WO2016099281A1

WO2016099281A1 - Safety magazine for bolt-action weapons

Info

Publication number: WO2016099281A1
Application number: PCT/NO2015/050221
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bjørn Christian OLSEN
Original assignee: Olsen Bjørn Christian
Priority date: 2014-12-18
Filing date: 2015-11-23
Publication date: 2016-06-23
Also published as: EP3234491A1; NO337374B1; NO20141530A1

Abstract

The present device concerns a safety magazine for weapons with a magazine well comprising a housing (1) to be inserted into the magazine well of the weapon, wherein the housing (1) at its upper edge being located inside the magazine well, comprises a guide (7) for a movable cylinder/piston (2), said cylinder/piston (2) having a size to be movable inside the bullet/cartridge chamber/barrel of the weapon and having a forward extreme and (3) that may abut against a cartridge/bullet that may exist in the chamber/barrel of the weapon for thereby, through its location, warning whether or not there exists a bullet/cartridge in the chamber/barrel of the weapon. The bolt assist is automatically locked in its forward position and keeping the warning cylinder/piston in its hidden position. When a cartridge/bullet is located in the chamber/barrel, the bolt assist will return to its rear positon by a spring so that the warning color of the cylinder/piston becomes visible. Such a safety magazine will warn the user that a cartridge/bullet still exists inside the weapon and may prevent serious accidents.

Description

SAFETY MAGAZINE FOR BOLT-ACTION WEAPONS

Ambit for the invention

The present invention concerns a device for magazine weapons with bolt- action or corresponding function wherein an end-bolt is operated or automatically or semi-automatically and translatory for placing a cartridge in the barrel of the relevant weapon from a magazine or clip. The device comprises, as a warning that a loaded weapon is handled, a moveable piston that may be moved axially in relation to the barrel of the weapon and into the chamber of the relevant weapon and occupy the space of a cartridge, for thereby, through its absence in the ejector- opening of the weapon, indicating that there is no cartridge in the chamber of the weapon, or, differently stated, for indicating through its presence in the ejector- opening in the weapon, that there still exists a cartridge in the barrel of the relevant weapon. More specifically the device according to the invention comprises a safety magazine for weapons with a magazine well, wherein the safety magazine comprises a housing to be inserted into the magazine well of the weapon, and wherein said housing at its upper edge that may be located in the magazine well, comprises a guide for a movable piston, said piston having a size so that it may move into the bullet chamber/barrel of the weapon and wherein the piston has a front external end that may abut against a bullet that may exist in the

chamber/barrel of the weapon for thereby, through its location, to warn whether or not there is located a bullet in the chamber/barrel of the weapon.

Background for the invention

Weapons with magazines wherein cartridges with a bullet partly

encapsulated by a cartridge shell, is passed from a magazine or a clip in the weapon and into the chamber/barrel of the weapon by being pressed into the chamber/barrel through the aid of a bolt (bolt assist), said bolt also providing the function of opening for ejection of the shell after the weapon has been fired, and for progressing a new and unused cartridge, has the safety deficiency that it is possible for a sharp and unused cartridge to be located in the chamber/barrel of the weapon even after the magazine has been removed from the weapon. Previously it has consequently not been possible to control whether or not the weapon has been loaded with a cartridge in the chamber/barrel of the weapon even if the magazine has been removed or the weapon has been provided with an empty magazine or a safety magazine according to the prior art, into the weapon. Such control has previously only been possible by removing the locking bolt/bolt assist for subsequently visually to verify that the chamber is empty or not, or additionally physically feeling if the chamber is empty or not.

This situation has created a potentially great hazard because it has not been possible for a user of the weapon to actually verify whether or not the weapon actually was loaded or unloaded without personally checking if there existed a cartridge in the barrel of the weapon, and may by a mishap fire the bullet that existed inside the barrel of the weapon because he or she presumed that the weapon was unloaded. Particularly within communities with a frequent handling of such weapons, e.g. within the defense forces or within hunting teams or within weapon clubs etc. there have occurred serious accidents by there having been handled weapons that actually were loaded with a bullet inside the chamber and that were presumed to be unloaded because there did not exist any external indication of a bullet being present in the chamber/barrel of the weapon. This despite the eventuality that there might have existed a "safety magazine" according to the prior art in the weapon from the last time it was used.

Prior art

Despite the problems presented supra, and that have been relevant from the introduction of weapons with a magazine and bolt-action working mode, there has not been developed any solution to the presence of a bullet in the barrel of such weapons, even if the weapon's magazine has been removed or has been replaced with a magazine without bullets.

