Pistol with frame insert

Pistols with frame inserts have a frame having a grip, the frame having spaced apart upper sidewall portions having upper edges defining a slide interface plane, the upper sidewall portions being planar elements each having inner faces facing each other and exterior faces facing away from each other, each upper sidewall portion defining a side opening adjacent to the slide interface plane and having a perimeter spaced apart from the slide interface plane, a frame insert including pistol action components connected to the frame, and the frame insert having opposed insert sidewalls, each frame insert sidewall having a selected portion registered with and occupying a respective one of the side openings of the frame. The frame may define a cavity width between selected portions of the inner faces adjacent to the frame side openings, and wherein the frame insert has a width at the selected portion greater than the cavity width.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to firearms, and more particularly to a pistol with frame insert.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In 1994, Sandy L. Strayer and Virgil P. Trip were granted a patent for a “frame/handgun assembly for autoloading handgun” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,708). This design was novel and effective for its time because it allowed the effective use of a steel frame and a polymer subframe. However, this design was limited in that it was only designed to work with the manufacturer-supplied subframe. The consumer could not modify the subframe to fit their hand better. The consumer could not specify the color of the subframe material. The consumer could not specify the engraved embellishments of the exterior. The consumer could not specify the texture, pattern, and angle or size of the grip, or the size and shape of the trigger guard. In addition, the Strayer/Trip design did not allow for modification of the subframe with the intent of making the subframe, frame, and slide usable and adaptable to a variety of preexisting magazine designs made by other manufacturers.

The frame for the P250 pistol manufactured by Sig Sauer, Inc. of Exeter, N.H. is an ingenious design that allows the user to register the serialized trigger mechanism and modify the components around the mechanism. As such, a user can convert their existing pistol into a different size and caliber P250 by simply purchasing the Sig Sauer, Inc. components that surround the registered part. However, this design was limited in that it was only designed to work with the manufacturer-supplied subframes. The consumer could not easily modify the subframe to fit their hand better. The consumer could not specify the color of the subframe material. The consumer could not specify the engraved embellishments of the exterior. The consumer could not specify the texture, pattern, and angle, or size of the grip or the size and shape of the trigger guard. In addition, this design does not allow the consumer to modify the firearm to accept magazines from a different model or manufacturer.

The P250's subframe technology has the additional disadvantage of being limited to wide-frame pistols. This limitation arises from the inability to fit the trigger mechanism into the subframe without widening the overall frame of the pistol. The entire subframe must fit within the width of the P250 pistol less the pistol frame wall thickness.

Furthermore, both designs above do not provide for the manufacture of a solid frame, or subframe, with a filled magazine well. This oversight would likely preclude their manufacturers from providing the buyers in states with restrictive manufacturing or import laws, such as California, with a single shot pistol.

Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved pistol with frame insert that can be sold with a filled magazine well. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the pistol with frame insert according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a pistol with frame insert that can be sold with a filled magazine well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved pistol with frame insert, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an improved pistol with frame insert that has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned above.

To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present invention essentially comprises a frame having a grip, the frame having spaced apart upper sidewall portions having upper edges defining a slide interface plane, the upper sidewall portions being planar elements each having inner faces facing each other and exterior faces facing away from each other, each upper sidewall portion defining a side opening adjacent to the slide interface plane and having a perimeter spaced apart from the slide interface plane, a frame insert including pistol action components connected to the frame, and the frame insert having opposed insert sidewalls, each frame insert sidewall having a selected portion registered with and occupying a respective one of the side openings of the frame. The frame may define a cavity width between selected portions of the inner faces adjacent to the frame side openings, and wherein the frame insert has a width at the selected portion greater than the cavity width. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the pistol with frame insert of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral10.

FIGS. 1-5illustrate the improved pistol with frame insert10of the present invention. More particularly, the pistol of frame insert has a frame12having a front14, rear16, top18, bottom20, right22, and left24. The frame includes a grip26and a trigger guard28. The frame has spaced apart right and left front upper sidewall portions30,32and right and left rear upper sidewall portions34,36. Each of the upper sidewall portions has an upper edge38,40,42,44that define a slide interface plane190. The upper sidewall portions are planar elements each having inner faces46,48,50,52facing each other and exterior faces54,56,58,60facing away from each other. Each upper sidewall portion defines a side opening62,64adjacent to the slide interface plane and having a perimeter66,68spaced apart from the slide interface plane.

A frame insert70including pistol action components72is connected to the frame12by a front pin74and a rear pin76. The frame insert has a front78, rear80, top82, bottom84, right86, and left88. The frame insert has opposed frame insert sidewalls90,92. Each frame insert sidewall has a selected portion126,128registered with and occupying a respective one of the side openings62,64of the frame. The selected portion126of the right frame insert sidewall is located between S bends94,96. The selected portion128of the left frame insert sidewall is located between S bends98,100.

The frame12defines a cavity width102between selected portions of the inner faces46,48,50,52adjacent to the frame side openings62,64. The frame insert70has a width between the selected portions of the frame insert sidewalls greater than the cavity width. The selected portions126,128of the frame insert sidewalls have exterior surfaces104,106forming an exterior surface of the pistol10adjacent to the exterior faces54,56,58,60of the frame upper sidewall portions30,32,34,36. Each frame side opening has a lower edge108,110spaced apart from and parallel to the slide interface plane190.

