Abstract
Firearms with bolt mechanisms, ambidextrous functionality, and/or isolated receivers are disclosed herein. A multi-caliber ambidextrous firearm can have a receiver and a bolt mechanism with a bolt that seats against one or more load bearing surfaces of the receiver. The load bearing surfaces can be configured to maintain proper contact before, during, and/or after a firing event. A bolt head of the bolt mechanism can be replaced to use the bolt mechanism with different cartridges.
Claims
1. A firearm, comprising: a receiver; a chassis assembly; a pin rotatably coupling the receiver to the chassis assembly; and a link assembly rotatably coupling the receiver to the chassis assembly while the firearm is configured to fire a projectile, the link assembly including an upper pin coupled to the receiver, a lower pin coupled to the chassis assembly, and a link rotatably coupled to the receiver by the upper pin and rotatably coupled to the chassis assembly by the lower pin, wherein the link is housed within the chassis assembly.
2. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the link assembly is configured to accommodate at least one of rotation or translation between the receiver and the Chassis assembly.
3. The firearm of claim 2, wherein the link assembly accommodates translation of a portion of the receiver relative to the chassis assembly when the portion of the receiver translates in a direction substantially parallel to a bore axis of the firearm.
4. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the pin is positioned between an end of the barrel through which a projectile exits the firearm and the link assembly.
5. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a first opening and a second opening, wherein the pin is located in the first opening, and wherein the upper pin is located in the second opening.
6. A firearm comprising: a receiver; a chassis assembly; a pin rotatably coupling the receiver to the chassis assembly; and a link assembly including an upper pin coupled to the receiver, a lower pin coupled to the chassis assembly, and a link rotatably coupled to the receiver by the upper pin and rotatably coupled to the chassis assembly by the lower pin such that the link assembly allows movement between the receiver and the chassis assembly when the firearm is configured to fire a projectile, wherein a body of the link extends between the upper pin and the lower pin and is positioned inside of the chassis assembly.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings. The same reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views, unless otherwise specified.
(2) FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a firearm in accordance with one embodiment.
(3) FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the firearm of FIG. 1 with a bolt assembly removed from a receiver in accordance with one embodiment.
(4) FIG. 3 is a rear, top, and left side isometric view of a bolt mechanism and a firing pin assembly in accordance with one embodiment.
(5) FIG. 4 is a front right side exploded view of the bolt mechanism and the firing pin assembly.
(6) FIG. 5 is a front, top, and right side isometric view of a receiver in accordance with one embodiment.
(7) FIG. 6 is a front view of the receiver of FIG. 5.
(8) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the receiver taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.
(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of a portion of the receiver and a bolt head assembly in accordance with one embodiment.
(10) FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 8 taken along line 9-9.
(11) FIG. 10 is a detailed view of an interface between the lug and a receiver bearing surface.
(12) FIG. 11 is a schematic back view of the receiver portion and a bolt head assembly misaligned with the receiver in accordance with one embodiment.
(13) FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 11 taken along line 12-12.
(14) FIG. 13 is a schematic back view of the receiver portion and a bolt head assembly misaligned with the receiver in accordance with one embodiment.
(15) FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 13 taken along line 14-14.
(16) FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a receiver and a bolt head in accordance with one embodiment.
(17) FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the receiver of FIG. 15 and another bolt head.
(18) FIG. 17 is an isometric view of a firearm in accordance with one embodiment.
(19) FIG. 18 is a detailed view of a camming mechanism of the firearm of FIG. 17.
(20) FIG. 19 is an exploded isometric view of a bolt mechanism and a firing pin assembly in accordance with one embodiment.
(21) FIG. 20 is a detailed view of an end of a bolt body in accordance with one embodiment.
(22) FIG. 21 is a bottom view of a bolt mechanism and firing pin assembly in accordance with one embodiment.
(23) FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating the method of reconfiguring the bolt mechanism in accordance with some embodiments.
