Patent Application
20110277368
The present invention discloses a series of modifications incorporated into a sub caliber action device for assisting in deconstruction, maintenance, reassembly and reinstallation within the AR-15 upper receiver. Included is a modified guide rod which, upon disassembly along with the bolt from the receiver plate, facilitates disassembly of the cotter pin retaining the rear installed firing pin and the extractor support pin. The guide rod is also capable of being secured to an aperture in the receiver plate in a “T” mounting configuration and exhibits a lengthwise slot for receiving a wipe fabric for cleaning out the interior of the detached chamber adaptor. Finally, the chamber adaptor exhibits a pair of GO/NO GO inspection dimensions on its rear barrel for quickly establishing whether the receive plate arms have been deformed (separated) to an unacceptable degree and require modification prior to reassembly of the bolt and chamber adaptor.
A known component associated with AR-15 and M16 style rifles is the action assembly, this most basically including a reciprocating bolt subassembly mounted upon a receiver plate and which is integrated into the upper receiver in communication with a magazine ammunition feed incorporated into an engaged lower receiver. Disassembly and modification of the action assembly is often desired, such as in instances where sub caliber conversion is desired (e.g. such as to modify the action assembly originally constructed for use with center fire cartridges so as to permit firing of lesser expensive rim fire cartridges.
The tension and dimensional tolerance of the receiver frame is also critical to the proper functioning of the firearm and the removal of the bolt and associated chamber adapter often results in undesirable changes being made to critical frame dimensions.
The present invention discloses a maintenance kit incorporated into operable components of a sub caliber action device installable within an upper receiver of an AR-15 type firearm for facilitating disassembly, maintenance and reassembly of a bolt and forward chamber adaptor with a receiver plate. The kit includes at least one gauge dimension defined in a barrel of the forward chamber adaptor for establishing a correct spacing between lengthwise extending and interior notch defining arms associated with the receiver plate. A modified guide rod facilitates at least one of disassembly of the bolt firing pin/extractor and cleaning of the chamber adaptor interior prior to reassembly of the bolt and chamber adaptor.
Additional features include the chamber adaptor further exhibiting a first NO GO gauge dimension and a second smaller GO dimension. The first and second dimensions further include opposite ledge surfaces established at locations upon the barrel.
The guide rod further comprising an annular enlarged end which, upon inserting the rod in a lengthwise fashion through a defined aperture in the base of the receiver plate, anchors the guide rod to the receiver plate. A slot defined in a distal proximate location of said guide rod for receiving a wipe fabric. The guide rod further exhibits a reduced end diameter distal end portion suitably dimensioned to facilitate disassembly of a firing pin as well as further facilitating forced dislodgement of the extractor support pin for subsequent removal of the extractor.
Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
Referring now to the following illustrations, the present invention again discloses a maintenance kit incorporated into the operating components of a sub caliber action device for use in both drop-in and dedicated variants of an AR-15 upper receiver. Among the objectives of the integrated kit is the prevention of unacceptable deformation of the receiver plate support arms during disassembly of the bolt and forward chamber adaptor (via the quick inspection GO/NO GO template markings placed upon the chamber adaptor barrel), combined with the modifications to the guide rod to facilitate subsequent removal of the firing pin and extractor from the dismounted bolt.
The integrated maintenance kit features associated with the depicted sub caliber action is intended to compensate for inherent deformation which is inflicted upon the guide plate arms during twisting separation and removal of the chamber adaptor and bolt for such as cleaning and in order to change out (replace) such s the firing pin and/or extractor. While it is not normally recommended to disassemble the action components in such a fashion, such is normally done for purposes of ease in accessing in particular the bolt components. It is further known that disassembly in such a fashion can change the critical dimension of the receiver plate arms resulting in decreased performance or jamming of the reciprocating bolt during subsequent reassembly.
Referring to each of
The configuration of the bolt assembly 22 is further such that a rearward projecting support sleeve 28 includes an open interior for receiving and seating an opposing guide rod 30 associated with a further mounting location 32 of the receiver plate 12 (this associated with a support plate 26 fixed to an end of the receiver plate 12) and in order to maintain in assembled fashion the adaptor bolt subassembly 10 (such as is known as a 0.22 caliber adaptor bolt). An elongated spring 33 seats over the guide rod 30 and, upon installation within the integrated support sleeve 28 provides the forward influencing bias to the bolt 22 when mounted upon the receiver 12.
Features associated with the bolt 22 further include a firing pin 34 which is held in place by a cotter pin 36. The firing pin 34 installs through a rear accessible aperture 38 in the bolt 22 and exhibits a smaller spring 40 mounted to a reduce diameter nose end 41 of the pin 34 to provide a limited degree of biasing motion within the bolt 22.
A laterally communicating notch 42 is defined at an intermediate location of the pin 34 to secure the pin upon crosswise insertion of the cotter pin 36 through a widthwise communicating aperture 44 defined through a side of the bolt 22 and in intersecting communication with the lengthwise accessible aperture 38 for seating the firing pin 34. As also shown in
As is known, the bolt assembly is a mechanical part of the firearm upper receiver and which is seated within a barrel at a location in which it blocks a rear of the associated chamber during burning of the propellant. In semi-automatic firearms, such as is the case AR-15 type firearms, the bolt is caused to cycle back and forth during each cartridge discharge cycle, propelled by recoil/expanding gas (backwards) or spring recoil (forwards) via a forward extending gas port and an upper and rear extending/rerouting of a gas tube for utilizing the gas blowback to successively eject and reload (re-chamber) a succeeding round.
Upon moving back, the bolt extractor 50 (see again
Although not illustrated, the sub caliber action 10 is installed within an upper receiver rear end associated with an AR-15 firearm. Without further elaboration, additional existing and interfacing features associated with the upper receiver include an underside accessible aperture defined in a lengthwise configured barrel portion for receiving an associated lower receiver and communicating magazine (both also not shown), and within which is installed the action assembly 10.
In practice, the gauge dimensions 52 and 54 quickly establish whether the receiver plate arms have been unacceptably deformed such as during the disassembly process. By non-limiting example, this includes measuring the gap or spacing between the surfaces 70 and 72 by reference to the NO GO gauge dimension 54 (which in one non-limiting example lists a distance of 0.715″ established between selected ledge surfaces 66 and 68 of the chamber adaptor barrel 56).
The ability to seat the (opposite) ledge surfaces 66 and 68 of the NO GO 54 dimension between the (opposing) receiver notch surfaces 70 and 72 signals that the receiver sides 14 and 16 have been unacceptably deformed (or widened) and that the sides need to be (such as manually) deformed to a degree that they contact the corresponding ledge surfaces 62 and 64 of the GO position 52 (dimensioned by non-limiting example to 0.705″) and once the adaptor 24 has been manipulated to measure that distance between the receiver notch surfaces 70 and 72.
Additional features include a slot 78 defined in a distal proximate location of the rod 30 and, as further illustrated in the successive assembled view of the guide rod and handle in
Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims.
This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/334,313 filed on May 13, 2010.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61334313 | May 2010 | US |
