Firearm having a debris shield for use with a direct gas impingement system

1. A firearm comprising:

a receiver defining a bore with said receiver extending along a longitudinal axis and said receiver defining an ejection port transverse to said longitudinal axis with said bore defining an inner surface;

a bolt carrier disposed in said bore and moveable relative to said receiver along said longitudinal axis between a firing position and a rearward position with said bolt carrier defining at least one exhaust port transverse to said longitudinal axis; and

a shield defining an aperture aligned with said exhaust port for exhausting gases therethrough with said shield longitudinally affixed to said bolt carrier and moving with said bolt carrier as a unit between said firing and rearward positions along said longitudinal axis with said shield blocking said ejection port when in said firing position and said shield sliding along said inner surface away from said ejection port when moving to said rearward position in conjunction with said bolt carrier.

2. A firearm as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bolt carrier defines a bolt carrier recess having an outer surface for receiving said shield.

3. A firearm as set forth in claim 2 wherein said outer surface includes a distal rim extending angularly away from said longitudinal axis.

4. A firearm as set forth in claim 3 wherein said shield includes an outer edge and an angled portion tapering toward said outer edge along a part of said shield with said distal rim and said angled portion being complementary in configuration to each other.

5. A firearm as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bolt carrier further includes a boss defining a portion of said exhaust port.

6. A firearm as set forth in claim 5 wherein said boss extends outwardly from said outer surface by a first distance.

7. A firearm as set forth in claim 6 wherein said shield includes an exterior side and an interior side spaced from each other with said interior side facing said outer surface and said exterior side facing said inner surface of said receiver with said exterior side disposed a second distance from said outer surface and said second distance being greater than said first distance.

8. A firearm as set forth in claim 5 wherein said shield includes a middle portion, a first end portion 90 and a second end portion 92 with said first ( 90 ) and second end portions ( 92 ) extending outwardly from said middle portion away from each other such that said middle portion and first and second end portions are completely blocking said ejection port when in said firing position and said middle portion and said first and second end portions are completely spaced from said ejection port within said receiver when in said rearward position and wherein said middle portion of said shield defines said aperture for receiving said boss to longitudinally affix said shield to said bolt carrier.

9. A firearm as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one exhaust port is further defined as a plurality of exhaust ports spaced from each other and wherein said bolt carrier further includes a boss defining a portion of said plurality of exhaust ports for exhausting gases therethrough.

10. A firearm as set forth in claim 1 further including a securing system attached to one of said bolt carrier and said shield for longitudinally affixing said shield to said bolt carrier.

11. A firearm as set forth in claim 10 wherein said securing system includes a boss extending outwardly from said outer surface of said bolt carrier.

12. A firearm as set forth in claim 1 further including a biasing device disposed 2between said bolt carrier and said shield for biasing said shield outwardly away from said bolt carrier.

13. A firearm as set forth in claim 1 further including a door coupled to said receiver adjacent said ejection port with said door movable between a closed position covering said ejection port and a released position allowing said door to move away from said ejection port.