Pistol with indicator for the loading state of the magazine

Abstract

 A pistol magazine having side walls with upper lips, a follower with depending guide means forming together a follower unit, and spring means biasing the follower unit towards said upper lips, characterized by a retractable finger projecting laterally from said follower unit and a longitudinal slot in one of said side walls which faces said retractable finger so located that said finger may project therethrough.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a pistol provided with indicator means designed to show in the course of operation the extent to which the gun magazine is still loaded.

[0002] In protracted pistol-firing incidents combatants may find themselves in need of replacing an empty magazine. In the tenseness of ongoing shooting an empty magazine situation may, and often does, come unexpectedly and puts a combatant at a tactical disadvantage. While this problem is well known, no solution has yet been found and it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a magazine with visual indicator means adapted to show the user the extent to which the magazine is still loaded. It is a further object of the invention to provide a pistol suitable for operation with such a magazine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a pistol magazine having side walls with upper lips, a follower with depending guide means forming together a follower unit, and spring means biasing the follower unit towards said upper lips, characterized by a retractable finger projecting laterally from said follower unit and a longitudinal slot in one of said side walls which faces said retractable finger so located that the finger may project therethrough.

[0004] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention the magazine is rectangular prismatic and said retractable finger is springily biased into the emerging position and has a slanted lower side serving as gliding surface.

[0005] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention the magazine has an upper, trapezoidally profiled portion having at least one slanting lateral wall portion which includes said longitudinal slot, and said finger is integral with said follower unit and is so dimensioned that it stops short from emerging through the slot near the lower end thereof.

[0006] The invention further provides a pistol having a grip accommodating a magazine chamber and fitted with side walls, characterized in that one of said side walls has a groove extending downward from an upper edge thereof and accommodating a downward biased indicator slide fitted with means for engagement by said retractable finger of the magazine when it projects through said slot, whereby the indicator slide is pushed upward as the finger moves up.

[0007] By another aspect the invention provides a side wall for a pistol magazine chamber, characterized by having a groove extending downward from an upper edge thereof and accommodating a downward biased indicator slide fitted with means for engagement by said retractable finger of the magazine when it projects through said slot.

[0008] Still further, the invention provides a kit comprising a pistol, a magazine and a magazine chamber side wall, all as specified.

[0009] When the magazine according to the invention is empty, the finger of the magazine projects through the slot in the magazine wall. When an empty magazine is withdrawn the indicator slide moves automatically down due to its downward bias. When a withdrawn empty magazine is loaded and the follower is depressed, the finger is guided into the retracted position. In the course of shooting, as the follower gradually rises, the finger at some stage emerges through the slot in the side wall of the magazine and engages the indicator slide located in the magazine chamber side wall. As the shooting progresses and the magazine is gradually emptied, the finger continues to push the indicator slide upward against the downward bias thereof whereby the indicator slide emerges beyond the upper edge of the magazine side wall, showing the operator that his magazine is about to be emptied.

[0010] If desired, the indicator slide may be calibrated so as to indicate to the user the mumber of rounds of ammunition let in the magazine.

[0011] With a pistol according to the invention, the user is in a position to assess his situation before the magazine is totally emptied and to replace it timely.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] For better understanding, the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a pistol and magazine according to the invention with the magazine partly broken open;

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the magazine and associated magazine chamber side will portion in a pistol according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the pistol of Fig. 1 showing the indicator slide at its uppermost position;

Fig. 4 is an axonometric illustration of another embodiment of a magazine according to the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section of the magazine and associated magazine chamber side wall portion in a pistol according to Fig. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT

[0013] The pistol according to the invention here shown comprises a housing 1 with grip 2 accommodating a magazine chamber 3 and having a removable side wall 4 fitted on its inner side with a longitudinal groove 5 opening into the upper edge 6 of the side wall.

[0014] Groove 5 accommodates an indicator slide 7 fitted at its lower end portion with a bracket 8 engaged from above by arm 9 of a helical spring 10 whereby slide 7 is biased downward.

[0015] Magazine 12 is rectangular prismatic with essentially the same rectangular cross-section along essentially its entire height. The magazine has a follower unit 13 comprised of follower 14 and integral, depending guide members 15 and 16 which are parallel to the narrow side walls. Guide member 16 is fitted with a spring-loaded finger 17 having a lower, gliding surface 18 and being mounted within a socket 19. The follower unit 13 rests on a helical spring 20 which is compressed as the magazine is loaded and which in the compressed state biases the follower unit upwards.

[0016] The magazine broad side wall 21 which is on the side of the retractable finger 17, comprises a longitudinal slot 22 and in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which the retractable finger 17 is located opposite slot 22, the finger emerges across the slot.

