Bulk cartridge magazine for firearms and process for loading

A large capacity quick load magazine for firearm cartridges adapted to be mounted to the magazine well of a firearm and for receiving cartridges in bulk from a cartridge box, said magazine comprising:

• a cartridge well interface means having a cartridge guide channel for receiving a column of cartridges and having a discharge opening;
• a magazine case having an interface end joined to the interface means;
• cartridge guide means within the magazine case having an open end for receiving a quantity of cartridges in a plurality of columns;
• spring means associated with the guide means for selectively biasing columns of cartridges received by the cartridge guide means toward the interface means;
• pivot means mounting the guide means and spring means within the housing for pivotal movement therein such that each column may be pivoted in succession into alignment with the cartridge guide channel of the interface;
• and
• access means for exposing the guide means for bulk cartridge charging directly from the cartridge box;
• indexing means for actuating the pivot means to move successive columns into alignment with said cartridge guide channel in response to depletion of cartridges from columns previously aligned with said channel;
• cartridge box guide means on the magazine case for slidably receiving and guiding a cartridge box such that columns of cartridges within the box substantially align with columns defined by said guide means;
• and
• cartridge box lid stripping means adjacent the cartridge guide means for abutment with the slidably removable lid of the cartridge box and for stripping the lid from the box such that cartridges within the box may be received by the cartridge guide means.

A large capacity quick load magazine for firearm cartridges adapted to be mounted to the magazine well of a firearm and for receiving cartridges in bulk from a cartridge box, said magazine comprising:

• a cartridge well interface means having a cartridge guide channel for receiving a column of cartridges and having a discharge opening;
• a magazine case having an interface end joined to the interface means;
• cartridge guide means within the magazine case having an open end for receiving a quantity of cartridges in a plurality of columns;
• spring means associated with the guide means for selectively biasing columns of cartridges received by the cartridge guide means toward the interface means;
• pivot means mounting the guide means and spring means within the housing for pivotal movement therein such that each column may be pivoted in succession into alignment with the cartridge guide channel of the interface;
• and
• access means for exposing the guide means for bulk cartridge charging directly from the cartridge box;
• indexing means for actuating the pivot means to move successive columns into alignment with said cartridge guide channel in response to depletion of cartridges from columns previously aligned with said channel;
• cartridge box lid stripping means adjacent the cartridge guide means for abutment with the slidably removable lid of the cartridge box and for stripping the lid from the box as the box is moved translationally over the guide means such that cartridges within the box may be shifted gravitationally from the box and received by the guide means.

A large capacity quick load magazine for firearm cartridges adapted to be mounted to the magazine well of a firearm and for receiving cartridges in bulk from a cartridge box, said magazine comprising:

• a cartridge well interface means having a cartridge guide channel for receiving a column of cartridges and having a discharge opening;
• a magazine case having an interface end joined to the interface means;
• cartridge guide means within the magazine case having an open end for receiving a quantity of cartridges in a plurality of columns;
• spring means associated with the guide means for selectively biasing columns of cartridges received by the cartridge guide means toward the interface means;
• pivot means mounting the guide means and spring means within the housing for pivotal movement therein such that each column may be pivoted in succession into alignment with the cartridge guide channel of the interface;
• and
• access means for exposing the guide means for bulk cartridge charging directly from the cartridge box;
• indexing means for actuating the pivot means to move successive columns into alignment with said cartridge guide channel in response to depletion of cartridges from columns previously aligned with said channel;
• wherein said interface means is movably mounted to the magazine case at the interface end thereof and movable between a closed position spanning the case interface end and covering the open end of the cartridge guide means, and an open position clear of and exposing the open end of the cartridge guide means;
• and
• means for receiving and guiding a cartridge box for manual translational movement along said cartridge guide means and for opening said cartridge box during said movement, such that cartridges held therein may be transferred gravitationally to the cartridge guide means through the open end thereof.

