Cartridge extraction with dummy extractor for a cased telescoped ammunition firearm
A firearm for firing cased telescoped (CT) ammunition cartridges that includes a split chamber configured to fully support a CT cartridge when it is fired, and that includes i) a dynamic rear chamber portion defining a pocket in a face of a bolt, and ii) a static front chamber portion that is integral to the barrel and separate from the bolt. A cartridge extraction mechanism engages the CT cartridge prior to the CT cartridge being fired, and holds the CT cartridge in the pocket in the bolt face as the bolt moves rearward to pull the CT cartridge out of the static front chamber portion and into an ejection position. An ejector is operable to eject the CT cartridge from the pocket in the face of the bolt when the CT cartridge reaches the ejection position.
1. A firearm configured to fire cased telescoped (CT) ammunition cartridges, the firearm comprising:
a barrel;
a split chamber configured to radially support a CT cartridge along a full length of the CT cartridge at the time that the CT cartridge is fired, the split chamber including i) a dynamic rear chamber portion defining a pocket in a bolt face of a bolt, the bolt operable to load the CT cartridge into the split chamber for firing, and ii) a static front chamber portion that is integral to the barrel and separate from the bolt;
a cartridge extraction mechanism including a pivoting extractor and at least one dummy extractor that are each configured to a) engage the CT cartridge prior to the CT cartridge being fired, and b) hold the CT cartridge in the pocket defined in the bolt face of the bolt after the CT cartridge is fired as the bolt moves rearward to pull the CT cartridge rearward out of the static front chamber portion;
wherein the pivoting extractor is configured to engage a first portion of an extractor groove in the CT cartridge;
wherein the at least one dummy extractor is configured to engage a second portion of the extractor groove of the CT cartridge, wherein the second portion of the extractor groove of the CT cartridge is not engaged by the pivoting extractor; and
wherein an end of a front portion of the at least one dummy extractor is configured to engage with the extractor groove in the CT cartridge along all of a circumference of the CT cartridge in which the extractor groove is not engaged by the pivoting extractor.
2. The firearm of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the pivoting extractor is configured to engage a first portion of the CT cartridge; and
wherein the at least one dummy extractor is configured to engage a second portion of the CT cartridge, wherein the second portion of the CT cartridge is not engaged by the pivoting extractor.
3. The firearm of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the pivoting extractor is configured to pivot about a first pivot point in the bolt; and
wherein the at least one dummy extractor is configured to pivot about at least one second pivot point in the bolt.
4. The firearm of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the at least one dummy extractor is configured to pivot about the at least one second pivot point in the bolt such that a front portion of the at least one dummy extractor is pivoted outward from the CT cartridge prior to the bolt being moved forward into the static front chamber portion while loading the CT cartridge.
5. The firearm of claim 4 , further comprising:
wherein the at least one dummy extractor is configured to pivot about the at least one second pivot point in the bolt such that the front portion of the dummy extractor is pivoted inward towards the CT cartridge as the bolt is moved forward into the static front chamber portion.
6. The firearm of claim 5 , further comprising:
an ejector configured to eject the CT cartridge from the pocket defined in the bolt face of the bolt upon the CT cartridge being pulled rearward into an ejection position; and
wherein the at least one dummy extractor is configured to pivot outward from the CT cartridge when the bolt moves rearward after firing of the CT cartridge to move the CT cartridge into the ejection position, to allow the CT cartridge to be ejected from the pocket defined in the bolt face of the bolt by the ejector.
7. The firearm of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein an end of a front portion of the at least one dummy extractor has an arcuate surface that matches a contour of an inner surface of the extractor groove of the CT cartridge; and
wherein the at least one dummy extractor engages with the CT cartridge prior to firing of the CT cartridge by engagement of the arcuate surface of the end of the front portion of the at least one dummy extractor with the inner surface of the extractor groove of the CT cartridge.
8. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the at least one dummy extractor comprises a pair of opposing dummy extractors.
9. The firearm of claim 8 , wherein the pair of opposing dummy extractors are each independently spring loaded to pivot the dummy extractors outward from the CT cartridge until the bolt is moved forward and locked into the static front chamber portion.
10. The firearm of claim 8 , wherein the pair of opposing dummy extractors are oriented 90 degrees from the pivoting extractor.
11. The firearm of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein moving the bolt to load the CT cartridge into the split chamber also causes the pivoting extractor to engage the extractor groove in the CT cartridge prior to firing of the CT cartridge.