Patent Grant
7661219
The present invention relates to a firearm, and particularly, to an ambidextrous bolt catch device, apparatus, system and method on a semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm that retains the bolt and bolt carrier mechanism in a rearward position.
Bolt catch devices for hand-held firearms are known in the art, especially in handguns and combat rifles. The purpose of a bolt catch device on any firearm is to retain the principal members of the bolt or bolt carrier mechanism in a rearward position. The rear-hold position is desirable as a safety measure to allow an unobstructed view of the chamber of a firearm; to provide access to the chamber area for cleaning or clearing an obstruction, or other maintenance; as a signal to the operator that the magazine is empty; and to provide a means for rapid reloading, by holding the bolt group to the rear while the empty magazine is removed and a new magazine is installed.
Some members of the M16/M4 family of firearms have a bolt catch that is actuated so that it holds the bolt group rearward after the last round is fed from the magazine.
When the bolt catch device is actuated manually the bolt group is released and allowed to move forward under spring pressure, chambering the first round from a new magazine.
On most firearms the bolt catch is located on one side of the receiver, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to actuate with a single hand while aiming the firearm. On the M16/M4 rifle, for example, the bolt catch is on the left side of the receiver where actuation is generally accomplished with the palm of the left hand, when the firearm is held on the right shoulder. The design of the M16/M4 bolt catch is such that it is a single element functioning at one end as the component holding the bolt group rearward and at the other end offering a knurled protrusion on the end of a lever as a point for actuation.
Ambidextrous bolt catches are found almost exclusively on semi-automatic pistols, and take the form of a latch or other device that keeps the slide to the rear after the last round is fired.
The known prior art includes several patents describing bolt catch device arrangements for firearms or ambidextrous magazine catch and release mechanisms that are used in a clip change when the last round is fired from a magazine. The function of a bolt catch device is significantly different than the function of a magazine catch, but the use of an ambidextrous means for operating each mechanism is the reason for including such prior art in the list below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,142 to Vartanian et al. describes a bolt stop mechanism for a semi-automatic firearm with a spring that engages the bolt stop to bias against a pin. The bolt stop is pivotally mounted in the firearm receiver and is movable into and out of engagement with the bolt by pushing the end of the latch and releasing it.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,531 to Angell et al. requires a safety lever to be pushed up to a horizontal position, the action operates to lock the strike to prevent it from traveling down the striker tunnel in a dual protection safety device for semi-automatic pistol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,479 to Johnson describes a magazine latch release mechanism for repeating rifles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,985 to Smith et al. shows an ambidextrous magazine release.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,134 to Beretta describes a retaining mechanism for rifle magazines, wherein a hook is engaged in the slot of a magazine that is fixed to a spring-loaded arm located transversely in the body of the weapon; the hook can be operated from both sides of the weapon.
Garrett in U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,954 uses two springs, houses the pivoting mechanism in a protruding base and is specifically designed for use as an ambidextrous magazine release.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,465 to Johnson describes a spare magazine carrier. FIG. 8 shows a plunger mounted within a tubular housing and biased outwardly, or leftward, by a helical spring surrounding a portion of the plunger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,376 to Menges et al. in FIG. 1 shows locking levers with catching shoulders to prevent accidental firing of weapon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,996 to Ruger et al. in FIG. 2 shows a slide and a slide stop latch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,114 to Murello describes a firing lever mechanism for firearms with a locking lever pivotally mounted that cooperates with a slide and stop pin that is engaged to lock the slide into position.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,864 to Spinner et al. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a magazine shaft with cross boring, swivel shaft with levers, a catch on lever, left-handed shooter holding the weapon with left hand can now press on the pivoting lever and release the slide unit for forward movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,103,998 to McGarry describes a camblock assembly for a firearm having a guide rod to resist movement of a reciprocating slide.
U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2003/0208940 to Johnson describes a bolt catch operating lever attached to the left side of receiver with a pivot pin. The bolt catch engages the bolt to hold it in a rearward position using a detachable lateral extender mechanism; lever is pressed to the right, the catch is disengaged and releases the bolt that is moved forward by a spring.
