Conversion kit for assault rifle and converted rifle of compact configuration

An assault rifle is converted from an original to a modified configuration having a remote trigger located forwardly of the magazine by mounting a remote forward trigger to the original rifle by means of a pair of shroud pieces which cradle the rifle's receiver, replacing the original removable trigger of the assault rifle with a replacement lever, providing a cam element movable within cam guides defined in the shroud pieces and connecting the cam element to the remote forward trigger so as to move the cam into engagement with the replacement lever upon actuation of the remote forward trigger. The parts required for conversion are readily detachable from the rifle to thereby return the weapon to its original configuration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention pertains generally to the field of fire arms and more 
particularly relates to a kit of parts for converting an assault rifle to 
a more compact configuration having improved handling characteristics and 
to the novel gun obtained by such conversion. 
2. State of the Prior Art 
The applicant is aware of the following prior art in connection with the 
presently disclosed invention. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,872 issued to Davis on Oct. 12, 1971 discloses a 
compact automatic rifle provided with a forward trigger mounted at the 
muzzle end of the gun and connected to the trigger-sear mechanism by a 
pair of cables which pass about opposite sides of the cartridge magazine. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,398 issued to Crouch on Feb. 7, 1961 discloses a 
shotgun converted by addition of a forward assembly and a single rod 
connecting the forward trigger to the original sear of the shotgun. The 
original trigger is removed in the conversion. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,386,247 issued to Fordyce on Aug. 2, 1921 shows a gun 
provided with a forward trigger assembly and a linkage rod directly 
connecting the forward trigger to the rear trigger. The connecting rod 
operates the rear trigger in a manner analogous to that of a finger, i.e., 
by pushing back on the trigger. 
The applicant is further aware of the following design patents showing 
compact rifle or shotgun weapons distinguished by having the trigger 
mechanism mounted forwardly of the magazine or near the fore end of the 
receiver. 
______________________________________ 
U.S. Pat. No. 
Patentee Issue Date 
______________________________________ 
Des. 251,979 Hance May 29, 1979 
Des. 289,669 Leek et al January 31, 1961 
Des. 212,219 Crouch September 17, 1968 
______________________________________ 
The following patents are also made of record: 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,736 to Ingram issued Mar. 28, 1972 and U.S. Pat. No. 
3,611,607 and Donnell on Oct. 12, 1971 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a conversion of certain assault rifles and 
particularly concerns conversion of the German made Heckler and Koch G-3 
series rifles as well as the Belgian FN-FAL rifles. These rifles have 
similar trigger mechanisms as well as certain other common features which 
enable conversion of either type of rifle in accordance to the present 
invention. Thus, while the description below primarily refers to the 
Heckler and Koch rifles and particularly to the H & K model 91, it is 
understood that the invention includes conversion of the aforementioned 
FN-FAL guns, as well as other makes of guns having appropriate original 
trigger mechanisms. 
The Heckler and Koch rifles presently available include a number of 
variations such as the HK33, .233 caliber, with standard stock and the HK 
G-3 7.62 mm NATO caliber with standard stock. Civilian semi-automatic 
versions of the G-3 are also sold as the HK91A2 (standard stock) HK91A3 
(retractable stock), as well as the HK91A2 and HK93A3. The military 
versions of the Heckler and Koch rifles are presently used by the armed 
forces of some 28 nations. The civilian models have also proven very 
popular, with an estimated 250,000 rifles in private hands in the United 
States alone. Since all the aforementioned HK models are variations on the 
basic H&K system and have similar trigger mechanisms and other features in 
common, the conversion disclosed herein is equally applicable to any of 
these models. 
The present invention achieves an overall improvement in the handling 
characteristics of the rifle without otherwise affecting the normal 
operation and effectiveness of the weapon. In general, the shoulder stock 
may be replaced with a recoil pad and the trigger is moved from its 
original location behind the cartridge magazine to a remote position 
forwardly of the magazine, to thereby obtain a reduction in the overall 
length of the rifle. The rifle to be converted in its original 
configuration includes a receiver, a magazine well in the receiver, and a 
trigger group mounted in the receiver. The trigger group includes a spring 
driven hammer, a sear for locking the hammer in cocked position, and a 
original trigger pivotable for moving the sear to thereby release the 
hammer against a firing pin. 
