US 4,676,138 AGranted

Gun-powered linear linkless ammunition magazine

AssigneeWestern Design Corporation

InventorsWilliam W. Thompson, Lawrence D. Bacon, Kent G. Curry, Steve Morihiro

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Abstract

An ammunition magazine for small arm weapons having a reciprocating bolt and an ammunition feedwell therein includes a housing for storing a plurality of ammunition rounds and a drive spring for urging the ammunition rounds out of the housing. In addition, a feeder is provided for passing the ammunition rounds from the housing into the ammunition feedwell of the small arm weapon. The feeder is configured for being removably inserted into the small arm weapon ammunition feedwell and includes a feeder spring for urging ammunition rounds along the feeder from the ammunition housing and within the ammunition feedwell. An impact system is provided for engaging the reciprocating bolt of the small arm weapon and causing movement of the reciprocating bolt to compress both the drive spring and the feeder spring.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An ammunition magazine for small arm weapons having a reciprocating bolt and an ammunition feedwell therein, said ammunition magazine comprising:

housing means for storing a plurality of ammunition rounds in a generally parallel relationship with one another and the small arm weapons reciprocating bolt;
said magazine housing means comprising a pair of end plates with a plurality of sprockets disposed therebetween for supporting a continuous ammunition conveyor strip;
drive spring means for urging said ammunition rounds out of said housing means, said drive spring means decompressing as the ammunition rounds are urged out of said housing means;
feeder means for passing ammunition rounds from the housing means into the ammunition feedwell of a small arm weapon, said feeder means being configured for being removably inserted into the small arm weapon ammunition feedwell, said feeder means having at least one linear feeder spring means for urging ammunition rounds along the feeder means and within the ammunition feedwell of the small arm weapon, said feeder spring means decompressing as the ammunition rounds are moved within the ammunition feedwell, said feeder means including pawl means disposed within a feeder housing for urging ammunition rounds therewithin, said pawl means including a set of stationary pawls and a set of moveable pawls disposed on a pawl carrier, said feeder spring means being operated for moving the pawl carrier and said impact arms means being interconnected with said pawl carrier for compressing the feeder spring means,
means, interconnected with both said drive spring means and said feeder spring means, for engaging the reciprocating bolt and causing movement of the reciprocating bolt to compress both the drive spring means and the feeder spring means when the feeder means is inserted into the small arm weapon ammunition feedwell, said means for engaging the reciprocating bolt comprising impact arm means extending outwardly from said feeder housing for engaging said reciprocating bolt, said impact arm being configured and positioned with respect to the reciprocating bolt, when the feeder means is inserted into the small arm weapon ammunition feedwell, for causing engagement of the impact arms with the bolt to drive the impact away from and out of contact with the reciprocating bolt, said impact arm including means defining a slanted face thereon to substantially reduce contact with the bolt face subsequent to initial contact with the bolt face subsequent to initial impact between the impact arm and bolt.

2 more elements

An ammunition magazine for small arm weapons having a reciprocating bolt and an ammunition feedwell therein, said ammunition magazine comprising:

housing means for storing a plurality of ammunition rounds;
drive spring means for urging said ammunition rounds out of said housing means, said drive spring means decompressing as the ammunition rounds are urged out of said housing means;
feeder means for passing ammunition rounds from the housing means into the ammunition feedwell of a small arm weapon, said feeder means being configured for being removably inserted into the small arm weapon ammunition feedwell, said feeder means having feeder spring means for urging ammunition rounds along the feeder means and within the ammunition feedwell of the small arm weapon, said feeder spring means decompressing as the ammunition rounds are moved within the ammunition feedwell;
means for coupling and uncoupling the feeder means and housing means with one another;
and
means interconnected with both said drive spring means and said feeder spring means, for engaging the reciprocating bolt and causing movement of the reciprocating bolt to compress both the drive spring means and the feeder spring means when the feeder means is inserted into the small arm weapon ammunition feedwell, and coupled with said housing means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.