US20050016639A1 - Slides and methods for finishing a lock surface of a slide in a firearm - Google Patents

Slides and methods for finishing a lock surface of a slide in a firearm Download PDF

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Publication number
US20050016639A1
US20050016639A1 US10/704,995 US70499503A US2005016639A1 US 20050016639 A1 US20050016639 A1 US 20050016639A1 US 70499503 A US70499503 A US 70499503A US 2005016639 A1 US2005016639 A1 US 2005016639A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
slide
lock surface
lock
laser
laser beam
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US10/704,995
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English (en)
Inventor
Helmut Weldle
Hans-Peter Bantle
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Heckler und Koch GmbH
Original Assignee
Heckler und Koch GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Heckler und Koch GmbH filed Critical Heckler und Koch GmbH
Assigned to HECKLER & KOCH, GMBH reassignment HECKLER & KOCH, GMBH ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: WELDLE, HELMUT, BANTLE, HANS-PETER
Publication of US20050016639A1 publication Critical patent/US20050016639A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
    • F41A3/00—Breech mechanisms, e.g. locks
    • F41A3/64—Mounting of breech-blocks; Accessories for breech-blocks or breech-block mountings
    • F41A3/66—Breech housings or frames; Receivers

Definitions

  • This disclosure relates generally to firearms, and, more particularly, to slides and methods for finishing a lock surface of a slide in a firearm.
  • positional references refer to a firearm held in a normal firing position, that is, a firearm held in a generally horizontal direction pointing away from the shooter.
  • the lateral surface defining the ejection window of an automatic handgun is a substantially flat surface that extends almost vertical to the horizontal firing direction.
  • this “lateral surface” in this document we do not refer to a geometrical surface alone, but rather we also refer to a narrow area under this surface. This “surface” must be hard and/or strong enough to resist surface pressure.
  • Modem automatic handguns constructed according to the modified Colt-Browning system have a projecting part, (i.e., the so-called lock button), on the top surface of the barrel.
  • the lock of the slide When the lock of the slide is closed, the ejection window of the slide is blocked by the barrel from below.
  • the recoil pushes the slide backwards, while the barrel is pulled forward due to the friction of the bullet accelerated in it.
  • the lock and, thus, the slide
  • This sequence of events occurs, for example, with the newer automatic pistols of Heckler & Koch GmbH, the assignee of this patent.
  • the slide could also be hardened and then, if necessary, polished around the front lateral surface of the ejection window, (i.e. its lock surface) to increase its tolerance of this force.
  • the rust protection coating of the slide would be damaged by such a hardening/polishing process.
  • the slide will only be bronzed after the hardening process, since the weapon would otherwise have an open, irregular, shiny spot on its top side that would not only be unsightly, but could also rust.
  • Modern standard issue weapons are usually nitrocarburized and then oxidized, whereby a black, extraordinarily hard, rust resistant protection coating is achieved.
  • This coating is considerably more resistant to abrasion and chemicals than bronzing.
  • This process takes place at such a high temperature that, if the lock surface was previously hardened, the material structure of the lock surface would be damaged by the thermal blackening treatment.
  • An additional hardening, i.e., a hardening after this blackening treatment
  • a portion of the blackening layer would also be removed through the polishing process which is usually needed after the hardening.
  • the polishing process should recreate the exact geometry of the lock surface, because even a slight warping could lead to the hardened lock surface no longer having a close fit with the lock button. This polishing process could, thus, reduce the supporting surface and thereby increase the surface pressure experienced by the remaining material when a shot is fired. Such a result would negate the effect sought by the hardening.
  • one part of the slide is already hardened and then polished, but this part is located inside the weapon and is, therefore, not visible from the outside. Thus, its discoloration does not matter.