The most common way to "solve" the problem of "securing" that the relevant weapon is unloaded, has been to place a "safety magazine" comprising a solid object with the design of a magazine, but where it is apparent that the magazine is not capable of containing bullets. Such a device does, however, not address the problem of the chamber of the weapon harboring an unused bullet.

An alternative safety system is marketed by the company "Skytterlinken", but such a safety system is cumbersome to use and has an increased risk of vital parts of the weapon to be lost and that is sensitive to varying temperatures. Such a previously known system has as a particular trait that the bolt assist in its entirety has to be removed from the weapon. This bolt assist must thus be stored somewhere. A cleaning pole inserter (bolt assist in plastic) is inserted manually in the receiver for replacing the bolt assist while a "safety magazine" simultaneously filing the magazine well of the relevant weapon.

The safety system of "Skytterlinken" includes:

That the bolt assist has to be removed from the weapon and be stored in a receptacle outside the weapon (is ca rried outside the gunner's bag, ha nging from a belt, is placed inside a pocket, etc.) with a grave risk of the bolt assist becoming lost and/or polluted . A plastic magazine without any possibility of ca rrying ammunition is inserted into the weapon . The bolt assist may also be replaced with a cleaning stick inserter (a bolt assist in plastic) . An alternative solution of the problem indicated supra, has been to remove the bolt assist from the relevant weapon so it may not be used . However, this does not solve the problem of the weapon having an "unsecured" and "hidden" bullet in its barrel, so that when the weapon is reassembled, it may still be fired by accident. This solution is not good also on account of vital parts of the weapon becoming lost or misplaced (as explained supra), and even if the weapon then may not be used without these parts, the problem with there existing a "hidden" bullet in the chamber of the weapon still being present when new pa rts have been acquired and the weapon is reassembled . In addition the losing of a vital part of the weapon may be a source of worry and aggravation and may lead to the revocation of weapon permits and/or punitive measures from the police because the bolt assist and receiver are the objects of registration in Norway, and there may a rise problems of a registration nature if a new bolt assist and/or receiver are acquired without any explanation of where the previous ones have disappeared, has been provided . Consequently one of the advantages with the safety device according to the present invention is that the relevant weapon must not be disassembled for being sure that the weapon does not contain an unfired bullet and that the may not be fired at all with the safety device in place.

General disclosure of the invention

The device according to the invention will be disclosed infra under reference to the accompanying figures, wherein :

Fig . 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the safety magazine according to the invention in a position wherein the device is activated . Fig. 2 shows in cross-section an embodiment of the device according to the invention, wherein the device is present in a non-activated condition and is ready for insertion into a weapon.

Fig. 3 shows in cross-section the same embodiment as shown in Fig. 2, but in an activated condition.

As shown in figs. 1-3 the relevant embodiment comprises a housing 1 fitting into the magazine well of the relevant weapon. This housing 1 is in the shown embodiment formed as a mainly square "block". The housing 1 may in this embodiment be hollow and include a spring arrangement 4 affecting the movement of a cylinder/piston 2 located on the upper side of the housing 1. The piston 2 is designed in such a way that it fits inside the chamber of the relevant weapon and may move axially in relation to the barrel of the weapon and mainly parallel to the upper surface of eh housing 1, and is for this purpose in the shown embodiment guided by a forward guide 7. The housing is in an alternative embodiment designed in such a way that it comprises a magazine body that may not carry ammunition of any kind. This may be achieved e.g. by the spring 4 taking up the space for the ammunition or bullets and/or that the housing 1 otherwise being made of a massive or solid material.

The spring 4 is a return spring so that the spring is cocked when the cylinder/piston 2 is entered into the chamber/barrel with the bolt assist of the weapon, and will drive the cylinder/piston 2 back to its original position when the cylinder is retracted, and the upper surface of the housing 1 is equipped with e.g. a snapping lock/locking flange keeping the cylinder 2 in its hidden positon if there is not present any bullets in the chamber/barrel of the weapon. The external design of the housing 1 may be selected according to taste.

