Modular Firearms Magazine With Removable Inserts And Tapered Walls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing firearms magazines fail to effectively protect the tip of cartridges from damage, leading to erratic bullet flight and decreased accuracy, and lack modularity to accommodate cartridges of different sizes, resulting in inconsistent centerline presentation and reduced feeding efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A modular firearms magazine design featuring non-parallel tapered side walls, removable inserts, and a reinforcing member to guide and protect cartridges, ensuring accurate centerline alignment and accommodating various cartridge lengths and diameters, while enhancing feeding efficiency and strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If basic design guidelines are used for firearm magazines, then manufacturing is simple, but cartridge tip protection is insufficient leading to erratic bullet flight

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidbullet flight accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The magazine is divided into functional segments: a housing structure, a follower assembly, and specifically a nose protection element that can be separate or integrated. This segmentation allows the nose protection function to be optimized independently while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A nose protection element or guide structure acts as an intermediary between the magazine walls and the cartridge noses. This intermediary component protects cartridge tips during storage and feeding without requiring complex modifications to the basic magazine design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If magazines are sized for specific SAAMI lengths, then manufacturing is straightforward, but adaptability to different cartridge lengths is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing standardizationVSAvoidcartridge length accommodation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The magazine incorporates adjustable or removable components such as followers and nose protection elements that can be repositioned or replaced to accommodate different cartridge lengths. This dynamic adjustment capability allows a single magazine design to adapt to various SAAMI length specifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The magazine design incorporates universal features such as adjustable followers and removable nose protection elements that can serve multiple cartridge types. The housing and feed lips are designed to accommodate a range of lengths, making the magazine multi-functional across different ammunition specifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If parallel side walls are used, then manufacturing is simple, but centerline presentation accuracy to chamber is inconsistent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveside wall fabricationVSAvoidcartridge centerline alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The magazine incorporates asymmetric or non-parallel side walls that are specifically angled to guide cartridges into proper centerline alignment with the chamber. This asymmetric geometry compensates for manufacturing tolerances and ensures consistent cartridge positioning during feeding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The magazine side walls and feed lips are pre-configured with specific angles and contours that perform the alignment function in advance of chambering. This preliminary geometric conditioning ensures cartridges are properly oriented before they reach the chamber, maintaining precision without complex adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of manufacture

If basic feed lips are used, then manufacturing is simple, but feeding efficiency into breech is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeed lip fabricationVSAvoidcartridge feeding speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The feed lips are designed with curved or rounded contours rather than sharp angles, creating a smooth transition path for cartridges. This curvature guides cartridges efficiently into the breech, reducing friction and improving feeding speed without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS8689475B2Firearms magazine for rifle length cartridges

Publication Date: 2014.04.08 BATTAGLIA VINCENT P

AI summary

A firearms magazine has compound tapered side walls and feed lips having substantially parallel end portions for maintaining contact with the cartridge as it is loaded. Removable inserts reduce the interior length and width to hold cartridges of different sizes. The insert has a channel along its height to protect the cartridge noses, and is held by a reinforcing member. A movable cartridge follower feeds the cartridges out of the magazine and has projections slideable in channels of the insert.