Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~ackgro~ln~l oF th~ Inv~ntion
Field of the Invention
The inventio~ relates to firearms and is directe~llnore particularly
to a reversible maga~ine latch system For pistols.
Description o-f the Prior Art
In the field oF au-tomatic firearms, and particularly pistols,
it is common For the grip portion of the pistol to define a cavity for a
magazine, and it is known to employ latches for locking and unlocking the
magazine in the cavity. Among the known latches, there is a sliding type,
, which is seated and guided transversely, with respect to the cavlty receiving
the magazine, so as to engage a slo-t provided on a surface of the magazine.
Generally, slidin~ latches have a unidirectional and irrcversible U5~9 in
th~lt th~y Ill~y bc used ~itiler frolll le~t to right only, in the case of pistols
adapted for right-handed individuals, or from right to leF-t only, in the
'~ case of pistols adap-ted for left-handed individuals. Such limitation is an
inconvenience when pistols are used by persons with the opposite hand.
U.S. Patent No. 4,236,337 issued December 2, 1980, sought to
remedy the problem by providing a reversible sliding magazine latch ~or
pistols. However, removal and insertion of the '337 latch device require
, placing the device at an oblique angle relative to the latch seat, which
can cause some difficulty in realizing the benefi-ts of the invention.
Summary of the Invention
It is, therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
latch system for maga~ines of pis-tols wherein the mounting and the use of the
latch are reversible, enabling -the pistol -to be used as a right-handed latch
p~stol and as a leFt-hand~d latch pistol.
Another object of the invention is to provide a reversible latch
system in which a latch assembly is easily ch~nged from one side to the other
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of the pistol, and in which the latch assernbly is inserted in the latch
seat substantially axially of the latch seat.
l~ith the above and other objects in vie~, as ~/ill hereinafter
appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision of a reversible
magazine latch system for pistols having a grip portion in ~hich there is
provid~ a cav;ty for a nla~azin~, the syst~ln colnprising a ldtch seat disposed
in the pistol, a magazine latch assembly adapted for disposition in and
retention by the seat, and a magazine adapted to be engaged by the latch,
the seat comprising an opening extending through the pis-tol and adapted to
receive the latch assembly at either end of the opening and retain the latch
assembly therein, the magazine having two lateral slots, a selected one of
the slots being accessibl~ to the latch assembly ~hen the rnagazine is dis-
posed in the cavity, the magazine latch assembly comprising a body por-tion
having a first head portion on a first end thereof and a chamber therein, a
second head portion threadedly connected to the body portion at a second end
of the body portion, a latch portion movably disposed in the chambers, and
detent means extending from the latch portion and through an opening in the
body portlon, the detent means being adapted to engage the selected one of
the magazine slots.
The above and other fcatures of the invention, including various
novel details of construction and combinations oF parts, ~ill now be more
p~rticularly described with ref~rence to the accompanying drawings and
pointed out in the claims. It ~;ill be understood that the particular device !
embodying the inven-tion is shown by way of illustration only and not as a
~5 lirnitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention
may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from
the scope oF the invention.
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~rieF nescri,tinn nf the nrawirl~Js
Ref~rerl~e ~s ma~e to Lho acco~ y~ J ~Jrawlrl(Js in which ls shown
an illus-trative e~ odirnent of the invention froln whicil its r-ovel features
and adv.lnta~es will ~e a,~ r~n t .
In the dr,awings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevdtional vie~ of a portion of a pistol sho~.~.ing
an illustrative disposition of the inYentiOn; :
Fig. 2 is a sectional view o-F the invention, taken along
line II - II of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrative of an embodimen-t of the
invention, taken .along line III - III of Fig. l; and
Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV - IV of Fig. 3~ ;
but showing elelnents oF the invention in an alternativ.~-~ position.
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Description of the Preferred Elnbodiment
Referrin~ to the drawings, it will be seen that the illustrati~e
syst~nl is adapte(l for uso in conjunction with a pistol 2 havin~ a grip
portion 4 in which -there is provided a cavity 6 for a m~Jazine 8.
The magazine 8 is provided with two lateral slo-ts I0, 12, one on
each side of the /nagazine. The slots 10, 12 are adapted to receive a latch
means, as will be fully described herein below. The magazine 8 comprises
spaced side walls 14, 16, a rounded front wall 18, a back wall 20, a base
portion 22, and an internal follower 24, biased by a spring 26. The ma~azine
0 is adapted to retain a plurality of cartridges and facil-ita-te feeding of the
cartridges into a cartridge chamber in the barrel of the pistol.
