1,511,262 J. M, BROWNING AUTOUATIG. PTREARUL Oct. 14 , 1924. Filed Sept. 21, 1925 af Coyle5 of Utal 10 6 20 8 38 40 6 Patented Oct. 14, 1924, UNITED STATES 1,511,262 PATENT OFFICE. JOHN M. BROWNING, OF OGDEN, UAE. AUTOMATIC FIREARM, Application ed September #1, 1023. Serial Wo, 684,068. To all whom it may conaern: Be it known that 1, Joux M, Browxixc, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ogden, in the county of Weber and State h, have invented certain new and use- ful Improvements in Automatic Firearms, of, which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. ‘The invention is for improvements in ma- chine guns and the like in which all opere- tions of the mechanism, except that of the trigger, are automatically effected, and has for its object to provide means for regulat- ing or retarding the rate of firing, while re taining the automatic action. Tt has been found that in automatic ma- chine guns, and particularly in automatic machine rifles, as heretofore constructed, the rate of firing may be so rapid when the gun or rifle is being operated with its full auto- matic action, that is, when the trigger is being held back, as to bea positive disad- vantage. The rate of firing be so rapid that the shooter can not properly aim his gun or rifle, ammunition ig wasted and the Fapid succession of recoils is so severe, par- ticularly in the case of a machine rifle being shot from the hip or shoulder, that the ac: curacy of the shooter is much decreased. Also, particularly in the ease of the auto- matic rifle, the gun heats up too rapidiy and the rifling in the barrel wears out quick- ly. Tt has therefore been found advisable fo retard the rate of fring by insuring thet there should be a lapse of time between suc- esse shots greator than the time required for the usual recoil and retumn to battery of the recoiling parts. ‘Zo that end I provide novel means which seiard or slow down the rate of fring by preventing tho return of the firing mecha~ nism to battery after recoil until after the lapse of a desired period of time. Accord. ing to my present invention, on the firing of a shot the retarding mechanism is moved into operative position to insure that the firing mechanism shall be cocked on the re- coil thereof and to positively prevent the firing mechanism from being released to fire the next shot, until the retarding mechanism has moved from operative to inoperative position, and the time taken for this move- ment of the retarding mechanism from operative to. inoperative position can be regulated to insure the desired lapse of time Detiween shots, T illustrate my invention as applied to the automatic machine rifle such as is shown ae described in my United States Patent ‘o, 1.293,029, and the accompanying draw- ings show those parts of the machine rifle of said patent to which my new invention is applied. In “the ‘accompanying dravings, Fig. 1 represents a Iongitudinal vertical section of ‘he central portion of the machine rifle with the parts in firing position and certain parts in elevation, Fig. 2 represents. plan view of the trig- ger casing and its accompanying parts, Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the retarding mechanisin with the sear and action-slide in cocked position after Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of the action-slide, a portion of the triggor-guard, and the trigger and sear in cocked position. Fig. 5 represents a left hand sidé viow of the retarding lever latch and of the right hand tear portion of the retarding lever, with a portion of the retarding lever in soc. tion, Fig. 6 ropresents a front view of the e6- ceapement ratchet and pawl. ig. T represonts vertical. transverse section in the line 77 of Fig, 1. ‘Tho following main parts of the mechine rifle shown and deseribed in the Patent No. 1,208,022 are shown in the drawings ‘The hammer 1; the action-slide 2; piston- rod 3; piston 4; reaction spring 83 buffer Plate 6; breech casing 7; butt stock 8 zine releaso 9; magezino catch 10; magazine 11; trigger 12; trigger-plate or guard 133 and sear id. ‘Tho trigger is pivoted at its forward end gp, ivot-pin 12, which extends transversely rough the trigger-guar wigs. 1, 3 and 4 the trigger is shown in its normal in- operative position, to which it is retamed by the sear spring after being pulled back to unlock the firing mechanism as herein- stter described, Hearward projection 12° engaging the iriggor-guard prevents the {tigger from swinging, down beyond the Position shown in Figs, 1, 8 and 4. % %0 100 108The sear 14 is pivoted on pin 14* seated the ears 13* projecting upwardly from the trigger guard on each side. pin 14 passes through a longitudinal slot 14° in the sear, whereby the sear can not onl rotate on its pivot but can have a. limit longitudinal movement. for purposes herein- after described. A sear spring 14° is seated in a recess in the under side of the sear and 10. engages at its forward end the fixed pin 15 