The present invention discloses an upper receiver installable sub caliber action device including a modified bolt assembly and further incorporating a forward assist adaptor for use with such as an AR-15 type firearm. The adaptor works in combination with the forward assist and associated bolt assembly to adapt the firearm for use with sub caliber ammunition, such as .22 caliber ammunition in either drop in or dedicated variants.
The forward assist on an M16 or AR-15 type rifle is a button, usually located near the bolt closure that, when actuated, will push an associated bolt carrier forward, ensuring that the bolt is locked and to assist in forcing a round into the battery in the event of the bolt not fully closing. In order to ensure that an associated extractor component is clipped around the rim of the shell, the forward assist is usually struck rather than pushed.
The forward assist is commonly incorporated into standard loading procedure to prepare a weapon for a life threatening situation, or to close the bolt when the weapon is excessively dirty. The forward assist can also be used to close a bolt that was gently let down, rather than being released under full spring compression, and in order to keep the noise of closing the bolt to a minimum.
In acknowledgement of the frequency with which a weapon jams when taken outside of the clean environment of the test range, the forward assist was implemented to save the operator the potential danger of aiming the rifle and pulling the trigger and the rifle not discharging the shell due to the bolt not being fully forward (a safety arrangement called a “safety sear” stopping the hammer from being released and the weapon firing, because of the dangers of firing with the bolt not fully closed).
The present invention discloses a sub caliber action device installable within an upper receiver of an AR-15 type firearm which interfaces with an upper receiver mounted forward assist for use with such as .22 caliber ammunition. The device includes a generally elongated receiver plate exhibiting a generally lengthwise extending notched interior established between extending sides, with the notched interior seating a bolt and a forward assist adaptor in reciprocating fashion along the receiver plate between an end-most location and a forward secured chamber adaptor.
The bolt further includes a rearward projecting sleeve including an open interior for receiving and seating an opposing guide rod associated with a further mounting location of said receiver plate and in order to maintain in assembled fashion said forward assist adaptor. The forward assist adaptor further includes a generally semi-circular cross sectional shape with a plurality of scales along an extending side in communication with a forward engaging pawl of the forward assist. The adaptor and bolt can further be configured for both drop in (retrofit) and dedicated variants and the receiver plate can further be designed to include a plurality of protrusions defined along a notched interior for seating the bolt and the assist adaptor.
A further revised version of the adaptor incorporates a rear slotted location which is in communication with a rearward most underside location of the outer support associated with the main action coil spring. The adaptor operates as previously disclosed in single and semi automatic firing however, in the event of fully automatic firing, this reconfiguration causes the adaptor to operate as an anti-bounce component by influencing the bolt in a forward closed position to ensure that the associate striking of the hammer against the bolt integrated firing pin. The anti-bounce function designed into the adaptor is accordingly a useful feature when the weapon operates under full automatic firing mode, and during which the .22 bolt would otherwise tend to bounce open during its repetitive cycling.
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 discloses an upper receiver installable sub-caliber action, again for both drop-in and dedicated variants and including a modified bolt assembly and forward assist adaptor for use with such as an AR-15 type firearm and which enables the incorporation of a modified adaptor incorporated into the bolt which interfaces with the upper receiver mounted forward assist for use with .22 caliber ammunition. In this fashion, the forward assist is capable of being manipulated to fully seat an ammunition round in the event of the bolt not fully closing, and such as is present when used with center fire ammunition.
Referring to each of
The notched interior is configured for seating the remaining components of the modified bolt assembly in a generally stacked and assembly fashion, these namely including each of a forward assist adaptor 24, a bolt assembly 26 with side disposed extractor 27, and a forward-most projecting chamber adaptor 28. The configuration of the bolt assembly 26 is further such that a rearward projecting support sleeve 30 includes an open interior for receiving and seating an opposing guide rod 32 associated with a further mounting location of the receiver plate 12 and in order to maintain in assembled fashion the adaptor bolt subassembly 10 (such as is known as a .22 caliber adaptor bolt).
Although not shown, a main action coil spring is positioned between the sleeve 30 and rod 32 to bias the bolt relative the receiver plate. Also shown at 33 in each of
As is also 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 extractor 27 pulls a spent cartridge casing (not shown) from an attached magazine (not shown) and pushes it into a firearm chamber established between the upper and lower assembled receivers. Upon successive discharge, and once the spent shell casing case is clear of the chamber, an ejector component of the bolt ejects the casing from the receiver and out of the firearm (such as through a side window of the upper receiver which exposes the firing chamber.