(24) FIG. 23 is an exploded view of an isolated barrel-receiver assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(25) The present technology is generally directed to, for example, bolt action firearms, firearms with ambidextrous functionality, bolt mechanisms, barrel-receiver connections, and/or receiver-bolt connections. Specific details of numerous embodiments of the technology are described below with reference to FIGS. 1-23. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the technology can have other embodiments with additional elements and features, or the technology can have other embodiments without several of the features shown and described below with reference to FIGS. 1-23. The terms aft, proximal, fore, and distal are used to describe the illustrated embodiments and are used consistently with the description of non-limiting exemplary applications. The terms aft/proximal and fore/distal are used in reference to the user's body when a user fires a firearm, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(26) FIGS. 1 and 2 are isometric views of a firearm 100 in accordance with one embodiment. The firearm 100 is an ambidextrous, multi-caliber rifle that can include a bolt assembly or mechanism 110 (bolt mechanism 110), a barrel 120, a receiver 130, a grip 136, and a stock assembly 138. The bolt mechanism 110 can be used to load a cartridge into a firing chamber (FIG. 2 shows a cartridge 146 in a chamber 144 ready to be loaded into a firing chamber) and can be configured for right-handed or left-handed operation. The bolt mechanism 110 can hold a shell (or a casing) of a cartridge during firing, and after firing the projectile, the bolt mechanism 110 can be moved from a ready to fire position (FIG. 1) toward an unlocked or open position to extract and eject the empty shell. The bolt mechanism 110 can be moved back to the locked position to reload the firearm 100.
(27) FIG. 2 shows the bolt mechanism 110 after it has been removed from the receiver 130. After the stock assembly 138 is moved from a closed position (FIG. 1) to an open position (FIG. 2), the bolt mechanism 110, shown configured for right-handed operation, can be removed from the receiver 130, reconfigured for left-handed operation, and then reinstalled. Alternatively, components of the bolt mechanism 110 can be replaced for use with different cartridges.
(28) The bolt mechanism 110 can include a handle assembly 140 and a bolt 162. The bolt 162 can include a tubular main body 166 for housing a firing pin assembly 160. An extractor assembly 172 can be an extractor positioned along the side of the bolt 162 and with a biasing portion 174 and a claw portion 176. The biasing portion 174 can urge claw portion 176 toward an engagement position for receiving a rim of a cartridge shell or case in a feature of the claw portion 176 (e.g., a slot in the claw portion 176). After the claw portion 176 receives the rim, the extractor assembly 172 can extract the shell when the bolt mechanism 110 moves proximally away from the firing chamber.
(29) FIG. 3 is a rear, top, and left side isometric view of the bolt mechanism 110 and firing pin assembly 160 in accordance with one embodiment. The bolt mechanism 110 can include a bolt head assembly 180 with a bolt head 198 and a bolt head pin 194 connecting the bolt head 198 to the bolt body 166. The bolt head 198 can include lugs 190a, 190b (collectively lugs 190) for locking the bolt mechanism 110 to the receiver. The bolt 162 can be rotated to rotate the lug 190a and a guide 193 (one identified in FIG. 3) relative to the receiver 130. The bolt head pin 194 can be removed to replace the bolt head 198 with another bolt head.
(30) FIG. 4 is a front and right side exploded view of the bolt mechanism 110 and firing pin assembly 160. The bolt head 198 is configured to engage the shell of a cartridge and can include a pin portion or elongate main body 200 (pin portion 200), a head portion 202, and a cartridge interface 211. The pin portion 200 can be passed through a collar 212 and into a fore or distal end 249 of the bolt body 166. After the pin portion 200 is positioned in a passageway 214 in the bolt 162, the bolt head pin 194 can be positioned in openings 215 (one identified) in the main body 166 and a through-hole 216 of the pin portion 200. The components, configurations, and features of the bolt head 198 can be selected based on, for example, the desired removability and/or motion of the bolt head 198.
(31) The firing pin assembly 160 can include a firing pin 220, a firing pin spring 222, a bolt shroud assembly 228, and a cocking element or striker 230. The bolt shroud assembly 228 may also be referred to as a bolt sleeve or striker shroud. The striker 230 has a firing pin cam member 240, which can engage a multi-way camming feature 440 of the bolt 162. The firing pin assembly 160 can be inserted into the aft or proximal end 250 of the bolt 162 and advanced distally through the passageway 214 to position a tip 260 of the firing pin 220 within the bolt head assembly 180. Other types of firing pin assemblies can be used with the bolt mechanism 110.
