Slidable hood locking system

Abstract

A muzzle-loading firearm having a break-action design includes a stock, a receiver mounted to the stock, a forend pivotally mounted to the receiver and a barrel mounted to the forend. A hood is slidably attached to a top surface of the receiver in the area of a rear (i.e., breech) end of the barrel. The hood reciprocally engages and locks the barrel in a closed (i.e., firing) position. The hood also shields the area surrounding the breech end of the barrel from exhaust gas that flows therefrom.

1 . A muzzle-loading firearm comprising:
 a barrel defining a longitudinal bore therethrough;   a receiver adapted to be pivotally connected with the barrel,   a hood being slideable from a forward position partially covering a rear end of the barrel and locking the rear end of the barrel against the receiver to a rearward position being spaced from the rear end of the barrel to allow pivotal movement of the barrel with respect to the receiver; and   a stock connected to and extending rearward from the receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 1 , wherein the rear end of the barrel is tapered inward to facilitate centering of the barrel within the hood. 
     
     
         3 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 2 , wherein the inwardly tapered rear end defining a circumferential recess for acting against an inner surface of the hood. 
     
     
         4 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 1 , wherein the hood defines a tapered opening at the front thereof to facilitate centering of the barrel within the hood. 
     
     
         5 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 1 , wherein the barrel being pre-vented from pivoting with respect to the receiver by the hood in the forward position. 
     
     
         6 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 1 , wherein the hood forming a seal with the barrel and the receiver to prevent gases from escaping rearward therefrom. 
     
     
         7 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 1 , wherein the hood having an outer surface being substantially flush with outer surface contours of both the barrel and the receiver. 
     
     
         8 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiver having a forward protrusion and a rearward protrusion extending outwardly along each side thereof to act against a pair of inward-pointing ridges on the hood to vertically restrict movement of the hood. 
     
     
         9 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 8 , wherein the forward protrusions and the rearward protrusions being spaced at a distance from an upward facing surface of the receiver to allow longitudinal movement of the inward-pointing ridges of the hood between the forward and rearward protrusions and the upward facing surface. 
     
     
         10 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 1 , wherein the hood having a yoke extending downward therefrom, the yoke being connected with a first end of a spring-biased shaft, the spring-biased shaft being connected at a second end with the stock, the spring-biased shaft limiting vertical movement of the hood with respect to the receiver. 
     
     
         11 . A muzzle-loading firearm comprising:
 a stock;   a receiver mounted to the stock;   a forend pivotally mounted to the receiver;   a barrel mounted to the forend; and   a hood being slidably mounted to a top surface of the receiver, the hood being movable between a forward position and a rearward position, the hood extending over at least a portion of the barrel in the forward position.   
     
     
         12 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 11 , wherein a rear end of the barrel is tapered inward to facilitate centering of the barrel within the hood. 
     
     
         13 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 11 , wherein the hood defines a tapered opening at the front thereof to facilitate centering of the barrel within the hood. 
     
     
         14 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 11 , wherein the hood having an outer surface being substantially flush with outer surface contours of both the barrel and the receiver. 
     
     
         15 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 11 , wherein the receiver having a forward protrusion and a rearward protrusion extending outwardly along each side thereof to act against a pair of inward-pointing ridges on the hood to vertically restrict movement of the hood. 
     
     
         16 . A muzzle-loading firearm comprising:
 a stock;   a receiver mounted to the stock;   a barrel pivotally connected with the receiver; the barrel defining a longitudinal bore therethrough; and   a hood being slidably mounted to a top portion of the receiver at a location aft of the barrel, the hood having:
 a first engaging position to lock the barrel in a closed position, 
 a second non-engaging position to allow the barrel to pivot with respect to the receiver. 
   
     
     
         17 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 16 , wherein a rear end of the barrel is tapered inward to facilitate centering of the barrel within the hood. 
     
     
         18 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 16 , wherein the hood defines a tapered opening at the front thereof to facilitate centering of the barrel within the hood. 
     
     
         19 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 16 , wherein the receiver having a forward protrusion and a rearward protrusion extending outwardly along each side thereof to act against a pair of inward-pointing ridges on the hood to vertically restrict movement of the hood. 
     
     
         20 . The muzzle-loading firearm according to  claim 16 , wherein the hood having a yoke extending downward therefrom, the yoke being connected with a first end of a spring-biased shaft, the spring-biased shaft being connected at a second end with the stock, the spring-biased shaft limiting vertical movement of the hood with respect to the receiver.