[0017] Groove 5 extends down to a level slightly above the lower edge of slot 22 such that when finger 17 emerges near the lower edge of the slot, the emerging portion is located underneath bracket 8 of indicator slide 7. Consequently, as finger 17 rises by the upward urge of compression spring 20 which expands as the magazine is gradually emptied, follower unit 13 with finger 17 moves up pushing the indicator slide 7 up so as to emerge eventually beyond the upper edge 6 of side wall 4 as shown in Fig. 3.

[0018] When magazine 12 is withdrawn from chamber 3, spring 10 through its arm 9, pushes the indicator slide down, thereby readying it for a new operational cycle with a fresh, fully loaded magazine.

[0019] When an empty magazine 12 is loaded, finger 17 is gradually depressed and when the lower gliding surface 18 thereof reaches the lower edge of slot 22 the finger is guided into the fully extracted position and the follower unit 13 can be further depressed until the magazine is fully loaded.

[0020] Attention is now directed to Figs. 4 and 5 which show another embodiment of a magazine according to the invention. In this embodiment magazine 25 has an upper trapezoidal section 26 and likewise guide member 27 of the follower unit and the opposite guide member (not shown) have each an upper trapezoidally shaped section 28. The upper trapezoidal section 28 of guide member 27 has an integral finger 29 which when located in the region of the upper, trapezoidal section 26 of magazine 25 emerges through a slot 30 in the latter.

[0021] The design of the magazine chamber is the same as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 and the various components are designated by the same numerals. The bracket 8' in the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 is slightly longer than bracket 8 in Figs. 1 to 3, to make allowance for the fact that in accordance with Figs. 4 and 5 finger 29 is shorter and does not penetrate into groove 5.

[0022] Similar as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, as the magazine is emptied and the follower unit rises, finger 29 gradually emerges through slot 30 engaging bracket 8' from below and thereby pushing up the indicator slide 7. This position is shown in Fig. 5 where the indicator slide 7 is shown in the emerging position which corresponds to a raised position of the follower unit in which the trapezoidal portion 28 of the follower member 27 is located in the trapezoidal section 26 of magazine 25. As shown, in that position finger 29 emerges through slot 30.

[0023] When the emptied magazine is withdrawn, indicator slide automatically returns to its lowermost position. By loading the withdrawn magazine the follower unit is depressed and due to the geometry of the magazine finger 29 is gradually withdrawn into the interior and is completely retracted when it reaches the lower edge of slot 30.

Claims

1. A pistol magazine (12) having side walls (21) with upper lips, a follower (14) with depending guide means (27) forming together a follower unit (13), and spring means (20) biasing the follower unit towards said upper lips, characterized by a retractable finger (17) projecting laterally from said follower unit (13) and a longitudinal slot (22) in one of said side walls which faces said retractable finger so located that said finger may project therethrough.

2. A pistol magazine (12) according to Claim 1, being of rectangular prismatic shape, wherein said retractable finger (17) is springily biased into the emerging position and has a slanted lower side serving as gliding surface (18).

3. A pistol magazine according to Claim 1 having an upper, trapezoidally profiled portion (26) having at least one slanting lateral wall portion, characterized in that one of said at least one slanting lateral wall portion includes said longitudinal slot (30), and said finger (29) is integral with said follower unit and is so dimensioned that it stops short from emerging through the slot near the lower end thereof.

4. A pistol suitable for operation with a magazine as defined in Claim 1, having a grip (2) accommodating a magazine chamber (3) and fitted with side walls (4), characterized in that one of said side walls (4) has a groove (5) extending downward from an upper edge (6) thereof and accommodating a downward biased indicator slide (7) fitted with means (8) for engagement by said retractable finger (17) of the magazine when it projects through said slot (22), whereby the indicator slide (7) is pushed upward as the finger moves up.

5. A side wall (4) for a magazine chamber (3) of a pistol according to Claim 4, characterized by having a groove (5)extending downward from an upper edge (6) thereof and accommodating a downward biased indicator slide (7) fitted with means (8) for engagement by said retractable finger of the magazine when it projects through said slot (22).

6. A kit comprising:
a pistol magazine (12) having side walls (21) with upper lips, a follower (14) with depending guide means (15) forming together a follower unit (13), and spring means (20) biasing the follower unit (13) towards said upper lips having a retractable finger (17) projecting laterally from said follower unit and a longitudinal slot (22) in one of said side walls (21) which faces said retractable finger (17) so located that said finger may project therethrough;
a pistol having a grip (2) accommodating a magazine chamber (3) and fitted with side walls (4),one of said side walls has a groove (5) extending downward from an upper edge (6) thereof and accommodating a downward biased indicator slide (7) fitted with means for engagement (8) by said retractable finger of the magazine when it projects through said slot (22), whereby the indicator slide (7) is pushed upward as the finger (17) moves up; and
a side wall (4) for a magazine chamber (3) of said pistol, having a groove (5) extending downward from an upper edge (6) thereof and accommodating a downward biased indicator slide (7) fitted with means (8) for engagement by said retractable finger (17) of the magazine when it projects through said slot(22).

Drawing