(32) FIG. 5 is a front, top, and right side isometric view of the receiver 130 in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of the receiver 130, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the receiver 130 taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 5, the receiver 130 can include a main body 270 and an attachment rail 272. The main body 270 can define a passageway 274 that extends from a fore or distal end 280 to an aft or proximal end 282. The fore end 280 can be internally threaded or otherwise configured to engage features of a barrel (e.g., barrel 120 of FIGS. 1 and 2).
(33) Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 together, the receiver 130 can include shoulders 291a, 291b that define non-planar receiver bearing surfaces 292a, 292b, respectively, positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis 296 (FIG. 7) of the passageway 274. The receiver bearing surfaces 292a, 292b (collectively receiver bearing surfaces 292) face generally toward the barrel (e.g., barrel 120 of FIGS. 1 and 2) and are positioned to contact lugs when the bolt mechanism is in the firing or locked position, as discussed in connection with FIGS. 8-14. When the bolt mechanism is at an unlocked or open position, the lugs can be aligned with and moved through the features 300, 302 (FIG. 6), which can be gaps, channels, or grooves, for example. The configuration and features of the receiver 130 can be selected based on the desired functionality. For example, the receiver 130 may have an integrally formed rail 272. In other embodiments, the rail 272 can be a separate component that is coupled to the main body 270 by, for example, one or more fasteners.
(34) FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of a portion of the receiver 130 and the bolt head 198 when the bolt mechanism is in a locked state. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 8 taken along line 9-9. The lugs 190 are configured to avoid high stresses (e.g., stresses at point contacts between edges of the lugs 190 and the receiver bearing surfaces 292) so that stresses can be kept at or below an acceptable level. During firing, most of the force applied by the bolt head 198 to the receiver 130 is applied by areas of lug bearing surfaces that lay generally flat along the receiver bearing surfaces 292. This minimizes or reduces movement of the bolt head 198 during a firing event and thereby improves firearm accuracy.
(35) Referring to FIG. 9, non-planar lug bearing surfaces 207a, 207b (collectively lug bearing surfaces 207) of the respective lugs 190a, 190b and corresponding receiver bearing surfaces 292a, 292b of the receiver 130 can cooperate to maintain a desired relationship before, during, and/or after a firing event. For example, the lug bearing surfaces 207 can slidably contact the corresponding receiver bearing surfaces 292 when the bolt head 198 moves between different positions (e.g., from an aligned position toward a misaligned position, from a misaligned position to an aligned position, etc.). The pin portion 200 of the bolt head 198 is positioned in a bore 313 of the receiver 130 such that a longitudinal axis 312 of the bolt head 198 is generally parallel with the longitudinal axis 296 of the receiver 130. During a firing event, most or substantially all the force applied by the bolt head 198 to the receiver 130 is applied by the lug bearing surfaces 207.
(36) FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the lug bearing surface 207a contacting the receiver bearing surface 292a to limit axial movement of the bolt head 198 in the proximal direction. The bearing surfaces 207a, 292a can generally contact one another along an arc that generally bisects the lug bearing surface 207a. The line contact becomes area contact during the firing event as the mating surfaces 207a, 292a elastically deform under load. In some embodiments, the receiver bearing surface 292a can have a curvature that is complementary to a curvature of the lug bearing surface 207a such that a sufficiently large the area of the lug bearing surface 207a facing or overlaying the receiver bearing surfaces 292a physically contacts the receiver bearing surfaces 292 to avoid damaging the receiver bearing surfaces 292 during the firing event.
(37) Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the lug 190a can be partially toroidal, the lug bearing surface 270a can have a partially toroidal shape, and the receiver bearing surface 292a can have a partially spherical shape. These complementary shapes ensure that the bolt lugs 190 properly bear against the receiver 130 even when the bolt head 198 is misaligned with respect to the receiver 130. The toroidal lug bearing surfaces 207 can contact large areas of the receiver bearing surfaces 292. In other embodiments, the receiver bearing surfaces 292 can be substantially conical, substantially parabolic, substantially elliptical, or other curved shape suitable for contacting the non-planar lug bearing surfaces 207. For example, the receiver bearing surfaces 292 can be partially spherical surfaces, partially elliptical surfaces, or partially parabolic surfaces. In such embodiments, the lug bearing surfaces 207 can be partially spherical, partially toroidal, etc. In some embodiments, the receiver bearing surfaces 292 can be partially spherical and can engage parabolic or elliptical lug bearing surfaces 207. The configurations of the bearing surfaces 207, 292 can be selected to maintain contact irrespective of the angular position of the bolt head 198. In some embodiments, the receiver bearing surfaces 292 are coincident with a first single imaginary non-planer axisymmetric surface, and the lug bearing surfaces 207 are coincident with a second single imaginary non-planar axisymmetric surface. The first and second single imaginary non-planer axisymmetric surfaces can be spherical shaped, conical shaped, parabolic, and/or toroidal shaped. The lug bearing surfaces 207 can maintain simultaneous contact with the corresponding receiver bearing surfaces 292 irrespective of misalignment of the bolt head 198.
