Air gun magazine

Abstract

A cartridge magazine for use with an air gun having a bolt is described herein. The magazine includes a housing having a loading end and an opening along a longitudinal axis extending from the loading end to a loading region. The magazine also includes a turret having a plurality of cartridge retainers movable through the loading region. Each cartridge retainer has a cartridge retainer gap facing the loading end when in the loading region. The cartridge retainer gap is smaller than a width of the bolt, and the cartridge retainers are elastically deformable upon exposure to forces generated during separation of the magazine and the bolt to allow the bolt to pass through the cartridge retainer gap and the frame gap, and the cartridge retainers are not deformable upon exposure to forces generated by cartridges during use of the magazine to allow the cartridges to be removed from the cartridge gap.

Description

[0001] Citation of relevant patent applications

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Utility Patent Application 17 / 153,612, filed January 20, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62 / 964,490, filed January 22, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Statement regarding federally funded research or development

[0004] none

[0005] Reference to the appendix of a compressed CD containing a sequence list, table, or computer program list

[0006] none Technical Field

[0007] This invention relates to a magazine for holding bullets in an air gun. Background Technology

[0008] Magazine-type automatic loading systems have been a long-standing feature in air rifle design. U.S. Patent 4,986,241, entitled *Airgun Magazine*, granted to Lilley on January 22, 1991, describes one such magazine design. (As...) Figure 1 As shown, the magazine of patent '241 has a housing 1, a circular projectile carrier 2 rotatably mounted in the housing 1, and a cover 3 pivotally mounted on the housing 2. A coil spring 4 elastically biases the projectile carrier 2 toward an end position, and screws 5 are used to assemble these components. When loading the magazine, the cover 3 is pivoted to rotate the projectile carrier 2 to the other end position, and then soft lead air gun projectiles fall through holes 7 on the outer cover 3 into the projectile magazine within the projectile carrier. The outer cover 3 is then rotated, thereby allowing continuous projectiles to fall into the continuous projectile magazine within the projectile carrier 2.

[0009] In use, the probe pushes through hole 7, through the bullet carrier 2, and through hole 8 in cover 3 to eject the first bullet from the magazine and into the breech of the air gun. Inside the magazine, the bolt prevents the bullet carrier from shifting.

[0010] When the bolt retracts again, the magazine, under spring pressure, automatically rotates the next bullet against the stop 11, which positions the bullet for loading. The bullet itself is part of the rotation mechanism. The transfer probe accurately positions the bullet in the appropriate position within the breech of the air gun.

[0011] In spring-loaded magazines such as those described in '241 patent, the projectile carrier needs to be rotated by overcoming the bias of the coil spring before loading—thus effectively cocking the magazine. However, as mentioned above, the rotation of the projectile carrier in this type of magazine is prevented by the presence of the projectile in the position ready to be loaded into the air gun. This, in turn, requires the projectile to be placed in this position while the user simultaneously overcomes the force of the coil spring to hold the projectile carrier in place.

[0012] Therefore, a magazine that provides a less demanding loading experience for users is needed. However, when providing an improved user loading experience for magazines, it is important to ensure that the interaction between the magazine and the air gun remains efficient and effective.

[0013] The projectile carrier of the '241 patent requires each bullet holder to completely surround each projectile, resulting in a corresponding width, height, and weight. Furthermore, the '241 patent's projectile carrier uses a stop 11 passing through each bullet holder after the projectile has been ejected from the bullet holder. This necessitates a complex projectile carrier design and projectile magazine design, while also requiring tight tolerances between the stop 11 and the projectile carrier 1.

[0014] Therefore, there is also a need for a lighter, smaller, simpler, and more flexible air gun magazine.

[0015] Furthermore, it should be understood that when the bolt is positioned within the magazine, the outer casing 1 and the outer cover 3 surround the bolt. This prevents the user from removing the magazine when the bolt is in the proper position. Such removal may be necessary or desirable, for example, in situations where maintenance or repairs are required with the bolt in this position.

