Firearm magazine

An apparatus for storing cartridges for a firearm with each cartridge including a hollow shell carrying a bullet at a first end thereof and having a circular bottom at an opposite second end thereof, comprising:

• a magazine with an elongated one-piece containing body and a one-piece closure member combining to completely define a cavity and shaped and adapted to hold cartridges for a firearm, the closure member being longitudinally slidably mounted on the containing body for longitudinal sliding movement between an extended position that opens a side of the containing body to allow the cartridges to be loaded into the containing body and a closed position where the cartridges are retained within the containing body, the containing body having an open end adapted to present the cartridges to the firearm and having a closed end, a shell-engaging follower operably mounted in the containing body, a spring biasing the follower toward the open end of the magazine, the closure member including a flange for moving the follower toward the closed end when the closure member is moved to the extended position, a latch within the containing body near the closed end for engaging the follower to hold the follower in a cartridge-loading position with the spring compressed so that cartridges can be loaded without interference from the follower, a release on the closure member that automatically releases the follower and hence allows the spring to expand when the closure member is moved to the closed position so that the follower biases the cartridges in the magazine toward the open end when the closure member is closed, the follower, the spring, the latch and the release all being positioned entirely within the cavity;
• the containing body and the closure member sealingly engaging each other when in the closed position and not including uncovered openings when attached to a firearm such that the magazine is resistant to dust intrusion when attached to the firearm.

An apparatus for storing cartridges for a firearm with each cartridge including a cylindrical shell carrying a bullet at a first end thereof and having a circular bottom at an opposite second end thereof, comprising:

• a magazine with an elongated containing body and a closure member each being U-shaped, the closure member being operably mounted on the containing body for movement between a cartridge-loading position opening a side of the containing body for permitting cartridges to be loaded into the containing body and a closed position where the cartridges are retained within the containing body, the magazine further including a spring-biased follower adapted to press bullets toward an open end of the containing body, the containing body including a U-shaped spring with opposing arms each having at least one hook for engaging a mating pair of apertures in the follower for temporarily retaining the follower in a non-use position, and the closure member including a release comprising release tabs that can be extended under the hooks to release the hooks from the respective apertures, the hooks engaging the apertures of the follower and holding the follower in the non-use position when the closure member is moved to the open position, and the release tabs of the release abutting the hooks and automatically disengaging the hooks from follower when the closure member is moved to the closed position.

A method of loading cartridges into a magazine comprising steps of:

• providing a magazine including an elongated containing body and a closure member defining a cavity adapted to receive and hold cartridges, the closure member including side walls and a transverse wall that define at least about 10% of the cavity, the containing body and the closure member including overlapping flanges each including a constant wall thickness and extending a majority of a length of the respective containing body and the closure member and further being shaped to strengthen the containing body and the closure member;
• placing a user's hand on the transverse wall and grasping opposing sidewalls of the closure member and further grasping the containing body and thereafter longitudinally sliding the closure member on the containing body to an extended position that opens a side of the containing body to allow cartridges to be loaded into the containing body;
• loading cartridges into the containing body;
• and
• placing the user's hand on the transverse wall and grasping opposing sidewalls of the closure member and further grasping the containing body and thereafter longitudinally sliding the closure member to a closed position where the cartridges are retained within the containing body.

A method of loading cartridges into a magazine comprising steps of:

• providing a magazine with an elongated containing body and a closure member, the closure member being longitudinally slidably mounted on the containing body for telescoping movement between an extended position that opens a side of the containing body to allow cartridges to be loaded into the containing body and a closed position where the cartridges are retained within the containing body, the containing body having an open end adapted to present cartridges to a firearm and having a closed end, and a shell-engaging follower operably mounted in the containing body, a spring biasing the follower toward the open end of the magazine;
• longitudinally sliding the closure member to the extended position and simultaneously moving the follower toward the closed end by engaging a flange on the closure member with the follower when the closure member is moved to the extended position,
• providing a latch within the containing body near the closed end, the latch including a U-shaped spring retainer with opposing arms each having at least one hook for engaging a mating pair of apertures in the follower for temporarily retaining the follower in a non-use position, and the closure member including a release comprising release tabs that can be extended under the hooks to release the hooks from the respective apertures;
• engaging hooks of the latch with the apertures in the follower when the closure member is moved to the extended position to hold the follower in a cartridge-loading position with the spring compressed so that cartridges can be loaded without interference from the follower;
• and
• moving the closure member which causes the release tabs to automatically release the hooks from the follower and hence allowing the spring to expand when the closure member is moved to the closed position so that the follower biases the cartridges in the magazine toward the open end when the closure member is closed.