Patent Publication Number: US-2017370663-A1

Title: Pistol caliber blowback operated bolt carrier group providing an integrated gas key

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/355,678, filed 28 Jun. 2016, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to firearms and, more particularly, to a pistol caliber blowback operated bolt carrier group providing an integrated gas key. 
     The bolt carrier group is responsible for chambering, firing, and extracting ammunition cartridges from the host firearm. The energy to perform these functions is provided by hot gas channeled through the gas key and into the bolt carrier. For gas-operated firearms a secure connection between the gas key and the bolt carrier is required. 
     Blow back pistol caliber bolt carrier groups, however, are notorious for having failures at the fasteners holding the charging boss or the gas key in place. Mechanical fasteners on bolt carrier groups are insufficient, and as a result, can result in catastrophic failures. The fasteners either break or back out over time. The current devices use an inefficient method of attachment. The fasteners do not offer enough support to the gas key to be considered a stable means of attachment and can eventually break, shear, or back out. Upon such failure, the only way to fix the problem was to repair or replace the fasteners or charging boss. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a pistol caliber blowback operated bolt carrier group providing an integrated gas key, thereby eliminating the fasteners by integrating the charging boss into the blow back pistol caliber bolt carrier group. Eliminating the fasteners required to hold the charging boss and/or gas key in place eliminates the failure point altogether by removing the fasteners that cause failure, whereby the present invention performs the intended role without risk of possibly dangerous failures. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, pistol caliber blowback operated bolt carrier group includes a bolt carrier having elongated generally cylindrical body; and or a charging boss and a gas key integrally formed into a top portion of said body. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention demonstrated with associated components; 
         FIG. 3  is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a pistol caliber blowback operated bolt carrier group providing an integrated gas key. The carrier group providing a bolt carrier having elongated generally cylindrical body; and a gas key integrally formed into a top portion of said body 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the present invention may include a bolt carrier  10  and associated components made of metal alloy or other sufficient hard composite material. The associated components include a weight  12 , a weight retaining pin  14 , and a spring  18 -loaded firing pin  16  slidably mounted within the bolt carrier  10 . 
     The bolt carrier  10  is generally cylindrical in shape with a longitudinally extending circular bore throughout its length, wherein elongated openings communicate from a top and bottom portions of the carrier  10 , allowing the hammer to extend into the interior of the bolt carrier  10  and strike the firing pin  16 . The bolt carrier  10  may extend from a rear portion  30  to a forward portion. The upper surface of the bolt carrier  10  top of the bolt carrier is formed with an integral gas key  50 . The integral gas key  50  includes a flat charging boss  20  for engagement with a charging handle. In the circular bore located near the charging boss  20  may be an extractor  22  having a gripping element to grab and hold onto a portion of an ammunition cartridge. the extractor  22  may engage an extractor pin  24  received therein. The weight  12  may be retained within the bore so as to be flush or just inward with the rear portion. The weight may be retained by the weight retaining pin  14 . The bore may be approximately 0.250″ in diameter. 
     The complete assembly of the above-mentioned components is referred to as a bolt carrier group. The bolt carrier  10  may be multi axis machined, machined in several steps or setups, forged, or cast into the required shape keeping the gas key integrated into the overall shape. 
     A method of using the present invention may include the following. The bolt carrier group disclosed above may be provided. A user may use the bolt carrier group without the weight  12  and associated weight retaining pin  14 . The blow back pistol caliber bolt carrier group, once assembled, can be easily replaced into existing pistol caliber rifle platforms, i.e. the AR-9, AR-40, AR-45 family of weapons and their derivatives. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.