Abstract:
A cartridge containment device and method is designed to contain or catch unfired cartridges ejected from an automatic or semi-automatic firearm during unloading. To accomplish this, a cartridge containment box having an open top and otherwise configured with the general external configuration of a standard cartridge magazine is inserted into the firearm in place of the cartridge magazine. A blocking plate is attached to the cartridge containment box; and when the box is inserted into the firearm, the blocking plate is located adjacent the ejection port of the firearm, and prevents cartridges from being expelled therefrom. The cartridges then drop into the containment box for removal from the firearm.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to a device and method for containing an unfired cartridge when it is ejected from an automatic or semi-automatic firearm. The conventional process of unloading a semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm generally follows the steps of first pointing the firearm in a safe direction, or into a clearing device. The cartridge magazine then is removed from the firearm. Next, the bolt is pulled back to eject the unfired cartridge from the chamber. 
     Presently, the unfired cartridge is ejected from the firearm onto the floor or ground, resulting in the possibility of damage to the cartridge or contamination of the cartridge. There also is a possibility of the cartridge being detonated by an object (such as a small sharp stone) when the cartridge hits the ground. 
     After the cartridge is ejected, the bolt closes automatically when released by the operator. Typically, the person clearing or unloading the firearm then reopens the bolt and holds it open to ensure that the firearm is indeed clear by means of a visual inspection. The operator then releases the bolt once again; and the firearm is closed. 
     In normal operation of automatic or semi-automatic firearms, a spring loaded catch in the magazine presses against a bolt retaining latch in the firearm to hold the bolt open after the last round has been fired. This allows for immediate reloading by insertion of a new magazine without requiring the operator to cycle the bolt to chamber another round. When a partially full magazine is removed from a firearm, however, the bolt retaining latch is not engaged; so that the ejection of the round in the firing chamber from the firearm normally results in an automatic reclosing of the bolt, as described above. 
     It is desirable to provide a cartridge containment device and method for capturing and containing an unfired cartridge from the firing chamber of a firearm when the firearm is unloaded. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a cartridge containment device and method. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide cartridge containment device and method for capturing and containing an unfired cartridge from an automatic or semi-automatic firearm during unloading of the firearm. 
     It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved cartridge containment device which replaces the cartridge magazine of a semi-automatic or automatic firearm to capture an unfired cartridge from the firing chamber during the unloading process. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved catching and containment device for an unfired cartridge during the unloading of an automatic or semi-automatic firearm which prevents ejection of the cartridge from the firearm and places the unfired cartridge in the containment device. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a device for catching and containing a cartridge during the unloading of a pump-action, automatic or semi-automatic magazine-fed firearm having an ejection port (with or without an ejection port cover) includes a cartridge containment box. The containment box has an open top and is enclosed on all of its other sides. It is configured, at least in the top portion thereof, to the general configuration of a cartridge magazine used with the particular firearm with which it is to be used. The open top underlies the loading/ejection chamber of the firearm. A plate is spaced from and attached to the cartridge containment box, and extends upwardly to overlie the ejection port of the firearm to prevent a cartridge from being ejected therefrom and to cause the cartridge to fall into the containment box. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a semi-automatic firearm of the type with which a preferred embodiment of the invention is used showing the manner of insertion of a cartridge magazine; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the firearm of FIG. 1 showing the removal of a cartridge magazine; 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate features of operation of a standard firearm of the type shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the use of a preferred embodiment of the invention with the firearm of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of a standard prior art cartridge magazine; and 
     FIG. 8 is an opposite side view of the embodiment shown in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference now should be made to the drawings in which the same or similar reference numbers are used throughout the different figures to designate the same components. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional automatic or semi-automatic firearm  10 , which (by way of example) may be an AR-15 or M-16 firearm. Such a firearm  10  includes a barrel portion  14  and a magazine receiving portion  12  for insertion of a cartridge magazine  20  through a cartridge receiving opening  15  in the bottom of the firearm just forward of the trigger housing. The loading/ejection chamber of the firearm is located immediately above the top of a cartridge magazine  20  when it is fully inserted into the firearm  10  as shown in FIG.  1 . An ejection port  16  also is located in alignment with the top of the standard cartridge magazine  20  when it is inserted into the firearm. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 2, the cartridge magazine  20  may be removed completely from the firearm by releasing it and pulling it downwardly out of the cartridge receiving port  15 . If the cartridge magazine  20  is removed from the firearm, as illustrated in FIG. 2, prior to the firing of the last cartridge in the magazine  20 , there will remain a cartridge in the firing chamber of the firearm, even though the magazine  20  has been removed. 
     As mentioned above, the cartridge magazine  20  first is removed, as shown in FIG. 2, prior to unloading the firearm. Then, the bolt is pulled back to eject an unfired cartridge  24  shown in FIG. 3A from the firing chamber through the ejection port  16  located in the side of the firearm just above the trigger housing. FIG. 3A illustrates the position of the unfired cartridge  16  at the time the bolt is pulled back and the ejection port  16  is opened. In the standard unloading of such a firearm, the cartridge  24  then is ejected through the ejection port  16  onto the floor or ground, as illustrated in FIG.  3 B. As mentioned above, this is an undesirable event, but one which has been tolerated as necessary in the past. 
