GB2423139A

GB2423139A - Elongated firearm carrying device

Info

Publication number: GB2423139A
Application number: GB0502973A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Bowler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-02-12
Filing date: 2005-02-12
Publication date: 2006-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-12
Also published as: GB2423139B; GB0502973D0

Abstract

A device for assisting the carrying and use of an elongated firearm such as a shot gun comprises a flexible strap 11 each end of which is secured to a rigid butt-support member 15. This may be in the form of an essentially inverted L-section or a plate (see fig 4). In use, the strap 11 is hung over one of the user's shoulders 20 and the butt-support member 15 rests against the opposite side of the user's body. The longer part 16 of the of the support member 15 extends substantially vertically downwards in contact with the user's body, while the shorter part 17 extends substantially horizontally to support the butt 27 of the gun 26. The strap 11 may be detached by undoing snap-hooks 23, and its length can be adjusted by means of a buckle 25 so that the support part 17 is at the appropriate height.

Description

1 2423139

DEVICE FOR ASSISTING THE CARRYING AND USING OF AN ELONGATED FIREARM

The invention relates to a device for assisting in carrying and using an elongated firearm. By "elongated firearm" is meant a firearm such as a rifle or shotgun which, in use, has its butt end held by one of the user's hands which includes his trigger finger and is held by the user's other hand nearer its fore end to support, steady and aim the firearm.

Such a firearm, when not actually being aimed or fired at a target, is commonly carried by the user held in an upright position with the butt end lowermost and the fore end uppermost, for safety reasons. Due to the weight of the firearm, it is less strain on the user to carry it resting on his shoulder, but this delays the process of bringing the firearm into the firing position.

It is an object of this invention to assist the carrying and using of such a firearm.

The present invention provides, in one of its aspects, a device for assisting the carrying and use of an elongated firearm, which device is as set out in the appended claim 1. Further preferred features of the present invention are as set out in the appended claims 2 to 12.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. us a plan view of the butt-support member, in the direction of arrow I in Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, in the direction of arrows II in Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof, in the direction of arrow Ill in Figs. 1 and 2; D 2 Fig. 4 is a side view and Fig. 5 is a front view of the device being used by a user for supporting a shot gun.

In these Figures, some parts are shown in ghost and/or broken away, for clarity of illustration.

In this example, the elongated flexible member is in the form of a canvas strap 11 including a main part 12 providing the majority of its length and two much shorter end parts 13 and 14, as will be described in detail later.

The butt-support member 15 comprises two parts 16 and 17, each of which is essentially a rigid flat plate at right-angles to the other one. In this example these two plates are integral with each other and comprise a substantially rigid inner member 18 of "PERSPEX" (Registered Trade Mark) material and an outer covering 19 of leather which is protective and of suitable appearance. The part 16 extends away from the junction 21 between the two parts 16 and 17 by a distance about twice that of the extent of the part 17. The outer edge of the plate 16 is semi-circular, thus having no corners which, in use as described below, might snag or catch on the user's clothing. The outer edge of the other plate 17 is convexly curved.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, in use of the device the strap 11 goes over one of the user's shoulders 20 and supports the member 15 resting against the other side of his body, with the larger part 16 extending downwards in contact with his body and the shorter part 17 extending outwards away from his body.

Each short end part 13, 14 of the strap 11 has one end 22 secured (by being sewn to the leather covering 19) to the underside of the shorter plate 17, the positions of 22, 22 being spaced from each other, one at each end of the plate 17. These positions are also about one third of the distance away from the junction 21 towards the outer edge of the plate 17. ) 3

The main part 12 of the strap is detachably connected to the two end parts 13, 14 by two snap-hooks 23, 23 engaging with suitably shaped rings 24, 24, one on the free end of each short strap part 13,14. The length of the main part is adjustable by means of a buckle 25 (Fig. 5).

