Law enforcement carbine with one piece receiver

• US 7,938,055 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colt's Manufacturing IP Holding Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Colt Defense LLC (Colt Defense Holding LLC)
• Inventors: Robbins, Laurance, Daigle, Arthur F., Hochstrate, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): David; Michael D
• Application Number:
  US12/857,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20100300277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 8919101-194, 89/42, 89/45, 42/710.1, 42/72, 42/750.1, 42/85, 421/27
• US Class Current: 89/193
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 11/02 Modular concepts, e.g. weapon-family concepts
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/66 Breech housings or frames; Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 5/18 gas-operated
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 5/26 Arrangements or systems for bleeding the gas from the barrel F41A5/20 - F41A5/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/16 Forestocks; Handgrips; Hand guards pump-action guns F41C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/02 Foresights
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/003 Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems"
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A semi-automatic or automatic rifle is provided. The semi-automatic or automatic rifle includes a receiver having an integral hand guard portion, a barrel having a bore. The bore is removably connected to the receiver, the hand guard portion extending over and surrounding the barrel, an indirect gas operating system has a gas block and a piston. The gas block has a cylinder, the gas block is fitted to the barrel, the cylinder is in communication with the bore. The piston has a piston end and a striking end, the piston end is fitted to the cylinder and has a bolt carrier having a striking surface. When a cartridge is fired, gas displaces the piston end and causes the striking end to strike the striking surface displacing the bolt assembly, wherein, the cylinder and the piston are together removable as an assembly from the firearm without disassembly of the rifle.

Claims

1. A semi-automatic or automatic rifle comprising:

a receiver having an integral hand guard portion;

a barrel removably connected to the receiver, the hand guard portion extending over and surrounding the barrel;

a removable accessory device mounting rail removably connected to the receiver and having another hand guard portion mateable with the integral hand guard portion of the receiver; and

a quick release lock mounted to at least one of the removable mounting rail or the receiver for locking the removable mounting rail to the receiver;

wherein the quick release lock has a movable locking member movable between a locked and unlocked positions, wherein when in the locked position the locking member locks the removable mounting rail in an installed position to the receiver, and when the locking member is in the unlocked position, the mounting rail is unlocked and freely movable relative to the receiver, wherein the locking member has an angled engagement portion protruding from the removable mounting rail and engaging a corresponding angled recess in the receiver, wherein the locking member acts as a wedge in the recess with the removable accessory device mounting rail preloaded with a biasing force against the integral hand guard portion.

2. The rifle of claim 1, wherein the locking member is spring loaded, the spring loading biasing the locking member to the locked position, and wherein the locking member engages the recess with a spring loaded engaging force.

3. The rifle of claim 1, wherein the locking member moves automatically to the locked position when the removable mounting rail is located in the installed position.

4. The rifle of claim 1, wherein the quick release lock has a lever pivotally mounted to the removable mounting rail for actuating the locking member.

5. The rifle of claim 4, wherein the quick release lock is included in the removable mounting rail, and wherein the removable mounting rail has an opening for accessing and operating the lever.

6. The rifle of claim 1, wherein the locking member has an engagement portion protruding from the removable mounting rail and engaging a recess in the receiver.

7. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the receiver with the integral hand guard is of unitary construction.

8. A semi-automatic or automatic rifle comprising:

a receiver having an integral hand guard portion;

a barrel having a bore, the bore removably connected to the receiver, the hand guard portion extending over the barrel;

an indirect gas operating system having a gas block and a piston;

the gas block having a cylinder fastened thereto, the gas block fitted to the barrel, the cylinder in communication with the bore;

the piston having a piston end and a striking end, the piston end fitted to the cylinder; and

a bolt carrier having a striking surface;

wherein, when a cartridge is fired, gas displaces the piston end and causes the striking end to strike the striking surface displacing the bolt assembly, and wherein, the cylinder and the piston are together removable as an assembly from the rifle without other disassembly of the rifle than unfastening and removal of the assembly.

9. The semi-automatic or automatic rifle of claim 8, wherein the cylinder is coupled to the gas block with a removable pin, wherein the pin provides a camming surface to position the cylinder with respect to a gas port in the gas block.

10. The semi-automatic or automatic rifle of claim 8, wherein the cylinder further comprises a cam, and wherein the gas block further comprises a camming feature, and wherein the cylinder is rotatably positioned in gas block with the cam engaging the camming feature, and wherein the camming feature provides a camming surface to extract the assembly from the gas block.

11. The semi-automatic or automatic rifle of claim 8, wherein the rifle is an M-4 type firearm.

12. The semi-automatic or automatic rifle of claim 8, wherein the striking end comprises an operating rod.

13. The semi-automatic for automatic rifle of claim 8, wherein the receiver with the integral handguard portion is of unitary constructions.

14. The semi-automatic or automatic rifle of claim 8, wherein the piston comprises rings disposed within the cylinder.