Hand Gun Magazine Extension Assembly

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to improvements in magazines for hand guns and, more particularly, pertains to a new and improved magazine extension assembly which attaches to a standard magazine tube and augments the capacity thereof.

2. Description of Related Art

Hand guns are used in a variety of sporting competitions around the country wherein various skills of the competitor are matched against both another opponent and the clock. Key to these competitions is the ability to operate and fire a hand gun quickly and skillfully. An important factor is the number of rounds, or ammunition a particular gun can fire before the instrument needs to be reloaded. Rounds are stored in a cartridge, or magazine, which is of a standard construction to enable uniformity from gun to gun, and the size and dimensions of these magazines are preset by the organizing bodies of the competitions and organizations who sanction the competitions. Designers are always trying to increase the capacity of the magazines while conforming to the guidelines and standards set by these competitions. It is axiomatic that a competitor who spends less time reloading will have an advantage over a similarly situated competitor who must reload more often. The bulk of competition hand guns are built on the Colt 1911 frame, which is the standard side arm issued in World War II by the United States Military. The hand guns built on these frames may be made in a variety of calibers such as 9 millimeter and 10 millimeter, and 38 and 45 calibers.

The magazines for the Colt 1911 house the ammunition in a cartridge having a rectangular base with walls forming a column which narrows in width at the top. The bottom of the magazine is open and terminates in an outwardly directed lip which is used to attach a standard base pad. The magazine includes a spring-loaded follower which feeds rounds individually into the gun from below. At the bottom of the magazine tube, a removable base pad provides a cap and a support for the follower. The capacity of the standard magazine tube with the standard base pad is predetermined. The prior art has sought to increase the capacity in a manner which conforms to the standards set by the competitions.

Aftermarket conversion kits for magazines are plentiful, but the prior art conversion kits are capable of adding only one or two rounds to the holding capacity of the magazine and still remain within the dimensional requirements set forth in the rules for USPSA or IPSC competition.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a magazine tube extension assembly that conforms with the dimensional requirements of competitive shooting and adds multiple round capacity to the magazine;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a magazine tube adapter and cooperating base pad which can be used with a variety of different magazine tubes to augment the capacity of the magazine; and

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an assembly which can be quickly and easily installed and removed, to a variety of magazine tubes of the indicated type, while providing a secure attachment to the magazine tube.

These objects and the general purpose of this invention are accomplished by providing a base pad and a special adapter designed to attach to the base of a magazine tube. The base pad and the adapter mesh together using interlocking tabs and slots. An insertable pin secures the base pad to the adapter. The adapter includes a groove along an interior surface which receives a lip at the base of a magazine tube to fix the adapter to the magazine tube. The lower edge of the adapter includes two tabs, or heels, which depend from the lower edge and which engage slots on the upper surface of the base pad to form an interlocking relationship. A pair of traverse holes pass through both the base pad and the adapter. A clip inserted into the holes removably secures the base pad and adapter assembly. Once the clip is in position, holding the base pad to the adapter, the clip is kept in place by a retaining boss.

The exact nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages, will become readily apparent upon reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical magazine tube with a base pad of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a typical magazine with a preferred embodiment of a base pad assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a base pad assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of a base pad assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the prior art base pad and magazine tube of FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the base pad assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a planform view of the base pad assembly of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a side view partially in phantom of the base pad assembly of the present invention.

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the general principles of the present invention have been defined specifically to provide a magazine tube extension assembly which complies with the dimensional requirements of competition shooting and adds at least two rounds to the capacity of the magazine, while securely fastening to the bottom of the magazine and permitting quick and easy attachment and removal.

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical magazine tube 30 as may be commonly used in a 1911-type handgun and the standard base pad 20 which is used in conjunction with the magazine tube 30. The prior art base pad 20 merely closes the bottom of the magazine tube 30 and provides a smooth end to the magazine tube lower edge. The prior art base pad attaches to the magazine tube by means of a pair of grooves which receive outwardly directed lips 32 at the base of the magazine tube.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the base pad of the present invention, which comprises a tube adapter 42, a base pad 60, and a pin or clip 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the base pad assembly mounts to the lower edge of the magazine tube 30 by means of slots formed by a continuous groove 56 which follows along the interior edges 58 of the adapter and is shaped to receive the magazine lip tightly therein. A retention boss 102 is provided on the adapter 42 at the entrance to the adapter's groove to retain the magazine tube 30 firmly to the adapter 42. Once the adapter 42 is secured to the base of magazine tube 30, it becomes a permanent fixture on the magazine tube.

As shown in FIG. 3, the adapter 42 of the base pad assembly 40 further includes a generally rectangular body defined by side walls 31, 33, rear wail 35, and a front wall 37. The side walls 31, 33 each have a heel member 44 which depends from a lower longitudinal edge 46 and which are preferably rectangular as shown. The heel members 44 include a hole 48 which passes from a front edge 50 completely through the heel member to a rear edge 52.

The base pad 60 includes a floor 64 and a continuous wall 66 forming a generally rectangular element. The base pad 60 has open slots 68 along the sides 70, 72 which are sized to receive the heel members 44 of the adapter 42 therein. The base pad 60 includes two holes 76 which begins at a front surface 78 of the adapter and continual through the sides 70, 72 of the base pad, passing through the open slots 68 and terminating at the rear surface 80. The holes 76 are aligned with the holes 48 in the heel members 44, such that when the upper surface 74 of the base pad 60 is brought in contact with the lower surface 54 of the adapter 42, the heel members 44 fit snugly into the open slots 68 and a continuous channel through holes 76 and 48 is formed. This continuous channel is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 8 and provides the means for securing the assembly together.

A U-shaped pin or clip 100 is provided which has a cross-section compatible with the cross-section of the continuous channel (shown here in the preferable round embodiment) and which is inserted into the channel to secure the base pad 60 and the adapter 42 together. The clip 100 includes a pair of legs 110 and a traverse member 112. It is preferably made of stainless steel. The base pad and adapter are preferably made of Delron. Once assembled, the base pad 60 and the adapter 42 form a reservoir 62 which can augment the storage capacity of the magazine as comparatively illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment wherein the heel member of the previous embodiment is replaced by teeth 120 depending from the lower edge 122 of the adapter 132. Along the corresponding mating surface of the base pad 130 are meshing teeth 134 as required to form a continuous abutment of the two parts. As described above, a traverse hole 124 in the adapter 132 and a traverse hole in the base pad 30 are aligned when the two elements are abutting and provide a continuous channel as in the previous embodiment. A pin is inserted into the continuous channel to secure the elements together.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the base pad assembly of the present invention with the pin 100 inserted into the continuous channel formed by the alignment of holes 48 and 76. Tabs 106 are provided on an upper surface of the base pad to secure the pin in the channel and prevent dislodging of the pin 100 after it is fully inserted. As the pin is inserted completely in the channel as shown, it encounters tabs 106 and additional effort is required to push the pin 100 into the channel to overcome the tabs 106. Tabs 106 then serve to retain the pin 100 in the channel. To remove the pin 100, a recess 108 is provided in the base pad 60 just below the traverse member of the pin (see FIGS. 3 and 7). The recess 108 is adapted to receive a bladed instrument such as a screwdriver (not shown), which can be used to pry the pin 100 over tabs 106, and the pin can thereafter be removed and the assembly disassembled. The base pad extends beyond the adapter through an outer ledge 104 to permit the bladed instrument to be inserted into the recess 108 between the pin 100 and the adapter 42.

It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.