CPC Definition - Subclass F41A
This place covers:
This subclass covers those features or details which are considered to be of a kind generally applicable to, or to be concerned with intrinsic functions common to, both smallarms and ordnance. Such features or details are classified in this subclass, even if they are stated to be applied only to smallarms or only to ordnance.
This place covers:
Propulsion is to be interpreted as the launching process of a missile within the barrel. Emphasis is made on the "characterised by", obviously only documents with characteristic propulsion systems are included in this subclass, since every single firearm launches missiles with a pyrotechnic propellant charge.
Jet propulsion plants |
This place does not cover:
Projecting missiles without use of explosive or combustible propellant charge | |
Launching rockets or torpedoes | |
Separately loaded propellant charges | |
Missile self-propulsion |
This place covers:
Multistage propulsion is generated by the firearm and NOT the missile, usually by using multiple sequentially triggered propellant chambers located at different locations along the barrel.
This place does not cover:
Multistage rocket-engine plants |
This place covers:
Mechanical aspects of the range adjustments.
This place does not cover:
Adjusting the range by using gas-relieving ports in the barrel | |
Gun mountings permitting traversing or elevating movement | |
Elevating or traversing control systems for guns | |
Arrangements on projectiles or missiles for range-reducing, range-increasing |
This place covers:
Guns with means for eliminating recoil by accelerating a mass in a direction opposite to the missile propulsion direction. Usually through Venturi pipes or by causing a part of the propellant gases to be expelled rearwardly to counteract the recoil forces.
This place does not cover:
Stocks specially adapted for recoil reduction | |
Recoilless rocket launchers adapted to be carried and used by a person, e.g. bazookas |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Cartridge ammunition for recoilless guns |
This place covers:
The counter projectile can be a disintegrating projectile, e.g. comprising liquid or powder.
This place covers:
The breech mechanism, i.e. the breech block itself and the mechanism enabling the opening and closing and if applicable the locking of the breech. Furthermore the mounting of the breech block and mechanism is covered.
This place does not cover:
Mechanisms or systems operated by propellant charge energy for automatically opening the lock | |
Auxiliary mechanisms for bringing the breech-block or bolt or the barrel to the starting position before automatic firing | |
Ramming arrangements, the breech-block itself being the rammer | |
Mounting of cartridge ejectors on or within the bolt | |
Mounting of cartridges ejectors in the breech housing | |
Safeties for locking the breech-block or bolt in a safety position |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Breech | The rear part of the bore of a gun barrel, especially the opening that permits the projectile to be inserted at the rear of the bore. |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Weapons manufactured from plastics: |
This place covers:
The primary mechanism in automatic and semi-automatic firearms for bringing the bolt or breech block back into closed position after a recoil cycle.
This place does not cover:
Auxiliary mechanisms for bringing the breech-block or bolt or the barrel to the starting position before automatic firing | |
Gun mounting permitting recoil or return to battery |
This place covers:
Mechanisms for opening the lock of semi-automatic and automatic firearms using ONLY the energy provided by the propellant charge during the launching of the projectile, i.e. autonomous systems, independent from an auxiliary source of energy.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Bolt buffers or recuperator means | |
Gun mounting permitting recoil or return to battery |
This place covers:
The energy is accumulated during the rearward of the bolt or barrel after the lock has been opened by the recoil or due to gas operation, consequently implying that the stored energy is used for closing the lock
This place does not cover:
Gas operated mechanisms or systems operated by propellant charge energy for automatically opening the lock using a gas piston arranged concentrically around the barrel | |
Gas operated mechanisms or systems operated by propellant charge energy for automatically opening the lock by direct action of gas pressure on bolt or locking elements | |
Evacuating combustion gas from barrels | |
Barrels, gun tubes, muzzle attachments, barrel mounting means |
This place covers:
Implies a delayed or staged lock opening movement. The recoil or gas piston movement is accumulated, and the accumulated energy is used in a second stage to open the lock, after partial or full completion of the recoil/piston movement.
This place does not cover:
Recoil operated opening with moveable inertia weigth for storing energy |
This place covers:
Mechanisms for automatically cycling a firearm independent of the propellant charge for bringing the moving components back into firing position enabling the choice of firing rate.
This place does not cover:
External power or control systems for feeding and loading | |
Shot velocity control |
This place covers:
Devices an mechanisms for conveying the ammunition from its storage location or transport unit to the firing position.