[0016] Therefore, a new method is needed for air rifle magazines that allows magazine removal as the bolt advances through the magazine and provides an improved user loading experience without affecting the interaction between the magazine and the air rifle. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a right-side perspective assembly diagram of an air gun magazine based on existing technology.

[0018] Figure 2 This is an assembly diagram of one embodiment of the magazine, viewed from the left and top.

[0019] Figure 3 It is in the assembly state. Figure 1 Front view of an embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 The assembly state is shown. Figure 1 The front left and top perspective views of the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 The right-side cross-sectional view of the embodiment shows the ratchet surface of the rotating wheel engaging with the pawl surface of the control shaft.

[0022] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 The right-side cross-sectional view of the embodiment shows the ratchet surface of the rotating wheel disengaging from the pawl surface of the control shaft.

[0023] Figure 7 It shows Figure 1 The cross-section of the type of wheel and control shaft used in the embodiments.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a front view illustration of a magazine including the cylinder, the second housing section, and the cut-off portion of the bullet.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a front, lower left side view of the magazine, in which one embodiment of the first housing portion is mounted to the second housing portion to form a complete housing.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a front view illustration of a magazine including the cylinder and a cut-off portion of the second housing containing the bullet P.

[0027] Figure 11 It is a front view of a cut-off portion of the second housing part of the magazine, including the cylinder and the bolt with an air gun (not shown), in cross-section. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Figure 2 This is an assembly diagram of an embodiment of the magazine 10, viewed from the left and top. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Rear view of the assembled magazine 10 in the embodiment.

[0029] In this embodiment, the magazine 10 has a wheel 20 with a longitudinally extending hub 22. The hub 22 is rotatably mounted to the control shaft 30.

[0030] Multiple longitudinally extending bullet holders 24 are arranged in an arc or circular manner around the hub 22, and a ratchet surface 26 is also arranged in an arc or circular manner around the hub 22 between the hub 22 and the multiple bullet holders 24. The hub 22, bullet holders 24 and ratchet surface 26 are connected to rotate around the hub 22 along an axis that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis 12.

[0031] A magazine housing 40 is provided as a frame, to which the rotating wheel 20, control shaft 30, control shaft biasing element 80, and rotational biasing spring 8 can be directly or indirectly supported. In embodiments, the housing 40 may provide surfaces and seals that confine or protect the components and ammunition mounted therein from environmental contamination.

[0032] In this embodiment, the magazine housing 40 is partially provided as a first housing portion 50 and a second housing portion 60, and the first housing portion 50 and the second housing portion 60 respectively have fastener mounting members 52 and 62, which can be connected together by fasteners 70 to form the housing 40 and to accommodate, position or provide a reference for direct or indirect positioning of other components of the magazine 10.

[0033] The first housing portion 50 provides a first opening 58 and the second housing portion 60 provides a second opening 68. The first opening 58 and the second opening 68 are axially aligned. The first opening 58 and the second opening 68 are sized and longitudinally aligned to allow the bolt of the air gun (not shown) and a bullet (not shown) held by one of the bullet holders 24 of the cylinder 20 to move longitudinally through the loading area 42 between the first opening 58 and the second opening 68.

[0034] The wheel retaining space 64 is disposed between the first housing portion 50 and the second housing portion 60. Figure 2 In one embodiment, the second housing portion 60 provides a wheel holding space 64, which is sized and formed to hold the wheel 20 while allowing the wheel 20 to rotate at least partially within the wheel holding space 64.

[0035] The control shaft 30 has a shaft portion 32, a control shaft tab 34, a pawl surface 36, and a control shaft biasing member mount 38. The shaft portion 32 is sized and shaped such that the hub 22 can be mounted to the shaft portion 32 for rotation about the shaft portion 32 at an axial position substantially fixed to the housing 40.

[0036] The control shaft tab 34 is sized and shaped to be inserted into a groove 66 in the second housing portion 60 so that the first end 31 of the control shaft 30 is positioned relative to the housing 40.