(38) FIG. 11 is a schematic back view of the bolt head 198 misaligned with the receiver 130. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 11 taken along line 12-12. Proper contact between the bolt lugs 190 and the receiver 130 exists when the bolt head 198 is misaligned. For example, line contact can be maintained along most of the circumferential length of the lugs 190. The illustrated elongate main body 200 is angularly misaligned with a sidewall 317 of the receiver 130. By controlling the contact between the lugs 190 and the receiver 130, the size of the lugs 190 can be optimized and reduced to increase the space available for other components of the firearm. Additionally, proper engagement between the lugs 190 and receiver 130 can reduce or limit bolt rotation about an axis (e.g., an axis perpendicular to a vertical plane extending along the longitudinal axis 312) during the firing event. This can significantly improve the overall performance/accuracy of the firearm.
(39) FIG. 12 shows the bolt head 198 in a maximum downwardly rotated position relative to the receiver 130. The longitudinal axis 312 of the bolt head 198 and the longitudinal axis 296 can define an angle . An upper portion of the lug 190a contacts the receiver bearing surface 292a, and a lower portion of the lug 190b contacts the receiver bearing surface 292b. Line contact (e.g., before or after a firing event) and/or large areas of contact (e.g., during a firing event when loads are applied) can be maintained independent of the angular position of the bolt head 198. The bolt head 198 of FIG. 14 is in a maximum upwardly rotated position relative to the receiver 130. The longitudinal axis 312 of the bolt head 198 and longitudinal axis 296 define an angle . Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 14, one or both angles 8, a can be equal to or less than about 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 2 degrees, 1.5 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.5 degree without causing an appreciable decrease (e.g., 5%, 10%, or 15%) in the total contact (e.g., length of line contact, area of contact, etc.) between the bearing surfaces 207, 292. In one embodiment, one or both angles 8, a can be equal to or less than about 3 degrees, 2 degrees, or 1 degree. Other angles of misalignment are also possible. It is noted that components (e.g., bolt body) of the bolt mechanism are not shown in FIGS. 8-14 to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the illustrated features.
(40) FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the receiver 130 and bolt head 198. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view the receiver 130 and a bolt head 298. The bolt head 198 of FIG. 15 can be for relatively small cartridges whereas the bolt head 298 of FIG. 16 can be for relatively large cartridges. Advantageously, the bolt heads 198, 298 of FIGS. 15 and 16 can be non-floating and non-lapped to avoid problems associated with floating bolt heads (e.g., bolt heads rotatable about two axes of rotation substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bolts) and lapping lugs. Any number of bolt heads can be used with the receiver 130 without altering the receiver bearing surfaces 292a, 292b.