However, in one embodiment it is designed or marked in such a way that that it is evident that the weapon is equipped with a safety magazine. This may be achieved by providing the housing 1 with a different shape than conventional magazines and/or it may be equipped with markings or signs such as coloration and/or signs showing that it is a safety magazine. This may assist the user of the weapon to realize that the weapon needs to be checked to investigate if there exists a bullet inside the barrel in addition to the function that the safety magazine according to the invention has by making it easier for the user to see if the weapon contains a bullet in its chamber/barrel as a warning Alternatively the bottom of the safety magazine 1 may be designed with the appearance of a regular magazine, e.g. for aesthetical reasons. The external design may also alternatively be combined with markings or indications of the safety magazine with colors (s) or symbol(s). In the disclosure supra there have been used concepts such as magazine, clip or other expressions for devices with more than one bullet and that may be inserted into a weapon such as a gun or rifle or corresponding firearm so that the weapon may fire several shots. A magazine comprises in this connection a storage housing where there may be located at least one bullet wherein said bullet may be passed from the storage housing to the chamber of the relevant weapon. Such magazines may in certain cases be reloaded with a number of bullets of the relevant caliber by being removed and filled from the top or bottom with such bullets. It may also be possible to provide pre-filled magazines that are discarded when they are empty. Such ready-to-use and pre-filled magazines are named "clips".

For using a safety magazine according to the invention the relevant weapon must be equipped with a socket or receptacle for a magazine or clip. One of the purposes with the safety magazine according to the invention is, however, that it shall be possible to quickly observe whether or not there lies a bullet in the chamber/barrel or the relevant weapon, and this is independent of if the weapon the last time it was used had a magazine mounted or if the weapon was loaded separately for each time it was fired.

The safety function of the safety magazine according to the invention is connected to the location and function of the cylinder/piston 2 and the barring device/locking device in the relevant weapon. The cylinder/piston 2 in the safety magazine according to the invention occupies some of the space of a bullet. When the bolt assist is progressed, the cylinder/piston is pushed into the chamber/barrel. With a locking of the bolt assist is locked with a bar/locking device 5 the

cylinder/piston remains in its forward position if the chamber does not contain a bullet. The cylinder/piston 2 then cocks the return spring 4. For placing the safety magazine in the weapon the bolt assist of the weapon must thus be completely retracted if a safety magazine is to fit inside the breechblock. When the safety magazine is placed in the weapon and the bolt assist in the weapon has been completely retracted, the safety magazine according to the invention is in a preferred embodiment equipped with a block/locking device 5 for thee bolt assist. The block/locking device 5 comprises a spring-loaded 6 barb which in a retracted position coincides with the upper surface of the housing 1 and that in an activated condition protrudes above this upper surface of the housing 1 (when this is inserted into the relevant weapon) for thereby to block the bolt assist from again being retreated from chamber/barrel of the weapon. The bolt assist blocking

device/locking device 5 makes it redundant to remove the bolt assist from the weapon (for thereby avoiding the problems associated with loss of the bolt assist, see supra) while making it impossible to fire the weapon via the cylinder/piston 2.

For additionally securing that the weapon may not be fired with the safety magazine according to the invention inserted/mounted in the weapon, the cylinder/piston 2 has an external end 3 (that may abut against the rear end of a shell or cartridge that might exist inside the chamber/barrel of the relevant weapon). The external end 3 is equipped with an end that is not able to come into contact with the primer and activate this being located exentrically and/or has such a size that it is not able to abut against the primer of the cartridge so that a possible strike against the cylinder/piston 2 will not be able to activate the primer and fire the shot.

In one embodiment the cylinder/piston 2 has a colored section being visible when the magazine housing 1 with the cylinder/piston 2 is mounted in the weapon and there exists a bullet/cartridge in the chamber/barrel of the weapon. This makes it easily detectable and visible whether or not there such a bullet/ cartridge is present in the weapon. Since the cylinder/piston 2 has two different positions available depending on whether or not a bullet/cartridge is present is present in the chamber/barrel, it may be possible in an alternate embodiment to equip the weapon with an electrical contact within the housing 1 with cooperating contacts on the cylinder/piston 2 so that a current circuit may be closed when the contact points on the cylinder/piston 2 and the housing 1 contact each other. Such an electrical current circuit may obtain electrical current from a battery that may be located inside the housing 1 of the safety magazine device or another suitable location, and the current circuit may e.g. include a light source being lit when the electrical circuit is completed. The fact that such a light source is lit will thus indicate that there exists a bullet/cartridge in the chamber/barrel of the weapon and notify the user about this when the weapon is correctly secured based on the warning color that has been selected. Such an embodiment is integrated with the safety magazine according to the invention. Other contacts than electrical ones may be relevant as well, such as magnetically activated contacts being activated when the cylinder/piston 2 is present in one of its extreme positons (the forward position indicating that there is no cartridge/bullet inside the chamber/barrel, or a rear positon indicating that there does exist a cartridge/bullet in the chamber/barrel of the weapon). Weapons with such cooperating devices also constitute a part of the invention.