[0037] In an embodiment, it can be as follows: Figure 4 An optional second control shaft mount 54 is provided to position the first end 33 of the control shaft 30 relative to the housing 40. Other known structures for fixing the position of the first end 33 can be used.

[0038] The slot 66 and the control shaft tab 34 cooperate to position the control shaft 30 within the cylinder holding space 64, such that the bullet holder 24 rotates along a path that brings the bullet holder 24 to the space between the first opening 58 and the second opening 68 to provide a loading area 42 at the loading end 44 of the housing 40, in which a bullet can be loaded by the user into one of the bullet holders and the bolt of the air gun (not shown) can pass through the magazine 10 to remove the bullet from the magazine 10 and into the breech or other components (not shown) of the air gun's loading system.

[0039] As will be described in more detail below, the pawl surface 36 is shaped and positioned to engage the ratchet surface 26.

[0040] The control shaft biasing component mount 38 is sized and shaped to receive and position the control shaft biasing element 80 between the control shaft biasing component mount 38 and the first housing portion 50.

[0041] In this embodiment, the control shaft biasing element 80 is positioned and configured to cooperate with the first housing portion 50 to push the control shaft 30 toward the second housing portion 60. In the illustrated embodiment, the control shaft biasing element 80 is shown as a helical compression spring, which is sized and shaped to fit within the control shaft biasing member mount 38, and the control shaft biasing member mount 38 is shown in the form of a generally cylindrical sleeve that is generally coaxial with the shaft portion 32.

[0042] A rotating biasing element 90 is also shown. The rotating biasing element 90 is positioned between the magazine housing 40 and the wheel 20 and is configured to bias the wheel 20 to rotate about the longitudinal axis 12 in a first direction 92. In this embodiment, the rotating biasing element 90 takes the form of a helical spring.

[0043] As will be discussed in more detail below, during the process of loading a bullet into the bullet holder 24 of the cylinder 20, the cylinder 20 rotates about the longitudinal axis 12 in a second direction 94, which is opposite to the first direction 92. This stores energy in the rotational bias element 90, which is then released by the rotational bias element 90 to cause the cylinder 20 to rotate in the first direction 92.

[0044] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the control shaft tab 34 has a non-circular cross-section shaped to correspond to the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the groove 66. This allows the control shaft 30 to resist rotation about the longitudinal axis while allowing the wheel 20 to rotate about the control shaft 30. In other embodiments, the control shaft 30 may otherwise resist rotation with the wheel 20, including but not limited to features on the first housing portion 50 providing a surface to engage at the first end 33 of the control shaft 30.

[0045] Figure 4 Is it like this? Figure 3 The cut shown Figure 2 A cross-section of an embodiment. As... Figure 4 As shown, the length L of the control shaft protrusion 34 along the longitudinal axis 12 is greater than the width W of the second housing portion 60 near the groove 66. Furthermore, the longitudinal spacing along the longitudinal axis between the second housing portion 60 and the first housing portion 50 is greater than the length of the control shaft 30 excluding the control shaft protrusion 34. Therefore, the control shaft 30 can move approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis 12.

[0046] The wheel 20 and the control shaft 30 are configured such that there is a sufficient range of longitudinal movement between the wheel 20 and the control shaft 30 to allow the ratchet surface 26 and the pawl surface 36 to be positioned in contact in a first portion of the range and not in contact in a second portion of the range.

[0047] Figure 4 and 5 A schematic cross-section of the magazine 10 is shown to illustrate these interactions.

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, the control shaft biasing element 80 applies a biasing force BF, which pushes the control shaft 30 toward the second housing portion 60, thus biasing the pawl surface 36 to engage with the ratchet surface 26. This also has the effect of positioning the end length TL of the control shaft tab 34 through the slot 66 and outside the housing 40.

[0049] However, as Figure 6 As shown schematically in cross-section, when the driving force AF is applied to the control shaft tab 34 that overcomes the bias force BF, the end length TL passes through the slot 66 and enters at least a portion of the housing 40, causing the control shaft 30 to move relative to the wheel 20 to separate the ratchet surface 26 from the pawl surface 36 and terminate any interaction between the ratchet surface 26 and the pawl surface 36.

[0050] Figure 7 The cross-sections of the rotor 20 and the control shaft 30 are shown. (As shown) Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the ratchet surface 26 has a repeating inclined plane pattern 27 that terminates at a longitudinally extending step 29. The pawl surface 36 has an inclined plane pattern and step that are consistent with the inclined plane pattern and step of the ratchet surface 26.

[0051] When the ratchet surface 26 and the pawl surface 36 engage but prevent rotation along the first direction 92, this arrangement allows the wheel 20 to rotate about the longitudinal axis 12 in the second direction 94.

[0052] In this embodiment, the rotating wheel 20 rotates along a first direction 92 during firing and along a second direction 94 during bullet loading.

[0053] Therefore, during loading, as the user rotates the wheel 20 to index the individual bullet holders in the bullet holders for loading, the user experiences a bias applied by the rotational biasing element 90. After the user has positioned a particular one of the multiple bullet holders 24 in the loading area 42, the interaction between the ratchet surface 26 and the pawl surface 36 holds the wheel 20 in place. This reduces the burden on the user while resisting the bias of the rotational biasing member 84 and attempting to load the bullets into the bullet holders 24, thus enhancing the user loading experience.

[0054] It should be understood that while magazine 10 enhances the user's loading experience, it continues to operate like a conventional magazine because in conventional air guns that utilize magazines, a certain level of compression or contraction is typically applied to hold the magazine within the air gun for use and to resist recoil. Either of these actions will be sufficient to ensure that the control axle 34 moves in a manner that separates the ratchet surface 26 from the pawl surface 36.

[0055] For example, an air gun could simply have a magazine holder that is narrow enough to receive the housing 40, but only presses the control tab 34 into the groove 66. In such an air gun, the action of inserting the magazine 10 into this magazine holder will cause one of the walls of the holder to come into contact with the control tab 34. The control tab 34 can be bent, faceted, or otherwise shaped so that when a force is applied against the control tab 34 in a direction such as the direction in which the control tab 34 slides into contact with the magazine holder, the control tab 34 will move into the housing 40.

[0056] Similarly, Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the wheel 20 has an optional rotational biasing element space axially disposed between the bullet holder 24 and the ratchet surface 36. The biasing element space 23 provides an area between the wheel 20 and the housing 40 where a rotational biasing element 90 can be positioned. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotational biasing member is a helical spring, and the longitudinally extending cylindrical rotational biasing element space 23 is disposed between the bullet holder 24 and the ratchet surface 26.

[0057] Figure 7 Further details regarding the bullet holder 24 are shown. (For example...) Figure 7 As shown, the bullet holder 24 extends generally parallel to but separate from the longitudinal axis 12 and has a ratchet surface 26 radially disposed around the longitudinal axis 12, and optionally provides a rotational biasing element space 23 between the longitudinal axis 12 and the plurality of bullet holders 24.

[0058] Figure 8 This is a front view illustration of the magazine 10, including the cylinder 20, the second housing portion 60, and the cut-off portion of the bullet P. Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the bullet holder 24 has retaining walls 100 and 102 that extend generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 12 and are shaped to receive and position a bullet P that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 12.

[0059] In this embodiment, the wheel holding space 64 of the second housing portion 60 is at least partially surrounded by a longitudinally extending wall 67 in the form of a cylinder; however, other arrangements are possible as long as they do not interfere with the rotation of the wheel 20. The wall 67 is shown at approximately a first radius R1 from the longitudinal axis 12, while the wheel 20 is shown having a bullet holder 24 that begins at a second radius R2 from the longitudinal axis 12 and ends at a third longitudinal distance R3 from the longitudinal axis 12. A gap distance 112 is provided between the holding walls 100 and 102 and the longitudinally extending wall 67.

