Patent Grant
10788286
The present invention relates generally to firearms accessories, and more specifically to novel after-market and/or original-equipment-manufacturer firearms, devices, apparatuses, accessories and components.
Extremely Close-Quarters Armed Combatives (ECQAC) is a relatively young field of study which explores strategies, tactics and techniques for defending one's self against deadly-force attacks initiated from an extremely close range. ECQAC is a rapidly evolving discipline that has experienced the development, evolution and decline of several theories. Current best-practices are based on the presumption that effective ECQAC techniques must include both “hand-to-hand” and armed counteroffensive methods.
In real-world examples, the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan have involved a high incidence of close-quarter engagements in and around densely spaced urban structures. Additionally, military, police and intelligence personnel are often engaged in counter-terror and anti-crime operations, which tend to involve close-quarters engagements. Also of note, state-level training requirements to obtain concealed-carry weapons permits can often be grossly inadequate to appropriately handle ECQAC scenarios.
The net effect of these factors is that many warfighters, law enforcement/security personnel, and civilians are in need of improved ECQAC equipment to implement best-practices in training. Such training and equipment is not only designed to improve the armed individual's personal survivability, but also to minimize risk to innocent bystanders, ensure the most stringent rules of engagement and self-defense laws can be followed, and mitigate unjustified injuries or loss of life. Additionally, effective ECQAC equipment and technique must provide for the probability that violent attackers, whose actions may warrant the potential use of deadly-force, will likely come in physical contact with their intended-victim(s) and any weapons their intended-victim(s) may be carrying, such as a firearm.
Notably, the present invention may address numerous issues and scenarios related to firearms with external reciprocating mechanisms. For instance, such a reciprocating mechanism may be moved “out-of-battery” by an attacker (e.g., when an attacker grabs or an object or body part comes in contact with the reciprocating mechanism), resulting in a firearm that is inoperable. In another example, a firearm may malfunction when the reciprocating mechanism is grabbed or contacted by an object or person by preventing the firearm from completely cycling, resulting in an inoperable firearm when a shot is fired. In yet another example, reciprocating mechanisms may be fouled by debris or other obstructions that enter or interfere with critical areas of the firearm (e.g., ejection port, extractor, levers, and so forth). In addition to issues related to reciprocating mechanisms, various other issues may also be addressed by the present invention. For instance, taking one or more shots with a firearm in a stressful situation can be dangerous to bystanders, as recoil and poorly distributed weight on a firearm can reduce an individual's control of the firearm.
Therefore, a need exists in the field for novel after-market and/or original-equipment-manufacturer devices, features, extensions, apparatuses, accessories and integral components capable of protecting and sustaining the functionality of firearms with external reciprocating mechanisms. The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.
At least some embodiments described herein relate to a shroud that is configured to connect to or be an integral part of a firearm having an external reciprocating mechanism. The shroud may be further configured to prevent such a reciprocating mechanism from moving out-of-battery (other than during normal cycling), or otherwise restrict the reciprocating mechanism from cycling completely, thus causing the firearm to malfunction. For example, the shroud may include one or more of a hood portion, a faceplate portion, a floorplate portion and other additional fitments and features. Notably, these components may be configured to permanently or temporarily connect to or disconnect from each other or any part of the firearm or be an integral part of the firearm's original production. In some embodiments, the hood portion and/or the faceplate portion may extend beyond a muzzle of the firearm.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention can be obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Some embodiments described herein relate to a shroud configured to connect to a firearm having a reciprocating mechanism. The shroud may be further configured to prevent the reciprocating mechanism of a firearm from moving out-of-battery (other than when cycling normally) or otherwise be restricted from cycling completely, thus causing the firearm to malfunction. For example, the shroud may include one or more of a hood portion, a faceplate portion, a floorplate portion and/or other fitments. In some embodiments, the hood portion and/or the faceplate portion may extend beyond a muzzle of the firearm.
