Firearm recoil devices, systems, and methods

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/776,150 filed on Jul. 17, 2024, and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 12,385,704 on Aug. 12, 2025. This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/527,768 filed Jul. 19, 2023, through copending U.S. application Ser. No. 18/776,150. Application Ser. No. 18/776,150 and Application Ser. No. 63/527,768 are incorporated herein by reference.

Some firearms, for example semiautomatic pistols, may be configured with reciprocating slides. In some of these configurations, rearward motion of the slide following a shot is damped by compression of a spring. Forward motion of the slide back into battery results when the spring resiles from that compression. During compression and resiling of the spring, in some configurations a guide rod constrains the spring into a generally linear orientation. In some configurations, the guide rod is disposed through an opening in a plug disposed proximal to the muzzle end of the slide. This disclosure describes and enables various systems, structures, and configurations for recoil springs, guide rods, and plugs, and various methods for assembly and disassembly of recoil springs, guide rods, and plugs with a slide and barrel.

In various embodiments, a recoil system is deployed a with slide plug comprising a catch means along with a plug retainer comprising a catch means. The slide plug catch means and plug retainer catch means may be compatible to permit the slide plug catch means and the plug retainer catch means to interfit and hold the recoil system in a partially compressed configuration.

In various embodiments, a recoil system may be removed from an assembled configuration with a slide and barrel by a method comprising a step of interfitting a slide plug catch means with a plug retainer catch means to hold the recoil system in a partially compressed configuration.

When used in this disclosure with respect to surfaces, edges, protrusions, recesses, or other geometries, unless clearly used differently the terms “compatible” and “complementary” mean that the items are configured to abut, fit together, or otherwise engage in a way that restrains relative translation or rotation, or both, in one or more directions, for example by having matching profiles mated together. As used in this disclosure, unless clearly used differently the term “interfitting parts” shall refer to plural structures having compatible or complementary surfaces, edges, protrusions, recesses, or other geometries, and those plural structures may be said to “interfit.”

When used in this disclosure with respect or reference to a firearm or firearm components, unless clearly used differently the term “longitudinal” is used to refer to a direction substantially in alignment with the direction in which a projectile is ejected the firearm. In addition, when used in this disclosure with respect or reference to a firearm, unless clearly used differently the term “lateral” is used to refer to a direction that substantially deviates from the longitudinal direction, for example substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Unless clearly used differently, the terms “up,” “upper,” “top,” “vertical,” “down,” “lower,” “bottom” and “horizontal” are used with reference to a firearm when the firearm is oriented in the normal, most common position in which such device is operated by a person having ordinary or better skill using such device.

When used in this disclosure with respect to a structure or component, unless clearly used differently the correlative terms “attachable” and “detachable” indicate that such structure or component is capable of being attached or fastened to another structure or component, or correlatively detached or unfastened from another structure component, by use of fastening means such as screws, pins, detents, springs, pawls, clips, low-tack removable adhesives, compatible or complementary surfaces, and similar readily engageable and disengageable means, and the terms “attachment means,” “fastening means,” and “fasteners” shall be used in this disclosure to refer to any such items and any combination of such items. The terms “attaching” and “detaching” as used in this disclosure mean, respectively, attaching or fastening, and detaching or unfastening, structures or components that are “attachable” and “detachable.” Structures and components that are integrally formed, or that are welded, bonded with high-tack permanent adhesives (such as cyanoacrylates and epoxies), or joined with similar difficult-to-disengage means, are not “attachable” or “detachable” as those terms are used in this disclosure, and may be referred to as “permanently” joined to connote that separation of such structures or components is not intended. In this disclosure, the term “driving means” with respect to screws or other threaded fasteners means any of the various shaped cavities and protrusions on a screw head that allow torque to be applied to a screw, including but not limited to recesses having a slot, cross, Phillips, frearson, French recess, JIS B 1012, Mortorq, Pozidriv, Supadriv, torq-set, or combination phillips/slotted shape, and also recesses or protrusions having a square, pentagonal, hex, 12-point, tri-angle, Robertson, hex socket, security hex, double-square, triple-square, XZN, 12-spline flange, double hex, torx, T & TX, security torx, TR, torx plus, Polydrive, torx ttap, line head, line head, tri-point, tri-groove, tri-wing, clutch A, clutch G, one-way, Bristol, Quadrex, pentalobular, or spanner shape. Also, in this disclosure the terms “head” and “screw head” mean the end of a threaded fastener comprising the driving means, which may have various shapes, including but not limited to pan head, button or dome head, round head, mushroom or truss head, countersunk or flat head, oval or raised head, bugle head, cheese head, fillister head, socket head, and which may be configured with or without flanges or shoulders or both.