[0060] In application, the bullet holder 24 is sized and shaped to receive a bullet P of a specific caliber with a diameter D, and a second radius R2 is selected such that the second radius R2 plus the diameter D is less than the radius R1 to allow the wheel 20 loaded with bullet P to rotate. This variation can be taken into account when determining R1 and R2, within any range of expected variation in the diameter of the bullet of a specific caliber, to ensure that a gap is maintained between the bullet of the maximum expected diameter and the wall 67.

[0061] It will be observed that retaining walls 100 and 102 do not completely surround the bullet P held in the bullet holder 24. Instead, the retaining walls surround a portion of the periphery of the bullet P held in the bullet holder 24. This leaves a bullet holder gap 114 between wall 67 and retaining walls 100 and 102, from which a portion of the bullet held in the bullet holder 24 extends.

[0062] This approach offers several advantages. First, the overall width, weight, and complexity of the magazine 10 are reduced because the materials and structures necessary to completely surround the bullet are not provided. Furthermore, no additional materials are required to surround the bullet. For example, if the bullet P loaded into the cylinder 20 were completely surrounded by the bullet holder, further clearance would be needed between the surrounding walls, and the rotational mass of the cylinder and the inertial load caused by the larger radius and heavier cylinder would increase, potentially affecting other aspects of the magazine 10 design.

[0063] However, this embodiment does not use the rotating wheel 20 to rotate the bullet P into the loading area 42, thus eliminating the need to provide some control over the radial movement of the bullet P. For example, this helps to limit the degree of movement of the bullet within the bullet holder, which may be caused by centrifugal force (e.g., when the rotating wheel is rapidly rotating when used in an air gun) or by gravity or other accelerations.

[0064] Therefore, the bullet holder 24 is shaped to at least surround the radial midpoint of the diameter of the bullet P loaded into the bullet holder 24 to resist the movement of the bullet P away from the longitudinal axis 12 around which the rotating wheel 20 rotates.

[0065] Therefore, the wheel 20 may have retaining walls 100 and 102, which may extend, for example, from the longitudinal axis 12 by a third radius R3, which is smaller than the second radius from the longitudinal axis 12 plus the diameter of the bullet P. The bullet holder 24 is designed to hold the bullet as long as the radius of the bullet holder R2 plus the diameter D of the bullet P to be held in the bullet holder 24 is smaller than the radius R1 of the wall 67.

[0066] For example Figure 8 The image shows the cartridge holder 24 located in the loading area 42, whose features will now be described. As previously mentioned, the loading area 42 provides a longitudinal path through the magazine 10 through which the bolt (not shown) of the air gun can advance to drive the cartridge P from the cartridge holder 24 into the air gun.

[0067] This loading process benefits from accurately positioning the bullet at a predetermined position relative to the loading area 42 and more generally the magazine housing 40.

[0068] As discussed earlier, when the magazine 10 is loaded into the air gun magazine holder, the rotational biasing element 90 drives the wheel 20 to rotate about the longitudinal axis 12 in the first direction 92. This provides the force to push the bullet P into the loading area 42 and eventually against the bullet stop surface 46. As shown, with the loading end 44 of the magazine 10 located at the lower end of the rotation arc of the bullet holder, the use of retaining walls 100 and 102, shaped to restrict the movement of the bullet P away from the longitudinal axis 12, helps prevent the bullet P from being pulled out of the bullet holder 24 by gravity as the bullet holder 24 advances through the loading area 42.

[0069] The bullet stop surface 46 is positioned at a fourth radius R4 from the longitudinal axis 12, between the retaining wall radius R3 and the side wall radius R4, such that the bullet stop surface 40 fills a sufficient gap between the bullet retaining walls 100 and 102 and wall 67 to prevent the bullet P from traveling in the preferred position of the bolt B of the air gun, so as to drive the bullet P into the breech or other components of the air gun. The biasing force acting on the cylinder 20 then pushes the retaining wall 102 against the bullet P to help hold the bullet P in that position until the bullet P moves from the bullet holder 24.