A large capacity quick load magazine for firearm cartridges adapted to be mounted to the magazine well of a firearm and for receiving cartridges in bulk from a cartridge box, said magazine comprising:

• a cartridge well interface means having a cartridge guide channel for receiving a column of cartridges and having a discharge opening;
• a magazine case having an interface end joined to the interface means;
• cartridge guide means within the magazine case having an open end for receiving a quantity of cartridges in a plurality of columns;
• spring means associated with the guide means for selectively biasing columns of cartridges received by the cartridge guide means toward the interface means;
• pivot means mounting the guide means and spring means within the housing for pivotal movement therein such that each column may be pivoted in succession into alignment with the cartridge guide channel of the interface;
• and
• access means for exposing the guide means for bulk cartridge charging directly from the cartridge box;
• indexing means for actuating the pivot means to move successive columns into alignment with said cartridge guide channel in response to depletion of cartridges from columns previously aligned with said channel;
• and
• means for receiving and guiding a cartridge box for manual translational movement along said cartridge guide means and for opening said cartridge box during said movement, such that cartridges held therein may be transferred gravitationally to the cartridge guide means through the open end thereof.

A large capacity quick load magazine for firearm cartridges of the type supplied in a box and with the cartridges being held within said box in substantially parallel columns, each cartridge being elongated along an axis and having a rim at one end, said cartridges being axially removable rim first from said box, said magazine comprising:

• a cartridge well interface means adapted to be releasably received within the cartridge well of a firearm, and having a cartridge guide channel formed therein for receiving a column of cartridges arranged with cartridge axes substantially parallel, said channel including an open top end adapted to discharge successive cartridges axially;
• a hollow magazine case having a top end mounting said interface means;
• access means on said case for receiving a cartridge box such that said cartridges can be axially transferred gravitationally from said box to said case;
• cartridge guide means for receiving cartridges from said box and for aligning cartridges received through said access means into substantially parallel columns;
• spring means within said case for engaging and biasing said cartridge columns toward the top end of the case;
• indexing means for successively shifting said guide means and the columns of cartridges held by said guide means into alignment with said cartridge guide channel such that said successive columns of cartridges are urged to move through said channel by said spring means;
• and
• cartridge box lid removing means for removing the cartridge box lid responsive to relative translational motion of the cartridge box over the cartridge guide means such that cartridges within said box drop gravitationally to be received by the cartridge guide means.

A large capacity, quick loading magazine for firearm cartridges of the type supplied in bulk quantities within lid closed boxes, and with the cartridges in each box being unidirectionally oriented and axially removable from said box, said magazine comprising:

• a magazine case having a cartridge discharge opening at a firearm interface end thereof;
• cartridge loading means on said magazine case for progressively removing a cartridge box lid and for progressively receiving cartridges axially from said box as said box is opened, responsive to prescribed translational movement of said box lid relative to the box;
• and
• means for delivering each cartridge received by said loading means to said cartridge discharge opening.

A process for loading a firearm magazine having a box opening means and a cartridge receiving guide, with cartridges being loaded directly from a cartridge box having a box closure, the cartridges being unidirectionally oriented and axially removable from one side of said box by removal of said box closure, comprising the steps of:

• orienting the magazine such that the cartridge receiving guide faces upwardly;
• orienting said cartridge box such that said one side faces downwardly;
• supporting the box on the magazine along a plane substantially parallel to and above the cartridge receiving guide;
• engaging the box closure against the box opening means on said magazine;
• engaging the box closure against the box opening means on said magazine;
• moving the box relative to the opening means along the plane over the cartridge receiving guide such that the closure is progressively opened by said opening means;
• progressively dropping cartridges gravitationally and axially from the box and into the cartridge receiving guide means;
• and
• removing the box from said magazine.

A magazine for holding and dispensing cartridges to a firearm, comprising:

• interface means having a cartridge guide channel for conveying a column of cartridges to a discharge opening adapted to convey the cartridges to the firearm;
• a magazine case having an interface end connected to said interface means;
• cartridge guide means movably mounted within the magazine case for pivotal motion therewithin and having an open end for receiving a quantity of cartridges in a plurality of columns;
• a movable case section movably mounted to the magazine case;
• a spring assembly mounted to the movable case section and adapted to interposition a plurality of spring elements into the cartridge guide means to bias columns of cartridges toward the interface means so that each column of cartridges is individually fed;
• pivot means mounting the spring assembly to the movable case section to allow pivotal motion of the spring assembly and cartridge guide means during operation of the magazine;
• access means for exposing the cartridge guide for loading;
• indexing means for actuating the pivot means to move successive columns of cartridges into alignment with said cartridge guide channel in response to depletion of cartridges from columns previously aligned with said channel;
• and
• case locking means for fixing the movable case section relative to the magazine case.