     In order to prevent the uncontrolled ejection of the cartridge  24  when the firearm is being unloaded for storage and carrying, the cartridge containment device which is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 5,  6  and  8 , and which is diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, has been devised. Basically, the cartridge containment device  30  has the same general configuration as the standard cartridge magazine  20  used with the firearm. 
     The external dimensions of the containment device  30  are configured to conform with those of a standard cartridge magazine; so that the containment device  30  fits into the firearm cartridge receiving region  12  in exactly the same manner as a standard cartridge magazine  20 . The containment device  30 , however, unlike a cartridge magazine, basically comprises an empty box which replaces the magazine  20 . The containment box does not contain the internal spring platform of a standard magazine  20  which is used to press cartridges in the magazine  20  upwardly into position for insertion into the firing chamber of the firearm. The box basically is an empty box. 
     In addition, the containment device  30  includes a substantially rectangular flat plate  32 , which is spaced from the side of the cartridge containment device on the same side of the firearm as the ejection port  16 . The plate  32  is parallel to the box of the cartridge containment device  30 ; so that when the containment device  30  is inserted into the firearm in the same manner as a cartridge magazine, the plate  32  overlies the outside of the firearm. The upper portion extends over the ejection port  16 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 A. This position also prevents the ejection port cover  17  from fully opening. The space between the outside surface of the box of the containment device  30  and the inner surface of the plate  32  is provided by an extension or leg  35 , which attaches the plate  32  to the bottom of the containment box, as illustrated most clearly in FIG.  6 . 
     As shown in FIG. 8, the top of the cartridge containment device  30  located toward the rear of the firearm includes a curved or angled leading edge  34 . This edge pushes open the magazine catch (not shown) of the firearm to allow the containment device  30  to be easily inserted into the firearm until the catch (not shown) of the firearm enters a retaining hole  50  on the left-hand side of the cartridge containment device (FIG. 6) and as clearly shown on the side illustrated in FIG.  8 . The function of this process is identical to the insertion of an actual cartridge magazine  20  into the firearm; and the external dimensions of the surface  34  and the location of the retaining hole  50  are substantially duplicates of similar components of a standard cartridge magazine  20 . 
     At the rear of the cartridge containment device  30 , there is a spring actuated plunger  36  which is carried in a channel  38  formed in the rear end wall of the cartridge containment device  30 . A compression spring  40  is located at the lower end of the plunger  36  to push the plunger up and against the bolt retaining latch (not shown) of the firearm  10 . When the bolt of the firearm  10  is opened and pulled back beyond the latch, the plunger  36  is pressed upwardly by the spring  40  to push the latch into the return path of the spring loaded bolt of the firearm. This causes the bolt to be held open by pushing against the latch, and the plunger  36  is no longer required. Thus, the cartridge containment device  30  may be removed from the firearm in the same manner as a standard cartridge magazine  20  is removed. This then allows visual inspection of the firearm through the open ejection port  16  (FIG. 4B) to ensure that the firing chamber has been cleared of any live cartridge. 
     As noted above, some semi-automatic and automatic firearms, such as the AR-15 and M-16, have the spring loaded cover  17  over the ejection port  16  which protects the bolt and receiver area of the firearm from contamination. The cover  17  snaps open when the bolt is opened (pulled rearward), to allow the ejected cartridge  24  to clear the firearm. When the cartridge containment  30  is positioned as shown in FIG. 4A, the plate  32 , which extends upwardly over the ejection port  16 , prevents the cover  17  of such firearms from fully opening, which further blocks the cartridge  24  from exiting the firearm. As a consequence, the cartridge  24  falls into the bottom of the containment device, as shown in FIG. 4B, allowing its controlled removal from the firearm for subsequent reloading into a new standard cartridge magazine  20 , or for other storage as desired. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the same orientation of a standard cartridge magazine  20  as shown for the orientation of the cartridge containment device  30  illustrated in FIG.  5 . The standard magazine has an upper front edge  23  which is typically higher than the top edge  33  of the front side of the cartridge containment device, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Typically, the edge  23  is at the same height as the upper portion of the curved or angled edge  34  shown in the device of FIGS. 5 and 6. For a standard cartridge magazine  20 , this is done to facilitate and align the cartridges into the firing chamber for contact by the bolt as it moves forward over the top of the magazine  20 . When the last cartridge of a magazine, such as the magazine  20 , has been inserted into the firing chamber of the firearm and the bolt once again returns, a tab  25  on the top of the spring loaded platform in the magazine  20  pushes up against the bolt retaining latch to hold the bolt open. Thus, when an empty magazine  20  is removed, the bolt is in its rearmost or open position, facilitating the insertion of a new, fully loaded cartridge without requiring an extra step of pulling the bolt back. It is this same action which is effected by the spring actuated plunger  36  of the device  30  to allow the cartridge containment device  30  to be removed from the firearm, leaving the ejection port open and the bolt back for the visual inspection discussed above. No modification to the firearm  10  itself is necessary to utilize the preferred embodiment of the invention described above. Nothing whatsoever needs to be done in any way to change the firearm to accommodate the cartridge containment device  30  which has been described and shown. 
     The preferred embodiment of the invention which has been described above and which is shown in the drawings, is to be considered as illustrative and not as limiting. The containment device  30  may be constructed of metal, molded plastic or other composite materials to suit the particular operating environment in which the device is to be used. Various other changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art for performing substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve substantially the same result without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.