Patent Publication Number: US-2011061282-A1

Title: Firearm with ammunition storage within a handgrip portion thereof

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This non-provisional utility patent application claims priority to co-pending United States Provisional patent application having Ser. No. 61/274,578, filed Aug. 18, 2009, entitled “Handgun Grips With Internal Ammunition Storage Capability”, having a common applicant herewith and being incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The disclosures made herein relate generally to firearms and, more particularly, to structures for allowing spare ammunition to be stored on a firearm. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Many handguns that are commonly used for personal defense have a limited capacity or number of cartridges that are loaded into the firearm at any given time. Revolvers are an example of a handgun typically limited to 5 or 6 shots (i.e., 5 or 6 discrete rounds of ammunition each held within a respective chamber of a cylinder). Unlike automatic handguns, revolvers are slower to reload than handguns with an ammunition magazine. Accordingly, revolvers generally carry less ammunition and are slower to reload than most automatic handguns. 
     Spare rounds of ammunition are often not carried by a user of a revolver, which places the user of a revolver at a potential disadvantage over a user of a higher capacity automatic handgun. Reloading devices such as, for example, “Speed Loaders” and “Speed Strips” are designed to provide a more rapid reload for a revolver user. However, most users are not proficient enough to use such devices effectively and a drawback to such devices is that they force a user to completely empty their cylinder prior to inserting the ammunition housed in a “Speed Loader”. The requirement to completely empty a firearm during a gunfight is undesirable, particularly if perhaps only 2 shots of 5 have been fired. Another disadvantage of speed loaders is that they are often forgotten or not carried due to their weight and/or bulk. 
     Therefore, a firearm such as a revolver having a storage space configured for carrying a reserve supply of discrete rounds of ammunition separate from that in a magazine or cylinder thereof is advantageous, desirable and useful. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Embodiments of the present invention relate to a firearm having a handgrip with a storage space therein that is configured for carrying a reserve supply of discrete rounds of ammunition. In one particular embodiment, a revolver is an example of such a firearm. In this manner, embodiments of the present invention allow a user of a firearm to have ready access to discrete rounds of ammunition for their firearm. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, a kit for providing a handgrip on a firearm. The kit includes a handgrip body and a storage space cover. The handgrip body is mountable on a handgrip body mounting structure of the firearm. The handgrip body includes an ammunition storage space therein. The ammunition storage space defines a storage space opening in a surface of the handgrip body through which a round of ammunition can be inserted into the ammunition storage space. The storage space cover has a primer recess within an ammunition support surface thereof. The storage space cover is moveably attached to the handgrip body in a manner allowing the storage space cover to be moved between an open position in which access to the storage space opening is provided and a closed position in which the ammunition support surface extends over the storage space opening. A portion of the primer recess overlies a primer occupying region of the ammunition storage space when the storage space cover is in the closed position. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, a firearm includes a frame, a handgrip body, and storage space cover. The frame includes a handgrip body mounting structure. The handgrip body is attached to or integral with mounted on the handgrip body mounting structure. The handgrip body includes an ammunition storage space therein and wherein the ammunition storage space defines a storage space opening in a bottom end face of the handgrip body through which a round of ammunition can be inserted into the ammunition storage space. The storage space cover has a primer recess within an ammunition support surface thereof. The storage space cover is moveably attached to the handgrip body and/or the handgrip body mounting structure in a manner allowing the storage space cover to be moved between an open position in which access to the storage space opening is provided and a closed position in which the ammunition support surface extends over the storage space opening. A portion of the primer recess overlies a primer occupying region of the ammunition storage space when the storage space cover is in the closed position. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, a handgrip assembly includes a handgrip body mounting structure of a firearm, a handgrip body, and a storage space cover. The handgrip body is mounted on the handgrip body mounting structure. The handgrip body includes an ammunition storage space therein. The ammunition storage space defines a storage space opening in a bottom end face of the handgrip body through which a round of ammunition can be inserted into the ammunition storage space. The storage space cover has a primer recess within an ammunition support surface thereof. The storage space cover is pivotably attached to the handgrip body and/or the handgrip body mounting structure in a manner allowing the storage space cover to be pivoted between an open position in which access to the storage space opening is provided and a closed position in which the ammunition support surface extends over the storage space opening. A portion of the primer recess overlies a primer occupying region of the ammunition storage space when the storage space cover is in the closed position. 
     These and other objects, embodiments, advantages and/or distinctions of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification, associated drawings and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view showing a revolver having handgrip bodies configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary lower rear perspective view of the revolver shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary upper rear perspective view of the revolver shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , various aspects of a revolver  100  (i.e., a firearm) configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Advantageously, the revolver  100  has handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  each configured for having one or more rounds of ammunition  106  stored therein. Thus, as shown, the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  can be configured for having a reserve supply of discrete rounds of ammunition stored therein. In this manner, embodiments of the present invention allow a user of a firearm such as a revolver to have ready access to discrete rounds of ammunition for their firearm. 
     The revolver  100  includes a frame  108 . The frame  108  serves as a chassis upon which other components of the revolver  100  are mounted. Besides the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104 , other examples of such components include trigger group components, a barrel, and a cylinder. In one embodiment, the grips are configured for being attached to a revolver such as, for example, a Smith &amp; Wesson J-Frame revolver. However, the present invention is not unnecessarily limited to use/implementation with any particular type of configuration of firearm. 
