The present disclosure is generally related to firearms and, more particularly, to ambidextrous stabilization for firearms.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below and are not admitted as prior art by inclusion in this section.
By definition, a pistol or handgun is a firearm designed such that a user should be able to fire the pistol or handgun from one hand instead of both hands of the user. A large pistol or handgun, such as an AR pistol, can be unwieldy due to its heavy weight and large size. The point of balance on such firearms tend to be forward biased, causing ergonomic difficulties and instability.
Existing pistol braces are generally secured to the forearm of the user via a strap, a sling or pressure. However, it is disadvantageous to use such stabilizing mechanisms due to inflexibility. Additionally, strap- or sling-type systems tend to be difficult to reposition or adjust once secured to the forearm of the user. Moreover, pressure-based systems usually do not adequately secure the firearm to the forearm of the user.
The following summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary is provided to introduce concepts, highlights, benefits and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Select implementations are further described below in the detailed description. Thus, the following summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The present disclosure provides various solutions to aide in the one-handed usage of certain types of firearms such as pistols/handguns. Each solution in accordance with the present disclosure is a type of stabilizer that aids in stabilization of a large pistol, such as an AR pattern pistol, against the forearm of the user. By adding an additional point of contact for the firearm, greater stability is achieved, thus allowing for safer and more accurate operation of the firearm. Various implementations in accordance with the present disclosure allow for easy ambidextrous use without sacrificing stability.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The drawings illustrate implementations of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. It is appreciable that the drawings are not necessarily in scale as some components may be shown to be out of proportion than the size in actual implementation in order to clearly illustrate the concept of the present disclosure.
Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matters are disclosed herein. However, it shall be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matters which may be embodied in various forms. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided so that description of the present disclosure is thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the description below, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.
In various implementations, a stabilizer in accordance with the present disclosure may secure a firearm to a forearm of a user (whether the right forearm or the left forearm) via a hook-and-loop attachment system that provides security in retention, while maintaining flexibility and ambidexterity. At times, it may be advantageous to switch the stabilizer from the user's dominant hand to the user's non-dominant hand to fire, and such ambidexterity is usually precluded by conventional strap-type systems.
In various implementations in accordance with the present disclosure, the user may wear a cuff that has one half of a hook-and-loop attachment system or another type of attachment system, and a stabilizer in accordance with the present disclosure may be covered by a corresponding other half of the attachment system. In some implementations, the stabilizer may be used with the attachment system. Alternatively, the stabilizer may be used without the attachment system.
In some implementations, a contact surface of the stabilizer which comes in contact with the forearm of the user when in use may be curved. In some implementations, the stabilizer may include two curved surfaces—a right contact surface on the right side thereof and a left contact surface on the left side thereof as seen from a perspective of the user. As such, regardless with which arm of the user the stabilizer is used, the curvature of either contact surface on the side of the stabilizer in contact with the user can accommodate the forearm of the user. In some implementations, the contact surface may include a frictional interface disposed thereon so that no arm attachment is necessary. The frictional interface may include, for example and without limitation, any kind of non-slip, non-permanent adhesive material. With the frictional interface, no arm attachment would be necessary as the frictional interface provides friction between the stabilizer and the forearm (or whatever is worn on the forearm) of the user.
In some implementations, a strong, impact resistant polymer may be the material used to make the stabilizer. Alternatively, any rigid or semi-rigid material may be used for the stabilizer. Some example materials may include, for example and without limitation, inflexible rubber, metal or metal alloy, and thermoplastics.
A stabilizer in accordance with the present disclosure may be affixed to the firearm in one of several ways. For instance, with an AR pistol, the stabilizer may be affixed to the receiver extension of the AR pistol via one or more tensioning screws. If the receiver extension has an integral accessory rail such as a Picatinny type rail, the stabilizer may be attached to the firearm via the accessory rail.
It is noteworthy that the overall shape and the method of mounting/affixing the stabilizer may be changed without altering the intention of the present disclosure. Moreover, the material(s) used for the stabilizer should be rigid and strong enough to withstand normal use of a firearm part.