As is further illustrated in the operational views of
Additional existing features of the upper receiver 34 include the provision of a forward assist subassembly 38 mounted in angularly extending and integrated fashion into a rear housing location of the upper receiver 34 and which seats a forward assist plunger 40. Also shown at 42 in
Referring now to each of
The forward assist adaptor 24 is further depicted as a drop in unit which fits behind the bolt 26 and which rides on the rails (sides 14 and 16) established between the bolt and endplate 12. In one non-limiting application, it is also envisioned that the adaptor can be integrated into a modified bolt 26 that is longer in length than shown while retaining lengthwise extending side disposed seating recesses/channels (see as shown at 47 in
In this fashion, the adaptor 24 (which exhibits a generally semi-circular shape as shown in
As further depicted, the forward assist pushes on a selected location established along the plurality of side disposed ridges 44 exhibited on the forward assist adaptor 24, these again termed “fish scales” which are exhibited on the side of the bolt carrier for enabling the bolt to be fully pushed into the forward located chamber adaptor. As is further illustrated, the forward assist plunger 40 on the upper receiver is manipulated via a push button configuration found commonly on M16 and AR-15 styled rifles, and usually located near the bolt closure such that, when depressed, the plunger 40 will push the bolt carrier forward, ensuring that the bolt is locked. The forward assist can also be used to close a bolt that was gently let down, rather than released under full spring compression, such as in order to keep the noise of closing the bolt to a minimum.
In operation, the final degree of travel of the forward assist engages on the rear of the forward assist adaptor 24, rather than engaging with the fish scales. This is significant since the length that protrudes rearward to the end of the notch in the frame, but not past it, is critical. Other variants can render possible engagement of the fish scale on the final push, with a required lengthening of the protrusion well past the rear of the frame plate. The flush configuration of the adaptor 24 shown makes it unnecessary to remove the lower receiver buffer assembly.
In one non-limiting variant of the present design, an approximately ⅛″ protruding off a rear of the forward assist adaptor 24 provides a sufficient length for establishing necessary contact between the forward assist 40 and adaptor 24 when the bolt is nearing a fully closed position and without travel past the end plate during compression of the main action spring between the bolt and receiver plate. In use, all .22 sub caliber ammunition is adapted for use with a similar end plate design, exhibiting the configuration of the notched and component supporting area established between the sides 14 and 16 of the plate 12.
As previously described,
As again previously described,
Referring now to
The adaptor 52 is configured similar to that shown at 24 in
The slotted aspect associated with surfaces 56, 58 and 60 is largely non-functional and is intended to reduce material content associated with the adaptor upon the installation upon the receiver plate 12 and underneath the linear extending sleeve 30. A corresponding rear slotted location associated with the adaptor 52 is further shown at an opposite rear end thereof and includes inner extending surfaces 64, 66 and 68 (contrasting to recess notch location 48 in the adaptor 24 of
The adaptor 52 operates as previously disclosed in single and semi automatic firing however, in the event of fully automatic firing, the rear slotted reconfiguration causes the adaptor to operate as an anti-bounce component. This is by virtue of a degree of incremental spacing or play established by the seating of the underside protuberance 33 of the sleeve 30 within the slightly more elongated slot defined by the rear communicating surfaces 64, 66 and 68 of the adaptor 52. In this manner, and during full auto firing, the bolt 26 is influenced in a forward closed position by the adaptor 52 (operating as an anti-bounce element) in order to ensure striking of a hammer (see as schematically depicted at 70 in
The above described functionality of the adaptor in anti-bounce mode is better explained with reference finally to the operating sequence illustrated in
Referring again to
Referring again to the progression depicted in
Proceeding to
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 61/324,482 filed on Apr. 15, 2010.
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Entry |
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US Statutory Invention Registration No. H926, Published Jun. 4, 1991, entitled “Rimfire Blank Adaptor Kit for M16 Rifles”, Inventor: Raymond A. Mahtook, Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110252957 A1 | Oct 2011 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61324482 | Apr 2010 | US |