A recoil pad for a firearm has a compressible body, the body having a forward surface configured to face toward the firearm, an opposed rear surface configured to face toward the shoulder of a user, and the body comprising an anisotropic matrix of flexible material extending from the forward surface to the rear surface. The body may be a unitary mass. The body may be an agglomeration of welded particles. The body may have a plurality of planar members interconnected by elongated spans. The body may define a medial plane associated with a medial plane of the firearm. The planar members may be oriented perpendicularly to the medial plane of the body. The body may define a first array of elongated holes passing through the body in a first direction, and a second array of elongated holes passing through the body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus and computer program products for use in manufacturing an anatomical protective item for one or more users. Embodiments of anatomical protective items may comprise a single layer of energy controlling cells. Input data associated with one or more users is obtained. The obtained input data is processed to identify one or more energy controlling criteria for the anatomical protective item. A packing process is employed to generate each energy controlling cell in the single layer. Each energy controlling cell comprises one or more walls which extend from an upper surface of the single layer to a lower surface of the single layer. The packing process is performed at least on the basis of the identified one or more energy controlling criteria. The anatomical protective item comprising the single layer of energy controlling cells is manufactured.

A cushioned article includes a cage and a compressible material. The cage has at least one opening, an interior volume, and an outer surface. The at least one opening provides a passage from the outer surface to the interior volume. The compressible material extends through the at least one opening in the cage. A method for manufacturing a cushioned article includes providing a mold having at least one cavity, placing a cage within the mold, and injecting a compressible material into an interior of the cage. The cage includes at least one opening. A portion of the compressible material flows through the at least one opening in the cage and fills the at least one cavity of the mold. One or more shields may be connected to the cage before injection. The shields may be removed with the cage and heat treated with the shields still connected to the cage.

A cushioned article includes a cage and a compressible material. The cage has at least one opening, an interior volume, and an outer surface. The at least one opening provides a passage from the outer surface to the interior volume. The compressible material extends through the at least one opening in the cage. A method for manufacturing a cushioned article includes providing a mold having at least one cavity, placing a cage within the mold, and injecting a compressible material into an interior of the cage. The cage includes at least one opening. A portion of the compressible material flows through the at least one opening in the cage and fills the at least one cavity of the mold. One or more shields may be connected to the cage before injection. The shields may be removed with the cage and heat treated with the shields still connected to the cage.

A shoulder fired weapon comprising: a lower receiver, a magazine removably attachable to the lower receiver; a buffer tube attached to the lower receiver; a buttstock attached to the buffer tube, and where the buttstock can rotate with respect to the lower receiver and the buttstock can lock into place. A rotating buffer apparatus comprising: a front end buffer tube, the front end buffer configured to screw into a lower receiver of a shoulder fired weapon; a rear end buffer tube, aligned with and adjacent to the front end buffer tube; the rear end buffer tube configured to attach to a buttstock; and where when the rotating buffer apparatus is installed into the shoulder fired weapon, the buttstock can rotate with respect to the lower receiver and the buttstock can lock into place.

A shoulder fired weapon comprising: a lower receiver, a magazine removably attachable to the lower receiver; a buffer tube attached to the lower receiver; a buttstock attached to the buffer tube, and where the buttstock can rotate with respect to the lower receiver and the buttstock can lock into place. A rotating buffer apparatus comprising: a front end buffer tube, the front end buffer configured to screw into a lower receiver of a shoulder fired weapon; a rear end buffer tube, aligned with and adjacent to the front end buffer tube; the rear end buffer tube configured to attach to a buttstock; and where when the rotating buffer apparatus is installed into the shoulder fired weapon, the buttstock can rotate with respect to the lower receiver and the buttstock can lock into place.

A modular system for adjusting the length of pull and drop of a long gun. The modular system enables a combination of any one of a plurality of comb portions with any one or more of a plurality of butt pad spacers for a versatile and robust system that provides a wide range of comb height and length of pull combinations. The system can be implemented by the user, avoiding costly gun fitters. The system provides these aspects in a sleek, streamlined way that does not mar the appearance of the long gun. The spacers for the length of pull adjustment include registration surfaces that provide a three-dimensional interface with the buttstock and comb portion for enhanced strength and stability of the assembly over that of conventional fit adjustment systems.

A shoulder-fired firearm primary and secondary recoil attenuator mounts on the butt of a shoulder-fired firearm to absorb both the primary and secondary recoil impulses with distinct spring rates and viscoelastic hysteresis. The attenuator may include a mount plate attachable to a butt of a shoulder-fired firearm. A shoulder plate may be disposed in a spaced-apart, parallel relationship with the mount plate. At least one damper may be disposed between the mount plate and the shoulder plate. The at least one damper may include a viscoelastic copolymer elastomer material having a hollow body elastomer construction. The viscoelastic copolymer elastomer material may be shape-engineered to exhibit time-dependent strain. Accordingly, the at least one damper may have distinct spring rates in response to a primary recoil impulse caused by acceleration of a bullet traveling through a firearm barrel and a secondary recoil impulse caused by ejection of the gases exiting the firearm barrel.

A shoulder-fired firearm primary and secondary recoil attenuator mounts on the butt of a shoulder-fired firearm to absorb both the primary and secondary recoil impulses with distinct spring rates and viscoelastic hysteresis. The attenuator may include a mount plate attachable to a butt of a shoulder-fired firearm. A shoulder plate may be disposed in a spaced-apart, parallel relationship with the mount plate. At least one damper may be disposed between the mount plate and the shoulder plate. The at least one damper may include a viscoelastic copolymer elastomer material having a hollow body elastomer construction. The viscoelastic copolymer elastomer material may be shape-engineered to exhibit time-dependent strain. Accordingly, the at least one damper may have distinct spring rates in response to a primary recoil impulse caused by acceleration of a bullet traveling through a firearm barrel and a secondary recoil impulse caused by ejection of the gases exiting the firearm barrel.

A novel and improved rotating stock butt and rotating sighting device that applies to a shoulder-fired firearm where the firing mechanism and the sighting device are elevated above the stock butt when in a horizontal shooting position. This system comprises a cooperation between the rotating stock butt and the rotating sighting device that allows the firing mechanism and the barrel to be off set to either the right or to the left of the stock butt while the rotating sighting device and sight bead remains on the top center of the firearm. This allows the shooter to mount the gun with very little head movement.