# US 12,000,671 B2 · Foldable firearm

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- Number: US 12,000,671 B2
- Document ID: US12000671B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/143,583
- Filed: 2023-05-04
- Published: 2023-09-28
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-27
- Assignees: Magpul Industries Corp.
- Applicants: Magpul Industries Corp.
- Inventors: Nicholas Kielsmeier; Brian L. Nakayama; Jeremy M. Fiester; Michael T. Mayberry
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000671B2

## CPC

- F41C 23/04: Folding or telescopic stocks or stock parts (articulated or collapsible guns F41A11/04)
- F41A 3/66: Breech housings or frames; Receivers
- F41A 3/72: Operating handles or levers; Mounting thereof in breech-blocks or bolts {(F41C7/02, F41C7/06 take precedence)}
- F41A 11/04: Articulated or collapsible guns, i.e. with hinged or telescopic parts for transport or storage (breakdown shotguns or rifles F41C7/11; folding or telescopic stocks or stock parts F41C23/04)
- F41A 35/06: Adaptation of guns to both right and left hand use
- F41C 9/02: Concealed pistols, e.g. in pencils
- F41C 23/12: Auxiliary stocks for stabilising, or for transforming pistols, e.g. revolvers, into shoulder-fired guns
- F41C 33/08: Handles for carrying smallarms
- F41C: SMALLARMS, e.g. PISTOLS, RIFLES (functional features or details common to both smallarms and ordnance, mountings therefor F41A; projecting missiles without use of explosive or combustible propellant charge F41B); ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
- F41A: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE

## Abstract

The present disclosure describes a foldable firearm that collapses into a folded state under spring pressure. The foldable firearm may include a foldable grip assembly. The foldable grip assembly may include a foldable pistol grip, a foldable trigger assembly, a folding bar, and a foldable hand stop. The foldable grip assembly may fold into the top shell of the foldable firearm. The foldable firearm may also include an ambidextrous charging handle assembly that may include a bottom portion, a top portion, a guide bar, and two opposing charging handles. The charging handles may be pulled to unfold the foldable firearm, and/or butterflied such that pivoting one charging handle causes the other charging handle to pivot. The first-pivoted charging handle may then be pulled rearwards to unfold the firearm. The first-pivoted charging handle may then be pulled further rearwards to rack the slide of the foldable firearm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A foldable firearm comprising: a receiver configured to couple to a foldable trigger grip assembly; a top shell having an ambidextrous charging handle assembly and a locking mechanism arranged thereon; a bottom shell having a hinged tail, wherein the hinged tail comprises an angled clearance configured to determine a stopping angle of the hinged tail, and wherein the hinged tail is configured to: rotate about a pivot axis on the bottom shell, detachably engage with the locking mechanism when the firearm is in a folded configuration, and disengage from the locking mechanism via actuating the ambidextrous charging handle assembly; wherein the foldable trigger grip assembly further comprises a foldable pistol grip comprising a rear part and a folding part, wherein the rear part is separably coupled to the folding part and is separated at a breakaway interface by actuating a pistol grip release button.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The foldable firearm of claim 1, further comprising a slide racking assembly, wherein the slide racking assembly is configured to move parallel to the longitudinal axis of the foldable firearm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The foldable firearm of claim 2, wherein the slide racking assembly includes one or more slide racking detents shaped to engage a slide of the foldable firearm and force the slide to move backward toward a racked position when a first or a second charging handle of the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is moved toward a rear of the ambidextrous charging handle assembly.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The foldable firearm of claim 2, wherein the first charging handle is coupled to a bottom portion of the slide racking assembly by a first pivot nub.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The foldable firearm of claim 4, wherein the first pivot nub interfaces with a top portion of the slide racking assembly at a first pivot nub aperture, the interface providing the first vertical pivot axis for the first charging handle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The foldable firearm of claim 2, wherein the slide racking assembly is configured in a racked position when the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is pulled by more than a distance, D1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The foldable firearm of claim 2, wherein a bottom portion of the slide racking assembly is coupled to a first charging handle of the ambidextrous charging handle assembly.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The foldable firearm of claim 4, wherein the bottom portion of the slide racking assembly is configured in one of a tetrahedral, hexagonal or circular geometry.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The foldable firearm of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism of the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is a tab.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The foldable firearm of claim 6, wherein the tab is configured to retain the hinged tail of the bottom tail.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The firearm of claim 1, wherein the hinged tail is configured to provide lateral stability for use as a firearm armbrace.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The firearm of claim 1, wherein the hinged tail is configured to fold as a user presses the firearm against the user's shoulder pocket.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The firearm of claim 1, wherein the hinged tail includes an arced top.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The firearm of claim 1, wherein the hinged tail has an aperture for a bracing strap.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

The foldable firearm of claim 4, wherein the first pivot nub interfaces with a top portion of the slide racking assembly at a first pivot nub aperture, the interface providing the first vertical pivot axis for the first charging handle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 4)

The foldable firearm of claim 4, wherein the second charging handle is coupled to the bottom portion of the slide racking assembly by a second pivot nub.

### Claim 17

A folding firearm comprising: a frame comprising a trigger and a fixed rear part extending downward from an axis parallel to a slide direction of a slide of the folding firearm; a foldable grip that rotatably separates from the fixed rear part along a breakaway interface when the folding firearm is folded, and is configured to fold around a first pivot axis that is forward of a front surface of the foldable grip when in a deployed state, the foldable grip further having a grip trigger contact region proximal a top of the front surface; a foldable trigger guard comprising a front leg, a bottom leg, and a folded and a deployed state, the front leg and the bottom leg being oblique to each other in the deployed state, the bottom leg rotatably coupling to the foldable grip via a second pivot axis, the front leg and the bottom leg rotatably coupling via a third pivot axis; the trigger configured to fold forward and split into a rear part and a forward part when the foldable grip biases the trigger forward, the trigger rotating about a fourth pivot axis; and wherein the bottom leg of the foldable trigger guard comprises a trigger guard hinge axis, and wherein the front leg of the foldable trigger guard comprises a trigger guard-frame hinge axis, and wherein the bottom leg and the front leg of the foldable trigger guard are configured to pivot around the trigger guard hinge axis and the trigger guard-frame hinge axis, respectively.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The folding firearm of claim 17, wherein the first pivot axis is forward of the fourth pivot axis.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The folding firearm of claim 17, wherein the first pivot axis is arranged higher than the fourth pivot axis.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The folding firearm of claim 17, wherein the first pivot axis and the fourth pivot axis are the same.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The folding firearm of claim 17, further comprising a housing coupled to the frame.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The folding firearm of claim 21, wherein the front leg folds up into a channel in the housing and the bottom leg folds up below the front leg and below the housing.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The folding firearm of claim 21, wherein the front leg pivots about pins that extend outward from the front leg and wherein the pins are arranged through at least a part of the housing.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The folding firearm of claim 21, further comprising pins that extend outward from the front leg and into the housing and are aligned with a fifth pivot axis through the housing.