andeach depict an exploded view of a recoil system embodiment. For each of these preferred embodiments, the recoil system comprises guide rod assembly/, damper assembly/, and slide plug/.

In the embodiments ofand, guide rod assembly/comprises guide rod/, guide rod head/, and plug retainer/. Guide rod/in the depicted embodiments is generally cylindrical. For these embodiments, guide rod head/is disposed adjacent to the reward end of guide rod/. Preferably, guide rod head/and guide rod/are made integrally, but in other embodiments may be made separately and permanently or detachably joined. Also for these embodiments, plug retainer/is disposed adjacent to the forward end of guide rod/. Preferably, plug retainer/and guide rod/are separate attachable and detachable components, but in other embodiments may be integral or permanently joined. Because slide plug/and damper assembly/(or a single recoil spring) are captured between guide rod head/and plug retainer/, if the ability to disassemble the damper system is desired, at least one of guide rod head/and plug retainer/should be detachable from guide rod/.

In the embodiments ofand, guide rod head/comprises guide rod head spring face/. A guide rod head spring face preferably is generally planar, but other configurations capable of supporting the end of a spring may be used. In the depicted embodiments, guide rod head/has a “shield” shape with edge scallops configured and oriented to accommodate structures in a pistol, for example the bottom of a barrel or the edges of a slide, but other configurations may be used.

In the embodiments ofand, plug retainer/is disposed at guide rod forward end/. In these embodiments, plug retainer/is attachable to and detachable from guide rod/by the interfitting of complementary plug retainer attachment means/and guide rod forward end attachment means/. Plug retainer/of these embodiments comprises plug retainer catch means/and plug retainer seating bevel/.

In the embodiments ofand, damper assembly/comprises inner spring/, outer spring/, and damper tube/. In the assembled configuration of these embodiments, inner spring/extends longitudinally from inner spring forward end/to inner spring rearward end/, and outer spring/extends longitudinally from outer spring forward end/to outer spring rearward end/. In the depicted embodiments, each of inner spring forward end/and inner spring rearward end/are closed, outer spring forward endand outer spring rearward end/are closed, and outer spring forward endis open, but in other embodiments the inner and outer springs may have closed ends (either square or ground), open ends, or pigtail ends in any combinations. In the embodiments ofand, damper tube/comprises damper tube forward end/, damper tube rearward end/, damper tube inner spring seat/, and damper tube outer spring seat/. In the assembled configuration of these embodiments, inner spring forward end/is supported by damper tube inner spring seat/, inner spring rearward end/is supported by guide rod head spring face/, outer spring forward end/is supported by slide plug spring seat/, and outer spring rearward end/is supported by damper tube outer spring seat/.

In the embodiments ofand, slide plug/comprises slide plug body/and slide plug head/. In these embodiments, slide plug body boring/extends longitudinally through slide plug body/and slide plug head/. Preferably, slide plug articulation bevel/is disposed in the lower portion of the reward opening of slide plug body boring, which enhances the ability of assembled guide rod assembly/to cant or tilt downward with respect to slide plug/as depicted in, which in turn enhances the interfitting of plug retainer catch means/with slide plug catch meansas depicted inand. In the depicted embodiments, slide plug spring seat/is disposed at the forward end of slide plug body boringand supports outer spring forward end/when the recoil system is assembled and operating. The depicted embodiments also comprise slide plug seating bevel/, which preferably is configured with portions complementarily to portions of plug retainer seating bevel/and arranged to interfit with portions of plug retainer seating bevel/when the recoil system is in the assembled position depicted inand.