(41) Each receiver bearing surface 292 can have a radius of curvature r.sub.292, and each lug bearing surface 207 can have of a radius of curvature r.sub.207. In some embodiments in which the lugs 190 are partially toroidal, the radius of curvature r.sub.207 can be smaller than the radius of curvature r.sub.292. Such partially toroidal lugs 190 have a shape corresponding to a circle rotated about an axis (e.g., an axis 299 in FIG. 15). The radius of curvature r.sub.207 can be the radius of that circle and is commonly referred to as a minor radius. The distance between the axis (e.g., axis 299) about which the circle is rotated and the center the circle is commonly referred to as a major radius of a torus. In some embodiments, the receiver bearing surfaces 292 can be partially spherical surfaces. A ratio of the radii of curvature r.sub.207, r.sub.292 can be between about 0.2 and about 1.5, between about 0.25 and about 1.75, or between about 0.75 and about 1.25. In other embodiments, each of bearing surfaces 207, 292 is partially spherical, and a ratio of the radius of curvature r.sub.207 to the radius of curvature r.sub.292 can be equal to or less than about 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 0.9, or 1, or between 0.7 and about 1, between about 0.8 and about 1, or between about 0.9 and about 1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the radius of curvature r.sub.207 to the radius of curvature r.sub.292 can be in a range of about 0.3 to about 0.4. In one embodiment, for example, the ratio can be about 3.5. Other curvatures can be selected based on the desired interaction between the bolt head 198 and the receiver 130. In some embodiments, radii of curvature r.sub.207 in the distal direction (e.g., the radius of curvature taken along a plane that is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the receiver) is between about 0.5 inch to about 1 inch, between about 0.6 inch to about 0.9 inch, or between about 0.7 inch to about 0.9 inch. In certain embodiments, the radius of curvature r.sub.207 is about 0.8 inch and a major radius of that toroidal lugs 190 can be between about 0.2 inch and about 0.3 inch or between about 0.22 inch and about 0.27 inch. In one embodiment, the major radius is about 0.255 inch. The radius of curvature r.sub.292 can be between about 2 inches and 2.5 inches, between 2.1 inches and about 2.4 inches, or between about 2.2 inches and about 2.3 inches. In certain embodiments, the radius of curvature r.sub.292 is about 2.2 inches, about 2.27 inches, or about 2.3 inches. Other radii of curvature and configurations can be selected based on the desired functionality a firearm, and the radius of curvature r.sub.207 of the lug can be slightly less than the radius of curvature r.sub.292 of the receiver 130 to avoid contact along edges.
(42) FIG. 16 shows the bolt head 298 for a relatively large cartridge. Lugs 293a, 293b (collectively lugs 293) of bolt head 298 are closer to the sidewall 295 than the lugs 190a, 190b of FIG. 15. In some embodiments, the lugs 293 have lug bearing surfaces 295a, 295b defining radii of curvature r.sub.295. The r.sub.295 can be smaller than, greater than, or substantially equal to the radius of curvature r.sub.207 of FIG. 15. In some embodiments in which the lugs 293a are partially toroidal, the radius of curvature r.sub.295 can be substantially equal to the radius of curvature r.sub.207 of the lugs 190 of FIG. 15 so that the characteristics of the receiver bearing surfaces 292a, 292b can be maintained with repeated bolt cycling.
(43) FIG. 17 is an isometric view of the firearm 100, and FIG. 18 is a detailed view of a portion of the firearm 100. FIGS. 17 and 18 show the handle assembly 140 positioned for right-handed operation. The bolt mechanism 110 can be installed so that the handle assembly 140 is on either the right or left side of the firearm 100. For example, the bolt mechanism 110 can be reconfigured to switch the handle assembly 140 between right- or left-handed operation any number of times without replacing any of the components of the bolt mechanism 110, without utilizing complicated tools, etc.
(44) Referring to FIG. 18, the receiver 130 can include a camming mechanism 350 for engaging the handle assembly 140 in an open position (shown in FIGS. 17 and 18). The camming mechanism 350 can include a cam roller holder 351 and a cam roller assembly 372. The cam roller holder 351 can include an upper member 360 and a lower member 362 spaced apart to receive the cam roller assembly 372. The cam roller assembly 372 can include a pin 370 and a cam roller 373. The pin 370 can be positioned in openings formed by the upper and lower members 360, 362. Other types of camming mechanisms can also be used, if needed or desired.
(45) The handle assembly 140 can include a bolt handle 374 and a bolt knob 376. The bolt handle 374 can be an arm with extraction cam surfaces 384a, 384b. The cam roller 373 can function as a bolt stop and can be moved vertically (indicated by arrow 390) to allow for the removal of the bolt mechanism 110 from the receiver 130. When the bolt mechanism 110 is installed for right-handed operation, the cam roller 373 can physically contact the extraction cam surface 384a. When the bolt mechanism 110 is installed for left-handed operation, the cam roller 373 can physically contact the extraction cam surface 384b.
