United States Patent Office
Patented Apr. 13, 1965
3,177,771
COUNTER-RECOL MECHANISMFOR FREARMS
Carrol D. McKim, 791 34th Ave., San Francisco, Calif.
Fied Dec. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 327,628
7 Claims. (Cl. 89-14)
The present invention relates to a recoil mechanism for
firearms, and pertains more particularly to such a mecha
nism which is of extremely light weight and simple con
struction.
In the past, numerous attempts have been made to pro
vide a mechanism which would reduce the recoil, and also
the muzzle blast and flash, incidental to the firing of a high
power rifle. Some of such prior devices have been quite
heavy and cumbersome, and some thereof involve moving
parts, which are subject to rapid deterioration or damage
by the high velocity, hot gases discharged from the muzzle
upon the firing of a firearm upon which such a device is
mounted. Others thereof have provided less than satis
factory recoil reduction, while many of them have actual
ly added to the noise effect on the shooter, being worse
than with the bare muzzle.
An object of the present invention is to provide an im
proved and simplified muzzle-mounted counter-recoil
mechanism for firearms.
Another object is to provide a light weight muzzle
mounted counter-recoil and noise reducing mechanism for
firearms.
Another object of the invention is to provide a muzzle
mounted counter-recoil mechanism comprising a tubular
casing having a plurality of open end smaller tubes
mounted transversely therein, each of the transverse tubes
having an opening diametrically therethrough of a size,
and so located, as to permit a bullet fired from the rifle
barrel upon which the mechanism is mounted to pass
through these holes, whereby propellant gases following
such bullet expand throughout the interior of the casing to
thereby exert a forwardly directed force on the opposite
end of the casing and on the transverse tubes in a direction
opposite to that of the recoil caused by the firing of the
projectile.
A further object of the invention is to provide a muzzle
mounted counter-recoil and noise reducing mechanism for
firearms wherein a tubular casing is mounted in axially
parallel relation on the muzzle end of a gun barrel, a
plurality of smaller tubes being mounted transversely with
in the casing and with their axes intersecting the bore axis
of a gun barrel upon which the mechanism is mounted,
holes being provided in the transverse tubes to permit
a bullet to pass therethrough, a plurality of the transverse
tubes communicating at their ends with the atmosphere,
whereby the gases propelling a bullet fired from such gun
barrel and passing through the casing and through the
holes in the transverse tubes exert a counter-recoil force
on the mechanism, and escape to the atmosphere through
some or all of the tubes and the outer end of the casing
after expansion into the tubular casing, thereby also great
ly reducing the muzzle blast.
These, and other objects and advantages of the inven are concentric with the cross sectional configuration of
tion, will be apparent from the following description and 60 such projectile, no force is exerted on the projectile by
the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of counter trajectory. The propellant gases from the explosion
recoil mechanism embodying the invention, a portion of which propel the projectile enter the casing 10, where
the muzzle end of a rifle barrel upon which the mecha
nism is mounted being shown in broken lines.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, diametrical, sectional view of the
mechanism shown in FIG. 1, the muzzle end portion of
the gun barrel also being shown sectionally.
FEG. 3 is a sectional view generally similar to FIG. 2,
but showing a modified form of the invention.
The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises
a muzzle mounted counter-recoil mechanism A, having a
3,177,771
2
cylindrical casing 10 of suitable metal such as, for example,
a high strength aluminum alloy or steel tubing. End discs
11 and 12 are fitted one in each end of the casing 10, and
are strongly and fixedly secured in place therein in any
suitable manner, as by welding, or, in the case of brass or
steel, silver soldering. The inner end disc 11 is provided
with a threaded hole 13 therethrough of a size to permit
the threaded muzzle end portion 14a of a gun barrel 14
to be screwed firmly and co-axially therein. The disc 12
0. in the other end of the casing tube 10 has a hole 17 there
through axially aligned with the threaded hole 13, and of
a diameter to permit a projectile, not shown, fired from
the gun barrel 14, to pass therethrough without contact
with the surrounding disc 2.