The conversion kit includes a remote trigger assembly including means for 
mounting the trigger assembly to the rifle at a location forwardly of the 
magazine well. A cam such as a cylindrical pin or roller is provided and 
connected to the remote trigger assembly by linkage members such that when 
the remote trigger lever is pulled, the cam is urged into camming 
engagement with a trigger lever which may be the original trigger unit in 
the trigger group of the rifle. Preferably, however,, the kit comprises a 
replacement trigger lever provided with a special camming surface. The 
replacement trigger lever is readily interchangeable with the original 
trigger and interfits with the sear in the same manner as the original 
trigger. The kit is assembled such that the cam can be urged into camming 
engagement with the camming surface when the remote trigger is pulled, 
causing the replacement trigger lever to pivot, thereby moving the sear 
out of locking engagement with the hammer and releasing the hammer against 
the firing pin. The kit may also comprise a pair of shroud pieces which 
cradle the receiver of the rifle and support the remote trigger assembly 
which is mounted between the two shroud pieces. The linkage members 
include a pair of preferably rigid transfer bars which are connected at 
their forward ends to the remote trigger assembly so as to be moved 
forward the remote trigger is pulled. The cam is supported between the 
rear ends of the transfer bars and is thus urged forward against the 
camming surface as a result of the remote trigger movement. The cam may be 
guided in its displacement by a pair of horizontal slots defined in the 
shroud pieces mounted to each side of the receiver. The transfer bars are 
shaped so as to extend along the sides of hte receiver but out of the way 
of the opening of the magazine well so as not to interfere with the normal 
insertion of cartridge magazines into the well. The transfer bars are 
protected by the shroud pieces and extend within a space defined between 
the receiver and the left and right shroud pieces. 
In the interest of economy and a reduction in the number of parts required 
for the overall system, the original trigger of the rifle may be used in 
the remote trigger assembly when the replacement trigger lever is mounted 
in its place in the original trigger group in the receiver. The conversion 
may be completed by replacing the shoulder stock with a recoil pad which 
mounts to the back plate of the receiver and may also be secured to the 
rear ends of the shroud pieces to further secure these. 
In this manner a novel rifle of compact configuration and having improved 
handling characteristics may be readily constructed by converting existing 
factory assembled rifles of proven performance and recognized quality. The 
conversion can be carried out readily and with minimal hand tooling. The 
field stripping capability of the rifle is not affected by the conversion 
and the converted weapon can be equally readily converted back to its 
original configuration. 
The use of the transfer bar and cam arrangement approximates the leverage 
of the original trigger mechanism while at the same time producing a 
smoother acting and more readily adjustable trigger. The H&K rifles in 
particular, are known for a somewhat heavy trigger pull, in the range of 8 
to 10 lbs., which is not adjustable in the original weapon. The remote 
trigger assembly of this invention, however, may include means for 
adjusting the pull force required for movement of the remote trigger. 
The H&K rifles also have a normal center of balance which is located in the 
vicinity of the ejection port, a point forward of the pistol grip provided 
in the original rifle. The guns are therefore somewhat fore end heavy. 
Following the conversion the pistol grip is removed and the cartridge 
magazine serves as a grip or a palmer, so that the shooter's trigger hand 
is moved forward along the receiver to a point nearer the weapon's center 
of balance. The rifles converted according to the present invention are 
particularly suited for use in cramped quarters, such as by tank or 
aircraft crews, as well as for guard duty in embassies and the like. The 
converted rifle may be carried conveniently alongside the body, muzzle 
down and the recoil pad up against the armpit, the arm extended downwardly 
with the fingers curled around the front of the remote trigger housing. 
The weapon may be thus held only by the shooting hand and supported 
between the arm and the body of the person, the arm being relaxed except 
for the hand holding onto the trigger housing. The rifle may be brought to 
firing position simply by raising the arm to a horizontal position with 
the butt end of the weapon pivoting against the armpit and shoulder. 
