AU2011203522B2 - System for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle - Google Patents

Abstract

An improved action for a bolt action rifle. The action includes a receiver containing a bolt; the bolt having two to three locking lugs surrounding a bolt face; and a threaded insert that 5 joins the rifle barrel to the receiver, The insert also includes a series of locking lugs that mate with the locking lugs on the bolt. The position of the insert lugs relative to the barrel will position the bolt face relative to the barrel's chamber when the bolt is closed. Thus, the insert and barrel can properly set the rifle's headspace. The insert and receiver are preferably each provided with a locking lug, that serve to align the axes of the insert and Jo receiver. The threads of the insert and the barrel are co-axial which serves to align the axes of the insert and barrel. Thus, assembled, the receiver, insert and barrel will be substantially co-axial. 3368335-1 co < LLU) co

Description

Regulation 3-2 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT, 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: RONALD DUPLESSIS Actual Inventors: Ronald DUPLESSIS and Kenneth W SEDON Address for service in A J PARK, Level 11, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT Australia: 2601, Australia Invention Tide: SYSTEM FOR JOINING A BARREL TO THE RECEIVER OF A BOLT ACTION RIFLE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me 22272/336901_IDOC 2 SYSTEM FOR JOINING A BARREL TO THE RECEIVER OF A BOLT ACTION RIFLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to rifle actions in general and bolt actions in particular. 10 PRIOR ART In a bolt action rifle, the barrel is typically threaded into the receiver. The barrel includes the chamber, which is that portion of the barrel that holds the round immediately prior to firing. The rough dimensions of the chamber are formed prior to the barrel bcing threaded 15 into the receiver. However, the final dimensions of the chamber are formed by hand in order to ensure that the headsp ace is proper. Headspace is the distance from the face of the bolt to whatever surface in the chamber stops the round from advancing into the barrel. In a rimless cart ridge, such as the 308, the 20 headspace is the distance from the bolt face to the shoulder in the chamber. Stated more broadly, in a rimless cartridge, the headspace is a function of the distance from the face of the bolt to the chamber and of the chamber dimensions. Headspace in a rimless cartridge is illustrated in figure 1 as dimension X. 25 The acceptable tolerance for headspace in rifles is relatively narrow. In a .308, the acceptable headsace range is 1.6300 to 1.6340 inches. Thus, only 4 thousandths of an inch separate too little headspace from too much. 336835-! 3 Very bad things can happen if the headspace is not within specification for the rifle. When the round is fired, the chamber is supposed to hold the casing in place so that the expanding (i.e. exploding) gases can be used to drive the bullet down the barrel. However, if there is too much headspace, those same gases can drive the casing back toward the boh. This can 5 result in failure of the casing, damage to the bolt, and in some cases, even catastrophic failure of the rifle. Excessive headspace can also result in the round advancing into the chamber so that the firing pin in the bolt cannot adequately impact the primer, with the result that the round fails to go off. Similarly, excessive headspace can allow the spent shell casing to slide forward into the chamber so that it cannot be extracted, which can preclude 10 the rifle from being reloaded - an annoyance in the best of circumstances and a potentially deadly occurrence to the shooter in certain conditions, such as self-defense applications and dangerous game hunting. Insufficient headspace can be a serious problem as well. If the bolt is closed on a round in 15 a rifle with insufficient headspace, the bolt may be exerting tension on the casing in the chamber. This can lead to casing failure, resulting in the emission of the hot expanding powder gases into the chamber. This can result in catastrophic failure of the rifle and/or emission of hot gases directly into the face of the shooter. It can also result in a portion of a failed casing not extracting from the chamber. 20 Because of the close tolerances required of headspace and the significant risks associated with the operation of a rifle whose headspace is out of specification, the chambering of a rifle is typically finished by hand. First, the rifle will be rough chambered. Then, the gunsmith installing the barrel must manually ream the chamber, very slowly. He turns the 25 reamer, measures the headspace, and then turns the reamer some more, until the headspace measurement is correct. This is a very time consuming process, and it is a substantial factor in the cost of rifle manufacturing as well as after-market barrel replacement, 3368335-! 4 In view of the foregoing, a bolt action rifle meeting the following objectives is desired. The objectives are those of at least preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is not necessary for every embodiment to satisfy all stated objectives. 5 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a method for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle. 10 It is another object of the invention to provide a method of joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle without requiring manual boring of the chamber in the barrel It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of changing the barrel on a bolt action rifle without requiring manual boring of the chamber in the new barrel. 15 It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method of changing the barrel on a bolt action nfle without requiring extensive headspace adjustments to the chamber. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a rnethod of quickly and easily converting 20 a bolt action rifle from one caliber to another. It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of quickly and easily converting a bolt action rifle from one family of cartridges to another. 25 It is yet another object of the invention to provide a bolt action rifle whose bolt may be more easily stated and thereby cocked by the shooter. 3368335-1 5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a bolt action rifle. The bolt action rifle includes a bolt, having a bolt head, which is preferably removable, a firing pin contained within the bolt, and a 5 mainspring, the compression of which cocks the firing pin. The mainspring is compressed by rotating the bolt. In the preferred embodiment, the mainspring comprises a variable rate spring to facilitate cocking over shorter rotational distances. The bolt includes at least one row of two or three locking lugs positioned at the end of the bolt head. The bolt and bolt head are slid ably positioned inside a receiver. The receiver has a longitudinal axis. An 10 insert is positioned inside the receiver. The threaded insert also has a longitudinal axis. The threaded insert and the receiver are provided with recoil lugs positioned perpendicular to their respective longitudinal axes and configured to align the longitudinal axis ofthe receiver with the longitudinal axis of the insert when the recoil lugs meet. The insert may also be secured to the receiver, preferably using threaded apertures and screws to join the 15 recoil lugs. The insert is further provided with internal thireads into which the barrel may be threaded. The barrel also has a longitudinal axis, The threads of the insert and the threads of the barrel are preferably co-axial and thus are configured to align the longitudinal axis of the barrel with the longitudinal axis of the insert. The insert is also provided with locking lugs configured to engage the locking lgs of the bolt head when the bolt head is advanced 20 toward the chamber of the rifle and rotated. When the barrel, insert, and receiver are joined and the locking lugs of the insert and bolt are engaged, the locking lugs ofthe insert are properly located relative to the chamber to position the bolt head the appropriate distance from the chamber to achieve proper head-spacing for the cartridge. Thus, head-spacing can be controlled by manufacturing the insert to match the barrel. 