15 A plurality of tubes 18 of an external diameter sub
stantially smaller than the casing tube 10, but larger than
the bore 19 of the gun barrel 14, are mounted transversely
of the casing tube 10 with their axes substantially inter
secting the common axis of the barrel bore 19 and the
20 holes 13 and 17 when the mechanism A is mounted on a
gun barrel 4 as shown in FIG. 2. Each of the trans
verse tubes 18 is fitted into a pair of holes 22 and 23
provided in opposite sides of the casing tube 10, and has
a pair of co-axial holes 20 and 2 diametrically there
25 through. The tubes 3 are so positioned that the axes of
all of the holes 20 and 21 therethrough are coincident with
each other and with the common axis of the holes 13
and 17 in the end discs 11 and 2 respectively. Each of
the transverse tube holes 20 and 21 is of diameter slightly
larger than the bore 19 of a gun barrel 14 for which the
counter-recoil mechanism A is intended, so as to permit
a bullet fired from the gun barrel to pass centrally there
through without contacting any of the tubes 8.
While the drawings show the tubes 18 arranged with
their axes in a common plane, and diametrically of the
casing tube 10, which may be preferable in some in
stances, it is obvious, however, that this arrangement can
be varied without departing from the present invention
as long as the holes in the tubes 18 are so aligned as to
permit a projectile from a gun barrel upon which the
mechanism is mounted to pass freely therethrough. The
tubes 18 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 terminate flush with
the outer surface of the casing 10, and the ends of all
of the tubes 18 except the rearmost one are open. Disks
16 are affixed in sealing relation in the ends of the rear
most tube 18, since it has been found that the sound effect
of the report on the shooter is greatly reduced when this
first tube is so closed off, while the recoil reduction is
not adversely affected by such closing.
50 The operation of the form of the invention shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 is as follows: When a projectile (not
shown) is fired from a gun barrel 14 upon which a mech
anism. A embodying the invention is mounted as shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2, the projectile passes successively
through the holes 20 and 21 in all of the transverse tubes
18, and through the hole 17 in the forward disc 2 with
out contacting any portion of the mechanism A. Since
all of the holes through which the projectile thus passes
such passage which would tend to divert it from its normal
they immediately expand, and in their violent forward
travel they encounter the transverse tubes 18 and the for
ward end disc 12, exerting a powerful forwardly directed
force thereon which tends to nullify the usual recoil
resulting from the firing of a high power rifle.
Also, these expanding gases build up a tremendous
70 pressure within the casing 10, and this pressure forces the
gases into each of the tubes 18 through the holes 28 and
21 therein, and also out the end hole 17. As the gases
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t 4.
enter the tubes 18 through the holes 20 and 21 from
opposite sides, the shock waves of the oppositely directed
incoming gases tend to cancel each other out, while the
gases, issuing from the several orifices provided by the
open ends of the tubes 18 and the end opening 17 pro
duce, in effect, a number of small explosions, the sharp
ness and intensity of which is greatly reduced by the ex
pansion of the gases within the casing 10.
In addition to a reduction of recoil and report noise,
the present invention results in a marked reduction in
muzzle flash, since the propellant gases are trapped
momentarily within the casing 10, and even this momen
tary delay permits at least some of the burning particles
of the propellant charge to be consumed in the casing 10.
While the casing 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being
mounted co-axially of the bore 19 of a rifle barrel 14
upon which the mechanism A is mounted, and this ar
rangement is presently preferred, particularly for use
with telescopic sights, this arrangement is not essential
to the invention and the holes in the end discs i? and 12,
and the holes 21 and 22 in the tubes 18 may be located
with their common axis adjacent the upper side of the
casing 0 as shown in FIG. 3, which arrangement may
be preferable where ordinary or iron sights are employed.
The arrangement shown in FIG. 3 is generally similar
to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and corresponding parts
thereof are designated by the same reference numerals
as those employed in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the prime (')
added thereto. Aside from the lateral offsetting of the
common axis of the holes 13, 17, 20' and 21 from the
axis of the casing 10', and the elongation of the trans
verse tubes 18 to provide the extensions 18'a, the modi
fied form A of FIG. 3 is substantially the same as that
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Its operation will, therefore,
be obvious to one having an understanding of the struc
ture and operation of the form A of FIGS. 1 and 2, and
will not, therefore, be described in further detail herein.