The safety magazine according to the invention introduces the following safety measures:

The magazine well may not carry a magazine with ammunition of any kind. The chamber is externally visually empty, and this is shown by e.g. the warning-colored section of the cylinder/piston 2 disappearing inside safety magazine/chamber and the color is no longer visible and/or a warning light is lit up/not lit up.

The bolt assist part of the weapon is not locked in its forward position by the bolt assist lock 5. The mounting of the safety magazine according to the invention may be performed as follows:

1) The weapon is secured by the housing of the safety magazine being inserted into the magazine well of the weapon after the bolt assist of the weapon has been retracted. 2) When the bolt assist of the weapon is progressed, the cylinder/piston 2 being inserted into the magazine housing and in towards the chamber of the weapon is contacted, and the return spring 4 for the cylinder/piston 2 is

compressed.

If the weapon is to be considered as being loaded, the warning-colored section of the cylinder/piston 2will not fully enter and the bolt assist returns and may consequently be locked by the bolt assist lock/locking device 5. The warning- colored section of the cylinder/piston 2 then abuts against the rear end of the cartridge/bullet without hitting the primer of the cartridge/bullet and the return spring 4 presses the bolt assist back and the warning color of the cylinder/piston 2 again becomes visible (in the embodiment where this is relevant). If the chamber of the weapon is empty, the warning-colored section of the cylinder/piston 2 passes completely into the chamber and the bolt assist is locked in its forward position from the underside with the blocking device 5. The weapon is now locked and visibly free of ammunition and the warning color is hidden inside the safety magazine/chamber and is no longer visible (in the embodiment where this is relevant). The housing 1 of the safety magazine fills the magazine well, the bolt assist is locked in its forward position by the bolt assist blocking device 5 and the chamber is visibly and actually empty. For releasing the bolt assist and the return movement of the entire cylinder/piston 2, th magazine must be released by the magazine lock in the weapon in a conventional way and the return spring 4 presses the cylinder/piston and the bolt assist back and the safety magazine may be removed from the weapon.

When the cylinder/piston 2 is inserted in the barrel of the relevant weapon, and it is not present any bullet/cartridge in the chamber/barrel, the cylinder/piston 2 and the bolt assist will lie in their forward position. When the cylinder/piston 2 is in this position it is impossible to remove the safety magazine from the weapon. The safety magazine according to the invention may also be equipped with a weapon lock to secure the weapon during storage/transport.

A safety magazine according to the invention may preferably be used in large-calibred rifles with an elevation arm and a removable magazine, e.g. SAUER 200 STR. A safety magazine as disclosed supra may be adjusted to most weapons and weapon systems.

The materials that the safety magazine according to the invention may be made of, are many. However, it is advantageous that at least the housing 1 of the safety magazine according to the invention is made of a rigid material such as metal (steel, aluminium, metal alloys, artificial fiber, plastic), preferably equipped with a gripping material such as a suitable plastic material and/or rubber. The movable parts of the safety magazine according to the invention, and at least the cylinder/piston 2 and the locking peg 5, as well as the guide 7 for the

cylinder/piston 2, are also made of a durable and solid material such as metal/heat- resistant plastic (steel, aluminium, metal alloys, plastic alloys).

The return spring 4 is in the disclosure supra, specified to reside in the magazine housing 1. It is still alternatively possible to return the movement of the cylinder/piston 2 with other means as well such as with a resilient material being secured between the rear edge of the cylinder/piston 2 an the piston guide 7 or with a coiled spring being correspondingly located. The bolt assist forces the cylinder/piston into the chamber of the weapon for either to run the entire length into the chamber/barrel of the weapon and become locked by the bolt assist locking mechanism/locking peg (if there is no bullet present in the chamber/barrel) or for stopping against the rear end of a bullet/ cartridge that might remain in the chamber/barrel of the weapon and thus not locking the bolt assist in the bolt assist locking mechanism/locking peg and the cylinder/piston returns for exposing its colored section (if this is included) to indicate that the weapon still is loaded or for closing an electrical circuit so that a lamp or other type of indicator for a loaded weapon becomes activated.

Detailed disclosure of the invention

The invention will be more closely explained infra under reference to some existing weapons systems being relevant to use with safety magazines. Examples

Example 1 :

This example concerns a safety magazine as disclosed supra being adjusted to a rifle of the type SAUER 200 STR. The cartridges/bullets of such a weapon is of caliber 6.5x55 SCAN/ .308WIN and the cylinder/piston 2 of the safety magazine according to the invention has a cross-section adjusted accordingly. The axial distance that the cylinder/piston 2 runs across is sufficient to establish if a bullet/cartridge is present in the chamber. The cylinder/piston 2 in this example is made of plastic and carries a colored section on its forward part for indicating that a bullet/cartridge is present in the chamber/barrel of the weapon when the cylinder/piston 2 is not progressed to its forward position. The return spring 4 lies in this example inside the safety magazine housing 1 and is made of a resilient material for working against the bolt assist and the cylinder/piston 2 on their progression into the barrel of the weapon if there is not any bullet present in the barrel and prevents such a progression. Example 2 :

Corresponds to example 1, except that the cylinder/piston 2 is equipped with a contact spot and a source for electrical power conducting electricity to an electrical circuit with a warning lamp, and the guide 7 possesses a contact closing the electrical circuit if the cylinder/piston is not progressed to its extreme position. The batteries for the electrical circuit in this example is of the type AAA or corresponding and may be placed in the magazine housing in a socket provided for this. This example comprises an electronic signal to an external receptor as well with e.g. bluetooth. Example 3 :

This example concerns a safety magazine as explained supra, adjusted to a rifle of the type Hexkler & Koch 416/417. The cartridges of such a weapon has a caliber .223 NATO/7.62x51 NATO and the cylinder/piston 2 in the safety magazine according to the invention has a circular cross-section adjusted to this. The axial distance that the cylinder/piston 2 runs across is sufficient to detect a

bullet/cartridge in the chamber. The cylinder/piston 2 in this example is made of tempered steel /316L and has a colored forward section of the cylinder/piston 2 to indicate that there is present a bullet/cartridge in the chamber/barrel of the weapon when the cylinder/piston 2 is not progressed to its forward position. The return spring 4 is in this example located inside the safety magazine housing 1 and has the sole task of returning the cylinder/piston 2 since this type of weapon has an automatic/semi-automatic embodiment with its own recoil spring. When the operator pulls the loading lever to its rear position the cylinder/piston 2 will return to its original position by its own accord.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Safety magazine for weapons with a magazine well comprising a housing (1) to be inserted into the magazine well of the weapon,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the housing (1) at its upper edge that may be located inside the magazine well, comprises a guide (7) for a movable

cylinder/piston (2), said cylinder/piston (2) having a size to be movable inside the bullet/cartridge chamber/barrel of the weapon and having a forward extreme and (3) that may abut against a cartridge/bullet that may exist in the chamber/barrel of the weapon for thereby, through its location, warning whether or not there exists a bullet/cartridge in the chamber/barrel of the weapon.

2. Safety magazine according to claim 1,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the movement of the cylinder/piston (2), being activated by the insertion of the bolt assist, is guided by a guide (7) in the safety magazine housing (1) and is returned by a resilient device such as a return spring (4).

3. Safety magazine according to claim 2,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the resilient device comprises a return spring (4) affecting the return of the cylinder/piston (2) , said spring (4) preferably being located inside the housing (1).

4. Safety magazine according to claim 1 - 3,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the housing (1) at its rear end comprises a block (5) for the bolt assist of the weapon when the weapon does not contain a cartridge/bullet, so that the bolt assist may not be returned without the safety magazine having to be released before being removed.

5. Safety magazine according to claim 1 - 4,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the cylinder/piston (2) is equipped with markings being visually visible and indicating the length of the insertion of the cylinder/piston (2) into the chamber/barrel of the weapon to show whether or not there exists a cartridge/bullet inside the barrel/chamber of the weapon.

6. Safety magazine according to claim 1 - 5,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the housing (1) comprises an electrical circuit with an electrically activated warning device and wherein the location of the cylinder/piston (2) is registered by an electrical/electronic contact located inside he guide (7) of the safety magazine for completing the electrical/electronic circuit located inside the guide (7) of the safety magazine for closing the electrical circuit for activating the warning device.

7. Safety magazine according to claim 6,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the electrical circuit is connected to an electronic signal for an external receiver.

8. Safety magazine according to claims 6 or 7,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that the housing (1) comprises an electrical energy source for the electrical circuit.

9. The use of a safety magazine according to any of the claims 1 - 8 in a rifle with a bolt-action loading and self-loading.

10. The use according to claim 10, wherein the rifle is if the type SAUER 200 STR.

11. A weapon,

ch a ra cte ri zed i n that it is adapted for the safety magazine according to any of the claims 1 - 8.