Gas-operated pistol

Claim 1

A GAS-POWERED GUN COMPRISING: A FRAME HAVING A HANDLE THEREON; A PROJECTILE BARREL SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME AND AXIALLY RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN A FORWARD AND A REARWARD POSITION THEREIN, SAID BARREL HAVING A BREACH END; AN ANNULAR HAMMER COAXIALLY MOUNTED ON THE BREACH END OF SAID BARREL AND RECIPROCABLE THEREWITH; A PRESSURIZED GAS CAPSULE DISPOSED IN SAID HANDLE; AND EXPANSION CHAMBER ADJACENT TO THE BREACH END OF SAID BARREL; MEANS INCLUDING A PUNCTURING DEVICE TO CONNECT THE PRESSURE IN SAID GAS CAPSULE TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER; MEANS INCLUDING A CONDUIT TO CONNECT SAID CHAMBER TO THE BORE OF SAID BARREL; A VALVE DISPOSED IN SAID CONDUIT, SAID VALVE BEING RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION TOWARDS SAID BARREL AND AN OPEN POSITION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; SAID VALVE BEING FORMED TO BE DISPOSED IN A SEALABLY CLOSED CONDITION BY THE PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER; A FIRST SPRING DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER BIASING SAID VALVE TOWARD CLOSED POSITION; A VALVE STEM MOUNTED COAXIALLY IN SAID VALVE AND RECIPROCABLE THEREWITH, SAID STEM ENGAGING SAID HAMMER AND HAVING AN END SLIDABLY PROJECTING INTO SAID BARREL; A SECOND SPRING DISPOSED AROUND SAID BARREL TO BIAS SAID HAMMER IN A REARWARD POSITION AGAINST SAID VALVE STEM;