Hand guard assembly for firearms

• US 20070006509A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patriot Ordnance Factory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Frank Desomma, Robert Davies
• Inventors: DeSomma, Frank, Davies, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/72
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/16 Forestocks; Handgrips; Hand guards pump-action guns F41C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/003 Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems"

Abstract

A hand guard assembly for a firearm including a barrel. The assembly includes a tubular unitary body mounted to surround a portion of the barrel substantially coaxially and in a transversely spaced relationship. The tubular body includes a plurality of air flow openings formed therethrough and at least one of a top rail formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and extending rearwardly along an upper portion of a receiver of the firearm, side accessory rails formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and on opposed sides of the tubular body, and a bottom accessory rail formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and on a bottom surface of the tubular body. In the preferred method of fabricating the assembly, the body and any include accessory rails are extruded.

Claims

1. A hand guard assembly for a firearm including a barrel, the assembly comprising:

a tubular unitary body mounted to surround a portion of the barrel substantially coaxially and in a transversely spaced relationship; and

the tubular body including a plurality of air flow openings formed therethrough.

2. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the air flow openings in the tubular body are longitudinally extending slots.

3. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tubular body further includes a top rail formed to extend rearwardly along an upper portion of a receiver of the firearm, the top rail being formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body.

4. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the top rail includes a plurality of transverse ribs with adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs being separated by crosscuts.

5. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the top rail includes a plurality of pocket cuts intermediate adjacent transverse ribs.

6. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tubular body further includes side accessory rails formed on opposed sides of the tubular body, the side accessory rails being formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body.

7. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the side accessory rails each include opposed longitudinally extending side grooves formed therein, the side grooves defining external reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

8. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the side accessory rails each include a longitudinally extending central groove formed therein midway between the opposed side grooves, the central groove defining internal reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

9. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the side accessory rails each include a plurality of transverse ribs with adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs being separated by crosscuts.

10. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the side accessory rails each include a plurality of pocket cuts formed intermediate the transverse ribs and along the central groove.

11. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tubular body further includes a bottom accessory rail formed on a bottom surface of the tubular body, the bottom accessory rail being formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body.

12. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein the bottom accessory rail includes opposed longitudinally extending side grooves formed therein, the side grooves defining external reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

13. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein the bottom accessory rail includes a longitudinally extending central groove formed therein midway between the opposed side grooves, the central groove defining internal reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

14. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein the bottom accessory rail includes a plurality of transverse ribs with adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs being separated by crosscuts.

15. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein the bottom accessory rail includes a plurality of pocket cuts formed intermediate the transverse ribs and along the central groove.

16. A hand guard assembly for a firearm including a barrel, the assembly comprising:

a tubular unitary body mounted to surround a portion of the barrel substantially coaxially and in a transversely spaced relationship;

the tubular body including a plurality of air flow openings formed therethrough; and

the tubular body including at least one of a top rail formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and extending rearwardly along an upper portion of a receiver of the firearm, side accessory rails formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and on opposed sides of the tubular body, and a bottom accessory rail formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and on a bottom surface of the tubular body.

17. A hand guard assembly for a firearm including a barrel, the assembly comprising:

a tubular unitary body mounted to surround a portion of the barrel substantially coaxially and in a transversely spaced relationship;

the tubular body including a plurality of air flow openings formed therethrough; and

the tubular body including a top rail formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and extending rearwardly along an upper portion of a receiver of the firearm, side accessory rails formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and on opposed sides of the tubular body, and a bottom accessory rail formed as a unitary portion of the tubular body and on a bottom surface of the tubular body.

18. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 17 wherein each of the top rail, each of the side accessory rails, and the bottom accessory rail include opposed longitudinally extending side grooves formed therein, the side grooves defining external reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

19. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 17 wherein each of the side accessory rails and the bottom accessory rail include a longitudinally extending central groove formed therein midway between the opposed side grooves, the central groove defining internal reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

20. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 17 wherein each of the top rail, each of the side accessory rails, and the bottom accessory rail include a plurality of transverse ribs with adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs being separated by crosscuts.

21. A hand guard assembly as claimed in claim 20 wherein each of the top rail, each of the side accessory rails, and the bottom accessory rail include a plurality of pocket cuts formed intermediate the transverse ribs.