Although the converted rifle is reduced in overall length, neither the 
operating characteristics nor the effectiveness of the rifle are impaired 
or in any way affected by the conversion so that the capabilities of a 
full size assault rifle are retained. 
In the modified rifle of larger caliber, the size of the cartridge magazine 
does not lend itself to convenient use as a grip for most individuals. It 
may be more convenient to rest the palm of the hand against the side of 
the magazine while curling the third, fourth and fifth fingers of the 
shooting hand around the front of the magazine, with the index finger 
curling around the remote trigger. In the case of the smaller caliber 
weapons, e.g., the .233 models, the size of the magazine is small enough 
to allow convenient use of the magazine as a hand grip. 
The component parts of the conversion kit are of simple and reliable design 
such that preformance and reliability of the weapon are not degraded. The 
kit components may be manufactured of a variety of materials and may 
include metal stampings, metal castings, machined metal parts as well as 
parts made of synthetic or composite materials including plastics or 
graphite composites. 
A novel kit of parts is disclosed for conversion of an existing rifle to a 
new compact configuration having improved handling characteristics, by the 
novel method described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
The H&K 91 rifle 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 in it original configuration 
includes a receiver 12, a barrel 14 attached to the fore end of the 
receiver, a shoulder stock 16 removably affixed to the rear end of the 
receiver, a pistol grip assembly 18 also removable from the receiver, and 
a magazine well 20 defined by a shaft 19, in which may be inserted a 
cartridge magazine 22. An optional quick magazine release lever 15 is also 
shown. The rifle illustrated is typical of the H&K weapons system in that 
it can be easily field stripped by removing certain retaining pins. For 
example, the shoulder stock 16 and the rear plate 17 can be separated from 
the receiver by removal of the two pins 24 and 26. Once the shoulder stock 
has been removed the rear end of the pistol grip assembly is freed and may 
be separated from the receiver upon removal of the locking pin 28. The 
grip assembly has mounted to its upper part the trigger assembly mechanism 
including the original trigger 30. 
The rifle of FIG. 1 converted according to the present invention is 
illustrated in FIG. 2. As can be seen, the overall length of the rifle has 
been shortened considerably, primarily by removal of the shoulder stock 
16. In its place, a recoil pad 32 has been secured to the rear of the 
receiver. The presently preferred method of attachment of the recoil pad 
is by threaded fasteners passing through the back plate of the receiver, 
originally used to hold the shoulder stock. These fasteners are accessible 
when the shoulder stock 16 and the back plate 17 are detached from the 
receiver 12. The back plate is then reattached to the receiver by means of 
the pins 24 and 26. A remote trigger assembly 34 is shown installed at a 
location forwardly of the magazine well. The magazine well is obscured in 
FIG. 2 by the shroud piece 90A, but lies above the cartridge magazine 22. 
With particular reference to FIG. 3, the original trigger mechanism 35 
includes a unitary case 36 within which the components of the trigger 
mechanism are mounted. The case is removable from the original pistol grip 
as a unit simply by extracting the safety-selector pin 38. The trigger 
mechanism includes a hammer 40 pivoted at 42 and driven by a coil 
spring/plunger assembly 44. The hammer 40 is shown in FIG. 3 locked in its 
cocked position. The hammer is retained in this position by engagement of 
the upper front edge of the sear 46 with the notch 48 of the hammer. The 
sear is movable by the trigger so as to depress the front of the sear 46 
to thereby release the hammer 40 which is urged by the spring/plunger 44 
against the firing pin 50 extending from the rear end of the bolt 52. The 
sear 46 is movable by the trigger 30, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. The 
original trigger 30 has an upper portion pivoted at pin 56. The pivot pin 
56 extends through the case 36 and also extends through the sear 46. The 
trigger also includes a rearwardly extending portion 58 in which is 
defined a notch 60. The v-notch 60 cooperates with the safety pin 38 which 
may be rotated bewteen a Safe position and a Fire position. In the 
position shown in FIG. 3, the pin 38 is in the Safe position such that the 
solid portion 39 of the pin abutts against the trigger and locks the 
trigger against pivotal movement. When the safety pin 38 is rotated in a 
clockwise direction to a Fire positon, the notch receives a portion of the 
safety pin, allowing the trigger to pivot upwardly, and thereby moving the 
sear 46 out of locking engagement with the hammer 40. The trigger is urged 
towards a normal forward position by the trigger spring 62 while the 
forward end of the sear 46 is normally urged upwardly by the elbow spring 
64 through the roller 65. 