In the embodiment depicted in-,-depict further structures and arrangements of slide plug, andanddepict further structures and arrangements of plug retainer. In this embodiment, plug retainer catch meansis deployed at least partially as a tab or slot, and slide plug catch meansis deployed as a shelf-like protrusion from the forward face of slide plug body, and is sized and configured to interfit with plug retainer catch meanswhen this exemplary recoil system embodiment is in the position depicted in. As shown in, slide plug spring seatis beveled, which may enhance the centering of outer spring forward endaround guide rod. In this embodiment, plug retainer attachment meansis configured as a threaded cylindrical section of the body of plug retainer, with threads compatible with the threads of guide rod forward end attachment means, which is deployed as a threaded boring. The compatible threads may be cut so that plug retaineris indexed in vertical alignment with guide rod headwhen plug retaineris firmly affixed to guide rod forward end. Alternatively, other indexing means may be used, such as knurling on the abutting ends of plug retainerand guide rod forward end, or such as a crush washer or lock washer or thrust washer inserted around plug retainer attachment meansand disposed between the head of plug retainerand guide rod forward endwhen those components are tightened. Preferably, plug retainercomprises plug retainer seating bevel, which in this embodiment is disposed along the outer edges of the inner forward face of plug retainerand along the central portion of that face. The cooperation and compatibility of plug retainer seating bevelwith slide plug seating bevelencourages the centralized relocation and interfitting of plug retainerwith slide plugwhen guide rod assemblytranslates rearward upon the slide of the firearm returning into battery.

In the embodiment depicted in-,-depict further structures and arrangements of slide plug, andanddepict further structures and arrangements of plug retainer. In this embodiment, slide plug catch meansis deployed as a portion of the forward edge and upper outer face of slide plug body, with plug retainer catch meansconfigured as a shelf-like protrusion or tab on the forward inner face of plug retainerand the space below that protrusion. When this embodiment is arranged as depicted inso that this recoil system embodiment is held in a partially compressed configuration, slide plug catch meansis disposed in the space below the shelf-like protrusion portion of plug retainer catch meanswith lateral edge portions of the forward inner face of plug retainerin contact with slide plug support shelfs. In this embodiment, slide plug spring seatis not beveled, but other embodiments may deploy a beveled slide plug spring seat. In this embodiment, plug retainer attachment meansis configured as a threaded fastener having a head with plug retainer attachment driving means, the threads being compatible with the threads of guide rod forward end attachment means, which is deployed as a threaded boring. In this embodiment, plug retaineris indexed in vertical alignment with guide rod headwhen plug retaineris firmly affixed to guide rod forward endby complementary interfitting of plug retainer index meanswith guide rod forward end index meansdeployed as interfitting notches. Alternatively, other indexing means may be used, for example knurling, washers, or releasable adhesives. Preferably, plug retainercomprises plug retainer seating bevel, which in this embodiment is disposed along portions of the outer edge of the inner forward face of plug retainer. The cooperation and compatibility of plug retainer seating bevelwith slide plug seating bevelencourages the centralized relocation and interfitting of plug retainerwith slide plugwhen guide rod assemblytranslates rearward upon the slide of the firearm returning into battery.

anddepict the recoil system embodiment of-deployed in an exemplary firearm configuration. The depicted embodiments of this disclosure are particularly adaptable for use in single-stack or double-stack pistols patterned generally on the M1911 pistol design of John Browning for Colt Manufacturing Company, but the depicted embodiments and other embodiments deploying a slide plug catch means and a plug retainer catch means may be adapted and arranged for other firearm designs having a reciprocating slide and a recoil system. In the example ofand, the firearm comprises exemplary slide, which is formed with an open bottom except for exemplary slide spring tunnel.andalso depict exemplary barrelcomprising exemplary barrel lower lugand exemplary barrel link. Except for the exemplary embodiment of a recoil system depicted,anddo not show other components of the firearm, such as the frame, grip, fire control components, sights, etc., which are well known to those of skill in the art.

