Rotating and translating extractor mechanism

1. An extractor mechanism for a firearm, said mechanism comprising:

a firearm slide having a pocket, said pocket extending in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to a firing axis of a firearm and having an opening proximate to a breech face of said slide; and

an extractor arm having a body portion and a hook portion, said body portion being disposed at least partially within said pocket and said hook portion extending at least partially out of said opening and having a distal edge sized to engage a cartridge rim; wherein

said extractor arm is pivotally and slidably mounted to said slide such that said hook portion is capable of being pivoted toward and away from said firing axis and said extractor arm is capable of translational movement with respect to said slide in a direction substantially parallel to said firing axis wherein said body portion has a body height in a first plane substantially parallel to said firing axis and said hook portion has a hook height in a second plane substantially perpendicular to said firing axis, said body portion and said hook portion being connected by a curved transition portion, and wherein said body portion, hook portion, and curved transition portion share a common upper surface defined by and lying coterminous with a third plane that is lateral to said extractor arm, and said body portion and said curved transition portion share a common lower surface defined by and lying coterminous with a fourth plane that is lateral to said extractor arm, said third and fourth planes being parallel to one another, with a lower bound of said hook portion extending below the fourth plane.

2. The extractor mechanism of claim 1 , wherein said extractor arm is pivotally and slidably mounted to said slide about a pivot pin connected to said slide, said pivot pin fitting loosely within said extractor arm in a direction parallel to said firing axis and fitting tightly in said extractor arm in a direction perpendicular to said firing axis.

3. The extractor mechanism of claim 2 , wherein said pivot pin is received in an elongated aperture in said extractor arm, said elongated aperture having a longitudinal dimension extending parallel to said longitudinal firing axis and a lateral dimension extending perpendicular to said longitudinal firing axis, said longitudinal dimension being greater than said lateral dimension.

4. The extractor mechanism of claim 2 , further comprising a biasing means operatively associated with said extractor arm for biasing said hook portion toward said firing axis.

5. The extractor mechanism of claim 4 , wherein said biasing means is a coil spring positioned rearward of the pivot pin.

6. The extractor mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

a first and second surface of said hook portion meet at said distal edge, said first surface being arranged in a plane substantially parallel to said breech face, said second surface being arranged in a plane that diverges from said breech face at an acute angle, said first surface being more proximate to said breech face than said second surface;

whereby said distal edge facilitates movement of said hook portion over a cartridge rim.

7. The extractor mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

said body portion has a body height which lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to said firing axis;

said hook portion has a hook height which lies in said plane substantially perpendicular to said firing axis; and

said hook height exceeds said body height.

8. An extractor mechanism for a firearm, said mechanism comprising:

a firearm slide having a pocket, said pocket extending in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to a firing axis of a firearm, and having an opening proximate to a breech face of said slide; and

an extractor arm having an elongate body portion and a hook portion, said body portion being disposed at least partially within said pocket and having a first distal end and a second distal end, said body portion and said hook portion being connected by a curved transition portion, and said hook portion extending at least partially out of said opening and having a distal edge sized to engage a cartridge rim; wherein

said body portion of said extractor arm is pivotally and slidably mounted to said slide in said pocket about a pivot pin connected to said slide at a point between said first and second distal ends, such that said hook portion is capable of being pivoted toward and away from said firing axis, and said body portion is capable of being translated with respect to said slide in a direction substantially parallel to said firing axis wherein said body portion, hook portion and curved transition portion share a common upper surface defined by and lying coterminous with a first plane that is lateral to said extractor arm, and said body portion and said curved transition portion share a common lower surface defined by and lying coterminous with a second plane that is lateral to said extractor arm, said first and second planes being lateral to one another, with a lower bound of said hook portion extending below said second plane.

9. The extractor mechanism of claim 8 , wherein said pivot pin is received in an elongated aperture in said body portion of said extractor arm, said pivot pin fitting loosely within said aperture of said extractor arm in a direction parallel to said firing axis and fitting tightly in said extractor arm in a direction perpendicular to said firing axis.

10. The extractor mechanism of claim 9 , wherein said elongated aperture has a longitudinal dimension extending parallel to said longitudinal firing axis and a lateral dimension extending perpendicular to said longitudinal firing axis, said longitudinal dimension being greater than said lateral dimension.

11. The extractor mechanism of claim 8 , further comprising a biasing mechanism operatively associated with said extractor arm for biasing said hook portion toward said firing axis.

12. The extractor mechanism of claim 11 , wherein said biasing mechanism comprises a coil spring and said pivot pin.

13. The extractor mechanism of claim 10 , wherein said pivot pin is a spring pin.

14. The extractor mechanism of claim 12 , wherein:

a first and second surface of said hook portion meet at said distal edge, said first surface being arranged in a plane substantially parallel to said breech face, said second surface being arranged in a plane that diverges from said breech face at an acute angle, said first surface being more proximate to said breech face than said second surface; whereby

said distal edge facilitates movement of said hook portion over a cartridge rim.

15. The extractor mechanism of claim 8 , wherein:

said body portion has a body height in a first plane substantially parallel to said firing axis and said hook portion has a hook height in a second plane substantially perpendicular to said firing axis;

and wherein said hook height exceeds said body height.