For purposes of conversion of the rifle it is preferred that the original 
trigger 30 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 be removed from the trigger 
mechanism 35 and replaced with a trigger lever 66 having the configuration 
shown in solid lines superimposed on the phantom line of the original 
trigger. The replacement trigger lever 66 may have an upper portion 68 
substantially identical to that of the upper portion of the original 
trigger. Thus it is constructed to receive the original sear 46 which is 
removed from the original trigger and assembled with the replacement lever 
66. Similarly, a rear portion 58 may be provided for cooperating with the 
pin 38 in the manner previously described. The replacement trigger lever 
66, however, differs from the original trigger 30 in that it is provided 
with a forwardly extending arm 70. The arm 70 extends in a generally 
horizontal direction underneath the lower edge of the case 36. The case 36 
supplied with the original rifle is open at the top and bottom and 
consists of four side walls in a rectangular arrangement, perforated at 
various locations for supporting the several pivot pins and other elements 
of the trigger mechanism. Thus, the replacement trigger lever 66 can be 
readily installed in the original trigger mechanism. Replacement is 
carried out by removing the pivot pin 38 which allows the original trigger 
to be withdrawn from the mechanism. The replacement lever 66 is directly 
interchangeable with the original trigger and is pivotally mounted on the 
same pivot pin 38. The relationship of the sear 46 to the hammer 40 and 
other elements of the trigger mechanism is not substantially affected by 
the exchange of trigger pieces. The relacement lever 66 has a camming 
surface or plane which in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 is defined 
by two parallel edges on the upper side of the arm 70, preferably near the 
forward extremity thereof. Preferably the camming surface 72 lies at an 
angle such that its plane rises in a forward direction. A cam member 74 is 
disposed rearwardly of the camming surface 72 such that it can be brought 
into camming engagement with the surface 72 upon being displaced forwardly 
in a generally horizontal direction. For purposes of the conversion, the 
case 36 holding the trigger components is detached from the pistol grip 
structure 18 to which the trigger case was originally mounted. The pistol 
grip is not used in the converted gun. Instead the trigger mechanism 35 is 
mounted to the receiver in a manner that will be explained below. 
The remote trigger assembly, as shown in the cross section of FIG. 5, is 
seen to comprise a trigger frame or housing 76 which may be a unitary cast 
aluminum structure in which is defined an interior space 78 and which may 
further include a trigger guard 79 and a finger rest 80. The interior 
space 78 is closed laterally by a pair of side walls 81a and 81b which may 
also be integral with the main housing portion. Two aligned horizontal 
slots 82a and 82b are formed in the side walls 81a and 81b, which are 
further perforated for receiving a trigger pivot pin 84. A cross member 
which may be a cylindrical pin 86 is mounted for sliding movement within 
the aligned slots 82a and 82b of the trigger housing 76, such that the 
ends of the pin project outwardly beyond the side walls of the housing. 
The cross member structure may further include a cylindrical bullet shaped 
body 87 which has a rounded end facing rearwardly within the interior of 
the trigger housing. The body 87 is is slidable within a bore 73 and 
biased by a coil spring 86 mounted in compression between the body 87 and 
the front wall 92 of the trigger housing. The pin 86 may extend through 
the body 87 such that the pin is also urged rearwardly by the compressed 
spring 89. 
