Abstract:
A Stutzen stock of a repeating rifle that includes a stock front portion and a stock rear portion. To make available a more versatile Stutzen stock, the stock front portion is detachably connected to the stock rear portion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to German Patent Application No. 10 2012 101 904.5 filed 7 Mar. 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a Stutzen stock. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Stutzen stocks for repeating rifles are frequently constructed in the form of so-called full stocks that are made of a single piece. Meanwhile, however, multi-piece Stutzen stocks with a rear portion and a Stutzen front portion that extends to the muzzle are known as well. As a rule, however, the Stutzen front stock of these prior-art Stutzen stocks is fitted on the barrel. However, the range of applications of this type of Stutzen stocks is limited. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A Stutzen stock according to the present invention can have more versatile uses that conventional ones. Advanced embodiments and useful practical examples of the invention are also disclosed herein. 
         [0005]    According to the Stutzen stock disclosed by the present invention, the stock front portion is detachably connected to the stock rear portion. It is therefore possible to mount and dismount the multi-piece Stutzen stock as a complete unit, which considerably simplifies the assembly as well as a potential disassembly. Another significant advantage of the Stutzen stock disclosed by the present invention is that it is more versatile. The stock front portion which, e.g., has the form of a Stutzen front stock, can be easily detached and replaced with a short fore-end tip, thereby creating a partial stock or half-stock which ends, e.g., at half the length of the barrel and which can therefore also be used as stock for “half-stocked” repeating rifles. The stock rear portion can be universally used since, instead of using a Stutzen front portion or a fore-end tip, it is also possible, e.g., to fit tripod receiving elements or other modular components on the stock rear portion. Thus, the approach disclosed by the present invention offers a modular design that allows a stock to be customized to different requirements in a simple and inexpensive manner. 
         [0006]    According to an especially useful embodiment, the stock front portion and the stock rear portion are connected to each other by means of a plug connector, with the possibility of further securing the plug connector by means of additional fastening elements. This ensures that the stock portions can be especially quickly and securely connected to each other. 
         [0007]    The plug connector preferably comprises a male plug-in component that is disposed on the stock front portion and a slot-shaped female receiving component that corresponds to the male plug-in component and that is disposed on the stock rear portion. In a useful embodiment, the slot-shaped female receiving component can be formed by an upper support surface on the stock rear portion and by lateral rib-like members on the inside surface of two side cheek pieces of the stock rear portion. 
         [0008]    In another useful embodiment, the plug connector can comprise a positioning device which comprises, e.g., a positioning element that is disposed on the stock front portion for an interlocking engagement in a corresponding receiving element on the stock rear portion. This ensures accurate positioning of the two stock portions relative to each other, with a precise definition of the position in the longitudinal direction. 
         [0009]    The stock front portion can be constructed, e.g., in the form of a single-piece Stutzen front stock. However, a detachable fore-end tip can also be attached to the Stutzen front stock. 
         [0010]    The stock portions can be securely and attractively connected to each other by disposing curved contact surfaces on the front end of the stock rear portion for making contact with the corresponding connecting surfaces of the stock front portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Additional features and advantages of the invention follow from the description below of preferred practical examples based on the drawing. As can be seen: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a diagram of a Stutzen stock according to the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a diagram of a rear portion of the Stutzen stock seen in  FIG. 1  with a fore-end tip; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the rear portion seen in  FIG. 2  with a fore-end tip and a Stutzen front stock; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a longitudinal section through a connector that connects the front portion to the rear portion; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a partial sectional drawing of the connector seen in  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a Stutzen stock  1  of a repeating rifle, which Stutzen stock comprises a stock front portion  2  and a stock rear portion  3 . The stock front portion  2  is constructed in the form of a Stutzen front stock and designed so that it extends to the muzzle of a barrel (not shown). The stock rear portion  3  is constructed in the form of a partial stock or half-stock with a pistol grip  4  and a thumbhole  5  that is disposed behind the pistol grip. The stock rear portion  3  comprises a stock cheek piece  6  with an insert  7 . In addition, grip inserts  8  and  9  are also provided on the pistol grip  4  and in the front region of the stock rear portion  3 . The stock rear portion  1 , however, need not necessarily take the form of a thumbhole stock, but can have a classic stock shape and be constructed with or without a stock cheek piece. 
