Jun 24, 2025

US12339080 - Safety mechanism for a pistol

The present disclosure relates to an automatic or semiautomatic pistol including a slide and a magazine. The magazine feeder includes an actuator that controls a slide stop. The slide stop, located rearward of the magazine, is designed to switch from a low to a high position. In its high position, the slide stop locks the slide in a rearward position. The pistol also includes a control lever for the slide stop, which is attached at one end to rotate about a pin forward of the magazine. The control lever includes a feeler that is lifted by the control actuator when the magazine is empty, causing the slide stop to switch from its low to high position. The slide stop may have ambidextrous manual releases rigidly connected to each other across the pistol.

Assignee: FN HERSTAL S.A.
Inventors: Laurent Balhan, Dorian Delvaux
Filing date: 2022-06-10

pistolsafetymechanism

The patent describes a safety mechanism for automatic or semiautomatic pistols that includes a slide stop controlled by a magazine feeder actuator, which locks the slide in a rearward position when the magazine is empty. The mechanism features an ambidextrous control lever that transitions the slide stop from a low to a high position, ensuring the slide remains locked until reloaded.

Claim 1

An automatic or semiautomatic pistol ( 1 ) comprising a slide ( 2 ); a magazine ( 24 ) comprising a feeder ( 22 ) configured to push ammunition to an ammunition loading area, the feeder ( 22 ) including an actuator ( 23 ) configured to control a slide stop ( 10 ), wherein the slide stop ( 10 ) is arranged rearward of the magazine and is configured to switch from a low position to a high position, the slide stop ( 10 ) comprising a stop surface ( 15 ) configured to cooperate with a notch ( 3 ) under the slide to lock the slide ( 2 ) in a rearward position when the slide stop is in the high position; and a control lever ( 8 ) operatively connected to the slide stop and configured to rotate about a first pin ( 9 ) attached to a shell ( 5 ) or a frame ( 28 ) of the pistol forward of the magazine, the control lever ( 8 ) comprising a feeler ( 14 ) configured to be lifted by the actuator ( 23 ) of the feeder when the magazine is empty, wherein the control lever ( 8 ) is configured to transition the slide stop from the low position to the high position; wherein the slide stop is rotatably attached to the shell ( 5 ) or to the frame ( 28 ) about a second pin ( 11 ) of the slide stop; and wherein the control lever ( 8 ) and the slide stop ( 10 ) are configured such that raising of the control lever ( 8 ) causes a switchover of the slide stop to a locking position of the slide ( 2 ). a slide ( 2 ); a magazine ( 24 ) comprising a feeder ( 22 ) configured to push ammunition to an ammunition loading area, the feeder ( 22 ) including an actuator ( 23 ) configured to control a slide stop ( 10 ), wherein the slide stop ( 10 ) is arranged rearward of the magazine and is configured to switch from a low position to a high position, the slide stop ( 10 ) comprising a stop surface ( 15 ) configured to cooperate with a notch ( 3 ) under the slide to lock the slide ( 2 ) in a rearward position when the slide stop is in the high position; and a control lever ( 8 ) operatively connected to the slide stop and configured to rotate about a first pin ( 9 ) attached to a shell ( 5 ) or a frame ( 28 ) of the pistol forward of the magazine, the control lever ( 8 ) comprising a feeler ( 14 ) configured to be lifted by the actuator ( 23 ) of the feeder when the magazine is empty, wherein the control lever ( 8 ) is configured to transition the slide stop from the low position to the high position; wherein the slide stop is rotatably attached to the shell ( 5 ) or to the frame ( 28 ) about a second pin ( 11 ) of the slide stop; and wherein the control lever ( 8 ) and the slide stop ( 10 ) are configured such that raising of the control lever ( 8 ) causes a switchover of the slide stop to a locking position of the slide ( 2 ).

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12339080

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12339080