U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2005/0000138 to Kiss in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 shows a bolt catch device pivotally mounted on a rivet; the lever connects with and transverse the channel shaped receiver with bottom wall; there is a return spring; a sensor lever rotates the catch device upward; the head of the lever is returned by spring forces of the magazine and inhibits the forward movement of the carrier locking the bolt carrier.
Garrett in U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0,123,683 describes an ambidextrous magazine catch having a rod with a threaded portion that is pivotally attached to a lever and guided transversely through an orifice. The ambidextrous magazine catch has a single spring, engages and disengages the magazine slot of magazine by depressing lever.
The above patents disclose the state of the art in relation to bolt catch devices and ambidextrous magazine catches or releases for firearms; however, with regard to bolt catch devices, there is still a need for an ambidextrous, quick, easy to secure, reliably functioning bolt catch device to retain the bolt and bolt carrier mechanism in a rearward position after the last round is fed from the magazine.
Improvements are needed so that a bolt catch device can be engaged with ease and dexterity with one hand by either a right-handed shooter or a left-hand shooter of a weapon. Such an improvement saves valuable time in the field and significant costs in inventory. There is no longer a need for different weapon assemblies based on whether a shooter is right-handed or left-handed. Such improvements will mean that weapons are safer and universally acceptable to all users; the present invention meets these needs.
The present invention, which shall be subsequently described in greater detail, provides a new bolt catch device designed to provide an ambidextrous, safe, reliable, easily activated method for retaining the bolt group in a rearward position compared to previous types. The design and precision with which the bolt catch device of the present invention is made contributes many advantages over the prior art. The new and novel features include, but are not limited to, a vertical lever pin in an effective arrangement of three other components: a bolt catch finger, a lever, a plunger rod with a spring and plunger head for use principally, but not limited to, the M16/M4 family of rifles.
The first objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device that can be operated from both the left and right sides of a firearm.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device that can be actuated with one hand.
The third objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device for easy use by either a right-handed shooter or a left-handed shooter of a firearm.
The fourth objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device for a firearm that allows an unobstructed view of the empty chamber of a firearm.
The fifth objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device for a firearm that permits unobstructed access to the chamber area for cleaning or clearing an obstruction.
The sixth objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device for a firearm for the M16/M4 family of weapons.
The seventh objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device for a firearm that provides a signal to the operator that the magazine is empty.
The eighth objective of the present invention is to provide an ambidextrous bolt catch device for a firearm that facilitates the rapid reloading of a firearm by holding the bolt group to the rear while the empty magazine is removed and a new magazine is inserted.
An ambidextrous bolt catch device for firearms, including a bolt catch finger connected to a receiver of a firearm by a pivot pin, a first release lever located on a right side of the firearm and attached to the receiver of the firearm with a vertical pin, a second release lever located on a left side of the firearm and integral to the bolt catch finger, a plunger rod assembly having a first end abutting a base of the bolt catch finger on the left side of the firearm and a second end connected to the first release lever on the right side of the firearm, thus providing a fully assembled bolt catch device that holds the bolt and bolt carrier in a rearward position and releases the bolt and bolt carrier to move forward and chamber communication for the firearm.
The plunger rod assembly includes a torsion spring surrounding the first end of the plunger rod, held in place by a plunger head, the torsion spring creates tension and causes rotation of the bolt catch finger in a downward position when the first release lever and second release lever are pressed laterally toward the right side and the left side of the weapon and when the first release lever and second release lever are pulled laterally away from the right side and the left side of the firearm, the bolt catch finger rotates to an upward position.
The bolt catch finger can be shaped from a solid material. The solid metal is at least one of steel, stainless steel, and an iron alloy. The bolt catch finger can be fabricated using metal injection molding (MIM).
