Lockable safety for firearm

[0001] The present invention relates generally to firearms, and particularly to a safety for a firearm (e.g., handgun, pistol, revolver, rifle, machine gun, etc.) that can be locked.

[0002] It is well known in the art to provide firearms, such as handguns, with one or more safeties. Some safeties are opened to permit firing the firearm by following correct firing procedures. For example, a well known trigger safety includes a second type of trigger that is squeezed together with the firing trigger during normal, safe operation of the firearm. Likewise, a grip safety is opened when the firearm is properly gripped by the user. Such safeties will be referred to herein as passive safeties.

[0003] There are other safeties that must be opened by means of some action independent of the action of simply gripping the firearm, pulling the trigger and firing a projectile from the firearm. An example is a thumb-actuated safety, e.g., a knob or lever that must be moved by a thumb or other finger to permit firing the firearm. Such safeties will be referred to herein as active safeties.

[0004] Locks for locking weapons to prevent unauthorized use thereof are very well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,647,655 and 6,889,459 to Salvitti, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, describe a firearm safety lock for the Model 1911 automatic pistol. The safety lock includes a means of arresting the operation of the main trigger or hammer spring in the pistol grip of the firearm to prevent movement of the hammer, thereby locking the gun in a safe condition. In one of the embodiments, the lock is operated by a keyed device or specialized tool. Such a device could be a simple miniature key lock mechanism, a combination lock integrated into the handle of the gun, or some other snap lock ratcheting mechanism, much like that used in a ball point pen, to withdraw and extend the ball point sequentially.

[0005] U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,269,576 and 6,691,445 to Williams describe a mechanism for disabling a firearm. The disablement mechanism includes a body positionable to block movement of the hammer spring assembly in order to prevent the hammer from being moved to its cocked position.

[0006] US Patent Application 20050229461 to McGarry, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a pistol equipped with a lockable manual safety mechanism. The firing apparatus may include a trigger, a trigger bar, a sear, and a hammer that contacts a firing pin which may strike a chambered cartridge. The manual safety may be movable into and out of engagement with the firing apparatus. In one embodiment, the safety engages the sear to prevent the sear from moving and releasing the hammer while held in the cocked position by the sear. In one embodiment, the manual safety is a lever that is pivotally mounted to the frame of the pistol. The pistol may further include a locking member that engages the safety. The locking member may be movable from an unlocked position in which the manual safety is freely movable, to a locked position engaging the manual safety so that the safety cannot freely move and is locked into engagement with the sear while the hammer is held in the cocked position by the sear.

[0007] In one embodiment of US20050229461, the locking member may be a lock pin that may be rotatably carried by the pistol and is used the pistol user to lock the manual safety lever in the safe position. In one embodiment, the manual safety lever includes a locking concave surface that matches and meshes with a complimentary-shaped lever engaging surface of the safety lock pin. In one embodiment, the lock pin is key-operated.

[0008] The present invention seeks to provide a lockable safety for firearms, such as but not limited to, handguns, pistols, revolvers, rifles, machine guns and others, as is described more in detail hereinbelow. In contrast with the prior art, the locking mechanism of the lockable safety is ambidextrous, that is, is operable from both sides of the firearm for both right-handed and left-handed shooters.

[0009] The present invention seeks to provide a universal locking concept/mechanism, which under slight modifications can be universal to all models of guns/rifles/pistols/revolvers, having an external thumb safety or other active safety. The present invention is also applicable and may be universal for passive safeties, too, such as but not limited to, grip and trigger safeties.

[0010] One advantage of the present invention is the universality of the locking mechanism. The shooter does not have to search for the locking mechanism, since it can be in the same place for all firearms, for example, fashioned as a locking cylinder at or in the thumb safety.

[0011] Another advantage is that no matter whether the firearm is lying on the left or the right side, since the locking devise is ambidextrous, one side will always be exposed so that it is clear, even without touching but just by glancing, if the firearm is in a locked/safe mode or an unlocked mode.

[0012] There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a firearm including a safety that moves between a safe position that does not permit firing of the firearm and a fire position that permits firing of the firearm, and a lock that locks the safety in the closed position wherein the lock includes an ambidextrous locking mechanism actuable from both sides of the firearm.

[0013] In one embodiment, the safety is pivoted about a pivot and the lock is positioned at the pivot, wherein when the lock is in a locked position, the lock has a portion that blocks movement of the safety about the pivot to the fire position.

[0014] In another embodiment, the safety is pivoted about a pivot and the lock is not positioned at the pivot, wherein when the lock is in a locked position, the lock has a portion that blocks movement of the safety about the pivot to the fire position. The portion of the lock that blocks movement of the safety about the pivot may include different elements. In one embodiment, the blocking portion is a lug that juts outwards from the firearm. In another embodiment, the blocking portion is a lever that pivots about an axis to abut against the safety and prevent movement of the safety.