[0070] Figure 9 A front lower left view of the magazine 10 is shown, in which one embodiment of the first housing portion 50 is mounted to the second housing portion 60 to form a complete housing 40. Figure 9 As shown, in this embodiment, the bullet stop surface 46 extends longitudinally a distance between the first opening 58 and the second opening 68.

[0071] During loading, the user rotates the wheel 20 in the second direction 94. For this to be possible, the user must have a path or mechanism through which the user can move the wheel 20 by applying force.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiment, the weight, size, and complexity required to provide such access are reduced by a first housing component 50 having multiple openings 120, 122, and 124 in the area where the user's thumb, for example, holding the magazine 10, can contact and move the revolver 20. Here, the arrangement of openings 150, 152, and 154 allows for dexterous control of the revolver 20's position during loading, for example, by using the thumb of the hand as described, and by using other methods that may find useful in this effort for convenient access to the revolver.

[0073] In an embodiment, the housing 40 can provide access to the wheel 20 by providing a path for a user to insert a portion of their hand therein or by providing a path to position one or more portions of the wheel 20 outside the housing 40. Portions of the wheel 20 may be shaped to provide preferred interaction with the user during rotation.

[0074] exist Figure 8 and 9 It can also be observed that the first opening 58 and the second opening 68 extend from the loading end 54 of the magazine 10 to the loading area.

[0075] Figure 10 This is a front view of a magazine 10 with a cross-section of the bolt B of an air gun (not shown), including the cylinder 20 and a cut-off portion of the second housing portion 60. In this position, rotation of the cylinder 20 is blocked by the bolt B.

[0076] Such as in the cartridge holder 24 located in the loading area 42. When the user wishes to change the magazine 10 or remove the magazine 10 from the air gun, the magazine 10 can be separated from the bolt B without damaging or interrupting the operation of either the magazine 10 or the bolt B.

[0077] This is partially achieved by using a bullet holder 24 having retaining walls 100 and 102 separated by a bullet holder gap 114. This allows the bolt B to travel through the bullet holder gap 114. However, the need to allow the bolt B to pass between retaining walls 100 and 102 must be balanced with the need to retain the bullet P in the bullet holder 24.

[0078] Therefore, the bullet holder gap 114 is not sized to be large enough to allow bullet P to move. In an embodiment, the air gun (not shown) may have a bolt B with a diameter smaller than that of bullet P, such that the bullet holder gap 114 can hold bullet P while allowing bolt B with a diameter sufficiently smaller than that of bullet P to pass through the bullet holder gap 114.

[0079] In other cases, such as Figure 11 As shown, the diameter of the air gun bolt B is too similar to the diameter of the bullet P to provide a reliable distinction based solely on the size of the bullet holder gap 114. Figure 11 In the illustrated embodiment, the cartridge holder 24 has retaining walls 100 and 102, separated by a cartridge holder gap 114 insufficient to allow the passage of cartridge P or bolt B. However, in this embodiment, retaining walls 100 and 102 are elastically compressible or elastically deflectable when exposed to forces of the type or level associated with the separation of the magazine 10 from the air gun bolt B, and remain stationary when encountering forces generated by cartridge P during normal cylinder feed operation.

[0080] As described above, the ability to detach the magazine 10 from the air gun bolt B is also provided in part by using a housing 40 having a first opening 58 and a second opening 68, which extend from the loading area 42 through the housing 40 at the loading end 44. However, as Figure 11 As can be seen, in the embodiment, the projectile stop surface 46 can be combined with other parts of the housing 40 (e.g., edge 48) to provide a housing gap 130 smaller than the diameter of the bolt B of the air gun.

[0081] Here, the housing 40 may also be formed of a material that is elastically compressible or elastically deflectable when exposed to a type or level of force associated with the separation of the magazine 10 from the air gun bolt B, which may be necessary to allow the bolt B to separate from the magazine 10.