25 Accordingly, barrels can be installed and changed without manually reaming the chamber to achieve the precise head-spacing needed. 3368335-1 6 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a cut-away side view of a prior art bolt action rifle illustrating how head-spacing is measured. 5 Figure 2A is a side view of a bolt action rifle showing the bolt in the closed position. Figure 2B is an enlarged perspective view of the action of the rifle shown in figure 2A with the bolt in the closed position. Figure 2C is a side view of a bolt action rifle showing the bolt in the cocked position. Figure 2D is an enlarged perspective view of the action of the rifle shown in figure 2C with 10 the bolt in the cocked position. Figure 2E is a cut-away end view of a bolt action rifle illustrating the range of rotational motion of the bolt between the closed position and the cocked position in an embodiment in which the bolt has a row of three locking lugs. Figure 2F is a side view of a bolt action rifle showing the bolt in the open position. 15 Figure 2G is an enlarged perspective view of the action of the rifle shown in figure 2F with the bolt in the open position. Figure 3A is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the receiver, Figure 3B is a cut-away side view of a preferred embodiment of the receiver. Figure 3C is a front end view of a preferred embodiment of the receiver. 20 Figure 4A is a perspective front view of a preferred embodiment of the insert. Figure 4B is a perspective rear view of a preferred embodiment of the insert. Figure 4C is an front end view of a preferred embodiment of the insert. Figure 4D is a rear end view of a preferred embodiment of the insert. Figure 4E is a cut-away side view of a preferred embodiment of the insert. 25 Figure 5A is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a barrel. Figure 5B is a perspective cut-away view of a preferred embodiment of a barrel. Figure 6A is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bolt; Figure 6B is a bottom perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bolt. 3368335-1 7 Figure 7 is an exploded view of a prefen-ed embodiment of the bolt. Figure 7A is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bolt head. Figure 8 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the bolt, receiver, insert and barrel. 5 Figure 9A is a cut-away top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the bolt in the closed position. Figure 9B is a cut-away top view of a preferred embo diment of the invention showing the bolt in the open position. Figure 1 OA is an end view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the bolt in the cocked 10 position, wherein the locking lugs are in a 2-6-10 position. Figure lOB is an end view of the bolt illustrated in Figure 10A in the closed position. Figure 1 1A is an front end view of a preferred embodiment of the insert with the spaces configured to accommodate a bolt having lugs configured as shown in Figure 1OA. Figure I 1B is a rear perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the insert shown in 15 figure 11A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF BEST MODE In a bolt action rifle 1, the action 2 includes a receiver 3. This is the portion of the action 20 within which the bolt 4 slides. Receiver 3 has an open barrel end 34 opposite a stock end 35 and a longitudinal axis 13r extending there between. In bolt action rifles, bolt 4 is provided with two or more locking lugs 5. Lugs 5 are typically provided on the end of bolt 4 proximate to the chamber 6 of barrel 7, that is on the bolt head 8 opposite the handle end 36 of bolt 4 and proximate to the bolt face 14. In the prior art, bolt locking lugs 5 engage 25 corresponding locking lugs II in receiver 3. The engagement of lugs 5, 11 bolds bolt 4 in place adjacent to chamber 6 when bolt 4 is closed. Wear in locking lugs 11 is one of the major causes for headspace variation in rifles in the prior art. 3368335-1 8 In the present invention, receiver 3 contains no locking lugs 11. Rather, an insert 10 is provided which slips into the barrel end 34 of receiver 3. Insert 10 has a barrel end lOb and a receiver end 1 Or. Receiver 3 is inlet to allow insert 10 to be properly positioned in receiver 3. The interior ofreceiver 3 is preferably provided with a shoulder 21. Shoulder 5 21 has a face 20r. Face 2Or should preferably be substantially perpendicular to axis 13r (discussed below) and most preferably as perpendicular to axis 13r as practicable. It is insert 10 (rather than receiver 3) that contains locking lugs II for engaging locking lugs 5 on bolt head 8 when bolt 4 is closed. 10 Insert 10 preferably includes interior threads 12. Interior threads 12 extend from barrel end lOb of insert 10 inward a sufficient distance to match the length of the external threads 37 on barrel 7. Barrel 7 is threaded into insert 10. Thus, insert 10 joins barrel 7 and receiver 3. 15 It will be appreciated that barrel 7, insert 10. bolt 4, and receiver 3 each have a longitudinal axis 13b, 13i, 13t, and 13r, respectively. Aligning these axes precisely is important to the accuracy of rifle 1. Because insert 10 and barrel 7 are threaded together, designing them to be co-axial is relatively straightforward. However, aligning the axes 13b, 13i of barrel 7 and insert 10 with the axis 13r of receiver 3 is more challenging. 20 The exterior dimensions of insert 10 should preferably be sized to closely match the interior dimensions of receiver 3. By sizing insert 10 appropriately, axis 13i and axis 13r can be approxinatey aligned. Although the tolerances between insert 10 and receiver 3 will be close, there must be some space between insert 10 and receiver 3 to allow insert 10 to slide 25 in and out ofreceiver 3. This necessary space creates some play between insert 10 and receiver 3. As a result, the fit between insert 10 and receiver 3 cannot hold axis 13r in exact alignment with axes 131, 13b. 3368335-1 9 Misalignment between receiver 3 and the barrel 7 can lead to numerous problems pertaining to the accuracy of the rifle. Bolt 4 travels within receiver 3. Ifreceiver 3 is out of alignment with barrel 7, bolt 4 will approach chamber 6 at an angle. This angle may be very, very slight, However, any angle can result in the locking tugs 5, 11 on bolt head 8 5 and insert 10 not mating completely flush. Locking lugs 5, 11 should preferably mate so that they are completely flush with one another and in complete contact. If there is space between locking lugs 5, 11, the pressures exerted on bolt 4 when a round is fired will force bolt 4 back until that space is closed. 