the mechanism 14 or its rod 21 can be achieved in any way known in the art. In the simplest case, for example when the actuation element 13 is pushed forwards or pulled rearwards by the shooter to actuate the magazine ejection, the actuation element 13 is simply an extension or hook on the rod 21. In the example shown of a laterally deflectable actuation lever 25 as actuation element 13, the actuation lever 25 has a pin 26 eccentric with respect to its pivot axis 24, optionally with a cam 27 carried by it, which cam comes into contact with a projection 28 of the rod 21. The projection 28 can be formed
directly on the rod 21 or, as shown, can be formed by a side of a slide 30 mounted on the rod 21. If the rod 21 is a pull rod and if the actuation lever points rearwards from the shaft 24 and carries the pin 26 or cam 27 there, then the side 29 of the projection 28 or slide 30 on which the pin 26 or cam 27 comes into contact faces rearwards, and a lateral deflection of the actuation lever pulls the rod 21 forwards over the projection 26 or cam 27 in order to release the catch 15 from its latching position. If the rod 21 is a push rod, then the arrangement of pin 26 or cam 27 and side 29 of the projection 28 or slide 30 is reversed accordingly. The rod 21 or the optional slide 30 can be guided in a linearly displaceable manner on one or more of the parts constituted by the housing 2, forend 4 and guard 10. Alternatively or additionally, the slide 30 can have a bore for the passage of a trigger bar 32, as is conventionally used to transmit the trigger movement from the trigger 9 to the trigger or firing mechanisms in the firearm 1. The slide 30 is then guided on the trigger bar 32 via the bore 31. The actuation lever 25 can be ergonomically shaped for the shooter, for example with laterally projecting wings 33, which facilitate lateral deflection by extension of the trigger finger. It is understood that the actuation element 13 can also be provided differently than in the form of the laterally deflectable actuation lever 25 shown, e.g. in the form of a pusher or slide, a pull hook or pull ring, a rotary knob, switch, sensor, etc. The actuation element 13 can also be arranged at a position other than that shown in front of the trigger 9, for example on the grip part 5 itself, e.g. on one or both sides of the grip part 5, so that it can be actuated there, for example with one of the fingers of the firing hand
not used for the trigger 9. The actuation element 13 could even be mounted directly on the trigger 9, for example as an additional lever on it, as a lateral push button, etc. The guard 10 is also optional and the actuation element 13 could be mounted directly on the housing 2, the forend 4 and/or components of the firearm 1 contained therein. The invention is not limited to the presented embodiments, but includes all variants, modifications and combinations thereof falling within the scope of the appended claims.