Patent Publication Number: US-8528245-B2

Title: Single shotgun shell mounting device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to an auxiliary ammunition carrier for use with a firearm, and more particularly, pertains to a shotgun shell mounting device for releasably retaining a single shotgun shell in a convenient position on an external surface of the shotgun. 
     It is well known that it is often desirable or necessary to have an extra shell available for rapid loading of a shotgun when the internal supply of ammunition within the gun has been depleted. In an effort to provide a readily accessible ammunition supply to a shooter in the field, many devices exist which allow the user to carry numerous rounds of ammunition away from the shotgun. For example, several different types of ammunition carrying belts, harnesses, straps, pouches, packs and other personal storage devices exist which are well known in the art. Unfortunately, all of these devices have a common problem. They are all directed to carrying ammunition on the shooter&#39;s person. 
     In order to access ammunition from bodily carried storage containers, the shooter must take one or both of his or her hands away from his or her weapon in order to grasp the individual rounds and then bring his or her hands back to the weapon in order to chamber the round. While such action is not especially difficult, it results in a lowering of the shotgun and make take several critical seconds causing the shooter to lose sight of the target thus making the availability of additional rounds of ammunition moot. 
     To overcome the shortcomings of bodily carried storage containers, various shotgun shell holders have been developed which, by means of conventional fasteners, are attached and detached from stocks, forends, and other external portions of the shotgun in an attempt to quickly supply an additional round to the shotgun without reducing the readiness of the shotgun. 
     There remains a need for an individual shotgun shell holder which may be readily attached and detached externally of a shotgun, and preferably outside the receiver thereof, so as to permit quick and easy reloading of the shotgun. There is an additional need for a single shotgun shell holder which, in use, does not interfere with the normal operation of the shotgun. Further, there is a need for a single shotgun shell holder which can be adjustably positioned externally of the shotgun, and which effectively retains a shotgun shell therein to prevent an accidental loss of reserve ammunition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to an auxiliary ammunition mounting device for holding a single round of ammunition. The mounting device includes a body having an external mounting surface provided with a track adapted to slidably receive a rail attached to a firearm, and an internal ammunition receiving and engaging structure sized and shaped to removably receive and retain the single round of ammunition. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the track has a mounting axis oriented in a direct transverse to a central axis of the ammunition receiving and engaging structure. The external mounting surface includes a slot spaced from the track for receiving and holding a resilient retaining element that is frictionally engageable with the single round of ammunition, and forms part of the ammunition receiving and engaging structure. The ammunition receiving and engaging structure includes a rounded ammunition receiving surface that extends completely through the body. The resilient retaining element projects inwardly from and extends at least partially around the ammunition receiving surface. The track is formed therethrough with an aperture configured to receive a fastener that is adapted to be secured to the rail. 
     The present disclosure further relates to a shotgun mountable shell holder for holding a single shotgun shell therein. The shell holder includes a rigid body having an external mounting surface provided with a track slidably mounted and frictionally retained on a rail arrangement having at least one rail attached externally of a shotgun, and an internal shell receiving and engaging structure sized and shaped to slidably receive and frictionally retain the single shotgun shell therein. The track and the rail have mating dovetail-shaped cross sections. 
