Abstract:
A mounting rail for a firearm is disclosed. The mounting rail may be a picatinny rail, a weaver rail, or the like, which allows tools such as lights or lasers to be attached to a firearm. The mounting rail is reversible and may be mounted within a portion of the firearm, such as the forend. The other side of the rail may match the finish and texture of the firearm so that the mounting rail is hidden from view when reversed.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present application relates generally to firearms and more specifically to a mounting rail that may be used with a firearm. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Mounting rails, such as picatinny rails and weaver rails, are typically used on firearms to mount accessories such as scopes, lasers, or bipods. Mounting rails may be connected to different portions of a firearm, such as a forend, an end stock, a barrel, a receiver, or another suitable portion, and are typically permanently or semi-permanently secured to the firearm. A mounting rail may be removed from the firearm if it is not in use and/or not expected to be used. Typically, a removed mounting rail is stored in a case or in another suitable place away from the firearm. 
         [0005]    A shooter may choose to take a mounting rail off a firearm, for example, to reduce the weight of a firearm, to change the look of a firearm, or to use the mounting rail on another firearm, among other reasons. While a mounting rail connected to the forend of the firearm may allow for the connection of an accessory such as a light, it may also interfere with the hand placement of a shooter, which may make the firearm less comfortable and/or safe to use. 
         [0006]    The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of one or more of the issues set forth above. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    An embodiment of a reversible rail is disclosed. The reversible rail may comprise a first side, which may include a mounting rail, and a second side, which may have a texture and a contour. The reversible rail may be configured to be connected to a firearm in a first orientation and in a second orientation. The first orientation may be with the first side exposed and the second side partially inserted into a recess of a portion of the firearm. The second orientation may be with the second side exposed and the first side at least partially inserted into the recess. The reversible rail may further comprise at least one opening in the reversible rail, the opening including a constriction. The texture of the second side may substantially match a texture of the portion of the firearm. The contour of the second side may substantially match a contour of the portion of the firearm. The mounting rail may be a picatinny rail, a weaver rail, or a universal rail. The portion of the firearm may be a forend. 
         [0008]    An embodiment of a forend of a firearm is disclosed. The forend may comprise an outer surface having a texture and a contour, a recess extending from the outer surface toward an inner surface of the forend, and a reversible rail. The reversible may have a first side with a mounting rail and a second side. The reversible rail may be configured to be installed in the recess. The reversible rail may be adapted to be installed in the recess with the mounting rail partially within the recess. The reversible rail may be adapted to be installed in the recess with the second side partially within the recess and with the mounting rail accessible for mounting an accessory. The second side may have a texture that is substantially the same as the texture of the outer surface of the forend. The second side may have a contour that matches the contour of the outer surface of the forend. The forend may be a portion of a firearm stock. The mounting rail may be a picatinny rail, a weaver rail, or a universal rail. 
         [0009]    An embodiment of a firearm is also disclosed. The firearm may comprise a portion having an outer surface and an inner surface, a recess in the portion, which may extend from the outer surface toward the inner surface, and a reversible rail, which may be configured to be inserted into the recess. The reversible rail may have a first side and a second side. The first side may include a mounting rail. The reversible rail may be configured to be connected to the firearm in a first orientation and second orientation. The first orientation may be with the first side exposed and the second side partially inserted into the recess. The second orientation may be with the second side exposed and the first side partially inserted into the recess. The mounting rail may be a picatinny rail, a weaver rail, or a universal rail. The portion may be a forend. The first side and the second side may be secured as a single piece, which may be with fasteners. The second side comprises an outer surface that substantially matches the outer surface of the portion. The mounting rail may be configured to connect to a laser, a light, a scope, a bipod, a monopod, a magazine storage mechanism, a forend, a pistol grip, and/or a recoil mechanism. The firearm may be a .22 caliber rifle. 
         [0010]    These and other embodiments of the present application will be discussed more fully in the description. The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the claimed invention, or may be combined in yet other embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a reversible rail; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway side view of an embodiment of a reversible rail; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of an embodiment of a reversible rail installed in a firearm with the mounting rail hidden; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3B  is a bottom view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3C  is a close-up cutaway side view of an embodiment of a reversible rail installed in a firearm with the mounting rail hidden; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  is a side view of an embodiment of a reversible rail installed in a firearm with the mounting rail exposed; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4B  is a bottom view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4C  is a close-up cutaway side view of an embodiment of a reversible rail installed in a firearm with the mounting rail exposed; 
       
    
    
       [0019]    Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that modifications to the various disclosed embodiments may be made, and other embodiments may be utilized, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a reversible rail  100 . The reversible rail  100  comprises a top side  110  which includes a mounting rail  115 , such as a picatinny rail, weaver rail, or universal rail, and a bottom side  120  which includes an outer surface  122  which may have a texture or pattern formed into it. Additionally, a front opening  130  and a rear opening  135  are included in a front portion  106  and a rear portion  108  respectively. The front and rear openings  130 ,  135  extend from the top  110  through the bottom  120  of the reversible rail  100 . Though the top side  110  and the bottom side  120  are named according to the illustration shown in  FIG. 1 , it would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure, that the top side  110  and the bottom side  120  could be reversed or name differently. 