     The frame  108  includes a handgrip body mounting structure  109 . A first one of the handgrip bodies (i.e., handgrip body  102 ) is mounted on a first side  110  of the handgrip body mounting structure  109 . A second one of the handgrip bodies (i.e., handgrip body  104 ) is mounted on a second side  112  of the handgrip body mounting structure  109 . Examples of means by which the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  can be attached to the handgrip body mounting structure  109  include, but are not limited to, mechanical fastener(s), mechanical clips, and the like. In one embodiment, a structure such as a roll pin, dowel pin, or the like passes through the handgrip body mounting structure  109  and is disposed in a manner so as to be located between two cartridges on each one of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  thereby aligning and/or adding structural rigidity between the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  and the handgrip body mounting structure  109 . It also is disclosed herein that the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  can be integral with the frame (e.g., a one piece molded frame/handgrip structure). 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each one of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  includes an ammunition storage space  114 . The ammunition storage space  114  of each one of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  defines a storage space opening  116  in a bottom end face  118  thereof through which a round of ammunition  106  can be inserted into the ammunition storage space  114 . Preferably, the ammunition storage space  114  of each one of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  includes an ammunition base receiving recess  120  at the bottom end face  118  thereof. Dimensions and/or shape of the ammunition storage space  114  allow a base  122  of the round of ammunition  106  to be disposed within the ammunition base receiving recess  120  such that an end face  124  of the base  122  can be substantially flush with the when the bottom end face  118  of a respective one of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104 . Preferably, but not necessarily, a depth of the ammunition base receiving recess  120  is approximately the same as a thickness of the base  122 . Preferably, but not necessarily, the ammunition base receiving recess  120  and the storage space opening  116  are both substantially round in shape with respect to the bottom end face  118  and the ammunition base receiving recess  120  is approximately concentric with the storage space opening  116 . 
     A storage space cover  126  is pivotably (i.e., moveably) attached to one or both of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  and/or to the handgrip body mounting structure  109 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , the storage space cover  126  is pivotably attached to the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  through a pin  128  that is engaged with handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  and that extends through a passage  130  in the storage space cover  126 . Accordingly, the storage space cover  126  is moveably attached to the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  in a manner allowing the storage space cover  126  to be moved between an open position O in which access to the storage space openings  116  of each one of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  is provided and a closed position in which an ammunition support surface  132  extends over the storage space openings  116 . When the storage space cover  126  is in the closed position C, the ammunition support surface  132  of the storage space cover  126  abuts or is immediately adjacent to the bottom end face  118  of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  and engages the base  122  of any rounds of ammunition  106  within the ammunition storage space(s)  114  for securing the rounds of ammunition  106  therein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the ammunition support surface  132  of the storage space cover  126  has primer recesses  134  within the ammunition support surface  132  thereof. A portion of each primer recess  134  overlies a primer occupying region of a respective one of the ammunition storage spaces  114  when the storage space cover  126  is in the closed position C. Beneficially, each primer recess  134  provides a degree of safety that the primer of a round of ammunition  106  stored in one of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  will not inadvertently come into contact with the ammunition support surface  132  in a manner that causes accidental discharge of the round of ammunition  106 . Preferably, but not necessarily, each primer recess  134  can have a diameter larger than a diameter of a primer as exposed at the base  122  of the round of ammunition  106 . However, it is disclosed herein that the dimensions and/or shape of each primer recess  134  need only be sufficiently configured so as to significantly limit the likeliness that an area of the primer suitable for discharge of the primer can come into contact with the ammunition support surface  132  of the storage space cover  126 . It is disclosed herein that, alternatively, the primer recesses  134  can be filled with a resilient/pliable material. It is disclosed herein that, alternatively, the primer recesses  134  can be omitted and the ammunition support surface  132  can be formed from a resilient/pliable material. Accordingly, such implementation are examples of means for limiting a primer of the round of ammunition  106  within the ammunition storage space  114  from being unintentionally discharged as a result of contact with the storage space cover  126 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3  and  6 , a latch assembly  136  is slideably (i.e., movably) mounted on the storage space cover  126 . The latch assembly  136  to be moved between a latched configuration L and an unlatched configuration U with respect to the storage space cover  126 . A latch engaging structure  138  is connected to one or both of the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  and/or, optionally, to the handgrip body mounting structure  109 . As depicted, the latch engaging structure can be a pin that is engaged between the handgrip bodies  102 ,  104  with a longitudinal axis thereof extending substantially parallel to that of the pin  128  on which the storage space cover  126  is pivotably mounted. In one embodiment, the latch assembly  136  is biased into engagement with the latch engaging structure  138  (e.g., via a spring) when the latch assembly  136  is in the latched configuration L and the storage space cover  126  is in or moved to the closed position C. A latch control member  140  is selectively movable from an at rest position (shown) to a displaced position (not shown), thereby disengaging the latch assembly  136  (i.e., a pin engaging notch portion of a sliding latch member) from the latch engaging structure  138  for allowing the storage space cover  126  to be moved from the closed position C to the open position O. 
     In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, chemical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of such inventive disclosures. To avoid unnecessary detail, the description omits certain information known to those skilled in the art. The preceding detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.