A shroud that can be coupled to a firearm or integrated within the firearm and may address numerous issues and scenarios related to reciprocating mechanisms of firearms. For instance, the shroud may prevent a reciprocating mechanism of a firearm from being moved out-of-battery (i.e., resulting in an inability to fire the firearm) or otherwise restricting the firearm from cycling completely in numerous scenarios. In at least one embodiment, a shroud may prevent an attacker from grabbing the reciprocating mechanism in such a way that causes the reciprocating mechanism to move out-of-battery or prevents it from cycling completely. In at least one additional or alternative embodiment, a shroud may prevent a reciprocating mechanism from being fouled by debris or other obstructions that enter or interfere with critical areas of the firearm (e.g., ejection port, extractor, levers, and so forth). In at least one additional or alternative embodiment, a shroud may prevent a reciprocating mechanism from moving out-of-battery or prevent it from cycling completely when the firearm is pressed against a person or object. In at least one additional or alternative embodiment, such shrouds may also beneficially distribute weight on a firearm to provide stability over the perceived recoil created when firing the firearm. Additionally, in at least one additional or alternative embodiment, a shroud may provide the porting and braking mechanisms used in compensators. As used herein, a compensator refers to a category of firearm accessories that direct the gas that exits a firearm's barrel in such a way that it reduces the amount of perceived recoil. Within conventional firearms, compensators have typically been directly attached to the firearm's barrel or reciprocating mechanism. Moreover, a shroud may provide additional ways to hold, grip and manipulate the firearm, which may improve shooting accuracy. A shroud may also provide additional weapon features that are separate from firing a firearm, including features that may be effective when using the firearm for impacting, piercing, cutting, slicing, gouging, scraping, electrical stunning and/or chemical spraying, and so forth. Furthermore, a shroud may provide ways to eliminate an attacker's grasp on a firearm by having methods of quickly detaching a shroud from a firearm being grasped by an attacker.
Some introductory discussion relating to issues related to the use of firearms will first be discussed. Then various shrouds and how they may be coupled to firearms for improving a firearm's utility and effectiveness will be described with respect to
Many of the primary issues addressed by the present invention relate to preventing the disruption of how a firearm's reciprocating mechanism must cycle for the firearm to function properly. A reciprocating mechanism allows a firearm to chamber a round of ammunition, cock the firing mechanism, stage the trigger, allow the trigger to be released, fire the round, extract and eject the spent round from the firearm, and chamber another round in preparation to repeat the cycle. However, as further described herein, if the normal cycle of a firearm's reciprocating mechanism is disturbed, the firearm will malfunction. The reciprocating mechanism's cycle can be disturbed in a variety of ways, to include the following: i) an attacker could grab the reciprocating mechanism, ii) the operator could inadvertently hold the firearm incorrectly, iii) the firearm could come into contact with an object, structure or body part, iv) the reciprocating mechanism could be fouled by dirt, debris, clothing, and/or other obstructions that enter or interfere with critical areas of the firearm (e.g., an ejection port, an extractor and/or other openings, levers, and so forth), etc.
In all these scenarios, and others, the firearm can malfunction either because the firearm's reciprocating mechanism is moved out-of-battery or because it is prevented from completing its normal cycle. Such malfunctions may prevent the firearm from firing at all or may cause a malfunction at the time the firearm is fired. In yet another example, an intended-victim may inadvertently press the firearm against an attacker, resulting in the reciprocating mechanism moving out-of-battery (i.e., again preventing the firearm from firing). In still another example, an intended-victim may inadvertently place a body part(s) (e.g., a finger) on a reciprocating mechanism of the firearm, thus causing a malfunction of the firearm, as the reciprocating mechanism is restricted from completing its cycle. In yet another example, the reciprocating mechanism of the firearm can come in contact with clothing, structures, barriers and other objects that cause the firearm to malfunction, as the reciprocating mechanism is restricted from completing its cycle or is out-of-battery. In still another example, firearms with reciprocating mechanisms can be fouled by debris.
In addition, the present invention may also address a number of other issues related to a firearm's utility and effectiveness. For instance, an attacker, who is extremely close, may be able to harm and/or disarm an individual with a firearm. Through the novel features of the present invention, an individual having a firearm with the present invention may have the ability to use improved gripping, aiming, shooting, impacting, piercing, cutting, slicing, gouging, scraping, electrical stunning, and/or chemical spraying features and techniques, thus potentially giving the firearm's operator a significant advantage over his or her attacker, as further described herein. In scenarios where the firearm operator's best alternative is to get distance from an attacker, a shroud may provide ways to eliminate an attacker's grasp on a firearm by having methods of quickly detaching a shroud from a firearm being grasped by an attacker.