A method of preventing a bolt carrier of a firearm from moving forward after firing ammunition, the method can include steps of moving a first lever and a second lever of an ambidextrous bolt catch device that is attached to a firearm laterally away the first side and the second side of the firearm and simultaneously pushing a plunger rod against the bias of the spring that causes the rotation of a bolt catch finger in an upward position, blocking the forward motion of a bolt and bolt carrier by the bolt catch finger in a upward position.
The step of moving the first lever and the second lever is accomplished manually with one hand selected from at least one of a right hand and a left hand. The step of moving the first lever and the second lever is accomplished mechanically with the rearward movement of the bolt carrier and bolt after the last round of ammunition is fired.
A method of releasing a bolt carrier of a firearm for forward movement to chamber ammunition in a firearm, the method includes the steps of moving a first lever and a second lever of an ambidextrous bolt catch device that is attached to a firearm laterally toward the first side and the second side of the firearm and releasing pressure on the spring bias of the plunger rod causing the rotation of a bolt catch finger in a downward position, and releasing the bolt and bolt carrier to move forward and chamber ammunition in the firearm.
The step of moving the first lever and second lever can be accomplished manually with one hand selected from at least one of a right hand and a left hand.
A firearm with bolt catch firing system, can include a combination of a rifle having a magazine receptical and a removable magazine, a bolt catch finger connected to a receiver of the rifle by a pivot pin, a first release lever located on a right side of the rifle and attached to the receiver of the rifle with a vertical pin, a second release lever located on a left side of the rifle and integral to the bolt catch finger, and a plunger rod assembly having a first end abutting the base of the bolt catch finger on the left side of the rifle and a second end connected to the first release lever on the right side of the rifle, thus providing a fully assembled bolt catch device that holds the bolt and bolt carrier in a rearward position and releases the bolt and bolt carrier to move forward and chamber ammunition for the rifle.
The plunger rod assembly can include a torsion spring surrounding the first end of the plunger rod, held in place by a plunger head, the torsion spring creates tension and causes rotation of the bolt catch finger in a downward position when the first release lever and second release lever are pressed laterally toward the right side and the left side of the weapon and when the first release lever and second release lever are pulled laterally away from the right side and the left side of the rifle, the bolt catch finger rotates to an upward position.
The bolt catch finger can be shaped from a solid metal. The solid metal can include at least one of steel, stainless steel, and an iron alloy. The bolt catch finger can be fabricated using metal injection molding (MIM). The rifle can be a semi-automatic weapon. The rifle can be a fully automatic weapon, and can be selected from one of a M16 firearm and M4 firearm.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Referring particularly to the drawings for the purposes of illustration only, and not limitation:
Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
It would be useful to discuss the meanings of some words used herein and their applications. “Firearm” is used herein to refer to all weapons to which an ambidextrous bolt catch device can be installed, such as those having or capable of being manufactured with mounting holes in the receiver. A preferred weapon for installing the present invention is the M16/M4 family of weapons.
The directional terms “lateral,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “front,” “forward,” “rear,” “rearward,” “right,” “left,” “above,” and “below” refer to the firearm when held in the normal firing position.
Listed below are the components of the ambidextrous bolt catch device assembly shown in
As state earlier, and shown in
In
The right side view of a firearm in
Still referring to
Further reference to
Alternatively, the user can pull knurled pad 22 in the direction of arrow h or pull lever 10 away from the side of the weapon in the direction of arrow j. This motion of the hand controls causes the plunger rod 12 to move in the direction of arrow i creating mechanical leverage that raises the bolt catch finger 20 in such a manner that its stops the bolt group from moving forward, as shown in
When all components are assembled in the lower receiver 40, and there is a magazine 50 removably attached to the lower receiver 40, the ambidextrous bolt catch device functions as follows. First, the bolt 25 of the firearm travels past the bolt catch finger 20 when the final round of ammunition is fired or when the operator pulls lever 10 laterally to the right and away from the side of the lower receiver 40 or manually pulls the knurled pad 22 laterally to the right and away from the left side of the firearm causing the bolt catch finger 20 to rotate upward and stop the bolt 25 from traveling forward.
