Firearm with reduced length bolt carrier and recoil assembly with side charging handle

• US 10,443,964 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ambimjb, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ambimjb, LLC
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tillman, Jr., Reginald S
• Application Number:
  US16/229,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20190257601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 89198, 89199, 89185
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/12 Bolt action, i.e. the main breech opening movement being parallel to the barrel axis
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/16 the locking elements effecting a rotary movement about the barrel axis, e.g. rotating cylinder bolt locks
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/72 Operating handles or levers; Mounting thereof in breech-blocks or bolts F41C7/02, F41C7/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/82 Coil spring buffers F41A3/80 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/84 mounted within the gun stock

Abstract

Provided is a side charging handle system for an AR-pattern firearm with an upper receiver having an internal longitudinal bore for receiving a bolt carrier assembly for longitudinal reciprocation therein, a side longitudinal guide slot, and a side charging handle having an engagement pin extending through guide slot to engage the bolt carrier assembly. Also provided is a compact bolt carrier system including an upper receiver having an internal longitudinal bore for receiving a bolt carrier assembly for longitudinal reciprocation therein and a longitudinal recoil spring guide channel positioned above the internal longitudinal bore. The bolt carrier assembly has a bolt carrier body configured in length to reciprocate substantially entirely within the upper receiver and has a top lug extending into the recoil spring guide channel. A recoil spring is in the recoil spring guide channel.

Claims

1. In a firearm, a compact bolt carrier system, comprising;

an upper receiver having an internal longitudinal bore for receiving a bolt carrier assembly for longitudinal reciprocation therein and a longitudinal recoil spring guide channel positioned above the internal longitudinal bore;

a bolt carrier assembly having a bolt carrier body configured in length to reciprocate substantially entirely within the upper receiver and having a top lug extending into the recoil spring guide channel; and

a coil recoil spring in the recoil spring guide channel, the guide channel being sized to guide the recoil spring and substantially circular in cross-section with an open bottom of less than half the circumference to retain the recoil spring and through which the top lug passes.

2. The bolt carrier system of claim 1, wherein the bolt carrier assembly is gas operated by direct impingement and the lug includes a gas key.

3. The bolt carrier system of claim 1, wherein the bolt carrier assembly is gas operated by a gas piston.

4. The bolt carrier system of claim 1, further comprising a side charging handle system, comprising:

an upper receiver configured to attached to a standard AR-patter lower receiver and having an internal longitudinal bore for receiving a bolt carrier assembly for longitudinal reciprocation therein, a side longitudinal guide slot, and;

a side charging handle having an engagement pin extending through guide slot to engage the bolt carrier assembly; and

the bolt carrier assembly including a bolt carrier body with an engagement pin socket open configured to cause rearward movement of the bolt carrier assembly when the charging handle is retracted to the rear in the side longitudinal guide slot while allowing the bolt carrier assembly to retract independently of the side charging handle.

5. The charging handle system of claim 4, further comprising a first guide track on the upper receiver substantially parallel to the longitudinal guide slot and the charging handle including a sliding cover having a second guide track that engages first guide track for sliding movement thereon and that substantially covers the longitudinal guide slot when the charging handle is in a forward position.

6. The charging handle system of claim 4, wherein the side longitudinal slot includes a detent recess adjacent a forward end and the engagement pin is spring biased into releasable engagement with the detent recess.

7. The charging handle system of claim 4, wherein the engagement pin socket is a recess open in a forward direction.