Designing a handgun

[lilro]

After watching tons of videos on recoil management, most say that having a low bore axis decreases felt recoil. It got me thinking...Why not design a handgun with the recoil spring on top, and the barrel underneath? And have the slide cut in a way where only the top half cycles at the rear, allowing your hands to be directly inline with the bore. I have a terrible sketch I've drawn up, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Has this been tried before?

[Futurecollector]

It's neva been dun befoe...

[JeremyS]

I can't think of guns that run the recoil spring above the barrel. However, there are many pistols that have the recoil spring wrapped around the barrel, which would achieve the exact same thing you're 'shooting for.'

For instance, you can't get lower than the bore axis on my H&K P7. It usually leaves little grease marks on the web of my hand, but has never scratched me. Obviously, it's therefore exactly as low as it can go.




BTW...

...have the slide cut in a way where only the top half cycles at the rear, allowing your hands to be directly inline with the bore...

The thing is, the part that cycles has to pull a round out of the chamber and it has to push a new round from the magazine and into the chamber. You must have a reciprocating part at the level of the bottom of the chamber or, more likely, slightly below the bottom of the chamber itself. Because this part has to reciprocate in order to function, it must be higher than your hand.

OR... you move the entire action completely in front of the shooting hand(s). That would make it easier to lower. The mag has to go up there also (rather than in the grip). So think broomhandle mauser, tec-9, Zip .22, or others...



also, post your drawing anyway.

[M27]

I don't think it has been done with a semi auto but it has been done with a revolver



it shoots out of the bottom cylinder

[JeremyS]

^^^ wasn't the first, either. Mateba 6 Unica was the Rhino's precursor. Not sure if that was even the first though or not. Often the barrel is still above the hand though. Unless you put the barrel in front of the trigger guard, there's a limit to how low you can get it, as most barrels or chambers extend back over the guard. Put it in front and you either extend the length of the gun by 2" or you have to shorten the barrel by that, and where do the rounds come from in this case and how do they eject?

[lilro]

The thing is, the part that cycles has to pull a round out of the chamber and it has to push a new round from the magazine and into the chamber. You must have a reciprocating part at the level of the bottom of the chamber or, more likely, slightly below the bottom of the chamber itself. Because this part has to reciprocate in order to function, it must be higher than your hand.

OR... you move the entire action completely in front of the shooting hand(s). That would make it easier to lower. The mag has to go up there also (rather than in the grip). So think broomhandle mauser, tec-9, Zip .22, or others...



also, post your drawing anyway.

The lip that extracts rounds from the magazine doesn't have to be very big, it doesn't take much force to push a round out of a magazine. So that lip doesn't have to extend all the way to the rear of the slide like most manufacturers make it.

My Paint skills suck lol

[pyromensch]

s&w mdl 41

[ArmedCMT]

would it make a difference if it was top ejecting? i just wanna say that this is pretty ridiculous but that only makes it more awesome and totally worth doing. love the drawing btw.

[INFAMOUS762X39]

I would design the spring to go around the barrel. Now that would be interesting.

Btw I love the drawing, 90 Degree Frames are "very" ergonomic lol.

[hermosabeach]

What are you trying to accomplish with your design?
Trading push for muzzle flip?

The older single action revolvers- 44 colt and such had a lot of muzzle flip. This was a trade off to having less push.
High bore & low grip. The grips were smooth to rotate in your hand.

With proper stance and training, folks are shooting 4-6 rounds per second of 9mm

I am not sure what the concept aims to accomplish?

[lilro]

What are you trying to accomplish with your design?
Trading push for muzzle flip?

The older single action revolvers- 44 colt and such had a lot of muzzle flip. This was a trade off to having less push.
High bore & low grip. The grips were smooth to rotate in your hand.

With proper stance and training, folks are shooting 4-6 rounds per second of 9mm

I am not sure what the concept aims to accomplish?

There wouldn't be much muzzle flip. Single action revolvers don't have recoil springs.

And it's just something different to bring to the table. If there was one "right" way to do things, there would only be one model of firearm.

[hermosabeach]

With a semi auto pistol, you need locking lugs to lock the slide to the frame.

They have wrapped the recoil spring around the barrel.
They have packaged it in the space between the muzzle and the locking lugs

I'm not sure how you would lock it to the frame with a different design or a lower design to drop the bore to be more inline with the hand/grip

[lilro]

With a semi auto pistol, you need locking lugs to lock the slide to the frame.

They have wrapped the recoil spring around the barrel.
They have packaged it in the space between the muzzle and the locking lugs

I'm not sure how you would lock it to the frame with a different design or a lower design to drop the bore to be more inline with the hand/grip

The lugs could still be on the barrel. They just don't have to extend past the recoil spring. The slide will lock on the barrel.

I'm just brainstorming, btw. Of course there are multiple issues to iron out.

[hermosabeach]

I like new concepts

Glock was a joke amongst gun writers when it came out

Browning barrel design
Plastic frame
1/2 the parts of a normal gun

It was the gun writers who purchased one to show it would break that helped to drive the popularity of the striker/ polymer design

With modern CNC machines, you can built prototypes easier than you could years ago

[ArmedCMT]

And it's just something different to bring to the table. If there was one "right" way to do things, there would only be one model of firearm.

keep brainstorming i think its a very interesting idea. you should look into getting some CAD software. i bet you can find some for free on the interweb. also i wonder if you could do your own prototyping with a 3d printer.

http://cubify.com/cube/index.aspx?gclid=CPqe0NK657QCFSPhQgodeysAeQ

http://store.makerbot.com/replicator2.html?ac=AW1-3DP-8&gclid=CPWr9Im757QCFal_QgodSGIARg

before you go out and do anything i would check on all the legality issues. making gun parts and all...

what other ideas do you have rolling around in that head??