Gas powered semi-automatic airgun action
Airguns are provided with semi-automatic action.
1 . An airgun, comprising:
a valve for releasing pressurized gas when transitioned from a closed position to an open position;
a hammer that causes the valve to release the pressurized gas;
a primary sear that facilitates movement of the hammer between a hammer cocked position and a hammer fire position;
a secondary sear that facilitates movement of the primary sear between a primary sear cocked position and a primary sear fire position;
a trigger movable between a non-firing position and a fired position; and
a lift connected to the secondary sear, the lift engaged with the trigger in the non-firing position and disengaged from the trigger in the fired position, the lift facilitating movement of the secondary sear from a secondary sear cocked position to a secondary sear fire position when the trigger is in the fired position, wherein:
a trigger spring is positioned to bias the trigger toward the non-firing position, and
movement of the trigger from the fired position to the non-firing position causes reengagement between the lift and the trigger.
2 . The airgun of claim 1 , the lift comprising a notch and the trigger comprising a tab, the notch and the tab configured to engage to facilitate movement of the lift responsive to the trigger moving from the non-firing position to the fired position.
3 . The airgun of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the trigger from the non-firing position to the fired position comprises rotation of the trigger about a pivot, and wherein rotation of the trigger causes the lift to move such that, upon the trigger reaching the fired position:
the secondary sear transitions from the secondary sear cocked position to the secondary sear fire position,
the primary sear transitions from the primary sear cocked position to the primary sear fire position, and
the hammer transitions from the hammer cocked position to the hammer fire position to cause the valve to release the pressurized gas.
4 . The airgun of claim 1 , wherein the primary sear has a primary sear return surface that is positioned to be driven by the hammer when the hammer is traveling to hammer cocked position.
5 . The airgun of claim 1 , wherein the primary sear comprises a hammer catch, the hammer catch configured to hold the hammer in the hammer cocked position while the primary sear is in the primary sear cocked position.
6 . The airgun of claim 1 , wherein a first rotation of the primary sear causes a disengagement between the trigger and the lift that facilitates a second rotation of the secondary sear.
7 . The airgun of claim 1 , further comprising a safety that is movable between a safety engaged position and a safety disengaged position, the safety engaged position restricting movement of the secondary sear from the secondary sear cocked position to the secondary sear fire position.
8 . The airgun of claim 1 , further comprising a loading system configured to load a projectile into a loading area of the airgun for ejection from the airgun in response to a flow of the pressurized gas.
9 . The airgun of claim 1 , further comprising a direction limiter configured to limit an extent of rotation of a portion of the secondary sear in a first direction.
10 . The airgun of claim 9 , wherein the direction limiter comprises a set spring mounting that positions a set spring to apply increasing resistance to the portion of the secondary sear during rotation until a threshold force is applied.
11 . A method of operating an airgun, the method comprising:
receiving a pull force on a trigger, the pull force causing the trigger to pivot from a non-firing position to a fired position, wherein transitioning the trigger to the fired position:
causes movement of a secondary sear,
the movement of the secondary sear enables movement of a primary sear from a primary sear cocked position to a primary sear fired position,
the movement of the primary sear to the primary sear fired position allows a hammer to move from a hammer cocked position to a hammer fire position, and
the movement of the hammer to the hammer fire position causes pressurized gas to be released from a valve; and
returning the trigger to the non-firing position under force of a trigger spring, wherein:
a lift that is connected to the secondary sear is engaged with the trigger in the non-firing position and disengaged from the trigger in the fired position, and
returning the trigger to the non-firing position causes movement of the lift, and reengagement between the lift and the trigger.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising returning the hammer from the hammer fire position to the hammer cocked position using a portion of the pressurized gas released from the valve and force from a valve spring, wherein the force is applied by the valve spring to a stem impacted by the hammer when the hammer is in the hammer fire position.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the lift comprises a notch and the trigger comprises a tab, the notch and the tab configured to engage to facilitate movement of the lift responsive to the trigger moving from the non-firing position to the fired position.
14 . The method of claim 11 , the primary sear comprising a hammer catch, wherein allowing the hammer to move from the hammer cocked position to the hammer fire position comprises disengaging the hammer catch from holding the hammer in the hammer cocked position.
15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising, prior to receiving the pull force on the trigger, holding the hammer in the hammer cocked position by engaging the hammer with the primary sear, wherein the hammer is a spring biased hammer.
16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising, prior to receiving the pull force on the trigger, holding the primary sear in the primary sear cocked position by engaging the primary sear with the secondary sear.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising engaging a primary sear return surface of the primary sear with the hammer as the hammer returns from the hammer fire position to the hammer cocked position, the primary sear being urged, by the secondary sear, to return to the primary sear cocked position as the hammer returns to the hammer cocked position.
18 . An airgun comprising:
a hammer that, when transitioned from a hammer cocked position to a hammer fire position, causes pressurized gas to be released from a valve;
a primary sear that is moveable relative to the hammer and configured to release the hammer from the hammer cocked position such that the hammer moves to the hammer fire position;
a secondary sear that facilitates movement of the primary sear relative to the hammer;
a safety configured to move between a safety engaged position and a safety disengaged position, the safety restricting the secondary sear from facilitating the movement of the primary sear while the safety is in the safety engaged position, the safety allowing the secondary sear to facilitate the movement of the primary sear while the safety is in the safety disengaged position;
a trigger configured to move, against force applied by a trigger spring, from a non-firing position to a fired position; and
a lift connected to the secondary sear, the lift engaged with the trigger in the non-firing position and disengaged from the trigger in the fired position, the lift facilitating movement of the secondary sear from a secondary sear cocked position to a secondary sear fire position when the trigger is in the fired position and the safety is in the safety disengaged position, wherein:
a trigger spring is positioned to bias the trigger toward the non-firing position,
movement of the trigger from the non-firing position to the firing position while the safety is in the safety disengaged position causes movement of the lift, and
movement of the trigger from the fired position to the non-firing position causes reengagement between the lift and the trigger.
19 . The airgun of claim 18 , wherein the primary sear comprises a hammer catch, the hammer catch configured to hold the hammer in the hammer cocked position while the primary sear is in the primary sear cocked position.
20 . The airgun of claim 18 , wherein the movement of the trigger from the non-firing position to the fired position comprises rotation of the trigger about a pivot, and wherein rotation of the trigger causes the lift to move such that, upon the trigger reaching the fired position:
the secondary sear transitions from the secondary sear cocked position to the secondary sear fire position,
the primary sear transitions from the primary sear cocked position to the primary sear fire position, and
the hammer transitions from the hammer cocked position to the hammer fire position to cause the valve to release the pressurized gas.