US2507364A - Magazine for firearms - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1950 c. H. BENSON MAGAZINE FOR FIREARMS Filed Au 8, 1947 3 W Carl iienszm Patented May 9, 1950 MAGAZINE FOR FIREARMS Application August 8, 1947, Serial No. 767,509

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to magazines for firearms, and more particularly to a box type magazine adapted to hold a plurality of cartridges in position to be fed, one at a time, into the chamber of the barrel of a repeating firearm.

In some instances firearms, and particularly rifles, are adapted to receive in the chambers of their barrels, cartridges of the same calibre but of difierent lengths. This especially is true in respect to .22 calibre repeating rifles, which are so chambered that they are adapted to receive either .22 short, .22 long, or .22 long rifle cartridges.

One object of this invention is to provide a single magazine which may be readily adapted to receive, carry, and efficiently permit the feeding of cartridges of the same calibre but of different lengths.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box type cartridge magazine for a firearm having means to readily convert it from a long cartridge holding magazine into a. short cartridge holding magazine, or vice versa.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved cartridge magazine for firearms which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, compact, of pleasing appearance, and which is very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, there has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings one form in which the features and principles of this invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a broken side view of a firearm having a box type cartridge magazine operatively associated therewith in which the features and principles of this invention are embodied;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the cartridge magazine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged front view of the same;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2 and showing the magazine adapted for use to hold relatively short cartridges; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

For the purpose of illustrating a practical application of the novel features and principles of this invention, parts of a bolt action rifle of a well-known form is shown in Figure 1 having the improved form of box-type cartridge magazine of this invention operatively associated therewith. In such forms of firearms, a bolt II is slidably mounted in a receiver H for the purpose, among others, of forcing a cartridge l3 from the mouth of a box-type magazine l4 into a chamber l5, adapted to receive cartridges of 2 the same calibre but of different lengths and formed in the breech end of a barrel l6, and to lock it in such position.

The magazine It may be detachabiy secured to the receiver I2 by any suitable means and. extends upwardly through an opening formed in the underside of the receiver 2. to properly position the upper edges I"! and [8, of its sides It and 2|, for them to act as guides for the cartridge l3 as it is forced into the chamber It by the bolt l I. In the form of magazine shown one piece of sheet metal is folded over to form a casing of box-like structure having a front end plate 22 from which the sides I9 and 2| extend rearwardly. The rear edges 23 and 2d of the sides I9 and 2! respectively,

are folded inwardly toward each other, being spaced apart to permit a catch tongue 25 to be disposed between them. The rear end of the magazine is closed by a plate at which has its side edges secured to the sides l9 and 2! in any suitable manner and acts as a guide for the cartridge l3, and rear primer ends of which engage and slid along the same as they move upwardly in the magazine M.

The magazine I4 is of sufficient depth to receive a plurality, six or seven, cartridges, and is of sufiicient length to receive cartridges of the maximum length provided for the calibre desired. For instance, when .22 calibre cartridges are to be used, the length of the magazine is sufficient to receive a .22 long rifle cartridge 27, see dotted lines Fig. 4. The cartridges l3 and 2! both being .22 calibre, are disposed in the magazine l4 in vertical superimposed position, the lower one being supported upon a follower 28 which is slidably mounted in the magazine l4 and is guided by'the sides l9 and 2|, and the end plates 22 and 26 thereof. A coiled spring 29 is provided and positioned to react between the follower 28 and a cover plate 3|, which is provided to form the bottom of the magazine M, to urge the cartridge upwardly to position the upper one in front of the bolt H. The cartridges in the magazine M are retained against being pushed upwardly out of its open upper end or mouth by inturned lips 32 and 33 formed from the material of the magazine sides l9 and 2!, respectively. Notches 3d and 35 cut in the sides l9 and 2| respectively at their upper edges permit the release of the cartridge being pushed forwardly by the bolt ID from the retaining action of the lips 32 and 33.

As illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4, the .22 calibre short cartridge I3 is considerably shorter than the .22 long rifle cartridge 2'! and, if used in a magazine ofsufiicient length to receive long rifle cartridges 21, would tend to slip forwardly out of vertical alignment in the magazine, and.

also tend to tilt downwardly, when it is pushed forwardly by the bolt l I and become jammed between the bolt II and the forward end of the magazine, or to tilt downwardly enough to not properly enter the bore [5 f the barrel 16. To obviate these disadvantages, a member 35 is provided which may be readily inserted in and removed from the magazine M at its upper open 7 end. The member, or spacer, 36 is preferably of relatively thin spring steel and extends downwardly from the open upperend of the magazine It through a slot 31 providedin the .iol1ower'28 and lies within the coils of the spring 29. The spacer 36 is spring, or biased, tensioned and is slightly sprung toward the front end 22 of the magazine It to constantly engage and bear against the front edge of the slot 31 in the follower 28, which front edge provides a rearwardly directed shoulder, whereby the spacer 3% will be maintained in proper cartridge guiding position substantially its entire length 'by the follower 23 during the 'latters movement within the magazine M. The lower portion of thespacer '36 is free to move forwardly and rearwardly in the magazine and its lower end is spaced upwardly from the bottom cover plate 3!. The follower 28 is provided with elongated depending arms 38 and 39, which bear, respectively against the magazine end plates 22 and 26 to prevent tilting of the follower 28 and to guide it in its movements in the magazine I4. The follower 28 also has depending side flanges ii and 42 which bear, respectively, against the sides I9 and 2| of me magazine It.

Suitable means is provided to releasably lock the spacer 36 to the upper open end of the magazine M- and includes a horizontal portion extending forwardly from the upper end of the spacer '35 to beyond the front end of the magazine Hi, overlying the upper edge of the front plate 22, and being disposed between the magazine sides Iii and 2|. The magazine sides 19 and 2! extend upwardly beyond the front plate 22 and are transversely slotted, as at 44 and 4:5 respectively to provide rearwardly directed shoulders 46 and 41. Tongues "t8 and 49, extending one fromeach side edge of the spacer portion #3, seat against the shoulders 66 and 41 respectively to locate the upper end of the spacer 36 in proper cartridge locating position when the follower 25 is in its lowermost position in the magazine M.

The outer end 56 of the spacer portion 43 is extended downwardly and bent inwardly toward and into engagement with the magazine end plate 22 and its lower end 52 is slightly curved away from the plate-'22 to provide a manipulating member. Intermediate the end of the portion 43 and the lower end 52 and substantially at the point of contact with the plate 22, tongues 53 and '54 extend rearwardly from the side edges of the end 51. Slots 55 and 56 are provided in the magazine sides 19 and 21 to respectively receive the tongues 5.3 and 54. The extreme rear ends 51 of the tongues 53 and 54 are outwardly spaced apartslightly more than the portions '58 thereof to straddle the magazine and by enga ing the sides thereof to spring the tongues apart to assist in guiding the tongue portions 58 into the slots 55 and 56.

By the provision of a spacer 36 in combination with a magazine structure, as above described, a box magazine may be relatively inexpensively manufactured and readily converted from one suitably adapted to hold and feed cartridges of one length, to one suitably adapted to hold and feed cartridges of another length. .By providing a spacer which is detachably locked in place by means located at the upper end of the magazine, which end is inserted into a firearm for use therewith, accidental release of the spacer during use of the firearm is obviated. The arrangement whereby the follower locates the spacer substantially its entire length and maintains it under constant tension to press tongues at its upper end against locating shoulders insures constant efficient operation of the spacer.

While there has been shown and described herein a preferred form in which the features and principles of this invention are practically embodied, it will be understood that the same may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention,

Having thus fully disclosed the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a box magazine, front and rear walls spaced apart to receive cartridges relatively long in length therebetween, and a spacer comprising a narrow strip of relatively thin material 'ex- 7 tending downwardly from the top of said magawith its depending portion free to move rearwardly and forwardly in the magazine, means movable lengthwise in the magazine to space and support the depending portion of the spacer from the rear wall to convert the magazine into one to receive cartridges relatively short in length between the rear wall and the spacer, means to space the upper end of the spacer from the rear wall, the material of the upper end of said spacer being extended forwardly and bent downwardly over the front wall, and means to releasably lock the bent downwardly portion and the spacer to said magazine.

2. In a Ebox magazine, front and rear walls spaced apart to receive cartridges relatively long in length therebetween, and a spacer comprising a narrow strip of relatively thin material extending downwardly from'the top of said magazine with its depending portion free to move rearwardly and forwardly in the magazine, means movable lengthwise in the magazine to space and support the depending portion of the spacer from the rear wall to convert the magazine into one to receive cartridges relatively short in length between the rear wall and thespacer, means to space the upper end of the spacer from the rear wall,'the material of the upper end of said spacer being extended forwardly and bent downwardly over the front-wall, said front wall having a slot in its side edge, and a tongue extending rearwardly from thesaid bent downwardly portion adapted to snap into the slot in the side edge The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES "PATENTS Number Name Date 1,401,152 Green Dec. .27, 1921 Boudreau Mar. 19, 19%

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