As depicted in the exemplary environment ofand, the recoil system embodiment of-comprises slide plug head, outer spring, damper tube, inner spring, guide rod, and guide rod head, and the other components depicted in-and described elsewhere in this disclosure. In this example of an assembled configuration, guide rod headis adjacent to barrel lower lugand barrel link. Also in this preferred embodiment, slide plug bodyinterfits in a complementary boring in slide spring tunnel, with slide plug headoutside and abutting the rearward end of slide spring tunnel. In other embodiments, however, a slide plug head may be deployed entirely or partially within the slide spring tunnel.

A recoil system comprising a slide plug catch means and a plug retainer catch means, for example such as depicted in-and-, enables novel methods of removing the recoil system from an assembled configuration with a slide and barrel. For example,-depict an exemplary method of removing the recoil system from the exemplary deployment depicted inand. For example, with the slide, barrel, and recoil system assembled and at rest as shown in,, and, forward pressure on guide rod headcompresses inner springand outer springand translates guide rod assemblyforward. With plug retainertranslated forward and no longer captured in the forward end of slide plug, in this example guide rod headcan be moved downward or tilted as depicted in, rotating guide rod assemblywith respect to slide plug. As further discussed elsewhere in this disclosure, the preferred deployment of slide plug articulation bevelenhances the range of rotation available, but other embodiments may omit the bevel feature. With guide rod assemblyrotated with respect to slide plugand with plug retainertranslated forward and no longer captured in the forward end of slide plug, pressure on guide rod headmay be partially released, causing inner springand outer springto resile and translate guide rod assemblyrearward until the position depicted inis reached, at which point pressure may be fully removed from guide rod headcausing all spring forces to be borne by the interfitting of slide plug catch meansand plug retainer catch means. In this example of a tilt-lock method, the recoil system is now in a partially compressed configuration and may be removed from the installation depicted inand. A similar tilt-lock method may be used for the recoil system depicted in-.

For other embodiments of a recoil system comprising a slide plug catch means and a plug retainer catch means, novel method of removing the recoil system comprise the step of interfitting the slide plug catch means with the plug retainer catch means to hold the recoil system in a partially compressed configuration.

Although each of the above-described preferred embodiments deploy damper assembly/, other embodiments may omit the use of a damper assembly. For example, some embodiments may deploy a single recoil spring, with its forward end seating on a surface of a slide plug and its reward end seating on a surface of a guide rod head. Operating and capturing structures and methods in such embodiments preferably may be configured consistently with those depicted in-or-, although other structures and methods and combinations thereof may be deployed.

In some alternate embodiments, a guide rod plug retainer may be fixed to a guide rod forward end. In such embodiments, disassembly of the recoil system may be provided by deploying detachable means for securing the guide rod head to the rearward end of the guide rod. For example, the rearward end of the guide rod may be provided with external threads engageable with internal threads of a boring in the guide rod head. Alternatively, the reward end of the guide rod may be provided with a boring having internal threads engageable with threaded fastener configure to pass through a boring in the guide rod head and configured with a head sized to retain the guide rod head to the guide rod when the fastener is tightened in the guide rod boring. In some of these alternate embodiments, the guide rod, the guide rod head, or both may be configured with index means that maintain a specific orientation of the guide rod with the guide rod head, for example, interfitting notches such as guide rod forward end index meansand plug retainer index means. In yet other embodiments in which the ability to disassemble the recoil system is not desired, the guide rod, guide rod head, and plug retainer may be permanently joined.

After appreciating this disclosure, those of skill in the art will recognize that the steps of the various methods, processes, and other techniques disclosed herein need not be performed in any particular order, unless otherwise expressly stated or logically necessary to satisfy expressly stated conditions or circumstances. In addition, after appreciating this disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize that other embodiments may have a variety of different forms of devices and systems, and that various changes, substitutions, and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. The described embodiments are illustrative only and are not restrictive, and the scope of this disclosure is defined solely by the following claims and any further claims in this application or any application claiming priority to this application.