  • the heat treatment of the area to be hardened does not damage the outer rust protection coating, since the area to be hardened and the areas coated with rust protection on the outer surface are located too far apart.
  • FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away, side view of a partially opened slide of an automatic pistol.
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of area II of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example slide 1 of an automatic pistol.
  • the slide 1 consists mainly of a high-alloy steel such as 42 CrMoS4 and has, due to heat treatment, a blackened outer surface 3 .
  • Its upper slide wall 9 defines an upward-pointing ejection opening 4 .
  • the ejection opening 4 is bordered toward the front by a vertical lock surface 5 .
  • the lock surface 5 of the illustrated example extends perpendicularly to the direction of fire.
  • the lock surface 5 engages a complementary lock button of a barrel (not shown) when the pistol is ready to be fired.
  • the height of the lock surface 5 is preferred regardless of the thickness of upper slide wall 9 .
  • the lock surface 5 is located forward of the ejection opening 4 of the slide 1 .
  • the slide 1 is clamped and a known type of laser is arranged so that its laser beam is directed toward the slide 1 in the direction of arrow 15 in FIG. 2 .
  • the laser is then shifted perpendicularly to the focal plane; preferably at a rate of 100 mm per minute.
  • the average power of the laser is preferably a few hundred Watts (W)
  • the impulse duration of the laser is preferably a few milliseconds (ms)
  • the frequency of the laser is preferably approximately 100-150 Hertz (Hz).
  • This finishing process leaves no detectable marks on the outside surface 3 of the slide 1 . It also results in a gusset-shaped hardened area 11 in the material of the upper slide wall 9 .
  • the hardened area 11 is bordered in the front by the slanted, clearly outlined, flat transition area 13 .
  • the hardened area 11 is bordered toward the back by the lock surface 5 .
  • the hardened area 11 is bordered toward the bottom by the lower surface 7 of the upper slide wall 9 .
  • the slide material 4 in the laser-hardened, gusset-shaped area 11 is a fine-structured, martensitic structure.
  • the above disclosed methods provide a process for finishing a lock surface 5 of an automatic handgun, wherein the lock surface 5 already has its final form.
  • the example methods disclosed above are applicable to finishing the lock surface 5 that is formed by the front lateral surface of the ejection window 4 of the slide 1 of an automatic handgun (i.e., the surface bordering the ejection window 4 and facing toward the back of the firearm).
  • the lock surface 5 and/or the adjoining material surface is finished by coating it with a hardening laser beam.
  • This laser beam can be set to emit relatively low energy. Because of its high concentration, it causes sufficient heating in a narrow area. The laser beam, thus, creates a high temperature at its point of impact that is sufficient for hardening, but that decreases extremely quickly outside of this area. The material surrounding the point of impact quickly dissipates the heat. This happens so quickly that tempering is not required. Unexpectedly, no warping of the lock surface 5 occurs.
  • the laser beam is pointed directly at the lock surface 5 to be hardened. If the laser beam only touches one line running within the lock surface 5 , then the thereby created hardening decreases quickly on both sides. On the other hand, if it touches the entire lock surface 5 to be hardened, then the lock surface 5 can overheat and cool too slowly. The result would be an undefined crystal mixture in the material.
  • the area 11 hardened in this manner can be very narrow. Despite the uneven heating, the material does not warp. Rather, the lock surface 5 retains its shape and, thus, requires no additional finishing.
  • the laser beam is preferably aimed at an angle sloping toward the lock surface 5 .
  • the laser beam be aimed at an angle of approximately 45° relative to a line extending downward and parallel to the lock surface 5 (see FIG. 2 ). It is particularly advantageous if the laser beam hits the lower edge of the lock surface 5 from behind and below (wherein the slide 1 lies horizontal as when closing and the direction of firing is forward).