     The track is mounted on a rail attached externally of a receiver of the shotgun. The body has an outer surface that includes a pair of spaced apart open end faces interconnected by an arcuate portion having a pair of sidewalls depending from opposite sides of the arcuate portion. The external mounting surface joins the end faces and the sidewalls, and is engageable against a rail mounting surface to which the rail is secured. The track is formed with a notch that extends continuously along the external mounting surface and opens through the sidewalls. A slot opens through the external mounting surface between one of the end faces and the track for receiving and retaining a resilient retaining element that is frictionally engageable with an outer wall of the shotgun shell, and forms part of the shell receiving and engaging structure. The track has a mounting axis that runs in a direction perpendicular to the sidewalls. The body has a keyhole-shaped inner surface which includes a rounded shell receiving surface and a channel portion in communication therewith. The shell receiving surface and the channel portion are in communication with the slot. The shell receiving surface is radially spaced from a central axis that extends in a direction transverse from the mounting axis of the track. The resilient retaining element projects inwardly from and extends at least partially around the shell receiving surface. The channel portion is provided with an aperture that opens into the track and is configured to receive a fastener that is adapted to be secured to the rail. The aperture receiving the fastener is aligned with a hole formed through the arcuate portion and adapted to provide access to a tool engageable with the fastener. In a typical use, each body is mounted in a group on the rail arrangement such that the shotgun shells held in the bodies are disposed both vertically and horizontally. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated in carrying out the disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing one side of the shotgun provided with an exemplary mounting arrangement of individual shotgun shell holders, each holder enabling the retention of a single shotgun shell therein; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view showing an opposite side of the shotgun provided with a further exemplary mounting arrangement of individual shotgun shell holders of the type shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a shotgun shell removed from an individual shotgun shell holder of the type shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the individual shotgun shell holder taken on line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate various mounting arrangements of auxiliary ammunition carriers in the form of individual shotgun shell holders  10  which are separately and removably mounted externally on a shotgun  12 , and are each designed to releasably retain a single reserve, tubular shotgun shell  14  therein. 
     In the exemplary embodiment shown, the single shotgun shell holders  10  are specifically coupled to a receiver structure that includes an accessory mount  16  disposed on a receiver  18  of the shotgun  12  as more fully described in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/104,104, filed May 10, 2011. The receiver  18  includes a bottom loading port  20  for receiving live shotgun shells, and a side ejection port  22  for ejecting spent shotgun shells from an internal firing chamber. The shotgun  12  includes a barrel  24  having a cover  26 , a gripping, slidable forend  28 , a trigger guard  30  and a trigger  32 . The shotgun  12  shown also includes a cartridge-storing magazine tube  34  that extends longitudinally from the receiver  18  and below the barrel  24  with a forward portion of the mounting tube  34  engaging a barrel lug  36  and held thereto by a magazine cap  38 . In addition, the shotgun  12  is equipped with a pistol grip  40  connected via a mounting device  42  below and at the rear end of the receiver  18 . An over the top stock  44  can be pivotally moved on the shotgun  12  from a retracted position over the accessory mount  16  and barrel cover  26  to an extended portion for engagement with a shooter&#39;s shoulder. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , each single shotgun shell holder  10  is defined by a rigid carrier body  46  which is typically molded of a polymer or other solid material. The body  46  has an outer surface which includes a pair of spaced apart opposite open end faces  48 ,  50 , and a recessed arcuate portion  52  that lies between and interconnects the end faces  48 ,  50  and is configured with a hole  54  therethrough. A pair of opposite sidewalls  56 ,  58  depends substantially vertically from the opposite sides of the arcuate portion  52 , and a mounting surface  60  joins the end faces  48 ,  50  and the sidewalls  56 ,  58 . The mounting surface  60  is engageable against a rail mounting surface, such as the accessory mount  16 , and includes a dovetail-shaped notch  62  that extends continuously along the mounting surface  60  and opens through the sidewalls  56 ,  58 . The notch  62  defines a mounting track for receiving a mating rail arrangement provided on the accessory mount  16  as will be further described below. The notch  62  has a longitudinal mounting axis A that runs therethrough in a direction perpendicular to the sidewalls  56 ,  58 . A slot  64  opens through the mounting surface  60  adjacent end face  50 , and extends through both sidewalls  56 ,  58  terminating beneath the arcuate portion  52  when viewed from the outside of the shell holder  10 . 