The invention provides a simple, light weight, inexpen
sive and highly effective counter-recoil mechanism for
firearms, with little or no adverse effect on the trajectory
of a projectile fired from a firearm, such as a rifle, upon
which the invention is mounted, and with the additional
advantage of reducing both report noise and muzzle flash.
While I have illustrated and described a preferred em
bodiment of the present invention and one modified form
thereof, it will be understood, however, that various
changes and modifications may be made in the details
thereof without departing from the scope of the invention
as set forth in the appended claims.
Having thus described the invention, what I claim as
new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined
in the following claims.
1. A counter-recoil mechanism for a rifle, comprising:
(a) a tubular casing having an interior diameter
several times that of the bore of a rifle upon which
it is to be mounted,
(b) the outer end of the casing being closed except
for an opening therein of a diameter slightly greater
than the bore of such rifle,
(c) a plurality of tubes of an external diameter sub
stantially smaller than the internal diameter of the
casing and larger than the bore of such barrel
mounted transversely of the casing, each transverse
tube having aligned holes in opposite walls thereof
diametrically therethrough, the latter holes being of
slightly larger diameter than the bore of such barrel,
(d) the transverse tubes being mounted with the holes
diametrically therethrough co-axial with each other
and with the hole in the outer end of the casing,
(e) the ends of some of the transverse tubes being
open to the atmosphere exteriorly of the casing,
(f) means for mounting the casing co-extensively on
the muzzle end of a rifle barrel with the opening in
the outer end of the casing and the holes diametri
5 cally through the transverse tubes co-axial with the
bore of such barrel, and with the inner end of the
casing Sealed to such barrel.
2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the
ends of the transverse tube nearest the muzzle end of
O the casing are sealed off and the ends of the remaining
transverse tubes are open to the atmosphere.
3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein each
transverse tube is fitted into a pair of holes provided
therefor in the casing, and is fixedly secured therein.
5 4. A counter-recoil mechanism for a rifle, comprising:
(a) a tubular casing having an interior diameter a
plurality of times that of the bore of a rifle upon
which it is to be mounted,
(b) each end of the casing being closed except for
an opening therein of a diameter greater than the
bore of such rifle, the openings in the casing ends
being co-axial,
(c) the opening in the inner end of the casing being
threaded for screwing co-axially onto the correspond
ingly threaded muzzle of a rifle barrel,
(d) a plurality of tubes of an external diameter,
Smaller than the internal diameter of the casing and
larger than the bore of such barrel, and mounted
transversely of the casing, each transverse tube hav
3. ing aligned holes in opposite walls thereof diametri
cally therethrough, the holes diametrically of the
transverse tubes being of slightly larger diameter
than the bore of such barrel,
(e) the transverse tubes being mounted with the holes
diametrically therethrough co-axial with each other
and with the openings in the ends of the casing.
5. An arrangement according to claim 4 wherein the
ends of the transverse tubes terminate substantially flush
40
with the outer surface of the casing.
6. An arrangement according to claim 4 wherein the
transverse tubes are of a length to project radially beyond
the casing.
7. A counter-recoil mechanism for a rifle, comprising:
(a) an elongated casing having an interior diameter
a plurality of times that of the bore of a rifle upon
which it is to be mounted, and having aligned open
ings in opposite ends thereof of a diameter greater
than the bore of such rifle,
(b) a plurality of tubes of an external diameter sub
stantially smaller than the casing and larger than
the bore of such barrel mounted transversely across
the interior of the casing, each transverse tube hav
ing a hole diametrically therethrough of slightly
55 greater diameter than the bore of such barrel,
(c) the transverse tubes being mounted with the holes
diametrically therethrough aligned with each other
and with the openings in the ends of the casing,
(d) and means for mounting the mechanism on the
60
muzzle of a rifle barrel with the openings in the
casing ends and the holes diametrically through the
transverse tubes aligned with the bore of such barrel
to permit a projectile fired through said bore to pass
freely through said mechanism.
References Cited by the Examiner
UNITED STATES PATENTS
2,453,121 11/48 Cutts ---------------- 89-14.3
70 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.
FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Examiner.