(46) FIG. 19 is an exploded isometric view of the bolt mechanism 110 and the firing pin assembly 160. Handle-receiving openings 402a, 402b are located on opposite sides of the bolt body 166. The bolt handle 374 can include a connector portion 410 with an opening 422, a body or base 424 (base 424), and shoulders 426. The opening 422 is dimensioned to receive the firing pin assembly 160 when the base 424 is positioned in the bolt body 166 and the shoulders 426 can contact an outer surface 428 of the bolt body 166. The bolt handle 374 can be moved (indicated by arrow 432) to insert the base 424 into the handle-receiving opening 402a for right-handed operation. The handle assembly illustrated in phantom line can be moved (indicated by arrow 434) to insert the base 424 into the handle-receiving opening 402b for left-handed operation. When the base 424 is positioned within the passageway 214, the firing pin assembly 160 can be moved along the passageway 214 and through the opening 422 to lock the bolt handle 374 to the bolt body 166. The striker sleeve 228 or other component of the firing pin assembly 160 can be positioned through and retain the bolt handle 374.
(47) The bolt body 166 has a two-way camming feature 440 positioned to allow the operation of the firing pin assembly 160 when the bolt handle 374 is positioned in either the handle-receiving opening 402a or the handle-receiving opening 402b. Referring to FIG. 20, the two-way camming feature 440 can include camming surfaces 446a, 446b extending from a central region 447 to stops 448a, 448b, respectively. The stop 448a can be a notch positioned to stop rotation of the bolt body 166 in the one direction, and the stop 448b can be a notch positioned to stop rotation of the bolt body 166 in the opposite direction. In some embodiments, the two-way camming feature 440 is substantially V-shape or substantially U-shape as viewed from above and can be symmetrical relative to a midplane of the bolt body 166. The configuration and features of the two-way camming feature 440 can be selected based on desired operation of the firing pin assembly 160.
(48) FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the assembled bolt mechanism 110 and firing pin assembly 160. The firing pin cam member 240 of the striker 230 can slidably engage the camming surfaces 446a, 446b to allow rotation of the bolt 162 about its longitudinal axis 470. The stop 448b (FIG. 20) can contact the firing pin cam member 240 to arrest rotation of the bolt body 166 when the bolt body 166 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction (indicated by arrow 480 in FIG. 17) during right-handed operation. The stop 448a (FIG. 20) can contact the firing pin cam member 240 to arrest rotation of the bolt body 166 in the clockwise direction (indicated by arrow 482 in FIG. 17) during left-handed operation.
(49) FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating a method 490 of reconfiguring bolt mechanisms in accordance with some embodiments. Generally, a bolt mechanism can be disassembled by lifting an extraction cam roller at the rear of the receiver and removing the bolt assembly from the receiver. Once the bolt assembly is out of the receiver, the firing pin assembly can be removed from the rear of the bolt body. The bolt handle assembly can then be removed from the bolt assembly because the firing pin assembly, which secures the bolt handle in the bolt body, is no longer retaining it. The bolt handle may then be inserted in the opposite side of the bolt body and secured by inserting the firing pin assembly back into the bolt body. The method 490 is discussed in detail below.
(50) At block 492, the stock assembly 138 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is move from a closed position (FIG. 1) to an open position (FIG. 2). A release mechanism, latches, or other features can be used to unlock and lock the stock assembly 138.
(51) At block 494, the bolt mechanism 110 and firing pin assembly 160 can be removed from the receiver 130 by rotating the handle assembly 140 of FIG. 1 upwardly until the extraction cam surface 384a (FIG. 18) contacts or is proximate to the cam roller 373. In some embodiments, the camming mechanism 350 can be moved from a locked position to an unlocked position to allow removal of the bolt mechanism 110 from the receiver 130. For example, the cam roller 373 can be moved upwardly (indicated by arrow 390 in FIG. 18) to unlock the camming mechanism 350. The bolt mechanism 110 and firing pin assembly 160 are then pulled out of the receiver 130.
(52) At block 495, the firing pin assembly 160 can be removed from the bolt mechanism 110. For example, the firing pin 220 can be pulled proximally through the bolt mechanism 110 to release the handle assembly 140. At block 496, the bolt mechanism 110 can be reconfigured for right-handed or left-handed operation as discussed in connection with FIGS. 19 and 20. At block 497, the firing pin assembly 160 can be reinstalled in the bolt mechanism 110 by inserting the firing pin 220 through the opening 422 of the bolt handle 374 and the bolt head 198. The striker sleeve 228 or other component of the firing pin assembly 160 can retain the bolt handle 374.
