Drum magazine assembly and methods
AssigneeMagpul Industries Corp.
InventorsTimothy Eric Roberts, Michael T. Mayberry, Brian L. Nakayama, Richard M. Fitzpatrick, Eric Nakayama, William Bradley Bennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magazine assembly for a firearm and a related method are disclosed. The assembly has a magazine housing defining a track, and a follower assembly. The magazine housing is configured to constrain a cartridge as the cartridge is moved within the magazine assembly such that majority of a proximal surface area of the cartridge does not contact the magazine housing, and a distal tip of the cartridge does not contact the magazine housing.
Claims20
A drum magazine assembly, comprising:
- a follower assembly;
- a feed tower assembly having:
- a feed tower,
- a first track, and
- a cartridge gate, wherein the cartridge gate further includes a gate tab;
- and
- a drum body having a second track;
- wherein the follower assembly further comprises:
- at least one spindle slider,
- a spindle,
- a cartridge stack comprising a plurality of cartridges, including at least a leading cartridge and a last cartridge,
- and wherein the follower assembly is configured to bias the leading cartridge towards a feed lip of the feed tower assembly,
- and wherein the first track in the feed tower assembly is configured to constrain a focal point of a first cartridge approximately converged at a first point a predetermined distance from the feed tower assembly as the first cartridge is moved along a first travel path through the feed tower assembly,
- and wherein the gate tab is configured to prevent cartridges from being pushed out of the feed tower assembly by the follower assembly, and
- and wherein the cartridge gate is configured to remain biased towards a rest position.
A feed mechanism for a firearm magazine, comprising:
- a feed housing having:
- a first track configured to constrain a first cartridge in a first travel path as the first cartridge is moved through the feed housing;
- a cartridge gate having a gate tab, wherein the cartridge gate is configured to remain biased towards a rest position;
- an exit through which at least the first cartridge is chambered in a firearm;
- and
- a follower assembly, wherein the follower assembly further comprises:
- at least one spindle slider,
- a spindle,
- a cartridge stack comprising a plurality of cartridges, including at least a leading cartridge and the first cartridge,
- and wherein the follower assembly is configured to bias the leading cartridge towards a feed lip at or near the exit of the feed housing,
- and wherein the gate tab is configured to prevent cartridges from being pushed out of the feed housing by the follower assembly, and
- and wherein the feed mechanism is configured to constrain a focal point of the first cartridge approximately converged at a first point a predetermined distance from the feed housing as the first cartridge is moved along the first travel path.
A method of using a feed mechanism for a firearm magazine, the method comprising:
- installing a feed mechanism having a first cartridge in a chamber-ready position into a firearm having a closed bolt, wherein the feed mechanism comprises:
- a feed housing having a first track configured to constrain the first cartridge in a first travel path as the first cartridge moves through the feed housing;
- a cartridge guide configured to allow the first cartridge to displace away from a feed lip of the feed housing;
- a cartridge gate having a gate tab configured to prevent the first cartridge from being pushed out of the feed housing;
- seating one of a second cartridge and a dummy cartridge based on displacing the second cartridge or the dummy cartridge against the cartridge guide, wherein the displacing causes the cartridge guide to swing away from the first travel path and provide a track recess for the second cartridge or the dummy cartridge;
- retracting the bolt to enable the first cartridge to return to the chamber-ready position or exit the feed housing;
- and
- returning the one of the second cartridge and the dummy cartridge to the first track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.