     The body  46  has a keyhole-shaped inner surface which includes a rounded shell receiving surface  66  and a channel portion  68  in communication therewith. As clearly shown in  FIG. 3 , the channel portion  68  is spaced from the arcuate portion  52 , and lies between the receiving surface  66  and the mounting surface  60 . The channel portion  68  has a width which is smaller than a width or diameter of the receiving surface  66 . The shell receiving surface  66  opens through the end faces  48 ,  50 , and is sized and shaped to slidably receive an outer cylindrical sidewall  70  of the shotgun shell  14 . The shell receiving surface  66  is radially spaced from a central and longitudinal axis B that extends in a direction transverse to the mounting axis A of notch  62 . The channel portion  68  opens through end face  48 , but is closed to end face  50 . A bottom wall of the channel portion  68  is formed with an aperture  72  that is aligned with hole  54  in the arcuate portion  52 , and extends through the mounting surface  60  to open into the dovetail-shaped notch  62 . The shell receiving surface  66  and the channel portion  68  are both in communication with the slot  64  adjacent the end face  50 . The slot  64  is constructed to receive and hold a resilient retaining element  74  that normally projects inwardly of the shell receiving surface  66  inside the end face  50  as shown by the empty shell holders  10  in  FIG. 2 . 
     The resilient retaining element  74  has a curved shell engaging surface  75  ( FIG. 2 ) that extends partially around the shell receiving surface  66 , and is designed to deform inwardly, and frictionally engage a portion of the cylindrical sidewall  70  of the shotgun shell  14  upon a slidable entry of the shotgun shell  14  into the holder  10  with a crimped end  76  of the shell  14  being the leading end. The holder  10  with its resilient retaining element  74  is designed to hold the shotgun shell  14  generally midway between the crimped end  76  and a rimmed striking end  78  of the shell  14  in a secure manner which will prevent an involuntary release and loss of the shell  14 . Removal of the shotgun shell  14  from the holder  10  causes the resilient retaining element  70  to return to its initial undeformed condition. 
     When it is desired to add auxiliary ammunition externally of the shotgun  12 , one or more holders  10  are slidably mounted and adjustably positioned by means of notches  62  onto a rail arrangement formed by one or more rails provided with mating dovetail-shaped cross sections on the shotgun  12 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , three mating rails  80 ,  82 ,  84  with outer grooved surfaces  86  are provided on opposite sidewalls and an upper wall of the accessory mount  16  disposed upon the receiver  18 , but it should be understood that the mating rails may vary in number. Although the frictional relationship between the rails  80 ,  82 ,  84  and the notches  62  is designed to snuggly maintain the shell holders  10  in position, a user may desire to more positively fix the position of the shell holder  10  on a rail by inserting a fastener in the shell holder aperture  72 . This feature is particularly desirable for the rearwardmost and forwardmost holders  10  mounted on the rail. A tool may be inserted through the hole  54  in the arcuate portion  52  to screw the fastener into the rail. After the desired number and position of shell holders  10  have been mounted on rails  80 ,  82 ,  84 , each holder  10  is provided with a single shotgun shell  14  which is slidably received and frictionally retained in its individual holder  10 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the individually held shells  14  are disposed vertically and horizontally outside the receiver  18  of the shotgun  12  owing to the transverse orientation of the track defined by notch  62  relative to the shell receiving surface  66 . The shell holders  10  are conveniently positioned outside the receiver  18  near the user&#39;s shooting hand. When the internal supply of shotgun ammunition is exhausted, a user can easily access and extract each shotgun shell  14  from its holder  10  by grasping the rimmed striking end  78 , and quickly manually loading each shell  14  into the shotgun  12  with one hand while holding the shotgun  12  with the other hand. Storage and retrieval of each shell  14  can be accomplished without interfering with the normal use of the shotgun  12 . 
     While the holder  10  has been described above with reference to shotguns shells  14 , it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the mounting device of the present disclosure can be conveniently adapted for use with firearm ammunition of different shapes (e.g. cartridges and shells) and with various types of firearms. In recognizing this modification, the individual shotgun shell holders  10  would be appropriately designed to accommodate the differently shaped ammunition. 
     Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.