Assembly of the remote trigger unit is completed by pivotably mounting a 
trigger unit on the pivot pin 86 in the interior space 78 of the trigger 
housing 76. In a preferred manner of practicing the invention, the 
original trigger 30 supplied with the original weapon as shown in FIG. 1 
and in dotted lines in FIG. 3 is used as the trigger 30a in the remote 
trigger assembly. An extension piece 85 which may be of thickness similar 
to the sear 46 is assembled to the original trigger numbered 30a in FIG. 5 
by passing the pivot pin 84 through openings in the lower end of the 
extension piece 85 which are aligned with the openings in the trigger. The 
lower end of the extension piece 85 also has a rear edge 83 which sits in 
the notch 55 shown in FIG. 3 which receives the rear end of the sear 46 in 
the original trigger assembly. The bottom portion of the extension piece 
85 interlocks with the trigger 30a in such a manner that when the pin 84 
is inserted through the aligned bores in trigger 30a and extension block 
85 the two are rigidly interlocked. The housing 76 for the remote trigger 
may include openings at top and bottom to allow insertion of the trigger 
30a and extension block 85 into the space 78. The extension block 85 has a 
frontal face 77 which is abutted by the rounded rear end of the 
cylindrical body 87 under the bias of the spring 89. The spring bias is 
transmitted to the trigger unit such that trigger 30a is biased to a 
normally forward position. 
The trigger housing is mounted intermediate a pair of shroud pieces 90a and 
90b. The structure of the shroud pieces is best appreciated in the 
exploded view of FIG. 4. Each shroud piece is provided at its forward end 
with plate members 92a and 92b which may be perforated with holes 99 such 
that the side plates may be secured to the side walls 81a and 81b of the 
remote trigger housing 76, e.g., by means of threaded fasteners. The 
shroud pieces are further provided with upper portions 94a and 94b which 
are of cylindrical curvature closely conforming to the outer shape of the 
receiver 12 of the rifle to be converted. The receiver of the H&K 91 is 
generally cylindrical in shape and the upper portions 94a and 94b of the 
shroud pieces are curved to closely conform to the sides of the receiver. 
The shroud pieces further include rearwardly extending mounting tabs 96a 
and 96b which lie flat against the sides of the receiver and may be held 
captive between the receiver and the back plate 17 for securing the rear 
ends of the shroud pieces. The mounting tabs may be perforated at 98a and 
98b to accommodate the locking pin 26 which retains the back plate 17 to 
the receiver 12 in the original rifle. The shround pieces extend 
rearwardly beyond the mounting tabs 96a and 96b and terminate in rear 
edges 99a and 99b respectively, which are flush with the recoil pad 32 as 
best seen in FIGS. 2 and 8. When assembled, the rear portions of the 
shroud pieces define an empty interior cavity 101 which may be used as a 
storage space if suitable access means are provided, such as hinged 
portion of the shround piece. The upper portion 94b of the right shroud 
piece 90b has a cutout 91 which is necessary to avoid obstructing the 
cartridge ejection port on the right hand side of the rifle's receiver. 
The left shroud piece 99a is provided with a semicircular cutout 93 which 
accommodaes the selector lever 99 when the safety pin 38 is inserted 
through the opening 103. If desired the left shroud piece may also be 
provided with an opening 13 which permits visual access to the serial 
number and other identifying indicia inscribed by the manufacturer on the 
left side of the receiver above the magazine well. 
