Patent Publication Number: US-2017356706-A1

Title: Magazine well

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[S] 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional patent application entitled “MAGAZINE WELL,” Ser. No. 62/350,101, filed Jun. 14, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated entirely herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Field 
     This invention relates generally to a magazine well of a firearm and more particularly to a magazine well a firearm that accepts more than one type of magazine. 
     State of the Art 
     Firearms, and in particular rifles may include a magazine well and accepts a magazine that may be loaded with ammunition. The magazine well is a component of the firearm that receives the magazine and operates to provide ammunition to a position for discharge. The drawback with conventional magazine wells is that they are generally configured to receive a single type of magazine and thereby restricts the size of ammunition that may be discharged from the firearm. 
     There is a need in the field of magazine wells for an improved magazine well capable of accepting more than one type of magazine. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a magazine well formed in a lower receiver of a firearm, such as a rifle and particularly a tactical rifle such as, but not limited to an AR-15, wherein the magazine well accepts more than one type of magazine. Each type of magazine operates to hold a size of ammunition that differs from the other magazines. 
     An embodiment includes a magazine well formed in a lower receiver, the magazine well comprising: a substantially flat rear surface; and an inner volume extending through the magazine well, wherein the inner volume receives one of a first magazine or a second magazine wherein the first magazine is loaded with a first size ammunition and the second magazine is loaded with a second size ammunition, the second size ammunition is larger than the first size ammunition. 
     Another embodiment includes a double stack magazine comprising: comprising a substantially flat rear surface; and an outer dimension to couple within a magazine well configured to receive the double stack magazine or a conventional magazine, wherein the magazine is loaded with ammunition that is larger than the ammunition that is loaded within the conventional magazine. 
     Yet, another embodiment includes a lower receiver and magazine system comprising: magazine well formed in the lower receiver, the magazine well comprising: a substantially flat rear surface; and an inner volume extending through the magazine well; and a double stack magazine loaded with ammunition that is larger than ammunition that is loaded within a conventional magazine, the double stack magazine comprising: a substantially flat rear surface; and an outer dimension to couple within the inner volume of the magazine well, wherein the substantially flat rear surface of the magazine engages the substantially flat rear surface of the magazine well. 
     The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar items throughout the Figures, and: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a lower receiver with a magazine well in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a zoomed top view of a magazine well of a lower receiver in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a lower receiver with a magazine well in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a lower receiver with a prior art magazine well; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a lower receiver with a prior art magazine well; 
         FIG. 6  is a zoomed in top view of a lower receiver with a prior art magazine well; 
         FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of a conventional magazine that can be coupled within the magazine well of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of a conventional magazine that can be coupled within the magazine well of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is side view of a new magazine that can be coupled within the magazine well of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of a new magazine that can be coupled within the magazine well of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with embodiments; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a lower receiver according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective exploded view of a lower receiver and a new magazine according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a bottom perspective view of a lower receiver according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a bottom perspective view of a lower receiver according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a right side view of a lower receiver according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a left side view of a lower receiver according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 17  is a front view of a lower receiver according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 18  is a rear view of a lower receiver according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a magazine well formed in a lower receiver of a firearm, such as a rifle and particularly a tactical rifle such as, but not limited to an AR-15, wherein the magazine well accepts more than one type of magazine. Each type of magazine operates to hold a size or caliber of ammunition that differs from the other magazines. 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-3 and 11-18  depict an embodiment of a lower receiver  10  having a magazine well  12  that operates to accept more than one type of magazine. Particularly, magazine well  12  includes a rear surface  14  that is substantially flat, thereby creating a larger interior volume. 
     Comparing the lower receiver  10  with magazine well  12  to prior art lower receiver  30  with prior art magazine well  32  (shown in  FIGS. 4-6 ), the differences can easily be determined. Prior art magazine well  32  includes a channel  34  extending along the length of the rear surface of the prior art magazine well  32 . The prior art magazine well  32  is can receive a conventional magazine  20  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Conventional magazine  20  includes a protrusion  22  extending along a length of the magazine that corresponds to the channel  34  of the prior art magazine well  32 . The prior art magazine well  32 , however, does not have the proper size or configuration to receive new magazine  40  having a flat rear surface  42 , as depicted in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
     The magazine well  12  of the current invention, however, includes a substantially flat rear surface  14  that is the same distance from the front surface of the magazine well  12  to the rear surface of the magazine well  12  as the distance from the front surface of the prior art magazine well  32  to the rear surface of the channel  34 . This allows the new inventive magazine well  12  the ability to receive conventional magazine  20  and new magazine  40 . 
     Conventional magazine  20  is a double stack magazine and allows a predetermined size or caliber of ammunition to be loaded in the conventional magazine  20  for discharge through the firearm. New magazine  40  is also a double stack magazine that is configured to allow a longer predetermined size or caliber of ammunition to be loaded in the new magazine  40 . This is possible through the expansion of the inner volume of the new magazine  40  by forming a flat rear surface to provide the space necessary to load longer ammunition. In at least this way new magazine  40  is loaded with ammunition of a different size or caliber than the ammunition that may be loaded within conventional magazine  20 . 
     The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order to best explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for the purposes of illustration and example only. The description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teachings above without departing from the spirit and scope of the forthcoming claims.