; The grip portion 4 of the pistol 2 is provided with a latch seat
28 having first and second enlarged areas 30, 32 at either end thereof,
respectively. The latch seat 28 is adapted to receive a magazine latch
assembly 34. The magazine latch assembly 34 includes a generally tubular
body portion 36 having at a first end thereof a first head portion 38 having
a slot 40 therein. At a second end thereof~ the body portion 36 is provided
with internal threads 42 adapted to receive a threaded stem portion ~4 oF a
second head portion 46 adapted to be received by the first enlarged area 30.
0 The body portion 36 and the stem portion 44, when threadedly
connected, define a chamher 48 in which is disposed a latch por-tion 50. A
shank 52 extends -From a first end 53 of the latch portion 50 and through
an axial opening 54 in the stem portion 44 o-F the second head portion 46, the
shank 52 having a lock button 56 on a free end thereof. At a second end S7
; of the latch portion 50, a coil spring 58 is disposed between the latch
por-tion 50 and an internal end wall 60 of the body portion 36, to bias the
lock buttofl 56 outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2.
A Forward wall 52 of the body portion 36 is provided with a slot 64
in which is disposed a Free end of a pin 66 mounted in the latch portion 50,
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the slot 64 and pin 66 allowing limi-ted movemen-t of the latch portion 50 in
the chamber 4$.
Opposite the slot 64 there is an opening 68 in the bod~ portion 36
adapted to receive the aFore-mentioned magazine for~ard ~ l 18. ~rhe latch
portion 50 includes d concave contour 70 generdlly cornplemen~ary to the
magazine wall 18 but including a detent means 72 adapted to engage one of the
magazine slots 10, 12.
Referring to Fig. 2 , it will be seen that in the illustrated
position, the lock bu-tton 56 is biased to an out~ard position by the coil
spring 58 and that the detent 72 is disposed in the magazine slot 12 to
securely lock the magazine 8 in the cavity 6 of the grip portion 4 of the
pistol 2.
To release the magazine 8, an operator depresses the lock button 56,
against the bias of the spring 58, causing the latch portion 50 to n~ove in
the chamber 48, with the pin 66 moving in the slot 64 until the pin abuts an
end of the slot, at ~hich point the detent means 72 ~lill be removed from
the slot 1~ (Fig. 3) permittir~g withdrdwal of the magazine 8 from the
cavity 6. After insertion of a ne~ magazine, the operator releases the lock
button 56, per~itting the de-tent me~ns 72 to be move(l by the spring 58 into
engagement with the magazine slot 12.
To change the latch assembly from a right hand orientation, wherein
the lock button is on the left (Fig.l ) to a left hand orientation, ~Iherein
-the lock button is on the right, an operator depresses the lock button 56 to
release the magazine 8, and then releases the lock button 56 and separates
the body portion 36 from the s-tem portion 44, by turning the first head
portion 38, as by insertion of a coin, or the like, in the groove 40 and
disengaging the threaded portions of the body portion 36 and the stem portion
44. After separation of the threaded eletnents 36, 44 the latch portion 50
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and the second head portion 46 are withdrawn from the latch assembly seat
28 by way of the first enlarged area 30, and the body portion 36, and the
spring 58, are ~lithdra~ln From the latch sea-t by lay of the second enlarged
area 32. The positions of the seconcl head portion 46 and the la-tch
portion 50, on the one hand, and the body portion 36, on the other hand,
are exchanged, such that the lock button is on the ri~ht side~ and the
first head portion 38 on the left side, for left hand orientation. The
threaded elements 36, 44 are threadedly engaged and the assembly is cornplete,
with the first head portion 38 disposed in the enlar~e(l area 30 o-F the
', latch seat 28 and the second head portion 46 disposed in the second enlarged
area 32 of the latch seat, and with the detent means 72 in posi-tion for
engagement with the magazine slot 10.
Thus, the magazine latch assembly may be easily and quickly
exchanged between left and right hand orientation.
i It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means
limited to the particular construction herein disclosed/and or shown in
the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the
scope of the disclosure.
Having thus described my inven tion what I claim as new and desire
to secure by Let-ters Paten-t of the United States is:
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