This place does not cover:
Cartridge extractors or ejectors | |
Adaptations for feeding or loading missiles from magazines in air guns |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Conveying ammunition through pipes by the action of flowing gases |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Feeding | Devices or mechanisms for sequentially bringing missiles from an external storage (magazine, belt, box) into the gun frame/casing/housing/receiver |
Loading | Devices or mechanisms for sequentially bringing missiles into the firing chamber |
Ramming | Devices or mechanisms for forcing a projectile into the constriciting area of the chamber or the beginning of the barrel itself |
This place covers:
Feeding of unconnected cartridges, projectiles or propelling charges one by one or in batches.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Transporting ammunition through pipes by means of fluid medium pressure pneumatically |
This place covers:
Feeding of ammunition strings having cartridges carried by a textile band or by carrier units each holding one cartridge, the carrier units being sequentially connected to each other by connecting elements or connected to each other by belt links, each belt link holding one cartridge and embracing the previous or subsequent cartridge.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Feeding of unbelted ammunition with an endless belt conveyor | |
Feeding of ammunition mounted on solid racks, the racks passing through the gun (Hotchkiss type, Japanese Type 92 HMG) |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Cartridge stripping | removing belt link from the cartridge |
This place covers:
Mechanisms wherein the propellant charge energy is used for particular ammunition loading and feeding.
This place does not cover:
Mechanisms or systems operated by propellant charge energy for automatically opening the lock |
This place covers:
Mechanisms wherein an external drive is used for particular ammunition loading and feeding.
This place does not cover:
Auxiliary mechanisms for bringing the breech-block or bolt or the barrel to the starting position before automatic firing; Drives for externally-powered guns; Remote-controlled gun chargers |
This place does not cover:
Magazines having means for indicating the number of cartridges left in the magazine, e.g. last-round indicators | |
Last round safeties |
This place does not cover:
Charge condition indicator | |
Last round safeties |
This place covers:
Features and mechanisms and methods for assembling and dissasembling a firearm.
Modular weapon family concepts.
Articulation and collapsing of firearms for the PURPOSE of storage or transport.
This place does not cover:
Breakdown breech mechanisms | |
Mounting of breech-blocks; Accessories for breech-blocks or breech-block mountings | |
Triggers; Trigger mountings | |
Modular firing mechanism units | |
Barrel mounting means, e.g. releasable mountings for replaceable barrels | |
Assembling or dismounting recoil elements or systems | |
Folding or telescopic stocks or stock parts |
This place covers:
Active systems specially adapted for cooling or heating firearm components, in particular the barrel and the firing chamber.
This place does not cover:
Barrels and gun tubes with fins or fins for cooling |
This place does not cover:
Arrangements or systems for bleeding the gas from the barrel | |
Blowers or turbines for evacuating or cooling guns, e.g. driven by combustion gas pressure or recoil |
This place does not cover:
Blowers or turbines for evacuating or cooling guns, e.g. driven by combustion gas pressure or recoil | |
Barrels or gun tubes with fins or ribs, e.g. for cooling |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Insulation jackets & protective jackets for barrels |
This place covers:
Devices, mechanisms or tools for removing a spent cartridge case or a dud from the firing chamber or for unloading a cartridge from the chamber.
This place does not cover:
Blowers or turbines for evacuating or cooling guns, e.g. driven by combustion gas pressure or recoil | |
Barrels or gun tubes with fins or ribs, e.g. for cooling | |
Means for removing duds or misfires in rocket throwers |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Dud: | Cartridge, or separately loaded projectile or case, remaining stuck in the firing chamber after a misfire |
Spent cartridge case: | case remaining after the projectile was launched |
This place covers:
Devices and mechanism covering all aspects of firearm safety, including:
preventing unauthorised use
blocking or rendering ineffective diverse functional parts of the firearm to prevent inadvertent firing
inhibiting firing in a particular direction
preventing cook off or hang fire
preventing release of magazine
last round safeties
This place covers:
Includes electric or electromagnetic means for preventing or enabling the use of a firearm. Also includes the remote control or a firearm, in the sense that a central control instance can block or release the use of the firearm. Also includes remote monitoring of firearm movement and/or usage. Further includes passive, post-incident safety means such as a black box data recording.