Buffer Tube with Picatinny Rail
In some implementations, buffer tube 110 may include a tubular portion and an attachment portion. The tubular portion may be generally cylindrical in shape. The tubular portion may include a first distal end (e.g., front end) and a second distal end (e.g., rear end) opposite the first distal end. The first distal end may be configured to be mechanically received in a firearm (e.g., an AR-type pistol). The attachment portion may extend from a portion of an exterior surface of the tubular portion between the first distal end and the second distal end.
In some implementations, the attachment portion may include a plurality of protrusions or serrations configured to accommodatingly mate with a MIL-STD-1913 rail, a Standardization Agreement 2324 rail, a Picatinny rail, a Weaver rail, a STANAG 4694 rail, a NATO accessory rail, an accessory mounting rail, or a combination thereof.
In some implementations, the first distal end may be threaded and configured to be screwed into a receiver of an AR-type firearm.
In some implementations, the tubular portion may include a hollow tube having a hole open at the first distal end and closed off at the second distal end.
In some implementations, the tubular portion may also include one or more grooves on an exterior surface of the tubular portion and extending along a longitudinal direction of the tubular portion.
Stabilizer and Buffer Tube with Picatinny Rail
Ambidextrous stabilizer 220 may include a body that has an upper side, a left side and a right side opposite the left side. The upper side may include a groove or slot extending along a longitudinal direction of the body. The groove or slot may be configured to accommodate an object having a shape similar to an accessory mounting rail (e.g., the attachment portion of buffer tube 110). The upper side of the body may also include a through hole traversing the body and connecting the left side and the right side of the body to allow a pin, a bolt or a screw to secure the object to the body when the object is received in the groove or slot by sliding into the groove or slot along the longitudinal direction.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a curved surface which may be a concave surface. The curvature of the curved surface on the left side and the curvature of the curved surface on the right side may be mirror image of each other. This feature allows ambidextrous stabilizer 220 to be equally usable by a right-handed user as well as a left-handed user.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body of ambidextrous stabilizer 220 may include a frictional interface. In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a non-slip material, a non-permanent adhesive material, or a felt material. In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a material made of silicone, rubber, nanotubes, or a combination thereof.
Ambidextrous stabilizer 320 may include a body that has an upper side, a left side and a right side opposite the left side. The body may include a hole on a front side thereof and extending partially into the body along a longitudinal direction of the body. The hole may be configured to accommodate or otherwise receive a buffer tube of a firearm. The body may also include a through hole to allow a pin, a bolt or a screw to secure the buffer tube to the body when the buffer tube is received in the hole. In some implementations, the hole may be a through hole that traverses the body from the front side to the rear side thereof. In some implementations, the hole may be a non-through hole that recesses partially into the body but not traverse all the way through.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a curved surface which may be a concave surface. The curvature of the curved surface on the left side and the curvature of the curved surface on the right side may be mirror image of each other. This feature allows ambidextrous stabilizer 320 to be equally usable by a right-handed user as well as a left-handed user.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body of ambidextrous stabilizer 320 may include a frictional interface. In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a non-slip material, a non-permanent adhesive material, or a felt material. In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a material made of silicone, rubber, nanotubes, or a combination thereof.
Ambidextrous stabilizer 420 may include a body that has an upper side, a left side and a right side opposite the left side. The body may include a first hole and a second hole on a front side thereof and extending partially into the body along a longitudinal direction of the body. Each of the first hole and the second hole may be configured to accommodate or otherwise receive a guiding rod of a firearm. The body may also include a first through hole and a second through hole each of which allowing a pin, a bolt or a screw to secure the respective guiding rod to the body when the respective guiding rod is received in the hole. In some implementations, each of the first hole and the second hole may be a through hole that traverses the body from the front side to the rear side thereof. In some implementations, each of the first hole and the second hole may be a non-through hole that recesses partially into the body but not traverse all the way through.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a curved surface which may be a concave surface. The curvature of the curved surface on the left side and the curvature of the curved surface on the right side may be mirror image of each other. This feature allows ambidextrous stabilizer 420 to be equally usable by a right-handed user as well as a left-handed user.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body of ambidextrous stabilizer 420 may include a frictional interface. In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a non-slip material, a non-permanent adhesive material, or a felt material. In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a material made of silicone, rubber, nanotubes, or a combination thereof.