22. An accessory rail assembly for a firearm including a barrel, the assembly comprising:

mounting structure positioned adjacent the barrel;

at least one of a top rail, a side accessory rail, and a bottom accessory rail mounted on the mounting structure;

the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail include opposed longitudinally extending side grooves formed therein, the side grooves defining external reference surfaces for mounting accessories;

the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail include a plurality of transverse ribs with adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs being separated by crosscuts; and

the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail include a plurality of pocket cuts formed intermediate the transverse ribs.

23. An accessory rail assembly as claimed in claim 22 wherein each of the side accessory rail and the bottom accessory rail include a longitudinally extending central groove formed therein midway between the opposed side grooves, the central groove defining internal reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

24. A method of fabricating a hand guard assembly for a firearm including a barrel, the method comprising the steps of:

extruding a tubular unitary body with an inner diameter sufficient to surround a portion of the barrel substantially coaxially and in a transversely spaced relationship; and

forming a plurality of air flow openings through the extruded tubular unitary body by removing material from the body.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of forming a plurality of air flow openings includes forming the air flow openings as longitudinally extending slots.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of extruding the tubular body further includes forming a top rail to extend rearwardly along an upper portion of a receiver of the firearm, the top rail being extruded as a unitary portion of the tubular body.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26 wherein the step of forming the top rail includes forming a plurality of transverse ribs, adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs being defined and separated by crosscutting the top rail.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein the step of forming the top rail includes introducing a plurality of pocket cuts intermediate adjacent transverse ribs.

29. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of extruding the tubular unitary body further includes forming side accessory rails on opposed sides of the tubular body, the side accessory rails being extruded as a unitary portion of the tubular body.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29 wherein the step of forming the side accessory rails includes forming opposed longitudinally extending side grooves in each of the opposed side accessory rails, the side grooves being formed to define external reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the step of forming the side accessory rails includes forming a longitudinally extending central groove in each of the side accessory rails midway between the opposed side grooves, the central groove being formed to define internal reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the step of forming the side accessory rails includes forming a plurality of transverse ribs in each of the side accessory rails and defining and separating adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs by crosscuts.

33. A method as claimed in claim 32 wherein the step of forming the side accessory rails includes forming a plurality of pocket cuts in each of the side accessory rails intermediate the transverse ribs and along the central groove.

34. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of extruding the tubular unitary body further includes forming a bottom accessory rail on a bottom surface of the tubular body, the bottom accessory rail being extruded as a unitary portion of the tubular body.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the step of forming the bottom accessory rail includes forming opposed longitudinally extending side grooves in the bottom accessory rail, the side grooves being formed to define external reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

36. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the step of forming the bottom accessory rail includes forming a longitudinally extending central groove in the bottom accessory rail midway between the opposed side grooves, the central groove being formed to define internal reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

37. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the step of forming the bottom accessory rail includes forming a plurality of transverse ribs in the bottom accessory rail and defining and separating adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs by crosscuts.

38. A method as claimed in claim 37 wherein the step of forming the bottom accessory rail includes forming a plurality of pocket cuts in the bottom accessory rails intermediate the transverse ribs and along the central groove.

39. A method of fabricating an accessory rail assembly for a firearm including a barrel, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a mounting structure positioned adjacent the barrel;

forming at least one of a top rail, a side accessory rail, and a bottom accessory rail;

forming the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail with opposed longitudinally extending side grooves, the side grooves defining external reference surfaces for mounting accessories;

forming the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail with a plurality of transverse ribs with adjacent ribs of the plurality of transverse ribs being separated by crosscuts;

forming the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail with a plurality of pocket cuts intermediate the transverse ribs; and

mounting the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail on the mounting structure.

40. A method as claimed in claim 39 further including a step of forming a longitudinally extending central groove in the side accessory rail and the bottom accessory rail midway between the opposed side grooves, the central groove defining internal reference surfaces for mounting accessories.

41. A method as claimed in claim 39 wherein the step of mounting includes forming the mounting structure and the at least one of the top rail, the side accessory rail, and the bottom accessory rail as a unitary assembly.