Firearm conversion kit not requiring a dedicated fastening tool

Abstract

A conversion kit for a firearm of the type having a removable component is disclosed. The conversion kit includes a chamber piece having a coupling end, and a muzzle piece of a conversion barrel having a coupling end configured to be secured to the coupling end of the chamber piece and an engagement end. The engagement end is configured to mate with the removable component such that manipulation of the removable component causes the coupling end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel to be secured to the coupling end of the chamber piece.

Claims

1. A method for installing a firearm conversion kit, the method comprising: installing, within the original firearm, a conversion kit chamber piece having a coupling end; providing a conversion kit muzzle piece of the conversion barrel having a coupling end configured to be secured to the coupling end of the chamber piece and an engagement end; and mating one or more internal structural features of the removable original weapon component to the engagement end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel such that manipulation of the removable component causes the coupling end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel to be secured to the coupling end of the chamber piece.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the removable component is the stock slide assembly of the firearm.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the engagement end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel includes at least one planar or curvilinear gripping surface and the stock slide assembly includes at least one corresponding planar or curvilinear gripping surface for mating therewith during installation of the conversion kit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the engagement end includes two, generally planar gripping surfaces and the stock slide assembly includes two corresponding generally planar inner walls for mating therewith.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A more complete understanding of the subject matter may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 is an overview of an exemplary firearm and conversion kit in a disassembled state;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of a muzzle piece of the conversion barrel in accordance with one embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 is an overview of a muzzle piece of the conversion barrel inserted within a slide assembly of an assembled, converted firearm in accordance with one embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 is an isometric view illustrating a slide assembly engaging an engagement end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a conceptual view illustrating an original slide assembly engaging an engagement end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel in accordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) Embodiments of the subject matter described herein generally relate to firearm conversion kits that do not require additional tools for assembly. That is, the means for securing the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel to the chamber piece is incorporated into the slide assembly itself. As detailed below, in accordance with one embodiment the engagement end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel is configured such that it mates with one or more internal structural features of the stock slide assembly (e.g., the slide assembly that has been removed from the firearm prior to installation of the conversion kit). For example, the engagement end of the muzzle assembly may include two flat gripping surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other and have a distance that is substantially equal to the distance between two available inner walls of the stock slide assembly.

(8) Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary firearm 100 (in this case, a pistol) is shown in the disassembled state prior to installation of a conversion kit in accordance with one embodiment. As mentioned above in the Background section, U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,331B1, illustrates a conversion kit for a recoil-operating automatic pistol that includes a two-piece barrel assembly having chamber portion (103) and a muzzle portion (104) that are secured together (e.g., via mating threaded regions). The conversion kit further includes a slide assembly (or simply slide) 102. The barrel assembly (103 and 104) and slide assembly 102 are installed along with the recoil spring assembly 106 (part of the stock firearm) onto the frame assembly (or simply frame) 107. That is, the bottom side 109 of slide assembly 102 is slideably secured to top side 108 of frame 107. It will be appreciated that the use of the terms top and bottom in this context is arbitrarily and used with respect to the orientation of firearm 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1. Such terms are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, the installation and operation of the particular conversion kit need not be described in detail herein, as such information may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,331B1, which has been incorporated by reference.

(9) It should also be understood that the figures shown and described herein are intended to illustrate just one example firearm, and that the present invention is not limited to any particular type of firearm. Systems and methods in accordance with the present invention may be used, for example, in connection with pistols, machine guns, submachine guns, rifles/carbines, shotguns, revolvers, and any other firearm now known or later developed.

(10) Referring now to FIG. 2, muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104 generally includes a first end 201 (the coupling end) configured to be secured (e.g., via a threaded region as illustrated) to the chamber piece 103 of FIG. 1, and an opposite second end 202 (or engagement end). It will be understood that muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104 may be secured to chamber piece 103 in any suitable manner, and that the present invention is not limited to threaded engagement as shown in the example.

(11) Engagement end 202 includes any suitable structural feature or features that achieve the objects of the present invention. Referring for example to FIG. 3 (which illustrates muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104 after being installed within firearm 100) engagement end 202 may include one or more flat or curvilinear gripping surfaces (e.g., generally planar or curvilinear regions). In the illustrated embodiment, for example, engagement end 202 includes two substantially parallel gripping surfaces 210A and 210B.

(12) Engagement end 202 is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, however. Engagement end 202 may include any number, type, and shape of structural features that allow muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104 to be installed in firearm 100 via one or more internal structural features of the stock slide assembly, as described in further detail below. For example, engagement end 202 may have an axial cross-section that is a regular or irregular a polygon (such as a triangle, a square, a pentagon, a hexagon, etc.). Engagement end 202 may also include any number of slots or protrusions intended to mate with a corresponding slide structure. Engagement end 202 may have a curvilinear or other such shape particularly designed to mate with the slide assembly or other removable component.

(13) FIG. 4 shows one example in which muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104 includes, at its engagement end 202, two flat gripping surfaces 210A and 210B as illustrated in FIG. 3. Engagement end 202 is configured to mate with a corresponding structure or structures (generally referred to as 402 in FIG. 4) within stock slide 400i.e., the slide that was removed from the firearm in preparation for installing the conversion kit. FIG. 4 illustrates the underside of slide 400 (i.e., the side that would generally interface with the top side 108 of frame 107 shown in FIG. 1). Rotation of slide 400 (within a plane substantially orthogonal to the axis of muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104) thus causes the rotation of muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104. In this way, slide 400 is effectively the only tool required for installation of the conversion kit; no additional wrench or other tool part is required.

(14) FIG. 5 illustrates, conceptually, the example shown in FIG. 4. The shaded region corresponds to engagement end 202 of muzzle piece of the conversion barrel 104 (as seen head-on, or axially). As shown, engagement end 202 includes two generally parallel flat surfaces 210A and 210B that engage with corresponding inner walls or other surfaces 510A and 510B, respectively. That is, the distanced between inner walls 510A and 510B is substantially equal to the distance between surfaces 210A and 210B. In this context, the phrase substantially equal means that distance d is greater than or equal to the distance between surfaces 210A and 210B but not so large that slipping of slide 400 during rotation occurs. Other features of the underside of slide 400 may or may not assist in keeping engagement end 202 in place during rotation.

(15) In summary, what has been described is a conversion kit that does not require additional tools for assembly. The means for securing the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel to the chamber piece is incorporated into the original slide assembly or other removable original weapon component itself. A method for manufacturing such a muzzle piece of the conversion barrel of a conversion kit for a firearm then generally includes generating a structural model of a removable component of the firearm (e.g., via a general purpose computer having suitable computer-aided design software installed therein); determining a first set of structural features of the structural model of the firearm (e.g., a pair of generally parallel walls); then forming an engagement end of the muzzle piece of the conversion barrel such that the engagement end substantially mates with the first set of structural features. This process may be employed in connection with any available removable original weapon component (e.g., not just slide assemblies) for any type of firearm.

(16) While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application. Accordingly, details of the exemplary embodiments or other limitations described above should not be read into the claims absent a clear intention to the contrary.