Which projects transversely through the trigger-suard under the pin 14*, “As shown 20 0 6 55 fi 4, said spring normally holds. the i Position with its rear raised position and the pivot pin engagement with the front. face’ of the slot 14", whereby the end of the rear arm of the’ sear will engage the cocking Shoulder 2" on the bottom face of the action: slide when the setionsalide moves forward after its reoil, and hold the action-slide and hhammer cocked until the front arm of the senr is raised by the trigger as hereinafter escribed. In Figs. 1, 3 and 4 the trigger is {in its notinl, inoperative position, and if the retarding’ lever 19 is in its inoperative position, as hereinafter described, rear. Ward pull on the trigger will bring the top of the upwardly projecting arm 1S" of the trigger into engagement with the end of the forward arm of the seary Tock the sear on its pivot and free the action-slide and ham- ime Zor forward fring movement under the fetion of tho spring’ 5. Piro’ on gin a hich projects trans. versely through the ‘trigger guard, is the combined ratchet 17° and escapement wheel Tt (Big. 6). An escapement pawl 18. is pivoted on ‘pin 18%, which. projects trans- ersely through the trigger” guard. below Pivot pin Tr. "Said eseapement pal is pos Foned® for engagement, with the teeth of the eseapement wheel 17+. i9'isa retarding and trigger-locking lever pivoted at its tear end and centrally of the trigger gard on pia. o> hich projets faneversely through the trigger guard, otal mounted on the forward nd of the retarding lever. and projecting down- ‘wardly therefrom isthe ratchet having teeth 20° to engage the teeth of the ratchet 1? Seated in the head of the re- farding and trigger-locking lover is. the ratchet pawl spring 20° having its upper end Seated dune a searcard preston on the ratchet pawl and thereby pressing the lower end of the pawl rearwardly and holding the teeth of sald pawl in engagement with the ratchet 17. Te will be noted (see Fig. 2 that the retarding lever is not parallel wil the sides of the trigger-guard. throughout its length, but for a portion of its length js inclined to the left, whereby its front end is in.a vertical line with the ratchet 17 0 that the ratchet paw 20 can properly en: ave 20 1 41,011,269 gage suid ratchet. 19° is the retarding lever Spring mounted on the pivot pin 12% on ‘hich the trigger is pivoted. One end of the spring rents on th Yop of the tegaer- guurd and the other end in 19" which projects laterally. from the Jefe hand side of the retarding lever, for- wardly of pivot pin 10 Pin 10° is under- cut to hold said Spring and pin in engage ment, ‘This spring therefore exerts its pres- sure to rotate the forward end of the retard ing ever upraniy, from the poston shown in'Pig.1 to that shown in Fig. 3. Projecting laterally from the vight hand side of the rear end of the retarding. lever fand integral therewith is lever-piecs 19¢ with Tongitudinally extending’ front and. rear arms (Figs, 2 and 5). Between the upwardly projecting arm 12° of the trigger and the right hand side of the trigger-guard, and just forward of the lever piece 10", is the retarding lever latch 21, pivoted on a fixed pin 21*, which projects Inwardly from right hand side of the ger-guard, "Seated in said Intch is the latch {pri SI° beating at ts lower ead against the trigger guard; as shown in Fig. 8. In the rear face of bald latch ig a recess 21° ‘As will be seen by reference to Fig. 8; the Inteh spring normally holds said latch in i rearward poition with th shoulder of stid recese 21° engaging the top face of the shelf 10" on the end of the front arm of the Tever piece 19° when the retarding lever js in its lowered position (Fig. 1), thereby Holding the retarding lever in its lowered or operative position, as shown in Figg 1. ‘The shelf 10° on the end of the front atm of the lever piece 19" projects Interaily and to the right, beyond tie inner edge of the lon gitudinaY right hand ledge 13" on the top Fight hond side of the trigger guard, as shown in Fig. 2. ‘The upward movement of retarding lever 1 is limited by the tear end of lever pieco 10* engaging the top face of the triggerguard, as shown in Fig. 3. The downward movement of retarding lever 19 is limited by engagement of the shelf 1° with the top of the said longitudinal ledge The top of the trigger adjacent the arm 12" forms a shoulder 12° (Fig. 7) whieh, 1n- less the retarding lever is in its uppermost or inoperative position, will engage the bot- tom face of said lever before the top of the arm 12° will engage the front arm of the sear. ‘The pivot pins 14%, 19%, 19% and 17. a1 held in their seats when the'rifle is assembled by, the sides of the breech easin; "Tho operation of the retarding device can now be readily understood. Tn Fig. 1 the parts are in the position which they assume ‘when a shot is being fired. Upon the firing of a shot the action-slide immediately re- years against the 7 0 85 100 ot ne us 1 et