Patent ID: 7905045

Claim:
A mounting assembly for attaching an accessory to a dovetail rail interface on a firearm, said mounting assembly comprising: a body having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion configured to engage a first side of said dovetail rail, said upper portion configured to receive and retain said accessory; a boss formation extending outwardly from a side of said body and including an opening therein; a clamping assembly configured to releasably engage a second side of said dovetail rail, including, a foot portion positioned adjacent a bottom surface of said boss formation, said foot portion including a cam surface; an actuator arm extending outwardly from said foot portion; a shaft extending upwardly from said foot portion through said opening in said boss formation, a terminal end of said shaft being threaded; a spring received around said shaft adjacent the top surface of said boss formation; and a retention nut threadedly received on said terminal end of said shaft such that said spring is captured between a bottom surface of said retention nut and a top surface of said boss formation said retention nut having a plurality of indexing formations formed on a side surface thereof; a spring-biased indexing pin slidably received in a bore in said actuator arm adjacent to said retention nut, said indexing pin being configured and arranged to engage said indexing formations on said side surface of said retention nut and thereby positively index and maintain a position of said retention nut on said threaded shaft; and a buffer pad pivotally attached adjacent a bottom surface of said lower portion and adjacent said clamping assembly, wherein movement of said clamping assembly to releasably engage said dovetail rail causes said foot portion to clamp said buffer pad against said second side of said dovetail rail.