Granted Patent B2

US 12,736,294 · App. 18/917,430 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: James Matthew Underwood (Kennesaw, GA); Larry Cullen Underwood (Canton, GA)

F41A3/46

Abstract

Claims (40)

1 . A firearm operating system configured for a semi-automatic firearm, the firearm operating system comprising:

a bolt;

a plurality of bearings disposed at least partially within the bolt;

a carrier disposed on a rear side of the bolt; and

a cam pin, wherein:

the bolt is configured to move in a forward/aft direction relative to the carrier; and

the cam pin comprises a plurality of surfaces that each correspond to one of the plurality of bearings.

2 . The firearm operating system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of bearings comprises at least one selected from the group of a cylindrical shape or a spherical shape.

3 . The firearm operating system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of bearings moves in a radial direction of the bolt.

4 . The firearm operating system of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of bearings comprises three bearings; and

the bolt comprises three cavities distributed around a perimeter of the bolt such that each bearing moves relative to the bolt through the respective cavity.

5 . The firearm operating system of claim 4 , further comprising a retracted bearing configuration and a deployed bearing configuration, wherein:

in the retracted bearing configuration the bearings are biased toward a center of the bolt and do not extend beyond an outer surface of the bolt; and

in the deployed bearing configuration the bearings are biased away from the center of the bolt and do at least partially extend beyond the outer surface of the bolt.

6 . The firearm operating system of claim 4 , wherein each cavity comprises a retaining portion that prevents the bearing from passing entirely through the cavity.

7 . The firearm operating system of claim 1 , wherein the bolt comprises an extractor and an ejector that are both disposed at a forward face of the bolt.

8 . The firearm operating system of claim 7 , wherein the bolt comprises a coil spring for the extractor and a coil spring for the ejector.

9 . The firearm operating system of claim 1 , further comprising a barrel extension comprising a plurality of recesses that each corresponds to one of the plurality of bearings.

10 . The firearm operating system of claim 1 , wherein each of the forward surfaces is oblique relative to a forward/aft direction of the firearm operating system.

11 . A firearm operating system for a semi-automatic firearm, the firearm operating system comprising:

a bolt;

a plurality of bearings disposed at least partially within the bolt; and

a plurality of forward surfaces that each corresponds to one of the plurality of bearings, wherein:

the bolt is configured to move in a forward/aft direction relative to other components of the firearm operating system; and

movement of the bolt causes the plurality of bearings to move relative to the bolt such that the firearm operating system moves; and

each of the forward surfaces is not perpendicular relative to a forward/aft direction of the firearm operating system.

12 . The firearm operating system of claim 11 , further comprising a cam pin comprising a forward section and a rear section, wherein the cam pin is disposed between the bolt and a carrier.

13 . The firearm operating system of claim 12 , wherein:

the rear section of the cam pin is disposed within a forward cavity of the carrier; and

the forward section of the cam pin interacts with the plurality of bearings.

14 . The firearm operating system of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of bearings comprises at least one selected from the group of a cylindrical shape or a spherical shape.

15 . The firearm operating system of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of bearings moves in a radial direction of the bolt.

16 . The firearm operating system of claim 11 , wherein:

the plurality of bearings comprises three bearings; and

the bolt comprises three cavities distributed around a perimeter of the bolt such that each bearing moves relative to the bolt through the respective cavity.

17 . The firearm operating system of claim 11 , wherein the bolt comprises an extractor and an ejector that are both disposed at a forward face of the bolt.

18 . The firearm operating system of claim 17 , wherein the bolt comprises a coil spring for the extractor and a coil spring for the ejector.

19 . The firearm operating system of claim 11 , further comprising a barrel extension comprising a plurality of recesses that each corresponds to one of the plurality of bearings.

20 . The firearm operating system of claim 19 , wherein the barrel extension comprises threads for attaching to a barrel.

Continuity (6)

References Cited (143)