Tactical firearm having heat shielding properties and improved gas energized cartridge feeding

Abstract

A tactical firearm having a receiver and a handguard connected by flanges that are secured by fasteners and each define co-planar rail mounting surfaces. A one-piece elongate sight mounting rail extends along the combined length of the receiver and handguard and has a mounting surface in face to face relation with the rail co-planar rail mounting surfaces of the receiver and handguard. The rail is tapered along its length to provide an angle of cant and to permit mounting sight devices an any desired location along its length. A barrel extends through the handguard and is secured to the receiver in a manner achieving clearance and thermal isolation of the handguard from the barrel and barrel retainer. A cartridge gas energized bolt carrier and bolt mechanism is moveable within the receiver and is provided with anti-tilt guidance with respect to a spring energized buffer mechanism and moves a cartridge from a magazine into the cartridge chamber of the barrel and returns the bolt mechanism to its closed and locked condition upon dissipation of the cartridge gas energizing force.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates generally to firearms and more particularly to semi or full automatic tactical firearms such as rifles. More particularly, the present invention concerns a tactical rifle that may be provided with semiautomatic and full automatic cartridge loading, firing and ejecting capability and is designed specifically for use of a relatively heavy bulleted cartridge such as the .308 which has a bullet diameter of 7.62 mm. The present invention also concerns a tactical firearm having heat shielding properties to minimize the transfer of heat from the barrel to the handguard such as during sustained rapid fire activities. Even more specifically the high accuracy tactical firearm of the present invention is designed with a continuous mounting rail having a desired angle of taper or cant to receive pivot actuated locking mounts of the type that is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 7,272,904 of Mark C. LaRue and ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020]The barrel of the tactical firearm is mounted in immovable but releasable relation with respect to the receiver by a barrel nut that is in threaded engagement with a threaded barrel retainer extension of the receiver. When tightened by a barrel nut wrench the barrel nut causes forcible engagement of an annular rib or flange of the barrel with the circular end surface of the barrel retainer extension. The handguard is composed of a metal such as an aluminum alloy that is chosed for its light weight characteristics. Unfortunately this light weight metal is also capable of efficiently conducting heat. The handguard defines a central chamber within which the barrel is free floating. The forward end of the handguard is positioned about and in spaced and thermally isolating relation with the barrel nut so that the space between the handguard and the barrel nut prevents rapid transfer of heat from the barrel of heat from the barrel through the barrel nut to the handguard. Since the barrel nut is quickly heated by heat transfer from the barrel due to the firing of cartridges within the cartridge chamber of the barrel, the spaced relation of the handguard about the barrel nut prevents the handguard from being excessive heat such as would occur if the handguard were in metal to metal thermal transferring contact with the barrel. This heat shielding or thermal isolating feature permits a user of the firearm to efficiently grip the handguard and handle the firearm, even during conditions of sustained rapid fire, without experiencing any discomfort that might otherwise be caused by touching an excessively heated firearm component.

[0021]The lower receiver portion of the tactical firearm of the present invention is provided with a magazine receptacle within which is received a replaceable spring loaded magazine containing a number of cartridges that are positioned to be individually moved from the magazine into the cartridge chamber of the barrel as the bolt mechanism is moved from its rearmost position forwardly by the force of the buffer spring. Ease of cartridge movement from the magazine occurs due to the presence of internal guide bosses that establish minimal metal to metal contact with the case of the leading cartridge and thus minimize the frictional resistance to cartridge movement as the moving bolt mechanism is moved forwardly by the force of the buffer spring.

Problems solved by technology

This excessive heating condition is exacerbated by the fact that the handguards of most tactical rifles in use by the U.S. Military and other related services are composed of a light-weight metal such as an aluminum alloy, which is an efficient heat conducting material.

The handguard car rapidly become heated to the extent that it can burn and cause pain or injury to the bare hands and arms of a firearm user.

While 6 mm bullets are known to be quite accurate at short and medium ranges, such as up to 300 meters for example, they are not typically considered particularly desirable for precision long range shooting.

At greater distances, such as distances of 600 to 1000 meters or more the trajectory of smaller diameter bullets tends to become adversely affected by lateral wind conditions and wind resistance to a greater extent as compared with larger diameter heavier bullets.

During the rapid fire use of virtually all firearms combustion of the propellant of cartridges causes the development of considerable heat which causes heating of the barrel, especially in the region of the firing chamber and causes heating of the receiver to some extent.

If the firearm is provided with a heat conducting handguard, which is typical of tactical firearms, the handguard can become heated to the extent that it can be painful to touch or hold it with the hands of the user.

Excessive heat buildup of the barrel of typical tactical firearms during rapid fire conditions is directly transferred through the barrel nut to the handguard and causes excessive heating of the handguard.

At times, especially during conditions of rapid fire, the rear portion of the bolt can become misaligned or tilted with respect to the opening of the buffer receptacle during its rearward movement.

This misalignment or tilting of the bolt mechanism can retard bolt movement and / or cause failure of the cartridge case extractor of the bolt mechanism to properly extract a spent cartridge case from the firing chamber and eject it from the ejector opening of the receiver of the firearm.

When this undesired condition occurs the spent cartridge case, being improperly extracted and ejected, can become jammed or otherwise interfere with bolt movement as the bolt is subsequently moved forwardly by the force of the buffer spring.

This condition will cause failure of the bolt mechanism to properly feed a fresh cartridge from the magazine of the firearm and can require time consuming manual adjustment of the cartridge feeding mechanism of the firearm to restore it to proper operating restore it to proper operating condition.

Most importantly, this cartridge extracting, ejecting and feeding can jeopardize the safety of personnel if it should occur during tactical conditions.

The accuracy of the rifle can be adversely affected if the receiver / handguard connection results in a somewhat flexible assembly.

Since a handguard is typically mounted to the receiver be means of a handguard retainer nut and nut locking mechanism, it is not practical to mount sighting devices on the rail of the handguard since the handguard is typically a free floating device and its position can vary with respect to the receiver and barrel of the firearm.

Images