10 Where such spaces between locking lugs 5, II are uneven, this rearward motion can cause uneven wear of lugs 5, 11 and distortion of bolt 4, bolt head 8, and/or bolt face 14. Wear in locking lugs 5, 11 can adversely affect headspace. Distortion of bolt head 8 and/or bolt face 14 can result in the round entering chamber 6 at an angle. If the round is not completely aligned with chamber 6, the bullet will enter barrel 7 at an angle. Thus, rather 15 than spinning about its axis, the bullet will wobble in flight, resulting in an eccentric flight path and a loss of accuracy that increases downrange. Rearward motion of bolt 4 upon discharge of a round will cause an additional impact within the rifle when the lugs 5, 11 come into contact. This impact can effect the harmonics of 20 barrel 7 in ways that can be difficult to predict, beyond the fact that such effects are generally negative with respect to accuracy. Misalignment of receiver 3 and barrel 7 can also cause scope sights to be misaligned with barrel 7. Optical scope sights are commonly used in bolt action rifles. The scope is 25 essentially a telescope containing cross hairs, with the object being to align the point of aim of the cross hairs with the point of impact of the bullet on a target. Typically, the scope is mounted to the rifle using rings that encircle the scope and that screw onto bases mounted on receiver 3. If receiver 3 and barrel 7 are not completely aligned, the line of sight 3368335-1 10 through the scope will not be parallel to the line of flight of a bullet leaving barrel 7. When receiver 3 and barrel 7 are aligned, the line of sight of one looking through the center of the scope will be in the same verticalplane as the line of flight of a bullet leaving barrel 5 7. Thus, all other things being equal, the point of aim and the point of impact should be horizontally aligned across the range of the rifle. However, if receiver 3 and barrel 7 are not aligned, the line of sight through a scope mounted to receiver 3 will be in a slightly different vertical plane than the line of flight of a bullet leaving barrel 7. Viewed from above, two dotted lines representing the line of sight through the scope and the line of flight of the 10 bullet would resemble an X when barrel 7 and receiver 3 are not in alignment. Where these lines cross, the point of impact of the bullet and the location of the cross hairs will be horizontally aligned. However, downrange or up range from where the two lines intersect, the point of aim and the point of impact would diverge horizontally. 15 Thus, aligning the axis 13r of receiver 3with the axes 13b, 13i of barrel 7 and insert 10 and maintaining that alignment is important. The inventors accomplish this in the preferred embodiment using recoil lugs 15r, 15i. Recoil lug 15r and receiver 3 are preferably maclined from a single piece of metal, though recoil lug 15r could be welded to receiver 3 if desired. Receiver 3 is preferably made from 416 stainless steel heat treated to between 20 36 and 40 on the Rockwell C scale. Recoil lug 15r will preferably have a face 16r. Similarly, receiver 3 will have a face 17r. Face 16r and face 17r will be substantially co-planar and most preferably as close to co-planar as practicable. Face 16r of recoil lug 15r will also be substantially perpendicular to axis 13r of receiver 3. The engagement of recoil lugs 15r, 15i will be described in detail below. 25 The preferred embodiment of insert 10 will now be more fully described. Insert 10 is preferably comprised of a substantially cylindrical, substantially hollow body 18. Body 18 has an external diameter that will substantially match the internal diameter of receiver 3 3368335-] :11 proximate face 17r of receiver 3. As noted above, the external diameter of cylindrical body 18 of insert 10 is slightly smaller that the internal diameter of receiver 3. In the preferred embodiment, the external diameter of insert 10 will be, at most, about 0.00 1 inches less than the internal diameter of the corresponding portion of receiver 3 (i.e., between face 17r and 5 face 20r, in the preferred embodiment). End 10b of insert 10 (the end proximate barrel 7) is preferably provided with a shoulder 19. Shoulder 19 preferably has an exterior diameter approximately equal to the exterior diameter of receiver 3. Shoulder 19 has a face 17i facing end lOr of insert 10 (the end distal from barrel 7). Face 171 should be substantially perpendicular to axis 13i of insert 10, and preferably as perpendicular to axis 13i as 10 practicable. When insert 10 is in position inside receiver 3, face 17i of shoulder 19 should preferably be completely flush with face 17r of receiver 3 - that is with contact between faces 17r and 17i across substantially the entire circumference of each. End lOr of insert 10 also has a face 20i. Face 20i should be substantially perpendicular to 15 axis 13i of insert 10, and preferably as perpendicular to axis I 3i as practicable. Face 20i is configured to abut face 20r of shoulder 21 inside receiver 3. Faces 20i and 20r should both preferably be smooth and flat and in contact throughout substantially their entire circumferences when insert 10 is installed in receiver 3. Insert 10 is preferably sized so that faces 201 and 20r and faces 17i and 17r will each be in full contact with their respective 20 counterparts when insert 10 is fully inserted into receiver 3. Returning to recoil lugs 15i, 15r, insert 10 is preferably provided with a recoil lug 15i depending from shoulder 19. Recoil lug 15i will preferably have a face 16i. Face 16i and face 171 of shoulder 19 of insert 10 will be substantially co-planar and most preferably as 25 close to co-planar as practicable. Face 16i will also be substantially perpendicular to axis 131 of insert 10. Because faces 161 and 17i are co-planar and because faces 16r and 17r are co-planar, faces 16i and 16r will abut when faces 17i and 17r meet. (All abutting faces described above 16i, 16r; 17i, 17r; and 20i, 20r should preferably be smooth and flat so that 3368335-J 12 contact can be made across substantially all of each abutting face). Faces 16i and 16r of recoil lugs 15i, 15r are each substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 13i, 13r of their respective components. Faces 16i and 16r are also 5 substantially smooth and flat such that when faces 16i and 16r abut, faces 16i and 16r effectively become co-planar. Because these faces 16i, 16r are perpendicular to axes 13i, 13r, when faces 16i and 16r meet and become co-planar, axes 13i. 13r will be aligned. Thus, recoil lugs 15i, 15r serve to align receiver 3 with insert 10 and barrel 7. 10 Recoil lugs I5i, 15r are preferably provided with a plurality of apertures 22r, 22i. In the preferred embodiment, apertures 22r are threaded and apertures 22i include a composite washer. Recoil lugs can be secured to one another by passing screws 23 through apertures 22i and threading screws 23 into apertures 22r. In the preferred embodiment there are two 15 pairs of apertures 22r, 22i and one screw 23 for each pair. Screws 23 will preferably be tightened evenly but only slightly, preferably to about fifteen inch pounds of torque each. Securing recoil lugs 15r, 15i to each other will secure the alignment of barrel and insert 10 with receiver 3. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that very little stress will he exerted on 20 the connection between recoil lugs 15r, 15i described above when a round is discharged in chamber 6 of the rifle. While there will certainly be tremendous force exerted on insert 1.0 and receiver 3 during firing, these forces should apply equally to receiver 3 and insert 10. As a result, they should not subject screws 23 to any substantial compression or shear forces. Accordingly, very little wear is anticipated between recoil lugs 15r, 151 over the life 25 of the rifle. Insert 10 is described above as being comprised of several different components, namely body 18, shoulder 19, recoil lug 15, and locking lugs 11. Though it would be possible to 3368335-1 13 construct insert 10 from various components, in the preferred embodiment, insert 10 will be milled and/or cast from a single piece of metal such that the components listed above merely describe different sections of a unitary piece. Preferably, insert 10 is milled from 416 stainless steel. The insert is preferably machined and then heat treated to about 40-45 on 5 the Rockwell C hardness scale. Similarly, receiver 3 is described as comprising multiple components, namely receiver 3 and recoil lug 15i. Receiver 3 and recoil lug 15i may be machined of a single piece of steel, preferably 416 stainless. However, recoil lug 15i is not expected to be subject to any 10 significant force during operation of rifle 1. Thus, construction of receiver 3 can be simplified by welding recoil lug 15i to receiver 3. When recoil lug 15i is welded to receiver 3, both components will preferably be 416 stainless. They will preferably be heat treated to 36-40 on the Rockwell C hardness scale. The combined receiver and recoil lug 3, 15i is then machined and preferably heat treated again to the same hardness to ensure that the 15 machining has not altered the desired hardness of the piece. As mentioned above, insert 10 includes locking lugs 11. Locking lugs II are preferably positioned at end 1or of insert 10. In bolt action rifles, there will be either two or three pairs of lugs 5, 11. There can be more by utilizing additional rows of lugs, but more than 20 three lugs per mw is impractical for reason that will be discussed in more detail below. Lugs 5 are preferably annular shoulders that extend outward from bolt head 8 - away from axis 13r when bolt 4 is in place within receiver 3. Lugs 1 I are preferably annular shoulders that extend inwardly from insert 10 - toward axis 13i. Lugs 11 have an engagement face 25 24i on the side of lugs 11 facing barrel 7. Lugs 5 have an engagement face 24b on the side of lugs 5 facing away from barrel 7. Engagement faces 24i, 24b should preferably he smooth and be provided with very slight reciprocal angles. 3368335-1 14 Lugs 11 define an aperture 25 leading to the interior of insert 10. Lugs I1 are preferably positioned approximately equidistant from each other around the perimeter of aperture 25. The spaces 26 between each lug 11 are sized to match lugs 5 on bolt head 8. By rotating bolt 4 so that lugs 5 are aligned with spaces 26, bolt head 8 can pass through aperture 25. 5 In this position, bolt 4 can push a cartridge through aperture 25 and into chamber 6. Once bolt 4 is extended, bolt 4 will be rotated - clockwise when viewed from the rear ofthe rifle for a right handed shooter. Rotating bolt 4 will take lugs 5 out of alignment with spaces 26 and will bring them into alignment with lugs i1. As bolt 4 is completely rotated 10 into its fully closed position 27, lugs 5, 11 will contact each other and the slight reciprocal angle of each face 24i, 24b wilt advance bolt 4 slightly to its fully closed position 27. At this point, lugs 5, 11 will preferably be fully aligned and engagement faces 24i, 24b will preferably be in complete contact with each other across their surfaces. In this position, locking lugs 5, 11 will be fully engaged and they will prevent any rearward motion of bolt 4. 15 In this position, bolt 4 is in the proper position to fire a round in chamber 6. After the round in chamber 6 has been fired or if the shooter simply wishes to unload the rifle, bolt 4 will be rotated in the direction opposite the direction it was rotated during closing. When bolt 4 is fully rotated in this direction, lugs II will once again be aligned 20 with spaces 26, which will allow bolt 4 to be retracted into its open position 28. As bolt 4 is retracted it will extract the spent casing or unfired round from chamber 6. The cocking mechanism of bolt action rifles differs from that of many other types of rifles in that rotation of bolt 4 from fully closed position 27 to the cocked position 29 is what cocks 25 the rifle. In any fireann with a bolt, such as an automatic or semi-automatic rifle or a bolt action rifle, the firing pin is contained within the bolt. The firing pin is mounted on a mainspring. Cocking the rifle involves compressing the mainspring. Pulling the trigger releases the mainspring which drives the firing pin out of a hole in the bolt face and into the 3368335-1 15 primer in the base ofthe cartridge. This impact detonates the primer, which ignites the powder, discharging the round. In an automatic or semi-automatic rifle (collectively "autoloaders"), retracting the bolt is what cocks the rifle. In an autoloader, the shooter generally only has to cock the rifle once. Thereafter, the recoil forces and/or expanding 5 gases generated by discharge of a round are what drive the bolt rearward and cock the firing pin for the next round. Because cocking these types of rifles does not depend upon the rotation of the bolt, very little rotation is needed to disengage the locking lugs of the bolt from those in the receiver. 10 In most bolt action rifles, once the firing pin has been released, it remains uncooked until the bolt is rotated from fully closed position 27 to cocked position 29. A cocking piece 30 is contained within bolt 4. The nose 31 of cocking piece 30 engages an angled surface 38 on bolt 4. As bolt 4 is rotated, angled surface 38 cams the cocking piece 30 back, compressing mainspring 32, and cocking the rifle. 15 It will be appreciated that the longer the distance over which bolt 4 may be rotated, the less force will be required of the shooter to effect the rotation. The amount of work will be the same, but the amount of force per degree of rotation will be less, the more degrees of rotation are available. 20 It will also be appreciated that the primary purpose of lugs 5, 11 is to overlap in the fully closed position 27 to the greatest degree possible while still allowing for lugs 5, 11 to disengage in the cocked position 29. Thus, lugs 5 and lugs I I can each encompass no more than one hundred eighty degrees of the exterior circumference of bolt head 8 or the 25 interior circumference of insert 10 (or receiver 3 in the prior art). Therefore, in a two lug bolt, each lug 5 will span about ninety degrees ofthe exterior circumference of bolt head 8 and ninety degrees is the maximum amount of rotation possible between fully closed position 27 and cocked position 29. In a three lug bolt, each lug 5 will span about sixty 33683 35-I 16 degrees of the exterior circumference of bolt head 8 and sixty degrees is the maximum amount of rotation possible between fully closed position 27 and cocked position 29. Accordingly, a three lug bolt requires the shooter to cock mainspring 32 in two-thirds the distance of a two lug bolt, and the amount of force required of the shooter will be about 1/3 5 greater per degree of rotation in a three lug bolt than in a two lug bolt. If the number of lugs were increased beyond three, the available distance for coclng would shorten further and the force required would increase accordingly. The force needed to cock mainspring 32 over twenty-two and one half degrees will increase the thrce required of the shooter sufficiently to interfere with smooth handling of the rifle. As a result, four or nore lugs 5 10 (per row) are generally not considered practical in a bolt action rifle. As noted above, three lugs and rotation of the bolt over sixty degrees will require markedly more force per degree of rotation than a two lug bolt would require. To address this, the inventors contemplate using a variable rate spring 33 for mainspring 32. A variable rate 15 spring is a spring whose stiffness increases with compression. In general, it will be easier for the shooter to begin rotation of bolt 4 if mainspring 32 is a variable rate spring 33. Of course, it will require more force to continue rotating bolt 4 as the rotation continues; however, bolt 4 will be in motion as the required force increases and the effect of momentum will facilitate both continued rotation of bolt 4 and the shooter's perception