This invention concerns charging handles for modern sporting rifles.
In an effort to improve the reliability and ease of use of modern sporting rifles it is advantageous to accommodate both left handed and right handed shooters. To this end, rifle designs have been implemented which emphasize ambidextrous features. The charging handle is a natural candidate for such consideration. The charging handle is central to the operation of the modern sporting rifle, as its action draws the bolt carrier out of battery, cocks the hammer, and, upon release, allows the bolt carrier to run back into battery, stripping a round from the magazine and chambering the round. The charging handle should also be reliably attached to the receiver once the rifle is charged and during firing, but must also release readily from the receiver to permit charging or release of the bolt carrier when a new magazine is inserted.
It is desirable that the charging handle be robust and reliable, which is achieved by a simple design with few moving parts. A review of the known prior art indicates that there is clearly a need for improvements in charging handles for modern sporting rifles.
The invention concerns a charging handle for moving a bolt carrier of a firearm. In one example embodiment the charging handle comprises a base and a latch movably mounted on the base. The latch has a contact surface movable into and out of engagement with the firearm upon motion of the latch. A cam follower mounted is on the latch and a link is movably mounted on the base. A cam is mounted on the link and engages the cam follower. A grip is attached to the link. Manual pulling of the grip moves the cam, the cam follower follows the cam thereby moving the latch contact surface out of engagement with the firearm.
In a specific example embodiment, the latch is pivotably mounted on the base about a pivot axis. Further by way of example, the cam follower comprises a lobe extending from the latch. In this example, the pivot axis passes through the lobe. In another example embodiment the charging handle further comprises a plunger movably mounted on the base. The plunger engages the latch in this example. A spring acts between the base and the plunger. The spring biases the plunger toward the latch for biasing the latch contact surface into engagement with the firearm.
An example charging handle further comprises a spring acting between the base and the link for biasing the cam away from the cam follower. In another example the link comprises a shaft having a first end engaged with the grip. A pin extends from the shaft proximate to the second end. The cam is mounted on the pin in this example.
By way of example, the grip comprises a first projection positioned on a first side of the link, and a second projection positioned on a second side of the link opposite to the first side. In an example embodiment the grip is pivotably mounted on the link. Again by way of example, the grip further comprises a first reaction surface positioned on the base and a first pivot surface positioned on the first projection and facing the first reaction surface. The first pivot surface engages the first reaction surface when the second projection is pulled to pivot the grip.
In an example embodiment at least one of the first pivot surface and the first reaction surface is curved. In another example, the grip further comprises a second reaction surface positioned on the base and a second pivot surface positioned on the second projection and facing the second reaction surface. The second pivot surface engages the second reaction surface when the first projection is pulled to pivot the grip.
In an example embodiment, at least one of the second pivot surface and the second reaction surface is curved. An example embodiment of the charging handle further comprises a rod having a first end attached to the base and a second end engageable with the bolt carrier.
The invention also includes another example charging handle for moving a bolt carrier of a firearm. In this example the charging handle comprises a base and a latch pivotably mounted on the base about a pivot axis. The latch has a contact surface movable into and out of engagement with the firearm upon pivoting of the latch. A plunger is movably mounted on the base in this example. The plunger engages the latch. A spring acts between the base and the plunger. The spring biases the plunger toward the latch for biasing the latch contact surface into engagement with the firearm. A cam follower is mounted on the latch. A link is slidably mounted on the base. A cam is mounted on the link and engages the cam follower. A grip is attached to the link. Manual pulling of the grip moves the cam, the cam follower follows the cam and thereby moves the latch contact surface out of engagement with the firearm.
In a particular example embodiment the cam follower comprises a lobe extending from the latch. By way of example, the pivot axis passes through the lobe.
In another example embodiment, the link comprises a shaft having a first end engaged with the grip and a second end. A pin extends from the shaft proximate to the second end. The cam is mounted on the pin in this example embodiment.
By way of example, the grip comprises a first projection positioned on a first side of the link, and a second projection positioned on a second side of the link opposite to the first side. In a further example the grip is pivotably mounted on the link.
