Adjustable modular trigger assembly for firearms

• US 9,046,313 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: O.F. Mossberg & Sons Incorporated (Mossberg Corporation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: O.F. Mossberg & Sons Incorporated (Mossberg Corporation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lutton, William C., Olsen, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEIN, GABRIEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/096,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20150153125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/46 Trigger safeties, i.e. means for preventing trigger movement F41A17/02 - F41A17/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/82 trigger-operated, i.e. the movement of the trigger bringing a hammer safety into inoperative position during firing
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/10 Triggers; Trigger mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/14 Hammers, i.e. pivotably-mounted striker elements; Hammer mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/15 Modular firing mechanism units
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/16 Adjustable firing mechanisms; Trigger mechanisms with adjustable trigger pull F41A19/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/44 Sear arrangements therefor F41A19/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Applicants have disclosed an adjustable modular trigger assembly, and a related method, to avoid an unexpected firing of a long gun after an unintentional trigger pull. Applicants'"'"' preferred assembly comprises: a modular trigger housing, containing every trigger component, designed to be removably mounted within a lower firearm receiver; a trigger pull adjustment screw in a housing wall; and a sear force adjustment screw in another housing wall. During an intentional trigger pull, the shooter'"'"'s finger pushes against a secondary trigger until it nestles within a slot of a non-coaxial primary trigger. Continued pulling on both triggers causes a sear to fall off a hammer notch and the firearm to discharge. In an unintentional trigger pull or jostling of the primary trigger, hooked protrusions (within the housing) of the second trigger and hammer engage to block the hammer from fully rotating, thereby avoiding discharge of the firearm.

Claims

1. A modular trigger assembly for a long gun comprising:

a. the modular trigger assembly includes a modular trigger housing containing all the trigger components of the long gun, the trigger components comprising;

i. a primary trigger rotatably mounted between two sidewalls of the modular trigger housing on a stationary first pivot bushing, supported by the sidewalls, whereby the primary trigger can pivot about the stationary first pivot bushing;

ii. the primary trigger has an elongated central slot in a trigger blade of the primary trigger;

iii. a secondary trigger rotatably mounted, on a trigger blade pin, within the elongated central slot, whereby a trigger blade of the secondary trigger can pivot about the trigger blade pin and within the slot; and

iv. a hammer rotatably mounted between the two sidewalls of the modular trigger housing on a second stationary pivot bushing, supported by the two sidewalls, whereby the hammer can pivot about the stationary second pivot bushing;

b. attachment means for removably mounting the modular trigger assembly, and its housed trigger components, as a single unit within a lower receiver of a long gun;

c. a sear adjustment means, housed in a first throughbore of the modular trigger housing, for presetting an amount of force required to rotate the primary trigger, the first throughbore being at least partially threaded;

d. a trigger force adjustment means, contained in the modular trigger housing, for adjusting the amount of force required to rotate the primary trigger, wherein the trigger force adjustment means comprises a set screw and a trigger force adjustment spring housed in a second throughbore of the modular trigger housing, the second throughbore being at least partially threaded; and

e. a safety means, within the modular trigger housing, for avoiding an unexpected discharge of the long gun upon an unintentional jostling of the primary trigger.

2. The modular trigger assembly of claim 1 wherein the long gun is a semiautomatic rifle.

3. The modular trigger assembly of claim 1 wherein the sear adjustment means comprises a sear adjustment screw, a sear spring and a sear follower housed in the first throughbore of the modular trigger housing.

4. In a semiautomatic rifle of the type having a modular trigger assembly removably mounted between the sidewalls of a receiver by a trigger pin and a hammer pin inserted through respective pivot bushings, extending through the modular trigger assembly, with the inserted hammer pin and trigger pin being supported within aligned holes in the receiver sidewalls, the improvement comprising:

a. the modular trigger assembly comprises a modular trigger housing containing all the trigger components of the rifle, wherein the trigger components comprise;

i. a primary trigger rotatably mounted on a stationary first pivot bushing, between two sidewalls of the modular trigger housing, whereby the primary trigger can pivot about the stationary first pivot bushing and the trigger pin, which extends through the first pivot bushing;

ii. the primary trigger has an elongated central slot in a trigger blade of the primary trigger;

iii. a secondary trigger rotatably mounted, on a trigger blade pin, within the elongated central slot, whereby a trigger blade of the secondary trigger can pivot about the trigger blade pin and within the slot; and

iv. a hammer rotatably mounted on a second stationary pivot bushing, between the two sidewalls of the modular trigger housing, whereby the hammer can pivot about both the stationary second pivot bushing and the hammer pin, which extends through the second pivot bushing;

b. a trigger force adjustment means, contained in the modular trigger housing, for adjusting an amount of force required to rotate the primary trigger, wherein the trigger force adjustment means comprises a set screw and a trigger force adjustment spring housed in a first throughbore of the modular trigger housing, the first throughbore being at least partially threaded; and

c. a sear adjustment means, within the modular trigger housing, for presetting the amount of force at a manufacturer, wherein the sear adjustment means comprises a sear adjustment screw, a sear spring and a sear follower housed in a a second throughbore of the modular trigger housing, the second throughbore being at least partially threaded.

5. The semiautomatic rifle of claim 4 further comprising a safety means for avoiding an unexpected discharge of the rifle upon an unintentional rotation of just the primary trigger, wherein the safety means comprises a hooked protrusion of the secondary trigger blade which engages, inside the housing, an opposing hooked protrusion extending from an underside of the hammer.

6. In a semiautomatic rifle of the type having a modular trigger assembly removably mounted between two sidewalls of a receiver by a trigger pin and a hammer pin inserted through respective stationary pivot bushings, extending through the modular trigger housing, with the inserted hammer pin and trigger pin being supported within aligned holes in the receiver sidewalls, the improvement comprising:

a. the modular trigger assembly comprises a modular trigger housing containing all trigger group components of the rifle, wherein the trigger group components comprise;

i. a trigger rotatably mounted on a first stationary pivot bushing, between two sidewalls of the modular trigger housing, whereby the trigger can pivot about the first stationary pivot bushing and the trigger pin, which extends through the first stationary pivot bushing; and

ii. a hammer rotatably mounted on a second stationary pivot bushing, between the two sidewalls of the modular trigger housing, whereby the hammer can pivot about the hammer pin, which extends through the second stationary pivot bushing;

b. a sear adjustment means, housed in a first throughbore of the modular trigger housing, for presetting a force required to rotate the trigger, the first throughbore being at least partially threaded; and

c. a trigger force adjustment means, within the modular trigger housing, for adjusting the force required to rotate the trigger, wherein the trigger force adjustment means comprises a set screw and a trigger force adjustment spring housed in a second throughbore of the modular trigger housing, the second throughbore being at least partially threaded.

7. The semiautomatic rifle of claim 6 wherein the sear adjustment means comprises a sear adjustment screw, a sear spring and a sear follower housed in the first throughbore of the modular trigger housing.