of 20 the effort required to rotate bolt 4. There are several ways to construct variable rate spring 33. The spring coil can be produced from tapered spring stock. Another option is to increase the diameter of each coil of the spring along the length of the spring, giving the spring a somewhat conical cross 25 section, as opposed to the cylindrical cross section typical of springs of uniform coil diameter, Still another option is to vary the space between each coil, and of course two or more of these options could be used in combination. Generally speaking, making the spring stock thicker, increasing the diameter of the coils, and increasing the distance 3 36 8335-1 17 between each coil will make the spiring more difficult to compress. The inventors' preferred source of variable rate spring 33 is the W.C. Wolf Company of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The preferred variable rate spring 33 is made of spring steel and preferably is a sixteen to thirty-three pound spring, meaning that it requires sixteen pounds of force 5 commence compression of the spring but that as the spring is compressed further, the amount force required to continue compression increases to thirty-three pounds. Describing the preferred embodiment in operation, insert 10 will be inserted into barrel end 34 of receiver 3. Face 17i of shoulder 19 of insert 10 will abut face 17r of receiver 3 and 10 face 20i of end lOr of insert 10 will abut face 20r of shoulder 21 inside receiver 3. Faces 16i and 1 6 r of recoil lugs 15i, 15r will also abut when insert 10 is installed in receiver 3. Insert 10 will be secured to receiver 3 using screws 23. Because faces 16i and 17i are perpendicular to axis 13i of insert 10 and faces 16r and 17r are perpendicular to axis 13r of receiver 3, when faces 16i and 17i abut faces 16r and 17r, axes 13r and 13i will be aligned 15 and held in alignment by screws 23. Barrel 7 will be threaded into insert 10. Because barrel 7 is coaxial with body 18 of insert 10, axis 13b will be aligned with axes 13i and 13r. Lugs I1 in insert 10 will determine the position ofbolt head 8 and bolt face 14 relative to chamber 6. Accordingly, headspace can be preset by matching barrel 7 and insert 10. This will greatly simplify changing barrel 7. If a new barrel 7 is to be added to rifle 1, the old 20 barrel 7 may be removed by unscrewing the old barrel 7 from insert 10 and then removing insert 10 from receiver 3. A new insert 10, matched to a new barrel 7, may then be secured to receiver 3 with screws 23, and the new barrel 7 threaded onto the new insert 10. Because the new insert 10 and its lugs 11 will control the position of bolt head 8, headspace can be entirely preset at the factory. No hand reaming of the new chamber 6 is required. 25 In the preferred embodiment, bolt 4 will be provided with a removable bolt head 8. Removable bolt heads 8 are well known in the art, but using them in the combination with 3358335-1 18 insert 10 and barrel 7 will greatly enhance the versatility ofrifle 1. Bolt head 8 must match the diameter of the shell casing. Thus, using a single bolt head 8, one could start with a .243 Winchester and convert the rifle to a .308 Winchester or a .338 Federal or anything else in the .308 family, simply by changing barrel 7 and insert 10. However, if one wanted 5 to convert the rifle to a .30-06 Springfield, the bolt head 8 would also need to be changed to accommodate cartridges in the .30-06 faily. Accordingly, one could purchase a .243 Winchester and convert it to a .30-06 Springfield simply by changing barrel 7, insert 10, and bolt head 8. 10 In prior art three lug bolts, when bolt 4 is in cocked position 29, lugs 5 are typically positioned at approximately twelve o'clock, four o'clock and eight o'clock. In the above described embodiments of the present invention, insert 10 is configured to match, as illustrated in figures 4A and 4C, wherein spaces 26 are positioned to correspond to lugs 5 when bob 4 is in cocked position 29. However, it will be appreciated that in prior art three 15 lug bolts, only the corners of lugs 5 engage a round when bolt 4 is feeding a new round into chamber 6 ftom the magazine of rifle 1. In one embodiment of the invention, the engagement between lugs 5 and the round is improved. In this embodiment, lugs 5 are positioned approximately two o'clock, six o'clock and ten o'clock when bolt 4 is in cocked position 29. This places the entire surface of one lug 5, or at least the entire lower portion 20 of lug 5, in contact with a round in the rifle magazine when bolt 4 is pushing a new round out of the rifle magazine. This increases the amount of contact between the round and the lug significantly as compared to prior art three lug bolts, and in the inventors' experience, amounts to a significant improvement in the ability of bolt 4 to feed new rounds from the magazine into the chamber. 25 It should be noted that using a separate insert 10 and barrel 7 is a significant aspect of the invention. It would be conceivable to combine insert 10 and barrel 7 into a single piece. 336S8335-1 19 The barrel 7 would simply include the locking lugs 11 at an appropriate distance behind the chamber 6. The entire device could be externally threaded to mate with the receiver 3 or it could be secured to receiver 3 using screws or other standard attachment devices. This would convert a relationship among four pieces (bolt, receiver, insert and barrel) into a 5 relationship among only three pieces (bolt, receiver, and barrel), sinplilying the components that would need to be aligned. However, such an approach creates more problems than it solves and is potentially dangerous to the shooter, Rifle barrels should be heat treated to about 28 - 32 on the Rockwell hardness scale. 10 Barrels should not be much harder than this. Increased hardness equals increased brittleness. Soft metals can expand when exposed to excessive pressures. Very hard, brittle metals break when exposed to excessive pressures. A barrel should be able to expand if exposed to excessive pressures, which can arise in the event of a barrel blockage, such as mud or water becoming lodged in the barrel. If the barrel were to break, 15 fragmentation can occur - effectively shrapnel exploding in the vicinity of the shooter. Alternatively, hard, brittle barrels can crack if exposed to excessive pressures. These cracks can allow gas to escape, again with potentially injurious consequences to the shooter. Thus, the barrel needs to be relatively soft. However, lugs 5, 11 need to be very hard. Failure of the rifle in the vicinity of lugs 5, 11 is a concern, but it is addressed by the much 20 thicker steel walls surrounding chamber 6, What is particularly important with respect to lugs 5, 11 is that wear be minimized. As discussed at length above, the relationship between lugs 5, 11 determine head-spacing. If lugs 11 wear, the head-spacing can get out of specification, which can lead to numerous problems including catastrophic failure of the rifle. Because of this, lugs 11 need to be heat treated to a hardness of between the high 40's 25 to the low 50's on the Rockwell hardness scale. Making barrel 7 and insert 10 of one piece would require the lugs portion of insert 10 to be one hardness and rest of the barrel to be another significantly different hardness. While this may be possible, it would undoubtedly be difficult, expensive and time consuming. Thus, there are significant advantages to 3368335-[ 20 making insert 10 a separate piece from barrel 7. These and other modifications for a bolt action rifle will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the foregoing disclosure and drawings and are intended to be encompassed by the 5 scope and spirit of the following claims, 3 368335-1