Referring to part (A) of
Referring to parts (B), (C) and (D) of
It is noteworthy that, although the forearm 510 appears to be the right forearm of the user, example scenario 500 is equally applicable when the user uses the left forearm in conjunction with ambidextrous stabilizer 530.
In view of the above, select features of various designs in accordance with the present disclosure are highlighted below.
In one aspect, an apparatus may include a buffer tube. The buffer tube may include a tubular portion and an attachment portion. The tubular portion may be generally cylindrical in shape, and the tubular portion may include a first distal end and a second distal end opposite the first distal end. The first distal end may be configured to be mechanically received in a firearm. The attachment portion may extend from a portion of an exterior surface of the tubular portion between the first distal end and the second distal end.
In some implementations, the attachment portion may include a plurality of protrusions configured to accommodatingly mate with a MIL-STD-1913 rail, a Standardization Agreement 2324 rail, a Picatinny rail, a Weaver rail, a STANAG 4694 rail, a NATO accessory rail, an accessory mounting rail, or a combination thereof.
In some implementations, the first distal end may be threaded and configured to be screwed into a receiver of an AR-type firearm.
In some implementations, the tubular portion may include a hollow tube having a hole open at the first distal end and closed off at the second distal end.
In some implementations, the tubular portion may further include one or more grooves on an exterior surface of the tubular portion and extending along a longitudinal direction of the tubular portion.
In one aspect, an apparatus may include a stabilizer. The stabilizer may include a body having an upper side, a left side and a right side opposite the left side. The upper side may include a groove extending along a longitudinal direction of the body. The groove may be configured to accommodate an object having a shape similar to an accessory mounting rail. The upper side may also include a through hole traversing the body and connecting the left side and the right side of the body to allow a pin, a bolt or a screw to secure the object to the body when the object is received in the groove by sliding into the groove along the longitudinal direction.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a concave surface.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a frictional interface.
In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a non-slip material, a non-permanent adhesive material, or a felt material.
In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a material made of silicone, rubber, nanotubes, or a combination thereof.
In one aspect, an apparatus may include a stabilizer. The stabilizer may include a body having an upper side, a left side and a right side opposite the left side. The body may include a hole on a front side thereof and extending partially into the body along a longitudinal direction of the body. The hole may be configured to accommodate a buffer tube of a firearm. The body may also include a through hole to allow a pin, a bolt or a screw to secure the buffer tube to the body when the buffer tube is received in the hole.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a concave surface.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a frictional interface.
In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a non-slip material, a non-permanent adhesive material, or a felt material.
In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a material made of silicone, rubber, nanotubes, or a combination thereof.
In one aspect, an apparatus may include a stabilizer. The stabilizer may include a body having an upper side, a left side and a right side opposite the left side. The body may include a first hole and a second hole on a front side thereof and extending partially into the body along a longitudinal direction of the body. Each of the first hole and the second hole may be configured to accommodate a guiding rod of a firearm. The body may also include a first through hole and a second through hole each of which allowing a pin, a bolt or a screw to secure the respective guiding rod to the body when the respective guiding rod is received in the hole.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a concave surface.
In some implementations, each of the left side and the right side of the body may include a frictional interface.
In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a non-slip material, a non-permanent adhesive material, or a felt material.
In some implementations, the frictional interface may include a material made of silicone, rubber, nanotubes, or a combination thereof.
The herein-described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely examples, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components.
Further, with respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
Moreover, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims, e.g., bodies of the appended claims, are generally intended as “open” terms, e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc. It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to implementations containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an,” e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more;” the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number, e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations. Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention, e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc. In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention, e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc. It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various implementations of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various implementations disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
The present disclosure is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/112,427, filed on 24 Aug. 2018, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/550,413, filed on 25 Aug. 2017. Contents of aforementioned applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62550413 | Aug 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16112427 | Aug 2018 | US |
Child | 17322565 | US |