Patent ID: 9494378
Filing Date: 2016-11-15
CPC Classification: F41A

Claim Text:
1. A firearm with an ambidextrously operated bolt catch assembly, comprising: a receiver; a bolt carrier group having a bolt; and a bolt catch assembly including, a bolt engagement leg configured for moving between a displaced position in which said bolt engagement leg engages the bolt of the firearm to hold the bolt in a locked-back position, and a static position in which said bolt engagement leg moves out of a path of said bolt to allow the bolt carrier group to go to a battery position; a primary bolt catch operating lever located on one side of the receiver and operably connected to the bolt engagement leg; a secondary bolt catch operating lever located on an opposing side of the receiver, said secondary bolt catch operating lever is connected to a lift arm by a rotating shaft which extends therebetween, wherein the rotating shaft is a separate component from the secondary bolt catch operating lever and wherein the rotating shaft is housed in a through hole in a wall of the receiver, wherein the through hole is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of a barrel, thereby avoiding exposure of the rotating shaft to an inside of the receiver housing a trigger group, and wherein the combination of said rotating shaft and said lift arm place said secondary bolt catch into operational contact with the bolt engagement leg; each of said operating levers has a primary contact surface and a secondary contact surface, said operating levers being configured so that when force is independently placed on the primary contact surface of either operating lever, the primary contact surfaces of both operating levers are rotated towards the receiver and the bolt engagement leg is moved into the static position, and wherein said secondary bolt catch operating lever is configured so that when force is independently placed on the primary contact surface of the secondary bolt catch operating lever the secondary bolt catch operating lever rotates around a longitudinal axis of the rotating shaft; and each of said operating levers are configured so that when force is independently placed on the secondary contact surface of either operating lever, the secondary contact surfaces of both operating levers are rotated towards the receiver and the bolt engagement leg is moved into the displaced position.