Furthermore, violent attacks, which legally and morally may warrant the use of potential deadly-force create extremely difficult situations for the intended-victim and/or intervening party (i.e., law enforcement officers, security guards, etc.). Controlling a firearm in these types of situations is complicated by the effects of stress, surprise, fear and the resulting release of adrenalin caused by these effects. Even well-trained and experienced shooters can find it difficult to control the influences that are exerted on and created by the firearm such as compromised sight alignment, trigger control and recoil management. The present invention mitigates the degradation of control over these factors by providing alternative ways to grip, aim, control and fire a firearm with a reciprocating mechanism. In one example, a shroud provides a firearm's operator with a greater ability to maintain possession and control of the firearm during a struggle, while defending himself or herself with hand-to-hand techniques that don't necessarily involve shooting. In another example, a shroud provides additional surfaces that may be gripped by the firearm's operator. These surfaces provide greater control and leverage of a firearm by allowing the firearm operator to use larger muscle groups, when small muscle control is compromised by higher than normal levels of adrenalin. This may improve a firearm operator's ability to aim accurately, manipulate the trigger properly and manage recoil adequately. Furthermore, the recoil effect may be minimized through the improved distribution of weight provided by a shroud, as further described herein.
Additionally, properly locating non-reciprocating, ballasting weight on a firearm may aid in dampening a firearm's perceived recoil, thus improving the operator's control of a firearm when firing one or more times. A shroud may also provide the porting and braking mechanisms used in compensators. This increased control over a firearm during an attack can reduce the likelihood of an errant shot. The complex shooting environments military, law enforcement, and civilian personnel are often forced to operate in frequently involve the presence of innocent bystanders. Any ability to improve a firearm operator's control in these situations can only serve to improve the safety of such bystanders.
In yet another example, encounters that have the potential to require deadly-force can be complicated by “reactive escalation” syndrome. Reactive escalation syndrome occurs when a confrontational chain of events between two or more parties begin with borderline actions (i.e., actions that could potentially be interpreted as either justifying or not justifying the use of deadly-force). In scenarios where the only method of defense is using a firearm in its traditional capacity, actions lead to increasingly aggressive reactions until a situation that might have deescalated to a non-deadly-force encounter becomes a de facto deadly-force level event. Notably, when the only option for using a firearm is to shoot, the likelihood of reactive escalation is more likely. As such, a firearm that includes alternative types of weapons (e.g., via impacting, piercing, cutting, slicing, gouging, scraping, electrical stunning, chemical spraying, and so forth) may reduce a likelihood of reactive escalation.
Accordingly, new shrouds, apparatuses, accessories and components for protecting and sustaining the functionality and enhancing the utility of firearms with reciprocating mechanisms are discussed herein. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be implemented and/or utilized without all of these specific details, but in some cases may only comprise one or more of the illustrated components.
For instance,
As illustrated, the shroud 110 includes a hood 111, faceplate 112, and floorplate 113. The hood 111 may be particularly important for protecting the reciprocating mechanism from various impediments to completing the reciprocating mechanism's cycle. In particular, the hood 111 allows the reciprocating mechanism 101 of the firearm 100 to move freely throughout an entire cycle of the reciprocating mechanism by providing a protective barrier that surrounds all or part of the reciprocating mechanism and any attachments thereto. In an example, the hood 111 may be at least partially responsible for preventing an attacker from grabbing the reciprocating mechanism of the firearm, thus causing the reciprocating mechanism from moving out-of-battery or otherwise restricting the firearm from cycling completely. Notably, the hood 111 may be an integral part of the firearm 100 or coupled to the firearm 100 at any of a variety of mounting positions 104 and/or connection points, including but not limited to a frame 120, stock, chassis, barrels, barrel extensions, guide rods, rails, housings, threadings, accessory interfaces, and so forth of the firearm 100. In addition, the hood 111 may be coupled to any other applicable firearm accessory, bracket, support, fixture, and so forth that is temporarily or permanently and directly or indirectly attached to the firearm 100 (or held by or directly/indirectly connected to an operator of the firearm).