(53) FIG. 23 is an exploded view of an isolated barrel-receiver assembly 500.
(54) The receiver 130 can preserve the relationship between a sight (e.g., a telescopic sight mounted to the rail 272) and the barrel 120, both of which can be part of or affixed to the receiver 130. The barrel-receiver assembly 500 can be configured such that the receiver 130 does not undergo any deformation that can adversely affect this relationship prior to a firing event. As such, the scope-barrel relationship can be maintained from shot to shot. In some embodiments, the barrel-receiver assembly 500 can substantially prevent, reduce, or limit deformation of the firearm 100 to provide better accuracy than conventional firearms. The receiver 130 can avoid deformation when external forces are applied to the stock assembly 138. Such forces can stem from the use of a bipod or a sling in order to steady the firearm for an accurately placed shot. Changes in temperature can also impart forces due to differential growth rates between connected parts made from dissimilar materials, such as a steel of the receiver 130 and aluminum of the stock assembly 138. The barrel-receiver assembly 500 can be configured to avoid transferring forces from the stock assembly 138 to the receiver 130 that would otherwise bend the receiver 130 and, as a result, adversely affect the relationship between the receiver 130 and one or both of the telescopic sight and the barrel 120.
(55) The barrel-receiver assembly 500 can include a pin assembly 512 and a link assembly 514. The pin assembly 512 is positioned between an end 513 of the barrel 120 through which a projectile exits the firearm 100 and the link assembly 514. The link assembly 514 is configured to accommodate axial displacement (e.g., displacement in a direction parallel to a bore axis of the firearm 100) between the receiver 130 and a chassis assembly 522. The pin assembly 512 can rotatably couple a bracket 520 of the receiver 130 to the chassis assembly 522 and can include a pin 530, a washer 532, and a bolt 534. The pin 530 is dimensioned to pass through openings 536 of the chassis assembly 522. The link assembly 514 can include an upper pin 561 coupleable to a bracket 544 of the receiver 130, a lower pin 560 couplable to the chassis assembly 522, and a link 562. The upper pin 561 can be positioned in an opening 570 of the bracket 544 of the receiver 130 and an opening 580 of the link 562. The lower pin 560 can be positioned in openings 581 of the chassis assembly 522 and an opening 582 of the link 562. Each of the installed pins 530, 560, 561 be generally cylindrical and can have a longitudinal axis or revolution axis that is generally perpendicular to the midplane of the firearm 100. For example, each pin 530, 560, 561 can have a longitudinal axis that is generally perpendicular to an vertical plane extending along the bore axis of the firearm 100.
(56) Other connections can be used. In some embodiments, the link 562 can have spherical bearings at both ends effectively making in a two force member to limit that moments that can be imparted upon the receiver 130 in order to minimize, limit, or substantially prevent bending of the receiver 130. The connections disclosed herein can also be used to isolate other components. For example, connections can be used to provided isolated receiver-bolt connections.
(57) The embodiments, features, extractors, bolt mechanisms, methods and techniques described herein may, in some embodiments, be similar to and/or include any one or more of the embodiments, features, firing components, systems, devices, materials, methods and techniques described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,743,543; U.S. Pat. No. 8,572,885; application Ser. No. 13/771,021, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/600,477; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/602,520. U.S. Pat. No. 7,743,543, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/771,021, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/600,477; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/602,520 are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In addition, the embodiments, features, systems, devices, materials, methods and techniques described herein may, in certain embodiments, be applied to or used in connection with any one or more of the embodiments, firearms, features, systems, devices, materials, methods and techniques disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,743,543; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/600,477; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/602,520. The bolt mechanisms and other features disclosed herein can be incorporated in into a wide range of different firearms (e.g., rifle, pistol, or other portable guns) to receive cartridges and removing empty cartridge shells.
(58) From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of at least some embodiments of the invention. Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural or singular term, respectively. Unless the word or is associated with an express clause indicating that the word should be limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the other items in reference to a list of two or more items, then the use of or in such a list shall be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. The singular forms a, an, and the include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a spring refers to one or more springs, such as two or more springs, three or more springs, or four or more springs.
(59) These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
