Self-leveling follower and magazine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470464-B2
Application number	US-201514687864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 15, 2014
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A follower for a firearm magazine is disclosed, with a platform that may support a cartridge and has a top surface defining a plane and a bottom surface. The front end may be coupled to a front portion of the platform and engage a spring and a magazine body. The interior surface of the front end may be substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the platform and form an obtuse angle with the plane of the platform. The rear end may be coupled to a rear portion of the platform and engage the spring and the magazine body. The interior surface of the rear end may be perpendicular to the bottom surface of the platform and form an acute angle with the plane of the platform. The front end may extend further below the platform than does the rear end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A follower for a firearm magazine, comprising:
a platform shaped to support a cartridge and having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface defining at least one plane;
a spacer coupled to the platform, the spacer having a top surface shaped to support a cartridge being fed to a firearm;
a front end associated with a firing direction and coupled to a front portion of the platform, the front end having an interior surface for engaging a spring and an exterior surface for engaging a magazine body, the interior surface of the front end being substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the platform and forming an obtuse angle with the at least one plane of the platform; and
a rear end coupled to a rear portion of the platform, the rear end having an interior surface for engaging the spring and an exterior surface for engaging the magazine body, the interior surface of the rear end perpendicular to the bottom surface of the platform and forming an acute angle with the at least one plane of the platform; wherein
the front end extends further below the platform than does the rear end.

2. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:
the top surface of the spacer is angled such that a rear portion of the top surface of the spacer is farther from the at least one plane of the platform than is a front portion of the top surface of the spacer.

3. The follower of claim 2 , wherein:
the angle between the top surface of the spacer and the at least one plane of the platform is less than 1 degree.

4. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:
the cartridge supported by the spacer comprises a cartridge case having a taper; and
the angle between the top surface of the spacer and the at least one plane of the platform is one of (a) substantially one-half of the taper of the cartridge case and (b) substantially one-half of an induced taper defined by the cartridge case.

5. The follower of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bolt stop interface projecting from a rear portion of the platform, the bolt stop interface having a stop shelf that is not parallel to the at least one plane of the platform.

6. The follower of claim 5 , wherein:
a rear portion of the stop shelf of the bolt stop is farther from the at least one plane of the platform than is a front portion of the stop shelf of the bolt stop interface.

7. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the front end and the rear end comprises at least one fin for engaging a rail in a firearm magazine.

8. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:
a normal of the bottom surface of the platform defines a vertical axis of the follower; and
the bottom surface, the front end, and the rear end define a spring receiving space, the spring receiving space shaped to limit an upper portion of the spring to vertical compression when the upper portion of the spring is compressed into the spring receiving space.

9. The follower of claim 8 , further comprising:
a spring retention wall coupled to the platform and extending into the spring receiving space between the front end and the rear end, the spring retention wall shaped to limit the upper portion of the spring to vertical compression when the upper portion of the spring is compressed into the spring receiving space.

10. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:
the obtuse angle is between 90.5 degrees and 93 degrees.

11. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:
the acute angle is between 87 degrees and 89.5 degrees.

12. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:
the interior surface of the front end forms an obtuse angle with the top surface of the platform.

13. A follower for a firearm magazine, comprising:
a platform shaped to support a cartridge and having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface defining at least one plane of the follower and a normal of the bottom surface of the platform defining a vertical axis of the follower;
a spacer coupled to the platform, the spacer set to a side of the top surface, the spacer having a top surface shaped to support a cartridge being fed to a firearm;
a front end coupled to a front portion of the platform, the front portion associated with a firing direction; and
a rear end coupled to a rear portion of the platform; wherein
an interior surface of the front end and an interior surface of the rear end define a spring receiving space shaped to limit an upper portion of a magazine spring to vertical compression when the upper portion of the magazine spring is compressed into the spring receiving space;
the interior surface of the front end forms an obtuse angle with the at least one plane of the platform; and
the interior surface of the rear end forms an acute angle with the at least one plane of the platform.

14. The follower of claim 13 , wherein
the cartridge supported by the spacer comprises a cartridge case having a taper; and
the top surface of the spacer is at an angle to the at least one plane of the platform such that a rear portion of the top surface of the spacer is farther from the at least one plane of the platform than is a front portion of the top surface of the spacer, wherein the angle between the top surface of the spacer and the at least one plane of the platform is one of (a) substantially one-half of the taper or (b) substantially one-half of an induced taper defined by the cartridge case.

15. The follower of claim 13 , further comprising:
a bolt stop interface projecting from a rear portion of the platform, the bolt stop interface having a top surface; wherein
a rear portion of the top surface of the bolt stop interface is farther from the at least one plane defined by the top surface of the platform than is a front portion of the top surface of the bolt stop interface.

16. The follower of claim 13 , further comprising:
a spring retention wall extending substantially perpendicularly from the bottom surface of the platform between the front end and the rear end, and shaped to engage an interior region of a magazine spring as the magazine spring is compressed into the follower.

17. The follower of claim 13 , wherein:
the obtuse angle between the interior surface of the front end and the at least one plane of the platform is between 90.5 degrees and 93 degrees; and
the acute angle between the interior surface of the rear end and the at least one plane of the platform is between 87 degrees and 89.5 degrees.

18. The follower of claim 13 , wherein:
the interior surfaces of the front end and the rear end form perpendicular angles with the bottom surface of the platform to limit an upper portion of the spring to vertical compression when the upper portion of the spring is compressed into the spring receiving space.

19. A follower for a firearm magazine, comprising:
a platform shaped to support a cartridge and having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of the platform defining a first cartridge support plane and the bottom surface of the platform having a normal that defines a vertical axis of the follower;
a spacer coupled to the platform, the spacer having a top surface shaped to support a cartridge and defining a second cartridge support plane;
a front end coupled to a front portion of the platform, the front portion associated with a firing direction, the front end coupled to the front portion such that an interior surface of the front end is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the platform and forms an obtuse angle with the first cartridge support plane; and
a rear end coupled to a rear portion of the platform such that a

Assignees

• Magpul Ind Corp

Inventors

• Kielsmeier Nicholas
• Nakayama Brian L

Classifications

• F41A9/70 Primary

  Arrangements thereon for discharging, e.g. cartridge followers or discharge throats · CPC title