In use, the user puts the strap 11 over one shoulder 20 so that it supports the member 15 against the other side of his body, as previously described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, to support a shot-gun 26. The user places the butt 27 of the shot-gun on the top of the horizontally projecting part 17 of the support, holding the gun with his adjacent hand 28 to steady it. The user will have adjusted the length of the strap 11 so that, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the gun 26 is in the correct position so that his hand 28 grasps the gun at an appropriate place adjacent the gun's trigger 29. The relative positions of the user's elbow 31, and the support plate 17, will of course depend upon the relative lengths of the user's forearm and the distance from the gun butt 27 to the trigger 29. Depending upon the relationship between these lengths, the user's elbow 31 may be spaced above the plate 17, or outside and below the plate 17. In this particular example illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the horizontal plate 17 of the support is just below the user's elbow 31. The weight of the gun is supported by the shoulder strap 11, and also presses the lower plate 16 of the support against his body. The user can easily and rapidly bring the gun forwards into the firing position, with his hand 28 in the appropriate position to pull the trigger 29, and his other hand holding the gun at an appropriate position nearer its fore end to support, steady and aim the gun It is believed that the positions 22, 22 at which the strap 11 is secured to the horizontal plate 17 of the butt-support are important. They are spaced far enough apart from each other to accommodate the gun butt between them on top of the plate 17. Their position in the direction away from the junction 21 outwardly of the plate 17 affects how the butt-support works in practice If the positions of 22, 22 are too near the outer edge of the plate 17, the weight of the gun could cause the inner edge of the plate 17 to drop downwards, so that the gun would tend to slip In the present embodiment of the invention, it has been found that a position for the support connections 22, 22 of about one third of the total distance of the top plate 17 outwards from the inner edge 21 of the top plate 17 is best.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing example. For instance, the covering 19 could alternatively be made of canvas, or any other suitable material

Claims

1. A device for assisting the carrying and use of an elongated firearm, which device comprises: an elongated flexible member, and a butt-support member; the ends of the elongated flexible member being connected to the butt-support member; such that in use the elongated flexible member can be hung over one of the user's shoulders with the butt-support member supported thereby and resting against the other side of the user's body remote from the said shoulder; whereby in use the user can hold the firearm in a substantially upright position with the butt in contact with the butt-support member thereby to support the firearm, and with his hand on the aforesaid other side of his body grasping the firearm adjacent the trigger thereof to steady the firearm.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the ends of the elongated flexible member are connected to the butt-support member at positions thereon spaced apart from each other, whereby in use of the device the firearm butt rests on the butt-support member at a position intermediate the two connection points.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the butt-support member comprises two parts rigidly connected to each other and substantially at right angles to each other, whereby in use of the device as aforesaid one of the parts contacts the side of the user's body and holds the other part in a substantially horizontal position thereby to support the firearm butt.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the two rigidly connected parts are integral with each other.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2 and claim 3, in which the aforesaid positions on the butt- support member at which the ends of the elongated flexible member are connected are on the said horizontal part of the butt-support member, spaced away from the position at which the two parts meet each other by a distance substantially less than their distance from the edge of the horizontal part remote from the said meeting position.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the aforesaid connection positions are spaced away from the meeting position by a distance substantially one third of the distance from the meeting position to the remote edge of the horizontal part.

7. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the buttmember is formed of a rigid inner member covered by a separate protective covering.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, in which the inner member is formed of synthetic resin material

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, in which the protective covering is formed of leather or canvas. n 7

10. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which at least the major part of the elongated flexible member is detachable.

11. A device for assisting in the carrying and use of an elongated firearm, which device is substantially as herein before described with reference to, and illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

11. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the elongated flexible member is of adjustable length.

12. A device for assisting in the carrying and use of an elongated firearm, which device is substantially as herein before described with reference to, and illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A device for assisting the carrying and use of an elongated firearm, which device comprises: an elongated flexible member, and a butt-support member; the ends of the elongated flexible member being connected to the butt-support member; such that in use the elongated flexible member can be hung over one of the user's shoulders with the butt-support member supported thereby and resting against the other side of the user's body remote from the said shoulder; whereby in use the user can hold the firearm in a substantially upright position with the butt in contact with the butt-support member thereby to support the firearm, and with his hand on the aforesaid other side of his body grasping the firearm adjacent the trigger thereof to steady the firearm; in which the butt-support member comprises two parts rigidly connected to each other and substantially at right angles to each other, whereby in use of the device as aforesaid one of the parts contacts the side of the user's body and holds the other part in a substantially horizontal position thereby to support the firearm butt.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the two rigidly connected parts are integral with each other.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the ends of the elongated flexible member are connected to the butt-support member at positions thereon spaced apart from each other, whereby in use of the device the firearm butt rests on the butt-support member at a position intermediate the two connection points.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the aforesaid positions on the butt- support member at which the ends of the elongated flexible member are connected are on the said horizontal part of the butt-support member, spaced away from the position at which the two parts meet each other by a distance substantially less than their distance from the edge of the horizontal part remote from the said meeting position.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the aforesaid connection positions are spaced away from the meeting position by a distance substantially one third of the distance from the meeting position to the remote end of the horizontal part.

6. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the buttmember is formed of a rigid inner member covered by a separate protective covering.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, in which the inner member is formed of synthetic resin material.

8. A device as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, in which the protective covering is formed of leather or canvas.

9 A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which at least the major part of the elongated flexible member is detachable.

10. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the elongated flexible member is of adjustable length.