[0082] In this embodiment, the use of this elastic material can produce a snap-fit ​​effect that indicates the separation of the magazine 10 from the bolt B, either audibly or vibratingly.

[0083] In other embodiments, the first housing portion 50 and the second housing portion 60 may be joined together in other ways, such as by ultrasonically welding or thermally welding the first housing portion 50 to the second housing portion 60. Alternatively, other methods for joining the separable housing portions may be used, including thermal riveting, using adhesives, or by snap-fit ​​or other known mechanical fastening design features. In embodiments, the first housing portion may be connected to the second housing portion by magnetic attraction between magnets or between magnets and ferromagnetic or other magnetically attracting materials in the first housing portion 50 and the second housing portion 60.

[0084] In one embodiment, the magazine 10 may be integrally or partially formed using additive manufacturing. In another embodiment, the magazine housing 40 and any or all other components of the magazine 10 may be formed using additive manufacturing. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the magazine housing 50 may be formed using additive manufacturing, wherein one or more components are otherwise formed and inserted during the additive manufacturing process.

[0085] In other embodiments, a magnet may be provided near the first end 33 of the control shaft 30, which can overcome the bias force of the control shaft bias element 80 when a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material (such as the metal commonly used in air gun magazine holders) is present.

[0086] exist Figure 2 In one embodiment, the wheel 20 is typically fixed longitudinally relative to the control shaft 30, but other embodiments are possible in which this arrangement is reversed or both the wheel 20 and the control shaft 30 move longitudinally to bring the ratchet surface 26 and the pawl surface 36 into or out of contact.

[0087] The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it should be understood that variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A cartridge magazine for use with an air gun having a gun bolt, the magazine comprising: a housing having a loading end and a housing opening along a longitudinal axis extending from the loading end to a loading region; and a turret mounted within the housing, the turret comprising a plurality of cartridge retainers movable through the loading region, each cartridge retainer comprising opposing resilient walls and having a cartridge retainer gap defined between the opposing resilient walls and facing the loading end when in the loading region; wherein the cartridge retainer gap is less than a width of the gun bolt, and wherein the cartridge retainers are resiliently deformable to allow the gun bolt to pass through the cartridge retainer gap and allow the gun bolt to pass through a frame gap when exposed to a force generated during separation of the magazine and the gun bolt by the frame gap, and the cartridge retainers are not deformable to allow a cartridge to be removed from the cartridge retainer gap when exposed to a force generated by a cartridge during use of the magazine. the housing opening has a housing gap between the loading region and a loading edge that is less than a diameter of the gun bolt, and wherein the housing is resiliently deformable to allow the gun bolt to pass through the housing gap when exposed to a force of the gun bolt being removed through the housing gap.

2. The cartridge magazine of claim 1, wherein, the opposing resilient walls do not completely surround a cartridge retained in a cartridge retainer, thus defining the cartridge retainer gap.

3. The bullet magazine of claim 1, wherein, the cartridge retainers are shaped to at least encompass a radial midpoint of a diameter of a cartridge retained in a cartridge retainer.

4. The bullet magazine of claim 1, wherein, the opposing resilient walls extend a first radius from a longitudinal axis of the turret, the first radius being less than a second radius from the longitudinal axis plus a diameter of a caliber of a cartridge each cartridge retainer is configured to retain.

5. The bullet magazine of claim 1, wherein, the housing further comprises a cartridge stop surface positioned at a third radius from the longitudinal axis, the third radius being between the retaining wall radius and the side wall radius such that the cartridge stop surface fills a sufficient gap distance between the opposing resilient walls and a wall of the housing to impede travel of a cartridge.

6. The cartridge magazine of claim 5, wherein, the turret is mounted within the housing via a control shaft.

7. The bullet magazine of claim 1, wherein, 8. The cartridge magazine of claim 7, further comprising a control shaft mount configured to position a first end of the control shaft relative to the housing. ​

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