The frame insert70includes a front narrowed portion112and a rear narrowed portion114adjacent to the selected portions126,128of the frame insert sidewalls90,92and closely received between the front frame upper sidewall portions30,32and the rear frame upper sidewall portions34,36. The narrowed portions have a lesser width than the frame12at the selected portions of the inner faces46,48,50,52adjacent to the frame side openings62,64. The frame insert includes upper edges116,118that also define the slide interface plane190. The frame insert includes indicia120visible in at least one of the side openings62,64of the frame. In the current embodiment, the indicia are located on the right exterior surface104of the selected portion126of the right insert sidewall90. The indicia can include markings that denote a caliber, manufacture, model, serial number, and/or location.

The frame insert70includes a plurality of front frame rails122and rear frame rails124extending above the slide interface plane190. The front frame rails are located forward of the selected portions126,128, and the rear frame rails are located rearward of the selected portions. The frame insert includes opposed parallel enclosed sidewall portions adjacent to the selected portions126,128and to the slide interface plane that are the same as the previously identified front narrowed portion112and rear narrowed portion114. The enclosed sidewall portions define a gap therebetween having a limited first width130. The space between the selected portions has a greater second width132. The selected portions are parallel to the enclosed sidewall portions. The front enclosed sidewall portions are forward of the selected portions, and the rear enclosed sidewall portions are rearward of the selected portions.

The grip26of the frame12defines a magazine well passage134having opposed sidewalls136,138. The opposed sidewalls are spaced apart by a magazine well width140adapted to slidably receive a magazine142having a magazine width. The selected portions126,128of the frame insert70have interior surfaces144,146spaced apart by an amount adapted to receive a magazine having the magazine width that is equal to or slightly wider than the magazine well width140. The interior surfaces144,146have a slightly wider spacing so the frame can support magazines of different widths (e.g. single stack or double stack magazines) within the same frame, by substituting a different grip with a magazine well passage width compatible with the selected magazine width. For example, in the current embodiment, the interior surfaces144,146of the frame insert are spaced apart 0.005 inch more than the opposed sidewalls136,138of the grip. However, in an alternative embodiment of the grip that accommodates a single stack 1911 magazine, the interior surfaces144,146of the frame insert are spaced apart 0.381 inch more than the opposed sidewalls136,138of the grip. It is also believed the interior surfaces144,146of the frame insert would be spaced apart even more than 0.381 inch compared to the opposed sidewalls136,138of the grip for a grip that accommodates a .22 magazine. The opposed sidewalls of the magazine well passage are adjacent to the selected portions of the frame insert. The magazine can be removed from the magazine well passage when a magazine release178that protrudes through a magazine release aperture180in the grip is depressed.

The frame12has a trigger guard28defining a trigger opening148. The trigger opening has a curved upper transition surfaces150,152having upper limits immediately below parallel frame side wall surface portions54,56. Each of the frame side openings62,64has a lower limit (lower edges108,110) at a level below the upper limits of the curved upper transition surfaces.

The selected portions126,128of the frame insert70have exterior surfaces104,106that are flush with the exterior faces154,156of the frame12adjacent to the respective side openings62,64. The top82of the left selected portion defines a slide lock notch184that receives a slide lock186.

The frame12can also be considered a housing. A barrel slide158is movably mounted on the housing for movement in a firing direction with respect to a barrel160. A trigger mechanism, including a trigger162and the pistol action component72, is located at least in part within the housing. The frame insert70is a multifunction metal part removably insertable within the housing. The frame insert is releasably secured to the housing by the front pin74and the rear pin76. The front pin is removably inserted through apertures164and166in the housing and apertures168and170in the frame insert. The rear pin is removably inserted through two apertures in the rear16of the housing (aperture172is visible) and two apertures in the rear80of the frame insert (aperture174in the downwardly protruding left rear lug176is visible). The frame insert is provided with guides for the barrel slide (front frame rails122and rear frame rails124) and a trigger mechanism support facility182. The selected sidewall portions126,128occupy the sidewall openings62,64such that the indicia120are exposed. Because the indicia are exposed for regulatory compliance, the pistol10can have a polymer outer grip while still displaying the firearm markings without utilizing complex or expensive overmolding technology to mold a steel insert with the required markings into a polymer frame.

In the current embodiment, the frame12is made of a polymer and has a cavity width102of 0.857 inch, a magazine well width of 0.927 inch that receives a magazine142having a top magazine width of 0.9 inch, a width measured from the exteriors of the lower edges108,110of 1.15 inch, and a wall thickness of 0.147 inch. In the current embodiment, the frame insert70is made of steel and has a limited first width130of 0.681 inch, a greater second width132of 0.932 inch, a width measured from the exterior surfaces104,106of the selected portions126,128of the frame insert sidewalls90,92of 1.089 inch, and a wall thickness of 0.078 inch. Enabling the selected portions126,128of the frame insert70to have exterior surfaces104,106that are flush with the exterior faces154,156of the frame12adjacent to the respective side openings62,64eliminates the 0.147 inch thick frame wall on both sides, thereby reducing the width of the pistol10by over 0.25 inch at that location. This arrangement also minimizes the overall pistol width to the magazine width plus a gap tolerance plus the thickness of the frame material to provide an overall width of 1.089 inch at that location.

In the context of the specification, the terms “rear” and “rearward,” and “front” and “forward” have the following definitions: “rear” or “rearward” means in the direction away from the muzzle of the firearm while “front” or “forward” means it is in the direction towards the muzzle of the firearm.