Notably, however, a faceplate (i.e, 112 of
While the features of the hood 111, the hood 211A, the hood 211B, and the hood 211C are each shown separately, any combination of the features described herein may be used together. For instance, a hood that extends from a location forward of the muzzle 207 (e.g., the hood 211C) to a furthermost back portion of the firearm 200 (e.g., the hood 211B) may be utilized when practicing the principles described herein.
In addition, a hood may be configured to provide various features that allow accessories to be attached to the hood/shroud and would perhaps otherwise be included on a surface of the firearm 200 without the hood or shroud. Notably, such accessories may be proprietary to a hood/shroud or may be accessories which may otherwise be directly or indirectly attached to a firearm (e.g., the firearm 200). In an example,
Returning to
Faceplates described herein may be permanent or interchangeable and comprise various designs, features, and/or element(s) for either aesthetic (e.g., designs, reliefs, etchings, three-dimensional sculptings, and so forth) and/or functional purposes. More specifically, the outward-facing surfaces of a faceplate may be textured, profiled, elevated and/or relieved to include features, and/or attachments that improve impacting, piercing, cutting, slicing, gouging, scraping, electrical stunning and/or chemical spraying capabilities of a firearm. For instance,
Faceplates described herein (e.g., faceplate 112 of
Additionally, faceplates may be coupled to a firearm (or other portions of a shroud, such as a hood) using a variety of mounting positions and/or connection points, including but not limited to a frame, stock, chassis, barrels, barrel extensions, guide rods, rails, housings, threadings, accessory interfaces, and so forth of the firearm 100 or other firearm accessories, brackets, and/or other fixtures that are temporarily or permanently and directly or indirectly attached to the firearm 100 (or held by or directly/indirectly connected to an operator of the firearm). The ability to couple the faceplate either directly or indirectly to the frame (i.e., mounting surfaces other than the barrel or reciprocating mechanism) provides additional recoil management capabilities (i.e., functionality of muzzle brakes, compensators, ported barrels, and the like). When a firearm fires, gases are expelled from the firearm's muzzle 107. These gases impact may against one or more features on the faceplate 112 (i.e., the rear of the faceplate, other rear facing surfaces, such as ports and/or compensator slots 524H of
Returning to
Additionally, floorplates 113 may be coupled to a firearm 100 (or other portions of a shroud, such as a hood or faceplate) using a variety of mounting positions and/or connection points, including but not limited to a frame, stock, chassis, barrels, barrel extensions, guide rods, rails, housings, threadings, accessory interfaces, and so forth of the firearm, or other firearm accessories, brackets, or fixtures that are temporarily or permanently and directly or indirectly attached to the firearm (or held by or directly or indirectly connected to an operator of the firearm). Some embodiments of a floorplate 113 may be configured to accommodate or adjust the mounting of devices, apparatuses, accessories and/or other attachments for the firearm 100.
While the hoods, faceplates, floorplates, and other components of the device may be described or shown herein as single or multiple elements, those skilled in the art will understand that such components may be unitarily formed alone or in combination with other components, or may comprise assemblies of multiple subcomponents, or may be integral features of firearm created during its original manufacturing while being collectively referred to as an individual component of a shroud or firearm.
Notably, the hood 111, the faceplate 112, and/or the floorplate 113 may be connected to each other by any individual or combination of joinery profiles, such as tongue-and-groove, dovetail, mortise-and-tenon, lap, splined, and so forth. In some embodiments, the hood 111, the faceplate 112, and/or the floorplate 113 may also be fastened together using any combination of pins, screws, bolts, cams, welds, threadings, bonding agents, adhesives and so forth (i.e., collectively referred to herein as fasteners 114). Accordingly, any individual or combination of pins, screws, bolts, cams, welds, joints, threadings, bonding agents, adhesives and the like may be used to connect any components of, subassemblies of, or the entirety of the shroud to a firearm or of the firearm itself. Additionally, hoods, faceplates and/or floorplates may be molded, cast, forged, stamped, milled, extruded, or otherwise unitarily formed together (i.e., integrated) as subassemblies or as one component.
