The present invention relates to a magazine fo fire-arms, of the type comprising a substantiall pa ra I le Lep pedon housing, provided with a mouth fo bullet entry in correspondence of an end thereof, an with a thrust element elastically urged inside th housing towards the bullet entry mouth, with said mout having a narrowing and means for retaining the bullets inside the housing under the elastic thrust actio applied by the thrust element, with the bullets bein positioned perpend cularly to the longitudinal directio of the housing.

Magazines of this type are generally known in th art. In them the bullets, introduced through the mout and positioned above each other inside the magazine, ar then shot after each other through a front openin provided in correspondence of the entry mouth, by bein guided by the lips which define the two side walls of th entry mout h .

These magazines suffer from the main drawback tha the loading of the bullets results quite difficult an requires a certain ski ll, in that the bullets cannot b directly introduced through the above-said two lips which are too close to each other, in that they mus retain the inserted bullets, but they have to b introduced through the front opening, and then orientate and pushed in the direction of their axis into th housing, the whole against the elastic action of th thrust element.

In order to obviate this drawback, devices hav already been proposed, which are designed to make easie

the introduction of the buLLets, at the same time securing that, once introduced inside the housing, they will be retained.

These devices are substantially equipped with an eLastically urged retainer element, which enables the bullets to pass in one direction, and not pass in the reverse direction. However, installing this element requires that the magazine has a special structure, with said magazine having to be modified in correspondence of its entry mouth, where it must receive the retainer element. As a consequence, not only the dimensions of said magazine have to be increased - with larger overall dimensions thereof - but, above all, the weapon the magazine is destined to, has to be modified too. In other words, the magazines known from the prior art equipped with the retainer device are not any Longer suitable for all weapon types, or, at Least, for the main most widely diffused weapon types, but they are only suitable for weapons purposely adapted to them. Some magazines of the prior art belonging to this type are then not even directly loadable, but they require the use of a purposely provided Loading devi e, inside which a set of bullets is first Loaded, the buLLets are then introduced, together with said device, inside the magazine, and the device is finally extracted, without the buLLets. One additional operation has therefore to be carried out, which renders rather impractical these magazines.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a magazine of the initially indicated type, which makes it possible the bullets to be easily introduced, without any

auxiliary devices, by means of one single movement in th longitudinal direction of the housing of the magazine with the bullets being reliably retained, and which doe not practically require any increases in the overal dimensions of the magazine, with no fitting of the weapo to the magazine being required.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide magazine of the above mentioned type, which has such structure, as to favour the bullets to be correctl expelled at shooting time.

These and still further purposes, which will resul more clearly from the following disclosure, are achieve by a magazine of the initially cited type, wherein, i correspondence of the entry mouth, at Least one pawL i provided, which is pushed by elastic means to a Loc position, in which position it retains the bullets whic are urged against it by the thrust element, the paw being mobile, against said elastic means, to reach position of disengagement of the opening of the mouth, i which position it allows the bullets to be entere perpendicularly to their axis, in the longitudina direction of said housing.

An important aspect of the present invention is tha the pawl has a substantially reverse "V"-shape configuration, and is hinged in correspondence of one o the two lips of the entry mouth, with the prongs of th "V" being directed towards the body of the magazine, wit one of said prongs constituting an engagement portion o the pawl suitable for coming to rest against the wall o the housing when the pawl is in said lock position, an the other prong constituting a retainer and guide elemen

for the bullets, and said elastic means acting between the two prongs.

In a magazine according to the invention, the presence of the "V"-shaped pawL does not practically involve any increases in the overall dimensions, and is

Limited to the only area which is immediately near the lip of the entry mouth. As a consequence, the magazine does not substantially require any modifications, nor any weapon fitting is necessary. The application of the pawL is particuLarly easy, and does not require complex operations, so that in the manufacturing of the magazine no considerable increases in costs have to be coped with.

The insertion of the buLLets does not require any use of auxiliary devices. Further details and advantages of the invention will be more evident from the following disclosure of two preferred particular forms of embodiment of the invention, depicted, for illustrative purposes, in the hereto attached drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first form of practical embodiment of the magazine according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a magnified detail of Figure 1, in the bullet Lock position; Figure 3 shows a view similar to that of Figure 2, but in the buLLet introduction position;

Figure 4 shows a partial side elevation view of another form of practical embodiment of the magazine according to the invention; Figure 5 shows a partially sectional rear view of the upper portion of the magazine of Figure 4, in the

bullet lock position;

Figure 6 shows a view simi lar to that of Figure 5 in the bullet introduction position.

Referring to these figures, a magazine 1 accordin to the invention comprises a substant all pa ra I Le lepi pedon housing 2, with an entry mouth 3 for th bullets 4 in correspondence of its top end, with th mouth 3 being open upwards and on one side, wherein front opening 5 is defined, through which the buLLets Leave the magazine at shooting time.