In an example embodiment the grip comprises a first reaction surface positioned on the base and a first pivot surface positioned on the first projection and facing the first reaction surface. The first pivot surface engages the first reaction surface when the second projection is pulled to pivot the grip.
In a particular example embodiment at least one of the first pivot surface and the first reaction surface is curved. By way of further example, the grip comprises a second reaction surface positioned on the base and a second pivot surface positioned on the second projection and facing the second reaction surface. The second pivot surface engages the second reaction surface when the first projection is pulled to pivot the grip in this embodiment. In another example, at least one of the second pivot surface and the second reaction surface is curved.
In an example embodiment, the charging handle further comprises a rod having a first end attached to the base and a second end engageable with the bolt carrier.
The invention further encompasses a firearm. In a particular example embodiment the firearm comprises a bolt carrier and a rod having a first end engageable with the bolt carrier and a second end. The example firearm further includes a charging handle comprising a base attached to the second end of the rod. A latch is movably mounted on the base. The latch has a contact surface movable into and out of engagement with the firearm upon motion of the latch. A cam follower is mounted on the latch. A link is movably mounted on the base. A cam is mounted on the link and engages the cam follower. A spring acts between the base and the link for biasing the cam away from the cam follower. A grip is attached to the link. In this example firearm manual pulling of the grip moves the cam, the cam follower follows the cam and thereby moves the latch contact surface out of engagement with the firearm.
In an example firearm embodiment, the latch is pivotably mounted on the base about a pivot axis. The cam follower comprises a lobe extending from the latch. The pivot axis passes through the lobe in a particular example embodiment.
By way of example, the firearm further comprises a plunger movably mounted on the base. The plunger engages the latch and a spring acts between the base and the plunger. The spring biases the plunger toward the latch for biasing the latch contact surface into engagement with the firearm.
In an example embodiment a spring acts between the base and the link for biasing the cam away from the cam follower. By way of example the link comprises a shaft having a first end engaged with the grip and a second end. A pin extends from the shaft proximate the second end. The cam is mounted on the pin in this example.
In an example embodiment the grip comprises a first projection positioned on a first side of the link, and a second projection positioned on a second side of the link opposite to the first side. By way of example, the grip is pivotably mounted on the link.
In a specific example embodiment the grip further comprise a first reaction surface positioned on the base and a first pivot surface positioned on the first projection and facing the first reaction surface. The first pivot surface engages the first reaction surface when the second projection is pulled to pivot the grip.
In a specific example embodiment, at least one of the first pivot surface and the first reaction surface is curved.
By way of example, the grip further comprises a second reaction surface positioned on the base and a second pivot surface positioned on the second projection and facing the second reaction surface. The second pivot surface engages the second reaction surface when the first projection is pulled to pivot the grip. In a particular example embodiment, at least one of the second pivot surface and the second reaction surface is curved.
As shown in
A link 40 is movably mounted on the base 18. As shown in
A grip 52 is attached to the link 40, in this example to the end of shaft 42 opposite to the cam pin 50. Grip 52 is retained to the shaft 42 by an enlarged head 54 on the shaft. The shaft 42 passes through an opening 56 in the grip that is larger than the shaft, but not the head. This allows for free play between the grip 52 and the shaft 42, permitting the grip to pivot relatively to the shaft and the base 18 as explained below. Relative rotation of the grip 52 to the base 18 is facilitated by the interfacing of a convex surface 58 of the base 18 with a concave surface 60 on the grip 52 (see
Operation of the example charging handle 14 is described with reference to
As shown in
A guide body 80 is mounted on base 18 adjacent to the shaft 42. Guide body 80 is pivotably mounted to base 18 via pin 82 in this example, and presents a guide surface 84 that faces and engages an end of cam pin 50 opposite the cam 48. Guide surface 84 helps keep the cam 48 engaged with the cam follower 30 on lobe 32 of the latch 24 when shaft 42 moves relatively to the base 18 when the grip 52 pivots.
Charging handles according to the invention are expected to be robust and reliable while providing the advantage of ambidextrous operation to the modern sporting rifle.