Firearm Locking System Using Magazine Plug and Padlock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing firearm locking systems, such as cable locks, are easily circumvented by malicious actors and may not provide sufficient protection against unauthorized access, especially when multiple firearms are stored together.
Innovation Solution
A firearm locking system that includes a magazine plug assembly with a locking mechanism and a locking bracket, which can be secured to the firearm using a padlock, preventing the locking bar from being removed from the barrel and requiring the padlock to be unlocked to access the firearm, combined with an anti-tampering panel that blocks disassembly pins and magazine release buttons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If cable locks are used to secure firearms, then young children cannot access the firearm, but the lock can be easily cut by a malicious actor with a hacksaw or clippers
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is divided into multiple independent components: a magazine plug assembly that fits into the magazine well, a locking bracket that attaches to the plug, and a padlock that secures the bracket. This segmentation means that to access the firearm, an attacker would need to overcome multiple separate barriers rather than cutting a single cable, making the system much more resistant to malicious actors while remaining simple for children to understand and impossible to bypass without the proper key.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking system uses composite construction combining a magazine plug assembly (resin or metal), a locking bracket (metal), and a padlock (metal). This composite approach creates a multi-layered security system where each component adds a different level of protection, making the overall system both child-safe and attacker-resistant.
2Device complexity
If a single barrier locking system is used, then the structure is simple, but multiple firearms stored together can be easily accessed by bypassing one lock
Solution Approach 1:
Each firearm is secured with its own independent magazine plug assembly and locking bracket, creating individual locking segments. This means that even if multiple firearms are stored together, an attacker cannot bypass one lock to access another, as each firearm has its own separate locking mechanism that must be individually overcome.
3Ease of operation
If the locking bar can be removed from the barrel, then the locking mechanism is simple to operate, but the firearm can be quickly unlocked by removing the locking bar
Solution Approach 1:
The locking bar is designed with a predetermined engagement feature that automatically engages with the barrel when the magazine plug assembly is inserted. The bar cannot be removed without first depressing the release mechanism, which is a preliminary action that must be performed intentionally with the proper key. This preliminary engagement ensures that the locking bar remains securely in place during normal operation while still being easily operable with the correct key.
Data Source
AI summary
A firearm locking system includes a magazine plug assembly and a locking bracket. The magazine plug assembly has an outer body configured to fit within a magazine well of a firearm and includes a locking plate and a locking mechanism both partially contained within the outer body. The locking mechanism includes a locking bar configured to partially extend into a barrel of the firearm when an actuatable end of the locking bar is pressed upon by a base panel of the locking bracket. This action occurs when the locking bracket is secured to the base of the magazine plug assembly by inserting an external portion of the locking plate into a cooperatively sized slot within the locking bracket and then inserting a padlock shackle into an opening within the external portion of the locking plate.