The shroud pieces desirably include intermediate trapezoidal portions 100a 
and 100b which define interior recesses in each shroud piece for 
accommodating the magazine shaft 19 and magazine 22 shown in FIG. 1. The 
space defined between the shroud pieces for the cartridge magazine is best 
appreciated in the horizontal section of FIG. 6, which shows a generally 
rectangular space 102 of enlarged width relative to the spacing between 
the front and rear portions of the shroud pieces. From FIGS. 5 and 6 it 
may be appreciated that the front portions of the two shroud pieces are 
secured in fixed spaced relationship by the remote trigger housing 76 
fastened therebetween, while the rear ends of the shroud pieces are 
secured in a similarly spaced relationship by the mounting tabs 96a and 
96b which are retained in an interference fit between the rear portion of 
the receiver and the back plate 17, and further secured by the locking pin 
26. The trigger mechanism case 36 is mounted to one of the shroud pieces 
essentially in the same manner as previously mounted in the original 
rifle. That is, the case 36 is secured by the safety pin 38 to one of the 
shroud pieces. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the left shroud piece 99a has a 
keyed opening 103 which is aligned with a circular opening 104 in the 
opposite right shroud piece 99b. The trigger mechanism case 36 is 
originally provided with a keyed opening 105 which is aligned with an 
opposite non-keyed opening 106 in the opposite side wall of the trigger 
case. The safety/selector pin 38 as originally istalled in the rifle has a 
key tab 108 which indexes the pin such that it can only be inserted 
through the keyed openings 103 and 105 when the selector lever 109 is in a 
generally vertical position as shown in FIG. 4. Following insertion of the 
pin through the openings, it is possible to then rotate the lever 109 in a 
clockwise direction such that tab 108 will thereafter prevent withdrawal 
of the pin from the trigger case 36. The case is thus retained against the 
left shroud piece 99a by the safety pin 38. The case 36 is also secured 
against possible rotational displacement relative to the shroud pieces by 
supporting ridges 110a and 110b which may be defined by a pair of flat 
plates affixed to the inner surface of the shroud pieces. The supporting 
ridges support the lower edges of the trigger case 36 such that no 
rotation about the safety pin 38 is possible when the two shroud pieces 
are assembled to the receiver. The support ridges 110a and 110b may also 
comprise indexing tabs 111a and 111b dimensioned to interlock with the 
cutout portions 113a and 113b formed in the original trigger case 36 to 
facilitate positioning of the case during assembly with the shroud pieces 
and to further lock the case 36 against movement following assembly. 
The shroud pieces further include portions defining slots 112a and 112b 
which extend generally horizontally along the inner side of the shroud 
pieces and are designed to receive the ends of the cam pin 74 so as to 
guide the movement of the cam in a horizontal path responsive to movement 
of the transfer bars in a manner indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4. 
The remote trigger assembly is linked to the cam 74 by a pair of transfer 
bars 88a and 88b which extend closely adjacent to the left and right hand 
sides of the receiver 12 of the rifle. The transfer bars are connected at 
their forward ends to the cross pin 86 and at their rear ends to the cam 
pin 74. The side walls 81a of the trigger housing 76 may be grooved to 
provide a space between the trigger housing and the side plate for the 
front ends of the transfer bars to allow sliding movement of the transfer 
bars to the extent that the cross pin 86 is slidable within the slots 82a 
and 82b defined in the trigger housing. 
When a pull force is applied to the lower end of the trigger 30a, as by a 
shooter's finger, the trigger assembly pivots causing the forward face 77 
of the extension block to move forward urging the body 87 and the attached 
cross pin 86 in a forward direction thereby compressing the spring 89. The 
transfer bars are carried forward with the cross pin bar 86 thereby urging 
the cam 74 into camming engagement with the camming surface or plane 72 
defined by the forward end of the horizontal path by the guide slots 112a 
and 112b formed on the inside of the shroud pieces. The forward 
displacement of the cam causes the forward end of the replacement trigger 
lever to be depressed and the trigger lever 66 pivots about the pin 56. 
This pivotal movement of the replacement tregger lever causes the sear 46 
to be moved out of locking engagement with the hammer 40, releasing the 
hammer against the firing pin 50. 
In a preferred configuration, the transfer bars 88a and 88b are made of 
sheet metal and have co-planar forward and rear portions, while the middle 
portions 115a and 115b respectively are laterally displaced away from the 
receiver of the rifle so as to follow the contour of the magazine shaft 
and to define the enlarged rectanguar space 102 of FIG. 6. The 
intermediate portions 115a and 115b of the transfer bars are disposed 
within the recesses defined by the trapezoidal portions 100a and 100b of 
the shroud pieces, as is best appreciated in FIG. 6. The transfer bars 
extend downwardly at their rear ends and may be perforated for engaging 
the cam pin 74, as best seen in FIG. 8. The lower edge of the intermediate 
portion of the transfer bars is formed so as not to substantially 
interfere with the insertion of the cartridge magazines into the magazine 
well 20. In addition, the shroud pieces may be provided with inturned 
flanges 118 adjacent to the magazine shaft for better protecting the 
transfer bars and also guiding the insertion of the cartridge magazines 
into the magazine well. As will be appreciated, the transfer bars are 
fully protected by the shroud pieces and provide a simple but dependable 
link between the remote trigger assembly and the camming arrangement. 
