Actually, the other reason for the 'knobbed end', as I've heard them called, serves the same purpose as a ball joint. When firing, with a cylindrically round front barrel busing or bearing surface, the barrel's rear end has to drop down to unlock, so in order for it to move this way, the front has to be able to pivot up and down. There are several guns designed in this fashion, S&W autos a primary example. This keeps the factory from having to use an oval bushing at the front, and they can quickly ream it to size, dead round. It supposed to help with accuracy over this, too.
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