Firearm with interchangeable parts

• US 9,513,074 B1
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palmetto State Armory, LLC
• Original Assignee: Everett Mcdowell Steil
• Inventors: Steil, Everett McDowell
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Bret
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORGAN, DERRICK R
• Application Number:
  US14/955,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20160348990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 11/02 Modular concepts, e.g. weapon-family concepts
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 15/16 the ejector being mounted on the breech housing or frame
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/38 Magazine mountings, e.g. for locking the magazine in the gun
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 21/00 Barrels; Gun tubes; Muzzle attachments; Barrel mounting means F41A25/00 takes precedence; barrel attachments for firing grenades or riot-control ammunition from smallarms F41C27/06
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 21/48 Barrel mounting means, e.g. releasable mountings for replaceable barrels
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/66 Breech housings or frames; Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 3/68 Bolt stops, i.e. means for limiting bolt opening movement
• 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 5/18 gas-operated
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/59 Ejectors for clips or magazines, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/64 for unbelted ammunition
• 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 1/033 adjustable

Abstract

A modernized firearm including interchangeable features.

Claims

1. A firearm, comprising:

a barrel associated with a first firearm model and having a front end and a first barrel nut engaging portion at a rear end;

a gas block;

a gas tube;

a gas piston;

a barrel nut having a threaded portion;

a charging handle;

a receiver associated with the first firearm model; and

a trunnion comprising;

an outer surface defined by a front face, a rear face, a top, a bottom, a right side, and a left side;

a bore extending longitudinally from the front face to the rear face and configured to hold a bolt and a portion of a bolt carrier;

a second barrel nut engaging portion disposed at a front end of the bore and comprising screw threads for receiving the threaded portion of the barrel nut;

a curved platform disposed on the top of the trunnion and configured to receive the gas piston;

a slot disposed on the top of the trunnion behind the curved platform, the bolt carrier extending above the slot and coupling to the gas piston above the trunnion;

an ejector cutout for ejecting spent ammunition cartridges, the ejector cutout disposed on one of the left side or right side of the trunnion;

an opening in the bottom of the trunnion for receiving ammunition from a magazine into the trunnion; and

a bolt block comprising a set screw for adjusting a position of the bolt block;

wherein the outer surface of the trunnion on each of the left side and the right side comprises a conical depression, two parallel vertically oriented elongated recesses disposed towards the front face of the trunnion and extending upwardly from the bottom of the trunnion, and a horizontally oriented elongated recess disposed behind the two vertically oriented elongated recesses and above the conical depression, the horizontally oriented elongated recess extending forwardly from the rear face of the trunnion;

wherein the second barrel nut engaging portion removably mates with the barrel nut;

wherein the barrel nut removably mates with the barrel; and

wherein the firearm is configured to substitute at least one of the barrel, the barrel nut, the gas block, and the gas tube with a component from a second firearm model; and

wherein adjustment of the set screw configures the firearm for use with a plurality of types of ammunition.

2. The firearm as in claim 1, wherein the firearm is configured to substitute at least one of the barrel, the barrel nut, the gas block, and the gas tube with a component from a second firearm model and a component from a third firearm model.

3. The firearm as in claim 1, further comprising a removable stacking post having a front end and a rear end, the stacking post including a mounting portion at the rear end of the stacking post, the mounting portion of the stacking post configured for removably mounting the stacking post to a front end of the gas block.

4. The firearm as in claim 1, further comprising a handguard having an outer surface and a plurality of grooves on an inner surface, wherein the gas tube comprises an inner surface and a plurality of longitudinally extending ridges on an outer surface, and wherein each of the plurality of grooves removably mates with one of the plurality of longitudinally extending ridges to removably couple the handguard to the gas tube.

5. The firearm as in claim 1, wherein the gas block comprises a waist, and wherein a sling loop extends from a first side of the waist of the gas block.

6. The firearm as in claim 5, wherein a second side of the waist comprises a recess, the second side being opposite the first side.

7. The firearm as in claim 1, wherein the firearm is a semi-automatic tilting-bolt rifle.

8. The firearm as in claim 1, wherein the charging handle is fixedly coupled to the gas piston.

9. The firearm as in claim 1, wherein the charging handle is removably coupled to the bolt carrier.

10. The firearm as in claim 1, wherein the bolt block is disposed behind the bolt, and wherein the set screw is configured for adjusting a head space between the bolt and a round of ammunition in the firearm.

11. The firearm as in claim 1, further comprising a forward sight, wherein the forward sight is removably coupled to the barrel, and wherein the forward sight comprises two forward sight set screws that couple to the barrel, the forward sight set screws being configured to adjust a position of the forward sight to account for windage.

12. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a magazine holder, and wherein the firearm further comprises a magazine retention block, the magazine retention block configured to couple the magazine to the magazine holder.

13. A firearm, comprising:

a barrel associated with a first firearm model and having a front end and a first barrel nut engaging portion at a rear end;

a magazine;

a magazine retention block comprising a top surface, a tapered portion that tapers towards a bottom of the magazine retention block, a front surface having a groove, a magazine catch, and a magazine catch release;

a barrel nut having a threaded portion;

a receiver associated with the first firearm model and comprising a magazine holder for engaging the magazine; and

a trunnion comprising;

an outer surface defined by a front face, a rear face, a top, a bottom, a right side, and a left side;

a bore extending longitudinally from the front face to the rear face and configured to hold a bolt and a portion of a bolt carrier;

a second barrel nut engaging portion disposed at a front end of the bore and comprising screw threads for receiving the threaded portion of the barrel nut;

wherein the outer surface of the trunnion on each of the left side and the right side comprises a conical depression, two parallel vertically oriented elongated recesses disposed towards the front face of the trunnion and extending upwardly from the bottom of the trunnion, and a horizontally oriented elongated recess disposed behind the two vertically oriented elongated recesses and above the conical depression, the horizontally oriented elongated recess extending forwardly from the rear face of the trunnion;

wherein the second barrel nut engaging portion removably mates with the barrel nut;

wherein the barrel nut removably mates with the barrel; and

wherein the firearm is configured to substitute at least one of the barrel, the barrel nut, and the magazine with a component from a second firearm model.

14. The firearm as in claim 13, further comprising a bolt block supported by a pin, and wherein the top surface of the magazine retention block abuts the pin.

15. The firearm as in claim 14, wherein the bolt block comprises a set screw for adjusting a position of the bolt block, and wherein adjustment of the set screw configures the firearm for use with a plurality of types of ammunition.

16. The firearm as in claim 15, wherein the bolt block is disposed behind the bolt, and wherein the set screw is configured for adjusting a head space between the bolt and a round of ammunition in the firearm.

17. The firearm as in claim 13, wherein the magazine retention block comprises a pin hole for receiving a pin, the pin configured to couple a trigger assembly to the firearm.

18. The firearm as in claim 13, further comprising a forward sight, wherein the forward sight is removably coupled to the barrel, and wherein the forward sight comprises two forward sight set screws that couple to the barrel, the forward sight set screws being configured to adjust a position of the forward sight to account for windage.

19. The firearm as in claim 13, wherein the firearm is a semi-automatic tilting-bolt rifle.

20. A firearm, comprising:

a barrel associated with a first firearm model and having a front end and a first barrel nut engaging portion at a rear end;

a magazine;

a magazine retention block comprising a top surface, a tapered portion that tapers towards a bottom of the magazine retention block, a front surface having a groove, a magazine catch, and a magazine catch release;

a gas block;

a gas tube;

a gas piston;

a barrel nut having a threaded portion;

a charging handle;

a receiver associated with the first firearm model and comprising a magazine holder for engaging the magazine; and

a trunnion comprising;

an outer surface defined by a front face, a rear face, a top, a bottom, a right side, and a left side;

a bore extending longitudinally from the front face to the rear face and configured to hold a bolt and a portion of a bolt carrier;

a second barrel nut engaging portion disposed at a front end of the bore and comprising screw threads for receiving the threaded portion of the barrel nut;

a curved platform disposed on the top of the trunnion and configured to receive the gas piston;

a slot disposed on the top of the trunnion behind the curved platform, the bolt carrier extending above the slot and coupling to the gas piston above the trunnion;

an ejector cutout for ejecting spent ammunition cartridges, the ejector cutout disposed on one of the left side or right side of the trunnion;

an opening in the bottom of the trunnion for receiving ammunition from the magazine into the trunnion; and

a bolt block comprising a set screw for adjusting a position of the bolt block;

wherein the outer surface of the trunnion on each of the left side and the right side comprises a conical depression, two parallel vertically oriented elongated recesses disposed towards the front face of the trunnion and extending upwardly from the bottom of the trunnion, and a horizontally oriented elongated recess disposed behind the two vertically oriented elongated recesses and above the conical depression, the horizontally oriented elongated recess extending forwardly from the rear face of the trunnion;

wherein the second barrel nut engaging portion removably mates with the barrel nut;

wherein the barrel nut removably mates with the barrel;

wherein the firearm is configured to substitute at least one of the barrel, the barrel nut, the gas block, the magazine, and the gas tube with a component from a second firearm model; and

wherein adjustment of the set screw configures the firearm for use with a plurality of types of ammunition.