Advantageously, the mouth 3 is defined by narrowing of two mutually opposite side walls 6 of the housing 2; in the region opposite to the opening 5, a hollow 7 is provided, which makes it possible the bullets 4 to be hit by the firing-pin.

Inside the housing 2 a thrust element 8 is positioned in a known way, with said thrust element 8 being elastically urged by a substantially spiral spring 9 in the direction of the entry mouth 3, so as to urge the bullets 4 to an engagement position with the narrowed side walls 6 in correspondence of the mouth 3.

In order to favour the entry of the bullets 4 in the longitudinal direction of the housing 2, but with the axis of the bullets 4 being perpendicular to this direction, and, in order to reliably retain the bullets 4 under the action of the spring 9, in correspondence of at least one side of the mouth 3, at least one pawl 10 is provided, which is elastically urged by elastic means 11 to a stop position, in which is locks the bullets 4 urged against it by the thrust element 8. The pawl 10 is movable, against elastic means 11, to a position of

disengagement of the opening of the mouth 3, in which i makes it possible the buLLets 4 to be introduce perpendi cuLar Ly to the Longitudinal direction of th magazine 1. The pawl 10 is hinged according to an axis paralle to the Longitudinal direction of the mouth 3 and has substantially angled, "V"~εhaped con iguration. One o the prongs (12) of the "V" defines a stop portion, whic is suitable for coming to rest, with its external side towards the narrowed waLL 6 of the housing when the paw 10 is in its stop position, and the other prong (13 defines a bullet lock portion protruding through th opening of the mouth 3 when said pawl is in its above said stop position, in which it reduces the transversa opening of the mouth 3 to a size smaller than th diameter of the buLLets 4.

The pawL 10 is hinged by means of a pivot 14, hol by bent portions 15 of the edge of the mouth 3. Such a arrangement makes it easier the pawL 10 to be bot manufactured and assembled.

In the form of practical embodiment shown in Figure 1 to 3, the elastic means 11 are constituted by a spira spring positioned around the pivot 14, and having it ends in respective engagement with the side wall 6 of th housing 2 and the lock portion 13.

In the form of practical embodiment of Figures 4 t 6, the pawL 10 has a more marked reverse "V'-shape substanti a LLy hinged to the pivot 14 in correspondence o the vertex of the "V". Here, the elastic means 11 a constituted by a blade spring, protruding, at an en between the prongs of the "V", and fastened with i

other end to the housing 2. In the particular cas depicted, the blade spring 11 is formed by a tongu portion cut from the side wall 6 of the housing. Such a arrangement eliminates the need of using and assemblng distinct spring, and, furthermore, reduces th encumbrances .

As visible in Figures 4 to 6, in order to enable th pawL 10 to move, the two prongs 12 and 13 of the "v" shaped pawl are different in length, and, more precisely the external prong is longer than the internal one. Th wall of the housing 2 is provided with a seat 16 suitabl for receiving the lock portion 13 of the pawl 10 when th pawl moves to its position of disengagement of th opening of the mouth 3. The blade spring 11 protrude inside said seat 16, thus elastically acting on th portion 13 at the bullet introduction time (Figure 6).

As it can be seen in Figure 4, the stop portion 1 of the pawl 10 has a width larger than the width of th blade spring \ so as to secure the pawl 10 to stop i its correct position.

From the above disclosure, one can understand tha when the bullets 4 are introduced, the pawl 10 is pushe by the bullet 4, owing to the pressure applied by th user hand acting on the magazine 1, tilting due to th applied pressure, and consequently Leaving free th passage for the bullet 4. As soon as the pressure i removed, because the passage has occurred of the bullet into the magazine 1, the pawl 10 is returned by th spring 11, and automatically moves back to its closin position. The bullet 4 is thus imprisoned, because it i pushed upwards again by the spring 9. In this position

the buller 4 can only Leave the magazine by movin forwards through the opening 5 by axial sliding, it bein advantageously guided by the Longitudinal edge of th portion 13 of the pawl 10, so as to secure the correc expulsion movement of the bullet 4.

The bullet introduction operation is repeated unti the Loading of the buLLets 4 is complete.

Of course, two pawls 10 couLd be provided for, wit one pawL on each one of the two mutually opposite sid walls 6 of the entry mouth 3. In this case too, th conf guration of the magazine would not be changed to an considerable extent, and the magazine would remai suitable for use in any weapon types.

Thanks to the tapered conf guration of the mouth 3 one bullet 4 at a time can be introduced even in case th magazine is of the type suitable for receiving two row of side-by-side buLLets; thus, the introduction of th buLLets 4 by the user is made easier. Furthermore, eac bullet is individualLy guided, at shooting time, by th Longitudinal edge of the portion 13 of the pawl 10.