In other embodiments, the hood 111, the faceplate 112, and/or the floorplate 113 may not be directly coupled together. For instance, each of the hood 111, the faceplate 112, and/or the floorplate 113 may be individually coupled to the firearm 100 or integrated into its original manufacturing. Accordingly, the hood 111, the faceplate 112, and the floorplate 113 may be individually or collectively coupled either directly or indirectly to the firearm. In particular, the hood 111, the faceplate 112, and the floorplate 113 may be coupled to any combination of accessories, brackets, or other supports of the firearm 100 (i.e., collectively referred to herein as mounting surfaces 104). The mounting surfaces 104 may be temporarily or permanently and directly or indirectly coupled to the firearm 100 or a feature of the firearm 100.
Features and/or surfaces used to connect the shroud 110 to the mounting surfaces 104 may include, but are not limited to, fastener apertures 115, contours, reliefs, wedges, threadings, press fit surfaces, clamping elements, trigger pins, retaining pins and/or the like (i.e., collectively referred to herein as attachment features 116). Notably, the mounting surfaces 104 of the firearm, as well as any fastener apertures 115 of the shroud 110 may be threaded or unthreaded. In some embodiments, modifications to the firearm may be required to engage the attachment feature(s) 116 to the mounting surface(s) 104. In other embodiments, existing features of the firearm may be used to engage the attachment features 116 to the mounting surfaces 104, such that modifications to the firearm are unnecessary. In yet other embodiments, a shroud may be connected to a previously non-existent feature of a firearm. For instance, a newly drilled or tapped hole may be created for attached a shroud to a firearm. Notably, regardless of the mechanisms used for coupling the shroud 110 to the firearm 100, the shroud may be configured to allow the firearm's reciprocating mechanism 101 to move freely throughout the reciprocating mechanism's entire cycle even when the shroud is grabbed, pushed against an object (e.g., an attacker), or otherwise manipulated (e.g., by an operator of the firearm, by an attacker, and so forth).
As briefly described, one or more of a hood, faceplate, and floorplate may be formed as one piece (i.e., forming an integrated shroud). For instance,
Regardless of the particular design of a shroud (e.g., whether the shroud has a faceplate, whether the shroud has a floorplate, and so forth), the shroud may provide a structure whereon design features, fitments and/or additional elements can be added that enhance a firearm's traditional utility, and alternatively, its utility as an impacting, piercing, cutting, slicing, gouging, scraping, electrical stunning and/or chemical spraying type of weapon. For instance,
For instance,
Notably, various embodiments of shrouds, as described herein, may vary in the amount of protection they provide to a firearm's reciprocating mechanism 1201, based on an intended purpose and/or use of the firearm 1200. For instance, in some embodiments, the shroud 1210 may be shorter, offer less coverage to the reciprocating mechanism 1201, and/or have one or more openings (e.g., the access feature 1218) because the intended purpose and/or use of the firearm 1200 prioritizes size, weight and/or other features of the firearm 1200. In other embodiments, a shroud 1210 may be longer, offer more coverage to the reciprocating mechanism 1201, and/or have fewer openings (e.g., the access feature 1218) because the intended purpose and/or use of the firearm 1200 prioritizes protecting the firearm's ability to function (i.e., more fully ensuring that the reciprocating mechanism is not impeded from completing an entire cycle) over other considerations.
As illustrated,
In some embodiments, the hood 1311 (or any hood described herein) may also include features that extend and/or widen the bottom of the hood to allow an accessory (e.g., the light 1304) to be attached to the firearm concurrently with the shroud but does not require one or more access features (e.g., the access feature 1318). Accordingly, the access feature 1318 may comprise a feature of the firearm 1300, such that either or both of a shroud (e.g., the shroud 1310A, the shroud 1310B, and so forth) and an accessory (e.g., the light 1304) may be connected to the firearm 1300. As further described herein, a shroud (e.g., the shroud 1310A, the shroud 1310B, and so forth) may include access features 1318 that allow accessories to be coupled to the shroud (e.g., the shroud 1310A, the shroud 1310B, and so forth).