  • the laser beam leaves behind an unobtrusive slash-like marking on the material surface that it hits.
  • this material surface was previously treated with a rust protectant, then the rust protection layer will be damaged or destroyed by the laser beam.
  • the laser beam be pointed at a material surface that is not visible from the outside of the weapon.
  • the outer surface 3 of the slide 1 which is located opposite from the material surface engaged by the laser beam, can be treated with almost any type of rust protectant, because the beam intensity and the discharge frequency of the laser can be set so that the rust-protected outer surface 3 is not heated to a temperature that would harm the rust protection coating.
  • the edge hardened by the laser beam is the most affected area.
  • firearms have been disclosed with include a lock surface 5 on the front side of the ejection window 4 of the slide I wherein the lock surface 5 has an area which has been hardened by a laser based heating process.
  • the slide 1 be provided with a nitrocarburized, oxidized outer surface 3 . This is particularly advantageous for standard issue models for which markings or other types of scratches should be avoided on the visible surface so that the troops using this weapon do not try and “wipe off” the marking.
  • the hardened portion of the lock surface 5 preferably includes a wedge-shaped portion 11 of the slide material.
  • the wedge-shaped portion 11 has the same structure as the remainder of the slide material.
  • the wedge-shaped portion 11 may be termed a gusset.
  • This gusset 11 has two open surfaces leading from the lower edge of the lock surface 5 .
  • a first one of these open surfaces extends from the lower edge of the lock surface 5 upwards approximately to the upper edge of the lock surface 5 .
  • the other one of these open surfaces extends from the lower edge of the lock surface 5 forward along the bottom 7 of the slide 1 . Both of these surfaces are connected through the material of the slide along a structure transition area 13 .
  • a hardened area 11 is formed that is bordered on the outside by the lock surface 5 and the thickness of which increases towards the outside. Unexpectedly, this is highly advantageous.
  • the structure transition area 13 tapers off between the hardened layer 11 and the non-hardened layer in the upper edge.
  • the surface-treated outer surface 3 of the weapon remains protected from all types of changes, because the transition area 11 does not meet this outer surface 3 .
  • each of the two open surfaces of the hardened material gusset 11 extend approximately 1 to 1.5 mm away from the lower edge of the lock surface 5 .
  • the widths of these surfaces never exceed the height of the lock surface 5 and, thus, these surfaces never meet the upper, blackened outer surface 3 of the weapon.
  • An average preferred value of the thickness of the hardness layer in the lock surface 5 is 0.5 mm in the direction of fire and 1.0 mm perpendicular to the direction of fire.
  • the slide 1 itself mainly consists of strong high-alloy steel that, even unhardened, possesses the required tenacity.
  • 42 CrMoS 4 is particularly suitable as the material for the slide 1 .
  • the finished slide 1 is nitrocarburized and black-oxidized within the framework of a heat treatment. After this second treatment, the lock surface 5 is laser-hardened as explained above.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Heat Treatment Of Articles (AREA)
  • Hooks, Suction Cups, And Attachment By Adhesive Means (AREA)
  • Coating By Spraying Or Casting (AREA)
  • Laser Beam Processing (AREA)
  • Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
  • Devices For Post-Treatments, Processing, Supply, Discharge, And Other Processes (AREA)
  • Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
  • Input Circuits Of Receivers And Coupling Of Receivers And Audio Equipment (AREA)
  • Finishing Walls (AREA)
US10/704,995 2001-05-10 2003-11-10 Slides and methods for finishing a lock surface of a slide in a firearm Abandoned US20050016639A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE10122663.2 2001-05-10
DE10122663A DE10122663C1 (de) 2001-05-10 2001-05-10 Verfahren zum Endbearbeiten einer Verriegelungsfläche einer Selbstlade-Handfeuerwaffe sowie hierdurch erhaltene Verriegelunsfläche
PCT/EP2002/003954 WO2002090862A1 (de) 2001-05-10 2002-04-09 Verfahren zum endbearbeiten einer verriegelungsfläche einer selbstlade-handfeuerwaffe sowie hierdurch erhaltene verriegelungsfläche