This place does not cover:
Safeties of the combination-lock type | |
Safeties for inhibiting firing in a specified direction, e.g. at a friendly person or at a protected area | |
Remote triggering of a firearm | |
Electric firing mechanisms |
This place covers:
Includes means for remote weapon control and monitoring.
This place covers:
Features to avoid jamming in the cartridge chamber caused by an attempt to load a second cartridge in an already loaded chamber.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Hang fire | an unexpected delay between the triggering of a firearm and the ignition of the propellant |
This place does not cover:
Safety plugs, e.g. for plugging-up cartridge chambers |
This place covers:
Last round safety for magazine fed smallarm, the follower of the magazine activating or acting on a gun-locking element such as a bolt or pistol slide. Means for preventing a loaded cartridge to be fired when the magazine is removed from the smallarm.
This place does not cover:
Safety plugs, e.g. for plugging-up cartridge chambers |
This place does not cover:
Safety plugs, e.g. for plugging-up cartridge chambers |
This place covers:
Means for setting an automatic, non-magazine-fed and usually medium or large calibre gun's feeding, ramming, loading and/or firing mechanism into a safe/inactive configuration when the last cartridge is chambered or fired, e.g. in Gatling type guns.
This place does not cover:
Locking a smallarm in a safety condition when the magazine is empty or removed |
This place covers:
Mechanisms or systems for firing, i.e. initiating the ignition of the propellant charge by mechanical, fluid-operated, pyrotechnic, optical or electric means.
Cocking mechanisms, i.e. for bringing mechanical firing means in a pre-tensioned, ready to fire state (cocked).
Further includes means for controlling number of shots fired, firing rate and synchronisation.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Sear: | the part of the trigger mechanism which holds the hammer or striker back until the correct amount of pressure has been applied to the trigger; at which point the hammer or striker is released to discharge the weapon. The sear may be a separate part or can be a surface incorporated into the trigger |
DA | Double action trigger performs the action of cocking during the initial trigger pull movement and releases the hammer or striker at the pressure point |
DA/SA | Double action / Single action Double action for first shot and single action for subsequent shots |
DAO | Double action onlyDouble action for all shots |
SA | Single actiontrigger only performs the action of releasing the hammer or striker |
Cocking | bringing mechanical firing means in a pre-tensioned, ready to fire state (cocked) |
This place covers:
Means for allowing a predefined number of of rounds to be fired upon a single trigger action.
This place does not cover:
Arrangements for the selection of automatic and semi-automatic fire in bolt action guns having a sliding striker | |
Arrangements for the selection of automatic and semi-automatic fire in bolt action guns having a hammer | |
Burst limiters |
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Remote safing and monitoring of firearms |
This place covers:
A trigger allowing a shooter to have a greatly reduced trigger pull (the resistance of the trigger) while maintaining a degree of safety in the field
This place covers:
One trigger can cause the firing of more than one barrel
This place covers:
One trigger per barrel is present, but the shooter has the choice of firing each barrel with its dedicated trigger, or both at the same time by actuation of a single trigger (after appropriate setting).
This place covers:
Means for electrically releasing mechanical firing means or for firing electrical primers in cartridges. Further includes mechanisms where the primer charge is ignited optically, e.g. by a laser or intense light.
This place does not cover:
Firing mechanisms with elevation stop | |
Firing mechanisms with anti-canting safety |
This place covers:
Includes barrels, tubes; attachments and mounting means therefore. The cartridge chamber or firing chamber is an integral part of the barrel, except for, e.g. revolver type guns and certain block action guns.
