Certain firearms, such as the M4, M16, SR-25, AR-10 and AR-15 weapons are fired using gas operation. The act of firing the weapon subjects certain operating mechanisms to the build up of residue due to exposure to the operating gases of the weapon. As a result, carbon residue accumulates on and around the operating mechanisms, such as the bolt and bolt carrier. Over time, the residue becomes detrimental to operational firing of the weapon. Therefore, it is important to keep operating mechanisms which are prone to residue build up clean, and to periodically remove the residue therefrom.
One of the most residue prone areas of a firearm includes the bolt and bolt carrier. However, the contours of the bolt and bolt carrier create unique difficulties in proper and complete cleaning of the relevant surfaces. Further, once the carbon residue is adhered to a surface it is difficult to remove. In view of these problems, certain tools have been improvised and developed to aid the user in cleaning a firearm, particularly the bolt and bolt carrier.
Known cleaning tools include brushes, dental tools, screwdrivers, and solvents. Use of these types of tools is ineffective at best, and sometimes damaging to the weapon. Other known tools used to remove carbon residue from the bolt and bolt carrier include those sold by NCStar, Brownells, ADCO Firearms, and AR15.com, for example. While these tools may improve the manner of carbon removal from the bolt carrier, none of them adequately addresses removal of carbon from both the bolt tail and the bolt carrier in a single tool.
The present invention is directed to a firearm maintenance tool for use in cleaning bolts and bolt carriers of certain weapons such as the AR-15, M4, M16, SR-25, or AR-10, and method of using same. A tool according to the present invention is a compact device including cutting or scraping edges to ream residue, such as carbon deposits through a scraping action, and is adapted to clean both a bolt carrier and a bolt, especially the bolt tail in a single tool. The tool preferably includes a proximal end having a scraping head provided with a scraping edge. The scraping head is preferably dimensioned to fit into the bore of a selected bolt carrier to be cleaned and is adapted to ream carbon deposits through an axial rotational scraping action. The tool further includes a distal end having pivotable scraper arm and longitudinally extending insertion pin. The pin is adapted to be inserted into the bore of the bolt tail to be cleaned, while the scraper arm is rotatable for positioning adjacent a bolt tail surface. A method of use is also contemplated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved firearm cleaning tool which may be easily manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved firearm cleaning tool which is of durable and reliable construction.
Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.
As seen in
As may be further seen, a tool 10 according to the present invention further includes a distal end 24. The distal end 24 is preferably provided with a longitudinally extending insertion pin member 26. The pin member 26 is adapted for insertion into an end of a bolt 14 to be cleaned. As seen particularly in the views of
Cleaning of the bolt 14 and bolt tail 16 may be seen particularly in the views of
A method of cleaning a bolt and bolt carrier of a firearm according to the present invention may include the steps of:
providing a bolt 14 and a bolt carrier 12 to be cleaned;
providing a cleaning tool 10, the cleaning tool 10 including a proximal end 18 and a distal end 24, the proximal end 18 being of a predetermined size capable of being inserted into a bore 13 of the bolt carrier 12 to be cleaned;
providing the proximal end 18 with a scraper head 20, the scraper head 20 including at least one radially extending scraping edge 22;
inserting the proximal end 18 into a selected bolt carrier bore 13 to be cleaned, such that the scraping edge 22 is in contact with an inner wall of the bolt carrier bore 13;
axially rotating the tool 10 and the bolt carrier 12 relative to one another to thereby move the scraping edge 22 relative to the bore 13 to be cleaned;
providing the distal end 24 with a longitudinally extending pin portion 26 and a radially extending pivotal arm member 28, the arm member 28 including an arcuate member 34 having a distal end 36;
inserting the pin portion 26 into the bore 15 of a selected bolt 14 to be cleaned; rotating the arm member 28 until the distal end 36 contacts an outer portion of the bolt 14;
axially rotating the tool 10 and bolt 14 relative to one another such that the arm member distal end 36 removes residue from the bolt 14.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.
This application is a divisional of co-pending patent application Ser. No. 12/655,939 filed 11 Jan. 2010, which claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/204,885, filed 12 Jan. 2008.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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2562136 | Sullins | Jul 1951 | A |
2746219 | Talbot | May 1956 | A |
3765045 | Schneider et al. | Oct 1973 | A |
3952923 | Tison | Apr 1976 | A |
4509223 | Sipple et al. | Apr 1985 | A |
5379542 | Guzman | Jan 1995 | A |
Number | Date | Country |
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WO03104740 | Dec 2003 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20120240445 A1 | Sep 2012 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61204885 | Jan 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12655939 | Jan 2010 | US |
Child | 13474882 | US |