When the bolt group moves rearward over an empty magazine cartridge, the magazine spring pushes the magazine follower against the bolt catch finger, which mechanically creates a rotational action that causes the bolt catch finger 20 to rotate upward, block the forward movement of the bolt 25 and signal the user of the weapon that the magazine is empty and needs to be replaced or refilled. When the next ammunition round is placed into the weapon, the bolt 25 must be released from the bolt catch finger 20 to allow the bolt 25 to push the ammunition into the chamber of the weapon.
The release of bolt 25 is accomplished manually. On the right side of the firearm, the operator pushes lever 10 towards the sidewall of lower receiver 40 allowing the mechanics of the spring bias plunger rod assembly to rotate the bolt catch finger 20 in a downward rotation, which then releases the bolt 25. On the left side of the firearm, a left-handed user is able to press knurled pad 22 of the bolt catch finger 20 laterally towards the left side of the firearm creating tension on the torsion spring of the plunger rod assembly and cause the rotation of the bolt catch finger in a downward position, releasing the bolt 25.
Thus, when the first release lever and second release lever are pressed or moved laterally toward the right side and the left side of the firearm, the bolt catch finger 20 rotates to a downward position and when the first release lever and second release lever are pulled or moved laterally away from the right side and the left side of the firearm, the bolt catch finger rotates to an upward position. The movement of the first and second levers can be accomplished manually or mechanically. The plunger rod assembly with torsion spring and plunger head allows the creation of tension and subsequent rotation of the bolt catch finger 20 to an upward or downward position, as desired, in the operation of a firearm.
The novel design of the ambidextrous bolt catch device has a right-hand side of the weapon release point (lever 10) and a left-hand side of the weapon release point (knurled pad 22).
The ambidextrous bolt catch device is designed to have a single spring 14 keeping constant resistance on the plunger head 16. When the bolt catch finger 20 is in its raised position, it compresses the spring allowing the plunger 12 to be pushed outwards, and allowing the lever 10 to swing out in a horizontal or lateral direction from the right side of the firearm as shown in
The bolt catch finger 20 is fabricated from 17-4 gauge stainless steel; carefully machined from a one-piece block that pivots upward and downward on pivot pin 150. The bolt catch finger 20 can also be manufactured using metal injection molding (MIM).
After assembly or manufacture, the ambidextrous bolt catch device of the present invention functions as a unit that does not have loose parts or parts that can fall off involuntarily. The ambidextrous bolt catch device assembly can be installed or removed from a weapon during disassembly and cleaning. This new design allows the operation of a bolt catch device with one hand for either a right-handed or left-handed shooter.
While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.
This invention claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/879,639 filed Jan. 10, 2007.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1651128 | Jervey | Nov 1927 | A |
| 2538799 | Phillips et al. | Jan 1951 | A |
| 2571132 | Harvey | Oct 1951 | A |
| 3447417 | Civolani | Jun 1969 | A |
| 3540142 | Vartanian et al. | Nov 1970 | A |
| 3750531 | Angell et al. | Aug 1973 | A |
| 4057003 | Atchisson | Nov 1977 | A |
| 4128042 | Atchisson | Dec 1978 | A |
| 4429479 | Johnson | Feb 1984 | A |
| 4481863 | Zanner et al. | Nov 1984 | A |
| 4521985 | Smith et al. | Jun 1985 | A |
| 4615134 | Beretta | Oct 1986 | A |
| 5513460 | Van Niekerk et al. | May 1996 | A |
| 5519954 | Garrett | May 1996 | A |
| 5636465 | Johnson | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5726376 | Menges et al. | Mar 1998 | A |
| 5741996 | Ruger et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 6257114 | Murello | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6851346 | Herring | Feb 2005 | B1 |
| 7047864 | Spinner et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
| 7103998 | McGarry | Sep 2006 | B2 |
| 20030208940 | Johnson | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20050000138 | Kiss | Jan 2005 | A1 |
| 20060123683 | Garrett et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60879639 | Jan 2007 | US |
