Magazine release apparatus and firearms including such magazine release apparatus

#This patent relates generally to release apparatus and, more specifically, to magazine release apparatus and firearms including such magazine release apparatus.

#Various magazine releases and/or retaining apparatus may be used to retain a magazine within a magazine chamber of a firearm and/or to enable the magazine to be released from the magazine chamber to, for example, exchange the magazine.

#Some magazines in accordance with NATO standards include a magazine catch on a left side of the magazine. If such a magazine is fully inserted into a magazine chamber of a firearm, a magazine latch of the firearm engages the magazine catch to secure the magazine within the firearm. The magazine latch may be a spring-loaded magazine releasing and/or retaining mechanism disposed in and/or on the weapon receiver. The magazine latch may be used in connection with magazine-loaded firearms such as, for example, rifles, assault rifles, light machine guns, submachine guns, pistols, etc.

#FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example magazine release apparatus in a magazine retaining position.

#FIG. 2 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the example magazine release apparatus of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the example magazine release apparatus disposed in an example receiver and/or an example firearm.

#Certain examples are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. In describing these examples, like or identical reference numbers are used to identify the same or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic for clarity. Additionally, several examples have been described throughout this specification. Any features from any example may be included with, a replacement for, or otherwise combined with other features from other examples. Further, throughout this description, position designations such as “above,” “below,” “top,” “forward,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” etc. are referenced to a firearm held in a normal firing position (i.e., wherein the “shooting direction” is pointed away from the marksman in a generally horizontal direction) and from the point of view of the marksman. Furthermore, the normal firing position of the weapon is always assumed, i.e., the position in which the barrel runs along a horizontal axis.

#Some magazine latches are operable from both the right side and the left side of the firearm. However, the structure of many of these magazine latches is very complex and protrudes from the firearm in a manner that promotes unintentional actuation of the magazine latch and the release of the magazine. Some of these magazine latches are difficult to integrate into existing weapon systems (e.g., firearms), have a bulky structure and may malfunction due to the introduction of contaminants (e.g., mud, dirt, etc.).

#U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,134 mentions a magazine latch that is actuatable using a pushbutton on a right side of the firearm and/or a handle on the right side of the firearm. The handle mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,134 is coupled to a bolt that is biased toward a magazine retaining position. When the handle is actuated, the bolt is moved against a spring force toward a magazine releasing position. An end of the handle mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,134 faces the front of the firearm and, thus, is unable to be operated by the marksman when the hand of the marksman is located on the stock on firearm.