A firearm of the break-open and take-down type has a frame, at least one barrel releasably mounted on the frame, and a fore end assembly releasably secured to the underside of the barrel. The fore end assembly comprises a wooden fore end stock having a channel-shaped transverse cross-section, a metal latch plate removably secured to the bottom wall of the fore end stock, and latch means mounted on the latch plate for releasably securing the fore end assembly to the underside of the barrel. The latch plate has a downwardly extending latch mechanism portion and the inner surface of the bottom wall of the fore end stock is formed with a longitudinally disposed latch plate receiving opening in which the latch mechanism portion of the latch plate is snugly received. The forward facing rearward end wall of the latch plate receiving opening and the abutting rearward facing rearward end wall of the latch mechanism portion of the latch plate are substantially planar and extend vertically the full depth of the bottom wall of the fore end stock and are disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the firearm.
The lightweight stock and frame construction for a firearm involves replacing a substantial portion of the side walls of the metal frame with forwardly extending portions of the side walls of the wooden or plastic stock. Specifically, the right hand and left hand sides of the stock are provided with right and left hand side wall extensions that extend forwardly from the forward end of the stock on each side thereof, and the right and left hand side walls of the frame are formed with openings conforming in shape to and adapted snugly to receive the said forwardly extending side wall extensions of the stock. The peripheries of the right hand and the left hand side wall extensions of the stock are each formed with an inwardly rising bevelled surface, and the peripheries of the right hand and the left hand side wall openings of the frame are each formed with an inwardly undercut bevelled surface that is adapted to contact snugly the inwardly rising bevelled surface of the periphery of the corresponding side wall extension of the stock. Inner support members are disposed on the inside surface of both the right and left hand side walls of the frame adjacent the forward ends of the right and left hand openings formed therein, these support members being adapted to contact and support the inner surfaces of the right hand and left hand side wall extensions of the stock at the forward ends thereof.
The trap gun stock has a projection which mates snugly with a complementary-shaped depression in the rear end of the receiver and is secured therein by a spring-loaded stock bolt which extends through the stock and screws into a stud on the receiver. A latch on the fore-end iron engages a barrel lug to releasably secure the barrel to the fore-end iron. An adjustment shoe at the edge of a latch-hole in the fore-end iron engages the barrel lug to ensure precise barrel positioning. A plastic, resilient, low-friction, heat-resistant stabilizing insert fixed to the fore-end wood engages the barrel to facilitate fitting the barrel in non-contacting relationship in a groove in the fore-end wood handgrip. An extractor/ejector mechanism on the barrel and on the fore-end iron operates when the gun is opened to partially extend an unfired shell or to fully eject an empty shell casing. The fire control mechanism is cocked by opening the gun after the action has been unlocked. An action locking bolt slidably mounted on the receiver is movable to lock and unlock positions relative to the barrel by a swingable bolt actuator which, in turn, is swung by a manually rotatable top lever on the receiver. In unlock position the bolt is clear of the barrel locking groove and allows the gun to be opened, but operates an out-of-battery pin to prevent the trigger from being pulled while the gun is open.
