Speedloader for magazines of automatic rifles

• US 5,669,171 A
• Filed: 09/17/1996
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas A. Sally
• Original Assignee: Thomas A. Sally
• Inventors: Sally, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHELLIAH, MEENA A
• Application Number:
  US08/718,066
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 42/87, 42/60
• US Class Current: 42/87
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/66 Arrangements thereon for charging, i.e. reloading apparatus or tools for reloading of magazines F41A9/83

Abstract

This speedloader, which is usable to facilitate the loading of bullets into the magazine of an automatic rifle, comprises a casing that has a passage extending therethrough from its top to its bottom, the passage having an open top through which bullets may be fed and an open bottom into which the top of the magazine may be inserted. The speedloader also comprises means for fastening the magazine to the casing in a position within the passage that allows bullets to be fed through the top of the passage into the magazine. Atop the casing is an adapter for releasably attaching to the casing a stripper clip holding bullets. Means is provided for fastening the casing to the belt of a rifle-user so that the casing remains fixed to the belt, and hence to the waist of the rifle-user, as bullets are pushed downwardly off the stripper clip into the magazine.

Claims

1. A speedloader that is usable to facilitate the loading of bullets into the magazine of an automatic rifle by a rifle-user using only a single hand for the loading operation, comprising:

(a) a casing having a passage extending therethrough from its top to its bottom, the passage having an open top through which bullets may be fed and an open bottom into which the top of the magazine may be inserted,

(b) means for fastening the magazine to said casing in a position within said passage that allows bullets to be fed through the top of said passage into the magazine,

(c) means atop said casing for releasably attaching to said casing a stripper clip holding bullets, and

(d) means for fastening said casing to the belt of a rifle user so that the casing remains fixed to the belt as bullets are pushed downwardly off the stripper clip into the magazine while the magazine is fastened to the casing in the position defined in paragraph (b) hereinabove.

2. A speedloader that is usable to facilitate the loading of bullets into the magazine of an automatic rifle, comprising:

(a) a casing having a passage extending therethrough from its top to its bottom, the passage having an open top through which bullets may be fed and an open bottom into which the top of the magazine may be inserted,

(b) means for fastening the magazine to said casing in a position within said passage that allows bullets to be fed through the top of said passage into the magazine,

(c) means atop said casing for releasably attaching to said casing a stripper clip holding bullets, and

(d) means for fastening said casing to the belt of a rifle user so that the casing remains fixed to the belt as bullets are pushed downwardly off the stripper clip into the magazine, and

(e) in which the means for fastening the casing to the magazine comprises a latch including a movable latching member mounted on said casing and manually operable by the rifle user.

3. The speedloader of claim 2 in which the latch is so close to an exposed portion of a magazine fastened to said casing that concurrently the latch can be released and the magazine detached by a rifle-user using only one hand.

4. The speedloader of claim 3 in which the latching member is located near the bottom of said casing.

5. A method of reloading a magazine of an automatic rifle by a rifle-user, comprising:

(a) providing a speedloader casing that is fastened to the belt of the rifle-user, the casing having a passage extending therethrough from its top to its bottom, the passage having an open top through which bullets may be fed and an open bottom into which the top of the magazine may be inserted,

(b) fastening the magazine to said casing in a position to allow bullets to be fed through the top of said passage into the magazine,

(c) releasably attaching to the top of the casing a stripper clip loaded with bullets.

(d) pushing bullets downwardly off of the stripper clip through the top of said passage into the top of the magazine while the speedloader casing is fastened to said belt and while the magazine is fastened to said speedloader casing in the position defined in paragraph (b) hereinabove, and

(e) using a single hand for carrying out the steps defined in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d).

6. The method of claim 5 in which the magazine and the stripper clip are detached from the speedloader casing after a magazine-loading operation using the same hand as used for carrying out the steps defined in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of claim 5.

7. A speedloader that is usable to facilitate the loading of bullets into the magazine of an automatic rifle, comprising:

(a) a casing having a passage extending therethrough from its top to its bottom, the passage having an open top through which bullets may be fed and an open bottom into which the top of the magazine may be inserted,

(b) means for fastening the magazine to said casing in a position within said passage that allows bullets to be fed through the top of said passage into the magazine.

(c) means atop said casing for releasably attaching to said casing a stripper clip holding bullets, and

(d) means for fastening said casing to the belt of a rifle user so that the casing remains fixed to the belt as bullets are pushed downwardly off the stripper clip into the magazine, and

(e) in which said means for fastening the magazine to the casing comprises a latching member mounted on said casing, spring means biasing said latching member in a direction to latch the casing to said magazine, and manually-operable means on said latching member through which force can be applied to release said latching member from its latching relationship with the magazine.

8. The speedloader of claim 7 in which said manually operable means is located near the bottom of said casing.

9. A method of reloading a magazine of an automatic rifle by a rifle-user, which method allows the steps of the following paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) to be practiced by the rifle-user with a single hand, comprising:

(a) providing a speedloader casing that is fastened to the belt of the rifle-user, the casing having a passage extending therethrough from its top to its bottom, the passage having an open top through which bullets may be fed and an open bottom into which the top of the magazine may be inserted,

(b) fastening the magazine to said casing in a position to allow bullets to be fed through the top of said passage into the magazine,

(c) releasably attaching to the top of the casing a stripper clip loaded with bullets, and

(d) pushing bullets downwardly off of the stripper clip through the top of said passage into the top of the magazine while the speedloader casing is fastened to said belt and while the magazine is fastened to the speedloader casing in the position defined in paragraph (b) hereinabove.