Claims (18)

1. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle 5 comprising a substantially hollow receiver having a stock end opposite an open barrel end and a longitudinal axis extending there-between; a barrel having an externally threaded chamber end and a muzzle end and a longitudinal axis extending there-between, said chamber end containing a chamber 10 configured to receive a rifle cartridge; an insert having a barrel end and a receiver end and a substantially cylindrical passageway extending there-between; said substantially cylindrical passageway having a longitudinal axis extending from said barrel end to said receiver end, said substantially cylindrical passageway further comprising a plurality of internal threads in threaded 15 engagement with said external threads on said chamber end of said barrel and wherein said receiver end of said insert is releasably disposed in said barrel end of said receiver, and wherein said insert is configured to align said longitudinal axis of said barrel with said longitudinal axis of said receiver and with said longitudinal axis of said passageway through said insert, whereby said barrel, said passageway and said receiver are rendered substantially 20 coaxial, and wherein said insert further comprises a plurality of annular locking lugs extending into said passageway proximate to said receiver end of said insert, said insert lugs defining a plurality of lug spaces positioned between said lugs; and a bolt having a handle end and a bolt head opposite said handle end, said bolt slidably and rotatably disposed within said receiver and oriented with said bolt head facing 25 said barrel end of said receiver, said bolt head further comprising a bolt face positioned substantially transverse to said conunon longitudinal axis of said receiver, said passageway and said barrel; said bolt head having a plurality of annular locking lugs extending outward from said bolt head, wherein said bolt locking lugs substantially match both said insert

