Patent Application
20160320152
The present invention relates in generally to a handguns, more specifically to a handgun spring and guide rod assembly.
The guide rod assembly is typically a cylindrical rod that is provided to optimize the performance of recoil springs through additional support and spring alignment. The guide rod controls how the pistol's slide functions. Thus by controlling the spring, the guide rod helps position the recoil spring during the firing cycle. Some handguns feature a capture spring which is an assembly of the guide rod and spring as a unit. In essence the guide rod then maintains the recoil spring itself and in turn enhances the slide return.
Typically, the guide rod is inserted into the slide of a handgun by pinching the rear portion of the rod forward and into of the slide. An indent on the barrel lug, also present within the slide, provides the position for securing the guide rod inside the handgun slide. At this point, the flanged rear end of the guide rod will sit securely on the semi-circular portion on the handgun frame, and the lower notch on the barrel lug.
The design of the spring guide rod is such that upon insertion into the slide, it sits securely against the barrel lug notch, and in contact with the semi-circular portion on the frame. The issue comes when the user “racks the slide” to allow the fire arm to be fired. When this happens, the spring guide rod disengages from the barrel notch and sits firmly in the semi-circular portion of the handgun frame. Therefore, a small distance between the guide rod and the barrel is created. Although most users will not notice an issue because this operation happens internally and is not readily apparent through inspection, creating a secure fit between the barrel, the handgun frame, and the recoil spring guide rod is important for increased accuracy on a round is fired down range. Additionally, due to the design of the barrel, the barrel has an upper and a lower notch. If the guide rod is installed incorrectly onto the barrel notch, the guide rod might not make adequate contact with the handgun frame and will eventually break.
Therefore, it should be apparent that there is a need for an apparatus which provides a means for securing the spring guide rod into the frame while maintaining contact with the barrel of the handgun.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention provide a handgun guide rod and more particularly to a guide rod which provides maximum contact points when installed into the handgun. The guide rod functions as the controlling mechanism by which the recoil spring is positioned and guided while the handgun slide reciprocates prior to, during, and after the discharge of a round.
Directed towards Glock style handguns and not limited herein, these handguns utilize a guide rod composed of a single cylindrical rod with a recoil spring permanently affixed on the rod. These guide rods feature a front end and a rear end flange which is a flat circular surface. The frame of the handgun features a semicircular portion by which the guide rod makes contact with when the handgun slide is racked. Prior to racking the slide, the barrel of the handgun, which features an upper and lower notch provide a contact surface for the guide rod. Once the guide rod is racked, the circular rear portion disengages contact with the barrel notch and is then secured by the semicircular portion of the handgun frame. Due to this design, only half of the guide rod circular rear flange is in contact at any given point in time during operation of the handgun.
While the guide rod is secured, it is only partially secured, and can flex. Thus flexion creates two problems. The first is that the guide rod is much more susceptible to bending and hence breaking. The second is that this flexion reduces overall components rigidity which is detrimental to accuracy.
Thus, increasing the contact surfaces between the guide rod, handgun frame and the barrel, an improved guide rod design can mitigate both the probability of handgun failure due to guide rod breakage as well as improves the accuracy of the handgun due to rigidity of the aforementioned internal components. This is accomplished by an improved guide rod featuring a circular rear flange, similar to the original guide rod, but with a semicircular lip protruding from the circular rear flange.
The present invention is directed towards a recoil spring guide rode, and more specifically to a recoil spring guide rod with unique features, herein. The following descriptions are set forth and have been assigned numerical designations to enable the reader to understand the reasoning behind and the application of the present invention. These, as well as other features of the present invention, will become more obvious when taken with reference to the drawings.