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2002/003954 Continuation WO2002090862A1 (de) 2001-05-10 2002-04-09 Verfahren zum endbearbeiten einer verriegelungsfläche einer selbstlade-handfeuerwaffe sowie hierdurch erhaltene verriegelungsfläche

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20050016639A1 true US20050016639A1 (en) 2005-01-27

Family

ID=7684254

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US10/704,995 Abandoned US20050016639A1 (en) 2001-05-10 2003-11-10 Slides and methods for finishing a lock surface of a slide in a firearm

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US20050016639A1 (pt)
EP (1) EP1386118B1 (pt)
KR (1) KR20030094390A (pt)
AT (1) ATE304691T1 (pt)
CA (1) CA2445016A1 (pt)
DE (2) DE10122663C1 (pt)
DK (1) DK1386118T3 (pt)
ES (1) ES2249577T3 (pt)
PT (1) PT1386118E (pt)
WO (1) WO2002090862A1 (pt)
ZA (1) ZA200308688B (pt)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1717539A1 (de) * 2005-04-26 2006-11-02 Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. KG Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Verschlussschlittens einer Schusswaffe

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7216450B2 (en) * 2005-10-17 2007-05-15 Dov Pikielny Frame assembly of handgun with different hardnesses

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3110223A (en) * 1960-07-21 1963-11-12 Stuart A Schlappich Reconditioned firearms
US4791748A (en) * 1986-07-15 1988-12-20 Sako-Valmet Oy Recoil lug and receiver for a gun
US5664359A (en) * 1995-08-23 1997-09-09 Rheinmetall Industrie Gmbh Rifled weapon barrel and method of making the same
US6040551A (en) * 1997-09-18 2000-03-21 Rheinmetall W & M Gmbh Apparatus for hardening the inside contour of a gun barrel with laser radiation
US20040052964A1 (en) * 2002-09-18 2004-03-18 Rheinmetall W & M Gmbh Method for coating the inside of a gun barrel
US6843866B2 (en) * 2001-08-02 2005-01-18 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V. Process for producing wear-resistant surface layers

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19918794C2 (de) * 1999-04-26 2002-06-27 Rheinmetall W & M Gmbh Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Waffenrohres

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3110223A (en) * 1960-07-21 1963-11-12 Stuart A Schlappich Reconditioned firearms
US4791748A (en) * 1986-07-15 1988-12-20 Sako-Valmet Oy Recoil lug and receiver for a gun
US5664359A (en) * 1995-08-23 1997-09-09 Rheinmetall Industrie Gmbh Rifled weapon barrel and method of making the same
US6040551A (en) * 1997-09-18 2000-03-21 Rheinmetall W & M Gmbh Apparatus for hardening the inside contour of a gun barrel with laser radiation
US6843866B2 (en) * 2001-08-02 2005-01-18 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V. Process for producing wear-resistant surface layers
US20040052964A1 (en) * 2002-09-18 2004-03-18 Rheinmetall W & M Gmbh Method for coating the inside of a gun barrel

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1717539A1 (de) * 2005-04-26 2006-11-02 Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. KG Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Verschlussschlittens einer Schusswaffe
US20070084040A1 (en) * 2005-04-26 2007-04-19 Umarex Sportwaffen Gmbh & Co. Kg Process for producing a breech slide for a firearm
US7731894B2 (en) 2005-04-26 2010-06-08 Umarex Sportwaffen Gmbh & Co. Kg Process for producing a breech slide for a firearm

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE10122663C1 (de) 2002-08-01
DE50204267D1 (de) 2005-10-20
CA2445016A1 (en) 2002-11-14
EP1386118B1 (de) 2005-09-14
WO2002090862A1 (de) 2002-11-14
ES2249577T3 (es) 2006-04-01
ZA200308688B (en) 2004-11-24
DK1386118T3 (da) 2006-01-30
EP1386118A1 (de) 2004-02-04
PT1386118E (pt) 2005-11-30
KR20030094390A (ko) 2003-12-11
ATE304691T1 (de) 2005-09-15

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: HECKLER & KOCH, GMBH, GERMANY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WELDLE, HELMUT;BANTLE, HANS-PETER;REEL/FRAME:014783/0936;SIGNING DATES FROM 20031119 TO 20031126

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION