Semiautomatic Rifle with Downward Ejection

Abstract

A bolt assembly for a rifle is configured for recoil blowback operation and cooperation with a round of ammunition dispensed from a magazine into a firing chamber of the rifle. An extractor disposed in a lower, forward portion of the bolt assembly and an ejector disposed in an upper, forward portion of the bolt assembly further cooperate with the round of ammunition to extract a spent cartridge of the round of ammunition from the firing chamber and eject the spent cartridge downward from the firing chamber.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present U.S. patent application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 943,385 entitled “MAGAZINE CONVERSION FOR A SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE,” filed Nov. 20, 2007.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to semiautomatic firearms and more particularly to apparatus and methods for converting an existing semiautomatic rifle such as an AR-15 / M16 type firearm, for use with a horizontal, top-mounted cartridge magazine and from a direct gas impingement to straight blowback mechanism.Background of the Invention and Description of the Prior Art[0003]A well known example of a conventional semiautomatic rifle is the AR-15, also known by its military designation as the M16. The AR-15 / M16 is characterized by its modular design and thus is susceptible to modifications for specific uses or with particular features to enhance some operational attribute. The AR-15 modules include a lower receiver an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a low-cost conversion apparatus that improves the performance of semiautomatic rifles by adapting their ammunition magazines to a longitudinal design. This results in a more compact, better balanced, and maneuverable rifle. The conversion uses a straight blowback operation instead of direct gas impingement, improving the reliability of the rifle. The conversion is made without altering the lower receiver module or its trigger mechanism. The resulting conversion ejects the spent cartridges downward instead of sideways for safer operation. The invention also includes a method for converting an AR-15 type semiautomatic rifle from a transverse ammunition magazine to a longitudinal ammunition magazine. The invention further includes a bolt assembly, an upper receiver assembly, and a longitudinal ammunition magazine for use in the conversion. The invention improves the performance of semiautomatic rifles by providing a more efficient and reliable design for use in various applications."

Problems solved by technology

Thus, if the magazine has a capacity of more than a dozen or so rounds, this transverse extension diminishes the compactness of the rifle making it unwieldy during use because it changes the center of gravity (i.e., the balance of the firearm) as the number of cartridges in the magazine varies, and because the magazine protrudes substantially below the rifle.

An associated disadvantage of this design is that ejection of spent cartridges is out the side of the lower receiver, which increases the risk that an ejected cartridge may be ejected into an area where it could lead to injury of a person or a malfunction of nearby equipment.

A disadvantage of these two patents is that the rotating transfer disk mechanism is relatively complex and therefore susceptible to malfunctions such as jamming of the mechanism during operation, particularly as the parts wear or become contaminated through use, thus possibly rendering the firearm inoperable or leading to injury to persons.

However, the rounds are not dispensed in alignment with the barrel of the firearm.

However, it is also relatively complex and suffers the same disadvantage as the '325 and '241 patents.

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