         [0018]    The stock front portion  2  is detachably connected to the stock rear portion  3  by means of a plug connector that will be described in greater detail below. This means that the stock front portion  2 , which has the form of a Stutzen front stock, can be readily detached from the stock rear portion  3 . Instead of the stock front portion  2 , a fore-end tip  10 , shown in  FIG. 2 , can be attached to the stock rear portion  3 , thus creating a partial stock or half-stock as shown in  FIG. 3 , which ends, e.g., at half the length of the barrel and which can therefore also be used as stock for “half-stocked” repeating rifles. Instead of the fore-end tip  10 , other front tip components, e.g., receiving elements for a tripod or other modular components, can be fitted on the stock rear portion  3 . As a result, the stock is very versatile. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows that disposed on the front end of the stock rear portion  3  are curved contact surfaces  11  for making contact with the corresponding connecting surfaces  12  and  13  on the stock front portion  2  and the fore-end tip  10 . On the stock front portion  2  and on the fore-end tip  10  are molded backwardly projecting rib-like male plug-in components  14  that are inserted into the stock rear portion  3 . In addition, an upwardly projecting positioning element  15  for an interlocking connection to the stock rear portion  3  is disposed on the stock front portion  2  and on the fore-end tip  10 . In the free end of the male plug-in component  14 , a screw slot  16  in the form of a countersunk bore is disposed, and, in addition, near the positioning element  15 , a tapped hole  17  is disposed for fastening screws shown in  FIG. 4  which serve as fastening elements  18 . 
         [0020]    As  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate, disposed on the front end of the stock rear portion  3  are a receiving element  19  for an interlocking engagement in the positioning element  15  and a screw slot  20  in the form of a countersunk bore for the front fastening screw. In addition, disposed in the stock rear portion  3  is a tapped hole  21  for the rear fastening screw. In addition, the stock rear portion  3  comprises a slot-shaped female receiving component  22  for receiving the rib-like male plug-in component  14 . The slot-shaped female receiving component  22  is bounded by an upper support surface  23  and a plurality of lateral rib-like members  24  that are spaced at intervals from one another. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the lateral rib-like members  24  are molded to the inside surface of two lateral cheek pieces  25  and  26  in the front region of the stock rear portion  3 . Disposed on the rib-like members  24  are recesses  27  shown in  FIG. 5 , the depth of which recesses corresponds to the height of the male plug-in component  14  and which recesses laterally bound the slot-shaped female receiving component  22  for an interlocking reception of the male plug-in component  14 . 
         [0021]    In the embodiment shown, the positioning element  15  disposed on the stock front portion  2  and on the fore-end tip  10  has the shape of an upwardly projecting conical nose. The associated receiving element  19  on the stock rear portion  3  has the shape of a conical recess that has a contour corresponding to the contour of the nose for an interlocking engagement of the conical nose. In this manner, accurate positioning of the two stock portions relative to each other, with a precise definition of the position in the longitudinal direction, is ensured. By means of the fastening elements  18  in the form of fastening screws, it is subsequently possible to ensure that the stock portions are securely mounted and connected to each other. 
         [0022]    The stock front portion of the Stutzen stock according to the present invention can be easily connected to the stock rear end and accurately positioned by means of the positioning element  15 . The additional fastening elements  18  firmly safeguard the connection. 
         [0023]    According to an inexpensive and robust embodiment, the stock front portion  2  and the stock rear portion  3  can be made of a plastic material and produced, e.g., by means of injection molding. The insert  7  and the grip inserts  8  and  9  can be manufactured from a rubber-like thermoplastic elastomer. However, the inserts can also me made of any other suitable plastic material, of leather, or of other comparable materials. 
         [0024]    All references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. There are many different features to the present invention and it is contemplated that these features may be used together or separately. Thus, the invention should not be limited to any particular combination of features or to a particular application of the invention. Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention might occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention.