Blackhawk -
Well, I see a pretty good answer got posted while I was peckin' around above ...
From the isue date indicated on Seecamp patent, it looks like it must have expired a few years ago ...
United States Patent 4,201,113
Seecamp May 6, 1980
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Telescoping return-spring assembly for automatic handguns
Abstract
A return-spring assembly for slide-type automatic pistols in which an inner spring and an outer spring are coupled together so that they work in tandem.
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Inventors: Seecamp; Lueder (62 Shelter Cove Rd., Milford, CT 06460)
Appl. No.: 937765
Filed: August 29, 1978
Current U.S. Class: 89/199; 89/163
Intern'l Class: F41D 011/12
Field of Search: 89/163,178,196,199
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References Cited [Referenced By]
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U.S. Patent Documents
580924 Apr., 1897 Browning 89/163.
3435728 Apr., 1969 Pachmayr et al. 89/199.
3731590 May., 1973 Zimmerman 89/163.
4040332 Aug., 1977 Border et al. 89/37.
"Older than rocks" ? In playing around in USPTO site for the last few minutes, the closest I came to that was related to a patent by some dude (above) a little over a hunnered years ago by the name of Browning ...