Side-by-side cartridge magazine for rim-fire cartridges

An apparatus for use in housing cartridges in a side-by-side relationship comprising:

• first and second side walls;
• first and second end walls;
• said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls forming a magazine with a longitudinal extent and having a chamber, a bottom end, and an opened end, said chamber including a storage zone and an upper portion adjacent to said opened end;
• a plurality of cartridges in said chamber positioned in a nested relationship;
• at least a first of said plurality of cartridges having a first configuration;
• at least a second of said plurality of cartridges having a second configuration wherein said second cartridge has a shape different from said first cartridge;
• means for moving cartridges through said upper portion;
• and
• first rail means adjacent to said first side wall and second rail means adjacent to said second side wall for contacting said first and second cartridges to maintain said plurality of cartridges in said nested relationship when said cartridges move through said upper portion, said first rail means including first, second and third rails adjacent to said first side wall in said upper portion, said second rail means including first and second rails adjacent to said second side wall in said upper portion, said second rail of said first rail means being unaligned with and spaced, in a direction substantially transverse to said longitudinal extent of said magazine, from all of said rails of said second rail means including said first and second rails, wherein at least one of said first and second rails of said second rail means and said second rail of said first rail means contact portions of said first cartridge when said first cartridge moves through said upper portion and at least one of said first and second rails of said second rail means and said third rail of said first rail means contact portions of said second cartridge when said second cartridge moves through said upper portion whereby support is provided for both said first and second cartridges even though said second cartridge has a different shape from said first cartridge.

An apparatus for use in housing cartridges comprising:

• first and second side walls;
• first and second end walls;
• said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls forming a magazine having a chamber, a bottom end, and an opened end, said chamber including a storage zone and a transition zone;
• a first rail projecting inward from said first end wall;
• and
• a second rail spaced from said first rail and projecting inward from said first end wall, said first and second rails cooperating to define a region between said first and second rails along said first end wall for holding debris in order to reduce the interference of debris with the movement of cartridges through said chamber.

An apparatus for use in housing cartridges comprising:

• first and second side walls;
• first and second end walls;
• said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls forming a magazine having a chamber, a bottom end, and an opened end, said chamber including a storage zone and a transition zone;
• a plurality of cartridges in said chamber, each of said cartridges having a rim;
• means for moving said cartridges through said chamber;
• at least a first rail projecting inward from said first side wall;
• and
• means in said chamber for reducing the interference of debris with the movement of cartridges through said chamber, said means for reducing interference including at least a first baffle different from said first rail and projecting inward from said first side wall and extending substantially transverse to said first rail.

An apparatus for use in housing cartridges comprising:

• first and second side walls;
• first and second end walls;
• said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls forming a magazine having a chamber, a bottom end, and an opened end, said chamber including a storage zone and a transition zone;
• a plurality of cartridges in said chamber, each of said cartridges having a rim;
• means for moving said cartridges through said chamber;
• and
• means in said chamber for reducing the interference of debris with the movement of cartridges through said chamber, said means for reducing interference including at least one rail projecting inward from a position adjacent to said first end wall and positioned to contact a portion of at least one of said cartridge rims and wherein said one rail is integrally formed on a plate positioned adjacent to said first end wall.

An apparatus for use in housing cartridges comprising:

• first and second side walls;
• first and second end walls;
• said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls forming a magazine having a chamber, a bottom end, and an opened end;
• a plurality of cartridges, each of said cartridges having a rim, a body portion, a longitudinal axis, and a nose end, at least a first of said plurality of cartridges being positioned adjacent to said opened end;
• and
• means for positioning the nose end of said first cartridge in a nose-down configuration, said means for positioning including a lip located adjacent to said opened end and projecting inward and having a lower surface defining an imaginary plane which intersects a line lying along said longitudinal axis of said first cartridge, said lip also having a free end located away from said first end wall and an end located adjacent to said first end wall and in which the length of said free end in a direction substantially along the longitudinal extent of said magazine is greater than the length of said lip end located adjacent to said first end wall whereby said first cartridge is pointed more away from the opened end of the magazine to avoid jamming of cartridges as they move through said magazine.

A method for making a magazine for holding cartridges, comprising:

• providing a first half of a magazine;
• providing a second half of a magazine;
• forming an insert member separate from said first and second halves of said magazine, said insert member having at least a first rail located along the longitudinal extent of said insert member;
• positioning said insert member adjacent to an end wall of said first half of said magazine;
• and
• connecting said first and second magazine halves together with said insert member in position.

An apparatus for use in housing rim-fire cartridges in a side-by-side relationship, comprising:

• first and second side walls;
• first and second end walls;
• said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls forming a magazine having a chamber, a bottom end, and an opened end, said chamber including a storage zone and a transition zone;
• and
• an insert member, separate from said side walls and said end walls, said insert member including first and second rails formed along the longitudinal extent of said insert member, said insert member being positioned adjacent to said first end wall for contacting rims of the rim-fire cartridges to facilitate movement thereof in said magazine chamber.