         [0022]    In the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 1 , the reversible rail  100  comprises a top piece (embodied by the top side  110 ), and the bottom piece (embodied by the bottom side  120 ). Other embodiments of a reversible rail may be made as a single piece or may be made from more than two pieces, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art given the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway side view of the reversible rail  100 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the top side  110  and the bottom side  120  are connected by a front fastener  102  and by a rear fastener  104 . Also shown in  FIG. 2 , the front opening  130  includes a constriction  132 . Similarly, the rear opening  135  includes a constriction  137 . The constrictions  132  and  137  may allow reversible rail  100  to be secured to a firearm  300  by a front fastener  330  and a rear fastener  335 , as best shown in  FIG. 3C . The configuration of openings and fasteners are for illustrative purposes only as various elements could be used to secure the reversible rail to a firearm as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of an embodiment of a firearm  300 , such as, for example, a Ruger 10/22, to which a reversible rail  100  may be connected. As illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the firearm  300  comprises an end stock  320  that is connected to a receiver  340 , which is further connected to a pistol grip  350 , a trigger group  325 , a forend  310 , and a barrel  305 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the forend  310  and the pistol grip  350  are manufactured as a single piece; both the forend  310  and the pistol grip  350  are portions of a firearm stock. A detachable magazine  345  is also shown installed into the receiver  340 . An embodiment of the reversible rail  100  may be connected to other firearms, such as other types of .22 caliber firearms, other caliber firearms, firearms without the pistol grip  350 , and/or firearms without the detachable magazine  345 , among other differences, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure. Further, such an embodiment may be connected to such other firearms with the mounting rail  115  hidden within a recess  316  and may have a matching outer surface  122 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 3B  is a bottom view of the embodiment of a firearm  300  illustrated in  FIG. 3A . The reversible rail  100  is installed into a recess  316  (best shown in  FIG. 3C ) in the forend  310 . The front fastener  330  is inserted through the front opening  130  to connect the front  106  to the forend  310 . Similarly, the rear fastener  335  is inserted through the rear opening  135  to connect the rear  108  to the forend  310 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 3C  is a close-up cutaway side view of the reversible rail  100  and the firearm  300 . As illustrated by  FIG. 3C , the reversible rail  100  is connected to the forend  310  by the front and rear fasteners  330 ,  335 , which are installed through the front and rear openings  130 ,  135  and into a front forend profile  312  and a rear forend profile  314 . Additionally, the front and rear forend profiles  312 ,  314  may act as an offset between the forend  310  and the barrel  305 . 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C the mounting rail  115  is hidden within the recess  316  of the forend  310 , between the forend  310  and the barrel  305 , and the outer surface  122  of the bottom  120  is exposed. The forend may comprise a texture or pattern formed into an outer surface  318  of the forend  310 . The outer surface  122  of the reversible rail  100  may substantially match the texture or pattern of the outer surface  318 . As such, when the reversible rail  100  is installed in the firearm  300  with the mounting rail  115  hidden within the recess  316  and the outer surface  122  is exposed, the reversible rail  100  may not be visually noticeable to a shooter or bystander. Additionally, as the forend  310  is a portion of the firearm upon which a shooter may grasp while shooting, the reversible rail  100 , when installed with the mounting rail  115  hidden, may provide a comfortable shape for the shooter to grip, with a substantially continuous contour and substantially uniform texture with the forend  310 . Alternatively, the bottom  120  may have a shape, texture, and/or pattern, that does not match the contour of the forend  310 , as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4A  is a partial side view and  FIG. 4B  is a partial bottom view of the firearm  300  with the reversible rail  100  installed. The reversible rail  100  is installed in the forend  310  with the mounting rail  115  exposed (i.e. reversed with respect to  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C). 
         [0029]      FIG. 4C  is a cut-away side view of the reversible rail  100  installed in the forend  310  with the mounting rail  115  exposed. As illustrated by  FIG. 4C , the front and rear fasteners  330 ,  335  may be used to connect the reversible rail  100  and the forend  310  when the mounting rail  115  is exposed. 
         [0030]    In this position a firearm accessory, such as, for example, a light or a laser, may be mounted to the mounting rail  115 , and thus to the firearm  300 . Other rail mount accessories, such as a scope, a bipod, a monopod, a magazine storage mechanism, a forend, a pistol grip, a recoil mechanism, and/or other suitable accessories, may be mounted to the mounting rail  115 , as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art given the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0031]    To reverse the reversible rail  100 , a user may remove the front and rear fasteners  330 ,  335  from the front and rear forend profiles  312 ,  314  and from the front and rear openings  130 ,  135  to disconnect the reversible rail  100  from the firearm  300 . The reversible rail may then be removed from the recess  316  and flipped or reversed with respect to the firearm  300 . Re-installation is the opposite of removal, with the reversible rail  100  being inserted into the recess  310  and the front and rear fasteners  330 ,  335  being installed into the front and rear openings  130 ,  135  and the front and rear forend profiles  312 ,  314  to connect the reversible rail  100  to the firearm  300 . 
         [0032]    Though the reversible rail  100  has been disclosed to fit within a recess  316  of a forend  310 , it is further conceived that a reversible rail  100  may be similarly used with and/or connected to one or more other portions of a firearm  300 , such as on the receiver or the end stock. Further, the reversible rail  100  may be connected in an alternate position on the forend  310 , such as on the left and/or right sides of the forend  310 , as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0033]    Although this invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, including embodiments that do not provide all of the features and advantages set forth herein, are also within the scope of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined only by reference to the appended claims and equivalents thereof.