Patent Publication Number: US-6698127-B2

Title: Bottom of a pistol magazine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/CH01/00187 filed Mar. 27, 2001 and claims priority of Swiss Patent Application No. 620/00 filed Mar. 30, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a removable magazine bottom with a device for mounting a magazine via a slide fit as a pistol supporting grip. 
     2. Discussion of Background Information 
     The sureness of aim with pistols is known to be limited due to the use of a single hand, as opposed to weapons that enable aiming with both hands. 
     Devices for mounting a magazine via a slide fit as a pistol supporting grip are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,125, and include a plate with a dovetail groove on the pistol magazine on one hand and a plate that is fixed to the bottom of the pistol and has a corresponding projection which engages in said groove in order to provide for a dovetail connection for mounting a magazine as a pistol supporting grip. However, the arrangement described here is inevitably limited to pistols which are subsequently equipped with a special plate adapted to the magazine whereby their use of a magazine as a pistol grip is greatly restricted for practical reasons. 
     The use of a magazine as a pistol grip is further described in U.S. Pat No. 2,683,948, while a subsequent mechanical treatment and adaptation of the pistol for mounting the magazine is required here and is thereby also greatly restricted for practical reasons. 
     Devices with a spring lock for mounting an auxiliary butt as a shoulder support on a pistol magazine are moreover described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,818. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a magazine bottom that largely eliminates the abovementioned problems with simple technical device and slight expenditure of work and that by itself enables mounting a magazine as a supporting grip on pistols of conventional construction, which are already provided in series production with two longitudinal V-shaped grooves existing on opposite sides of the pistol. 
     To this end, the magazine bottom according to the invention is characterized by the features defined in the claims. 
    
    
     The invention will be more fully illustrated by means of a standard magazine, an embodiment of a modified magazine body and the drawing. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a standard magazine with a fitted bottom of conventional design. 
     FIG. 1A is a front view of the magazine body according to FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of a conventional magazine bottom. 
     FIGS. 2A to  2 C are three views of the conventional magazine bottom according to FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of a modified magazine bottom according to the invention. 
     FIGS. 3A to  3 C are three views of the modified magazine bottom according to FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 4A shows a magazine with a modified magazine bottom according to FIGS. 3 to  3 C. 
     FIG. 4B is a front view of the magazine with a magazine bottom according to FIG.  4 A. 
     FIG. 5 shows a pistol with a magazine according to FIGS. 4A and 4B mounted as a supporting grip. 
     FIG. 5A is a front view of the pistol with the mounted magazine according to FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 6 is a general view of a pistol with the magazine according to FIG. 5 mounted as a support grip. 
     FIG. 6A shows the pistol and the magazine according to FIG:  5  in detail. 
     FIG. 6B shows a detail of FIG.  6 A. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The standard magazine for pistols according to FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of a magazine of conventional design with a flange  1   a  at its bottom end and a magazine bottom  2  with a rectangular base plate  2   b  with a lateral ridge  2   a  well as a locking hole  2   d . FIGS. 2A and 2C show that the lateral ridge  2   c  arranged in the upper portion of the base plate  2   b  associated with the magazine  1  extends over the entire length of both parallel longitudinal sides and the rounded end of the base plate  2   b  and is provided with an inner groove  2   a  adapted to the flange  1   a  of the magazine body  1 , this groove  2   a  providing for a slide fit in combination with the flange  1   a  for fastening the bottom  2  to the magazine  1 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 3A to  3 C show a modified magazine bottom  32  whose part associated with the standard magazine  1  is identical with the described conventional magazine bottom  2  according to FIGS.  2  and  2 A- 2 C. 
     This modified magazine bottom  32  nevertheless differs essentially from the conventional bottom  2  of the standard magazine in that it is provided with two parallel, longitudinal, lateral cheeks  33 ′ and  33 ″, whose inner side has in each case a prism  34 ′ and  34 ″ respectively, while these prisms provide for a slide fit in combination with corresponding V-grooves in the stock of a pistol, as is further described later. 
     A spring latch  35  is further fitted in this modified magazine bottom  32  near the rounded end of the bottom  32 , protrudes from it between the lateral cheeks  33 ′ and  33 ″, functions as a snap lock as is further described later in combination with a corresponding transverse groove in a pistol stock and is released by means of a lever  35 ′ protruding laterally from the magazine bottom. 
     The magazine  1  combined with the modified magazine bottom  32  is represented in FIGS. 4A and 4B. 
     FIG. 5 shows schematically how a magazine  1  with the modified magazine bottom  32  is mounted upside-down on the pistol stock. 
     Further details of the arrangement of the magazine as a supporting grip on a pistol may also be seen from the general view in FIGS. 6 as well as  6 A and  6 B.