Abstract:
A gun having a forearm element having an above barrel handle to assist with the facilitation of holding, loading successive rounds of ammunition, cocking and other manipulation of such gun.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a gun grip. More specifically, the present invention is directed toward a gun having an above-barrel forehand element. 
     2. Background 
     Guns having forearm grips are known in the prior art. The most common of which is the pump action shotgun. This type of gun typically has a below barrel forehand element serving to facilitate holding, cocking and other manipulation of the gun while in use. Various modifications to this element have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,238 issued to Farrar on Mar. 5, 1985, entitled Pump Gun Forend discloses a below barrel grip for assisting in the loading of ammunition, cocking and other manipulation of the gun. Other variations demonstrating the below barrel grip are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,542 issued to Simonetti on Jul. 2, 1991, entitled Handle for a Forearm Stock of a Pump Action Gun and U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,992 issued to Velezis on Dec. 3, 1991, entitled Forearm Assembly. 
     The below barrel forehand element have some disadvantages. Due to the natural recoil of a gun being in a generally upward direction, a large amount of strength must be needed in order to prevent any loss of control over the gun. Additionally, the user of the gun begins to lose control when the gun is in a firing position for an extended time. Accordingly, there is a need for a gun forearm that provide better control before, during and after the firing of the gun. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention satisfies the needs discussed above. The present invention is generally directed toward a forearm for a gun, more specifically toward forearm for a gun having an above barrel handle. 
     The present invention provides a forearm structure of a gun in order to facility the holding, cocking and loading of ammunition and other manipulation of the gun. More specifically, the present invention is directed toward a handle positioned above the barrel of the gun and connected to the below barrel grip. The device is designed to facilitate right or left handed use and is made from sturdy, resilient material. An additional aspect of the present invention discloses the grip being positioned in such a manner as not to interfere with the sighting mechanisms of the gun. 
     The term gun as used herein can represent a pump-action type gun to manually load ammunition, such as but not limited to a pump-action shotgun, or an automatically loading gun, such as but not limited to an automatic feed shotgun. 
     In one aspect, the present invention provides a gun comprising of a barrel, a magazine tube extending adjacent and essentially parallel said barrel, and a forearm adapted to be mounted about said magazine tube, said forearm having a grip and a handle connected to said grip, said handle being located above said barrel. 
     In another aspect, the present invention provides a gun comprising of a barrel, a magazine tube extending adjacent and essentially parallel said barrel, and a removably secured forearm adapted to be mounted about said magazine tube, said forearm having a grip and a handle connected to said grip, said handle being located above said barrel. 
     In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a pump forearm for a gun comprising a grip and a handle connected to said grip, said handle being located above said barrel. 
     In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a removably secured forearm for a gun comprising a grip and a handle connected to said grip, said handle being located above said barrel. 
     Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying drawings and upon reading the following description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a prior art gun. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of embodiment  50  a pump-action type shotgun having a forearm assembly provided by the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along line  3  from FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in a variety of ways. It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     As depicted in FIG. 1, a prior art gun  10  is shown. Gun  10  includes a receiver  12  which houses a firing mechanism actuated by a trigger  14  to fire a shotgun shell received in the rear portion of barrel  16 . This portion of barrel  16  is connected at its rear end to the receiver  12  and projects forwardly therefrom along an axis  18 . A magazine tub  20  extends along an axis  22  parallel to and directly beneath axis  18  and is adapted to contain a series of shotgun shells which are successively moved rearwardly from the tub  20  into the receiver  12  for delivery into the barrel  16 . A grip  24  is disposed of about tube  20  and is manually reciprocal along axis  22 , relative to the tube between the full line forward position A and rear position B. Grip  24  is connected to two conventional parallel action bars  26  which extend rearwardly along the underside of the barrel parallel thereto into receiver  12  and function to actuate the firing mechanism  30 , and cocking it as a result of rearward movement of grip  24 . The rearward and then the forward reciprocation of grip  24  also functions to eject a spent shell from the receiver  12  and the gun through a side entry  32  and to feed the next successive shell to the barrel  16  followed by automatic closure of the rearend of the barrel  16  in preparation of the firing of that shell by actuation of trigger  14 . Gun  10  typically has a pistol-type handle  34  or a conventional rearward projecting stock not shown. 
     As depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, an embodiment  50  of the present invention comprises a pump forearm  40  adapted to be mounted about magazine tube  20 . Pump forearm  40  comprises a grip  24  and a handle assembly  41  connected to grip  24 , proximate the rearward (toward the butt end) end. Handle assembly  41  is located about and above barrel  16  and has securing element  44  connected to hand grip  42  by a neck element  46 . The connection of hand grip  42  to neck element  46  is such that it facilitates either right-handed or left-handed use, and places hand grip  42  forward (toward the muzzle end) of securing element  44 . 
     It will be understood by those skilled in the art that handle assembly  41  can be removably or permanently attached to grip  24 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one embodiment of securing element  44  is to be designed in a substantially U-shape on order to be positioned around barrel  16  while being secured in the region of grip  24 . By being positioned around barrel  16 , handle assembly  41  is able to effectuate the loading and cocking features of a conventional pump type gun without interfering with the standard function of such a gun. 
     In operation, a person may first load into the gun a series of shells into magazine tube  20  by inserting them forwardly into the magazine through receiver  12 . A first shell is then fed into the firing chamber and the gun is cocked by grasping handle  42  which is connected to grip  24  and moving such handle  42  from position A rearward to position B and then returning to forward position A. The gun is then ready to be fired. During the firing of the gun, a user may grasp handle  42  to provide additional support and stability during such firing. 
     It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while only a pump-action type shotgun has been illustrated, other type of guns, such as but not limited to automatic loading shotguns, can be outfitted with the forehand grip of the present invention. 
     Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.