Desirably, the transfer bars also include an opening 122 at the rear end 
as shown in FIG. 5, primarily for the purpose of accommodating the 
magazine release button which extends from the right side of the receiver. 
Such opening also helps reduce the overall weight of the converted weapon. 
One possible sequence for carrying out the conversion is to secure the 
trigger case 36 to the left shroud piece 99a by means of the selector pin 
38. The left shroud piece may then be secured to the receiver by sliding 
the mounting tab 96a into an interference fit under the back plate 17. The 
trigger housing 76 may then be affixed to the side plate 92a of the left 
shroud piece. The cross pin 86 may then be inserted into the opening 
provided therefor at the front end of the left transfer bar 88a and the 
rear end of the left transfer bar can be secured to the left end of the 
cam pin 74. The right transfer bar 88b may then be assembled to the 
phantom position of FIG. 4, with the front end being engaged to the cross 
pin 86 and its rear end being attached to the right end of the cam pin 74. 
The right shroud piece 90b is then ready to be mounted to the receiver by 
sliding the mounting tab 96b into an interference fit with the rear plate 
17 and then securing the side plate 92b to the trigger housing 76. At this 
stage of the assembly the upper concave portions 94a and 94b of the shroud 
pieces lie on either side of the receiver 12 such that when the side 
plates are fastened to the trigger housing the concave portions 94a and 
94b cradle snugly the receiver 12 and prevent substantial movement of the 
remote trigger assembly 34 and the trigger case 36 relative to the 
receiver. 
It is contemplated that in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the 
conversion kit would be supplied without a new trigger for the remote 
trigger assembly and only an extension block would be included for 
assembly with the original trigger of the rifle. The kit may further 
include the housing unit for the remote trigger assembly, left and right 
transfer bars, a cam, the replacement trigger lever, and left and right 
shroud pieces. The remote trigger assembly would also be supplied with the 
cross pin, the bias spring, and the cylindrical bullet shaped body which 
is mounted to the cross pin connecting the forward ends of the transfer 
bars, as well as a pivot pin for mounting the trigger and extension block 
to the remote trigger housing. Desirably, the kit would also include a 
recoil pad for attachment to the rear plate of the receiver as well as to 
the rear end of the shroud pieces. 
Preferably, the remote trigger housing is made of cast aluminum while the 
transfer bars may be formed of sheet metal. The shroud pieces can be 
fabricated from a variety of materials including plastics, graphite 
compositions, or metal plate stamped and welded to the proper 
configuration. 
In an alternate manner of practicing the invention the original trigger 30 
is retained in the trigger mechanism 36 and a new trigger is installed in 
the remote trigger assembly 34. The original trigger 30 has an inclined 
lower rear surface 31 which can serve as a camming surface. A cam such as 
a cylindrical roller may be mounted behind the surface 31 and slidingly 
retained in suitable guide slots formed, for example, in the shroud 
pieces. The cam roller is connected to the rear ends of the transfer bars 
so that the cam is urged forwardly into camming engagement with the 
surface 31 when the remote trigger is pulled. The resultant forces cause 
the rear of the trigger 30 is pivot upward, bringing down the forward end 
of the sear 65 which thus disengages from the notch 64 of the hammer. The 
hammer 40 is thus freed to strike the firing pin 50 under the force of the 
spring/plunger 44. 
While a particular embodiment of the conversion kit and method of 
converting an existing rifle to a novel configuration have been described 
and illustrated, it will be understood that various changes and 
modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of 
the invention as defined in the following claims.