Patent attributes
A firing pin safety catch mechanism for a firearm, especially an auto-loading firearm which operates with a closed action such as found on the United States Military's M16 and its various derivatives. The firearm includes a firing pin which is housed within a bolt carrier group and which is capable of being moved from a rest position in which its proximal end is out of the travel path of the hammer to a firing position. The safety catch mechanism includes a safety catch, a pin and a spring for biasing the safety catch to hold the firing pin in its rest position to prevent the unintentional movement of the firing pin and thereby prevent the unintentional discharge of the host firearm. The safety catch includes a cam surface cooperating with the hammer so that the catch is released from engagement with the firing pin when the hammer has substantially completed its path of travel.
