Automatic feed marking pellet gun

Abstract

A compressed gas powered marking gun for firing marking pellets and similar projectiles each of which is generally spherical and sufficiently fragile so as to break upon impact with a target is disclosed including a compressed gas source, a projectile supply magazine containing a plurality of projectiles, and means for sequentially aligning projectiles from the supply magazine with the gun barrel through which projectiles may be sequentially discharged. The firing mechanism includes a user actuable trigger for selectively supplying compressed gas from the source to expel a projectile through the barrel, and a selector mechanism movable between a first position where the trigger actuated supplying of gas is disabled, a second position where one actuation of the trigger supplies gas to expel a single projectile, and a third position where compressed gas is repeatedly periodically supplied. The gun includes an improved mechanism for releasing gas to propel a projectile along a gun barrel and from the gun comprising a shuttle valve movable between predetermined limits along a line generally collinear with the gun barrel, a spring biased striker for selectively impacting one shuttle valve end, a user actuable trigger mechanism for releasing the striker to move under the spring bias and impact the shuttle valve one end, a first valve near the shuttle valve one end opened by striker impact to release gas and a second valve near the shuttle valve end opposite said one end.