3368335-1 22 locking lugs and said insert lug spaces; said bolt having an open position wherein said bolt is oriented so that said bolt locking lugs are aligned with said insert lug spaces, whereby said bolt face and said bolt locking lugs may be advanced into said substantially cylindrical passageway of said insert by 5 sliding said bolt toward said barrel end of said receiver; said bolt having a closed position wherein said locking lugs of said bolt are between said locking lugs of said insert and said barrel end of said insert, and wherein said locking lugs of said bolt and said locking lugs of said insert are substantially aligned and in substantial contact, whereby said locking lugs of said insert will prevent substantially any 10 motion by said bolt toward said stock end of said receiver, and wherein said bolt may be moved into said fully closed position from said open position by completely advancing said bolt toward said barrel end of said receiver and then rotating said bolt; wherein said insert locking lugs are configured to engage said bolt locking lugs as said bolt is rotated into said closed position and wherein said insert locking lugs and said 15 insert are sized and positioned to move said bolt face to within a predetermined distance from said chamber as said insert locking lugs engage said bolt locking lugs during rotation of said bolt into said closed position; and a first recoil lug depending from said receiver and a second recoil lug depending from said insert, wherein said first recoil lug is positioned substantially perpendicular to said 20 longitudinal axis of said receiver and said second recoil lug is positioned substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said substantially cylindrical passageway of said insert; whereby securing said first recoil lug in a position substantially parallel to said second recoil lug will substantially align said longitudinal axis of said receiver with said longitudinal axis of said substantially cylindrical passageway. 25

2. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle according to claim 1 wherein said bolt has not more than three locking lugs. 3368335-] 23

3. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle according to claim 2 wherein said insert has not more than three locking lugs.

4. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle 5 according to claim I wherein said first recoil lug and said second recoil lug are releasably secured to each other.

5. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle according to claim 1 wherein said bolt and said insert each have three locking lugs. 10

6. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle according to claim 5 wherein said bolt contains a firing pin mounted on a mainspring.

7. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle 15 according to claim 6 wherein said bolt is configured to cock said mainspring by rotating said bolt about sixty degrees from of said closed position into a cocked position.

8. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle according to claim 7 wherein said mainspring comprises a variable rate spring. 20

9. An improved system for joining a barrel to the receiver of a bolt action rifle according to claim I wherein said bolt head is releasable.

10. A replacement barrel set for a bolt action rifle comprising a substantially hollow 25 receiver having a longitudinal axis, a bolt slidably disposed within the receiver and having a face and a plurality of locking lugs radially disposed on the bolt about the bolt face wherein the replacement barrel set comprises: a barrel having an externally threaded chamber end opposite a muzzle end and a

3369335-1 24 longitudinal axis extending there-between, said chamber end containing a chamber having dimensions configured to receive a rifle cartridge of a preselected caliber and wherein selection of caliber requires the chamber to have an appropriate headspace as measured by the dimensions of the chamber relative to the face of the bolt; 5 an insert comprising a barrel end and a receiver end and a substantially cylindrical passageway extending there-between; said substantially cylindrical passageway having a longitudinal axis extending from said barrel end to said receiver end, said substantially cylindrical passageway further comprising a plurality of internal threads configured to threadedly engage said external threads on said chamber end of said barrel, wherein said 10 insert and said threads are configured to substantially align said longitudinal axis of said insert with said longitudinal axis of said barrel when said external threads of said barrel are in engagement with said internal threads of said insert, said insert further comprising a plurality of annular locking lugs extending into said passageway proximate to said receiver end of said insert, said insert lugs defining a plurality of lug spaces positioned between said 15 lugs; wherein said insert is sized and configured to be inserted into said receiver, said insert further sized and configured to substantially align said longitudinal axes of said insert and said barrel with said longitudinal axis of said receiver when said insert is fully inserted into said receiver; 20 wherein said plurality of lug spaces are sized to allow said locking lugs on said bolt to pass through said spaces when said insert is fully inserted into said receiver and when said bolt is rotated to align said bolt locking lugs with said spaces; wherein said plurality of lugs on said insert are sized and positioned to engage said locking lugs on said bolt when said insert is fully inserted into said receiver, said bolt has 25 been advanced to pass said locking lugs of said bolt through said spaces, and said bolt has been rotated to take said locking lugs of said bolt out of alignment with said spaces, said plurality of lugs on said insert further configured to prevent said bolt from retracting when said lugs on said insert and said lugs on bolt are engaged; 3368335-1 25 wherein said plurality of lugs on said insert are sized and positioned relative to said chamber to position said bolt face at an appropriate position relative to said chamber to ensure that said headspace is proper for said selected caliber when said plurality of tugs on said insert and said plurality of lugs on said bolt are engaged; and 5 wherein said receiver is further provided with a first recoil lug depending from said receiver and positioned substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said receiver and wherein said insert further comprises a second recoil lug depending from said insert and positioned substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said substantially cylindrical passageway of said insert; whereby securing said first recoil lug in a position 10 substantially parallel to said second recoil lug will substantially align said longitudinal axis of said receiver with said longitudinal axis of said substantially cylindrical passageway.

11. A replacement barrel set according to claim 10 wherein said bolt has not more than three locking lugs. 15

12. A replacement barrel set according to claim 11 wherein said insert has not more than three locking lugs.

13. A replacement barrel set according to claim 10 wherein said first recoil lug and said 20 second recoil lug arc configured to releasably engage each other.

14. A replacement barrel set according to claim 13 wherein said bolt and said insert each have three locking lugs. 25

15. An improved bolt for a bolt action rifle having a receiver, a barrel extending from said receiver, a magazine depending from said receiver and a bolt slidably disposed in said receiver, said bob comprising an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, a face end proximate said barrel, and a 3368335-] 26 handle end opposite said face end; a first set of three lugs extending from said bolt proximate to said face end and substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said first set of lugs configured to correspond to a second set of lugs within said receiver, whereby alignment of said first said of lugs with said second set of lugs will prevent said bolt from advancing or retracting beyond said second set of lugs, said bolt having a closed position wherein said first set of lugs and said second set of lugs are substantially aligned and a cocked position wherein said first set of lugs and said second set of lugs are positioned so that there is no overlap between said first set of lugs and said second set of lugs, said bolt being configured to rotate between said closed position and said cocked position; and wherein said first set of lugs are positioned so that one of said lugs extends directly toward and is aligned with said magazine when said bold is in said cocked position,

16. An improved bolt for a bolt action rifle according to claim 15 wherein said first set of three lugs are substantially equally separated around said bolt face.

17. An improved bolt for a bolt action rifle according to claim 16 wherein said first set of three lugs are substantially equal in size.

18. An improved bolt for a bolt action rifle according to claim 17 wherein said first sct of three lugs each encompass about sixty degrees of the diameter of said bolt and wherein each of said first set of lugs are separated from each other by about sixty degrees. 5388863 1