[0015] The safety may be an active safety that must be moved to the fire position by an action independent of gripping the firearm, pulling a trigger and firing a projectile from the firearm. The safety could alternatively be a passive safety.

[0025] Reference is now made to FIGS. 1A-1B, which illustrates a firearm (e.g., handgun) 10, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated firearm shown is a type of handgun, but this is merely for the sake of simplicity and clarity, and the present invention is in no way limited by this particular illustrated construction.

[0026] Firearm 10 may have a frame assembly 12 and a firing assembly that includes a slide 14. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that only those parts of firearm 10 that are needed to explain the present invention are shown, but the firing assembly of firearm 10 in actuality may include many other parts, such as but not limited to, a barrel, a breech block, a trigger, a trigger bar, a sear, a striker, and various springs that are well known in the art and are therefore do not require detailed description and are omitted in the drawing for the sake of simplicity.

[0027] Firearm 10 may include a safety 16 that moves between a safe position (FIG. 1A) that does not permit firing of the firearm and a fire position (FIG. 1B) that permits firing of the firearm. Safety 16 is a thumb safety, a type of active safety that must be moved to the fire position by an action independent of gripping the firearm, pulling a trigger and firing a projectile from the firearm. Safety 16 may pivot about a pivot 18.

[0028] Firearm 10 may include a lock 20 that locks safety 16 in the safe position. Lock 20 may be a simple miniature key-operated lock mechanism, such as but not limited to, a ratchet mechanism. For example, lock 20 may be positioned at the pivot 18. Referring to FIGS. 1C and 1D, a key 22 may be inserted in lock 20. In FIG. 1C, lock 20 is in a non-ratchet or “free rotation” position that permits pivoting the lever of safety 16 about pivot 18. In FIG. 1D, lock 20 is in a ratchet or “non-rotation” position that does not permit pivoting the lever of safety 16 about pivot 18. Referring to FIGS. 1E and 1F, it is seen that lock 20 is an ambidextrous locking mechanism actuable from both sides of firearm 10. In FIG. 1E, the safety 16 is also ambidextrous and thus has a lever on both sides of the firearm. In FIG. 1F, the safety 16 is not ambidextrous and thus has a lever only on one side of the firearm.

[0029] Another example of a simple miniature key-operated lock mechanism that may be positioned at the pivot 18 is the same type of lock mechanism used to prevent rotation of a doorknob. In many conventional door lock systems, such as manufactured by Sargent or Corbin, the inner doorknob includes a centrally positioned button or knob thereon which can be selectively set in a position causing prevention of rotation of the outer knob and spindle. This same locking mechanism is another example of a mechanism that can be used in lock 20.

[0030] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2A and 2B, which illustrate firearm 10, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, showing safety 16 in respective safe and firing positions.

[0031] As before, safety 16 is pivoted about pivot 18. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B, however, a lock 30 is provided which is not positioned at pivot 18. Lock 30 includes a portion 32 (seen best in FIG. 2D) that blocks movement of safety 16 about pivot 18 to the fire position. The blocking portion 32 may be a lug that juts outwards from the firearm, in which case lock 30 may be the type of lock used in filing cabinets, such locks being well known in the art.

[0032] Reference is now made to FIGS. 3A and 3B, which illustrate firearm 10, constructed and operative in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, showing safety 16 in respective safe and firing positions. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B, a lock 40 is provided which is not positioned at pivot 18. Lock 40 includes a blocking portion 42 which is a lever that pivots about an axis to abut against safety 16 and prevent movement of safety 16.

[0033] In Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/672,073, entitled “Firearm With On-Off Safety Switch”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, there is described a safety that doubles as an on-off switch for electrical accessories. The safety, which may be a thumb safety for example, is in electrical communication with a power source and the switch serves as an electrical switch for switching power from the power source to an electrically activated component of the firearm, such as an internal laser device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, safety 16 may thus doubles as an on-off switch for electrical accessories and the lock 20 or 30 or 40 may lock the switch in an off position.

[0034] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, when the safety 16 is locked in the safe position, a visual indication may be provided to indicate that the firearm 10 is in the safe mode. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2A, blocking portion 32 may be a lug that juts outwards from the firearm. In this case, the visual indication may be a red stripe 33 (seen in FIG. 2D) that juts out together with blocking portion 32. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the visual indication may be a circular disc with a red sector. When the key is turned to lock the lock, the disc turns and the red sector becomes visible through a window. Other colors of course may be used and there may also be a visual indication for the fire mode (e.g., a green indicator).

[0035] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.