Whereas
Materials for the elements, components, and assemblies described herein may include, but are not limited to, steels, metal alloys, aluminums, fiberglass, graphite, hard composites, and so forth for various embodiments generally intended for use with “live” firearms (i.e., firearms generally used for military, law enforcement, security, personal defense, sport, competition shooting, recreational shooting, and so forth). Additionally, materials used for practicing the principles described herein may be configured to beneficially distribute weight on a firearm to provide stability over the perceived recoil created when firing the firearm. Notably, other materials for the elements, components, and assemblies described herein may include, but are not limited to, wood, rubber, foam, soft composites, and so forth for various embodiments intended for use with “inert” firearms (i.e., firearms generally used for training, practice, gaming, playing, and so forth). Furthermore, a shroud may be an integral part of a firearm frame or chassis as a part of the firearm's design during its original manufacturing. As such, a shroud may be physically integrated into the actual physical firearm.
Turning now to holsters, holsters are generally designed and created to fit a specific make and model of firearm, with or without certain accessories (e.g., one holster may be particularly designed for a GLOCK® 19 with a SUREFIRE® 300X light, another holster may be particularly designed for a SMITH & WESSON® M&P® 9 with no light, and so forth). However, the external geometry and design of the shrouds described herein allows multiple firearm makes and models to be secured by the same holster. In particular, utilizing a shroud as described herein may allow for maintaining the same geometry and design even when the shroud is used with various different types of firearms, thus allowing use of a single holster design for a variety of different types of firearms when using the shroud.
Moreover, the geometry and design features of the shrouds described herein may provide additional surface area for connecting to a holster, thus offer improved retention capabilities in holsters designed for the shrouds. Firearms coupled to shrouds described herein may utilize holsters of varying retention levels. For instance, level 1 holsters (i.e., friction), level 2 holsters (i.e., friction plus a mechanical release), and level 3 holsters (i.e., friction plus a mechanical release and an exterior cover) may be utilized when practicing the principles described herein. Improved retention in holsters designed to receive the geometry of a firearm with a shroud may better prevent individuals other than the firearm operator from accessing a firearm from such a holster and provide additional safety to operators when carrying and deploying firearms with a shroud. Furthermore, a shroud with a compatible holster maintains the firearm operator's ability to conceal a firearm in cases where that is desired and allows for fast and easy access to the firearm.
Accordingly, a shroud that can be coupled to a firearm may address numerous issues and scenarios related to firearms with reciprocating mechanisms. For instance, the shroud may prevent a reciprocating mechanism of a firearm from being moved out-of-battery (i.e., resulting in an inability to fire the firearm) or otherwise restricting the firearm from cycling completely in numerous scenarios. In an example, a shroud may prevent an attacker from grabbing the reciprocating mechanism in such a way that causes the reciprocating mechanism to move out-of-battery or become unable to complete its cycle. In another example, a shroud may prevent a reciprocating mechanism from being fouled by debris or other obstructions that might enter or interfere with critical areas of the firearm (e.g., ejection port, extractor, levers, and so forth). In yet another example, a shroud may prevent a reciprocating mechanism from moving out-of-battery when a muzzle of the firearm is pressed against an object. In addition, such shrouds may also beneficially distribute weight on a firearm to provide stability in response to perceived recoil created in response to firing the firearm.
Moreover, a shroud may add weapon features that are separate from firing a firearm, including features that may be effective when using the firearm for impacting, piercing, cutting, slicing, gouging, scraping, electrical stunning and/or chemical spraying, and so forth. A firearm having a coupled shroud may also be utilized with a variety of two-handed grip that allows for additional control. Similarly, the shrouds described herein may be configured to reduce the amount of perceived recoil associated with firing the firearm by redirecting gases exiting the firearm when it is fired. Quick release mechanisms may also be included with any shroud, such that the shroud may be easily and quickly separated from a firearm. Holsters may also be created where one holster specifically designed to retain the geometry of a shroud can be used in conjunction with a wide variety of firearms with a shroud as described herein. Furthermore, a shroud may also provide additional surface area and ultimately better retention of a firearm when it is being carried in a holster.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the described features or acts described above, or the order of the acts described above. Rather, the described features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/513,108 filed on May 31, 2017, and entitled “PROTECTIVE SHROUDING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS WITH RECIPROCATING MECHANISMS,” which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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