This place does not cover:
Gun mountings permitting recoil or return to battery, e.g. gun cradles; Barrel buffers or brakes | |
Checking of barrels | |
Rocket launcher tubes |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Manufacture with plastics |
This place does not cover:
Adaptations for training |
This place does not cover:
Composite barrels, i.e. barrels having multiple layers, e.g. of different materials |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Making rifle and gun barrels |
This place does not cover:
Cooling or heating systems | |
Tube sights; Bar sights |
This place covers:
Includes blank firing arrangements
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Bullet catchers not fixed to a fire arm | |
Bullet traps in rifle grenades |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Mountings for muzzle attachments incl. suppressors or silencers |
This place does not cover:
Barrels specially adapted for recoil reinforcement, e.g. for training purposes | |
Silencers | |
Barrels having means for separating sabots from projectiles | |
Tube sights; Bar sights |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Blankfiring attachments | |
Device using electric or magnetic means for projectile velocity measurements | |
Device using optical means for projectile velocity measurements |
This place covers:
Lampel, Mahrholdt, "Waffenlexikon", 9th edition, DE, München, BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, 1981, S. 56
A: normal choke
B: Schlegelmich choke, constricting choke
C: Nischen , jug or recess choke
D: Glockenchoke, bell choke, diverging choke
E, F: Skeet chokes
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
see for cooling aspects such as cooling mantles also F41A 13/12
This place covers:
All mountings of firearms, fixed or mobile, except for the ones specifically designed for return to battery and the ones permitting traversing or elevating movement (see precedence, F41A 25/00 and F41A 27/00). It includes locking means between gun an mounting, mountings without wheels (conventional mono-, bi- or tripods, test mounts and bench rests), mountings permitting the gun to retract into a hidden position, wheeled mountings (the wheels being mounted directly on the gun), mounted on vehicles, mounts for transport and adjustments means of the platform position.
This place does not cover:
Gun mountings permitting recoil or return to battery, e.g. gun cradles; Barrel buffers or brakes | |
Gun mountings permitting traversing or elevating movement, e.g. gun carriages |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Central pivot bearings (for gun mountings) | |
Gun mounting on aircraft |
This place covers:
Rests holding the firearm so as to enable stabilised shooting, includes both test shooting mounts and shooting rests, i.e. for bench rest shooting
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Testing mounts for checking gun barrels | |
Shooting stands, e.g. for firing hunting rifles from trees |
This place covers:
Rests for holding the firearm in a fixed position for displaying, inspecting, adjusting, maintaining, repairing or cleaning of the firearm.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Key operated safeties | |
Combination lock safeties | |
Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis | |
Disposition of racks for weapons inside vehicles | |
For carrying firearms on the body | |
Containers for carrying smallarms, boxes/gun cases |
This place covers:
The wheels are directly mounted on the gun or gun cradle.
This place covers:
Gun mounts permitting travel of the gun from the shooting position into full recoil position along a bearing and returning to battery position, including spring, fluid, friction operated systems as well as hybrids thereof. It further includes bearings and assembly/disassembly features peculiar thereto.
This place does not cover:
Recoilless guns, i.e. guns having propulsion means producing no recoil |
This place covers:
Mechanical aspects of gun mounts permitting supported pointing of the gun for laying the gun, i.e. in the position to fire the gun and hitting the target.
This place does not cover:
Monopods | |
Bipods | |
Tripods | |
Aiming means; Laying means | |
Elevation or traversing control systems for guns |
This place does not cover:
Injecting fluids into barrels or cartridge chambers | |
Ammunition for cleaning purposes |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Cleaning of hollow objects in general | |
Pigs or moles, i.e. devices movable in a pipe or conduit with or without self-contained propulsion means |
This place covers:
Includes flexible cleaning devices for gun barrels, i.e. flexible wires or rope.
This place does not cover:
Projectiles or cartridges for cleaning cooling or lubricating |
This place covers:
All arrangements, devices, systems for testing the functionality of a firearm, except for testing of sighting, aiming and laying means.
This place does not cover:
Testing mounts |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Devices for testing or checking of sighting means | |
Devices for testing or checking of aiming means | |
Apparatus for testing or checking of laying means | |
Checking or testing of ammunition |
This place does not cover:
Devices for testing or checking of sights (parrallelity with the barrel) |
bore sighting devices
This place covers:
Adaptations of firearms for use in training without live ammunition or weapons specially adapted for training and simulation only.
This place does not cover:
Insert barrels | |
Adaptations of barrels for recoil reinforcement | |
Shooting or hurling games | |
Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying | |
Simulators for teaching or training purposes for military purposes and tactics |
This place covers:
Includes:
- separate light producing units fitted in the barrel of an existing gun and
- externally mounted light beam emitting units
(torch-like)
This place does not cover:
Cartridges carrying light emitting sources | |
Military or tactic simulation systems |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
MILES: Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System
Residual group for F41A 1/00-F41A 33/00, particularly listing common accessories such as dust covers, e.g. ejection port or muzzle covers, or adaptations for ambidextrous use of firearms.