Lock for a firearm

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/729,313 filed on Dec. 6, 2024, entitled “Locking Device for Firearms,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all that is taught and disclosed therein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to firearms, and more particularly to a lock for a firearm that enables a firearm to be reliably secured from unauthorized use regardless of the firearm's location.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Firearms are typically secured from unauthorized use with gun safes, lock boxes, external trigger locks, or cable locks. Gun safes and lock boxes have limited uses and are typically stationary in the home. Trigger locks and cable locks have limited effectiveness and can be relatively easy to defeat to allow unauthorized use of the firearm.

Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved lock for a firearm that enables a firearm to be reliably secured from unauthorized use regardless of the firearm's location. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the lock for a firearm according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of enabling a firearm to be reliably secured from unauthorized use regardless of the firearm's location.

The present invention provides an improved lock for a firearm, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an improved lock for a firearm that has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned above.

To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present invention essentially comprises a lock body configured to be closely and removably received in the magazine well, the lock body having an upper portion configured to extend into the bolt passage when installed in the firearm, with the upper portion interposed between the reciprocating bolt and the forward extending barrel, a locking mechanism at a lower portion of the lock body and having a locked condition and an unlocked condition, and a latch element connected at the upper portion of the lock body and interfacing the locking mechanism to move between an unlocked position when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked condition and a locked position when the locking mechanism is in the locked condition. The latch element may protrude from the lock body when in the locked position. The latch element may protrude in a forward direction from the lock body when in the locked position. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a right side view of the current embodiment of a lock for a firearm constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention in use installed in a rifle in the unlocked condition.

FIG. 1B is a right side view of the lock for a firearm of FIG. 1A in use installed in a rifle in the locked condition.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lock for a firearm of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 3 is a top isometric enlarged view of the lock for a firearm of FIG. 1 in the unlocked condition.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of the lock for a firearm of FIG. 1 in the locked condition.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the lock for a firearm of FIG. 1 in the locked condition.

The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the lock for a firearm of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

FIG. 1 illustrates the improved lock for a firearm 10 of the present invention. More particularly, the lock for a firearm 10 reliably secures a firearm having a frame 12 with a forward extending barrel 14 and defining a magazine well 16 and a bolt passage 18 containing a reciprocating bolt 20 movable between a rearward retracted position and a forward battery position from unauthorized use regardless of the firearm's location. The lock for a firearm 10 has a lock body 22 configured to be closely and removably received in the magazine well. The lock body has an upper portion 24 configured to extend into the bolt passage when installed in the magazine well of the firearm, with the upper portion interposed between the reciprocating bolt and the forward extending barrel. Thus, the lock body locks the reciprocating bolt 20 in the rearward retracted position when the lock body is installed in the magazine well of the firearm.

The lock body has a locking mechanism 26 at a lower portion of the lock body. The locking mechanism has a locked condition and an unlocked condition. A latch element 28 is connected at the upper portion of the lock body and interfaces with the locking mechanism to move between an unlocked position when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked condition and a locked position when the locking mechanism is in the locked condition. The locking mechanism includes a key insertion receptacle 30 at a lower face 60 of the lock body. A detachable key 32 is inserted into the key insertion receptacle and rotated to move the locking mechanism between the locked condition and the unlocked condition. When the detachable key has been turned to move the locking mechanism into the locked condition while the lock body is received in magazine well, the latch element has moved into the locked position and blocks the bolt head receptacle to further prevent any use or loading of the host firearm while the lock body is received in magazine well and the locking mechanism 26 is in the locked condition. The lock body additionally prevents the loading or use of the host firearm by obstructing the magazine well to prevent the insertion of a magazine (not shown), while also preventing disassembly of the firearm.

In the current embodiment, the latch element 28 protrudes from the lock body 22 when in the locked position to prevent removal of the lock body from the magazine well 16. More particularly, the latch element protrudes in a forward direction from the lock body when in the locked position. The latch element extends beyond a forward limit 36 of the magazine well when in the locked position. The latch element extends forward of a rear portion 38 of the forward extending barrel 14 when in the locked position. The latch element extends into an opening defined by the forward extending barrel when in the locked position. The opening defined by the forward extending barrel is the bolt head receptacle 34. The opening defined by the forward extending barrel is defined at least in part by a barrel extension 40.

In the current embodiment, the forward extending barrel 14 defines a barrel axis 42. The upper portion 24 of the lock body 22 extends above the barrel axis. The upper portion of the lock body extends proximate to an upper surface portion 62 of the bolt passage 18. The upper portion of the lock body extends above an upper portion 64 of the reciprocating bolt. The latch element 28 reciprocates along a latch axis 44 parallel to the barrel axis 42. The latch element reciprocates without rotation. The locking mechanism 26 and the latch element are operably connected by a rotating element, which is a shaft 46. The magazine well 16 defines a magazine insertion axis 48, and the shaft is aligned for rotation on a shaft rotation axis 50 parallel to the magazine insertion axis. The latch element includes a yoke 52 defining a transverse surface 54, and the locking mechanism includes a rotor 56 having an offset pin 58 engaging the transverse surface. Thus, the locking mechanism and latch element are interconnected by a scotch yoke.

The lock body 22 includes a left half 66 and a right half 68. The right half defines a rear aperture 70 and a forward aperture 72. The rear aperture is located such that the latch element 28 is visible through the rear aperture when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked condition. The forward aperture is located such that the latch element is visible through the forward aperture when the locking mechanism is in the locked condition. The latch element is preferably a contrasting color from the lock body, such as red, to make the status of the locking mechanism readily apparent when viewed through the ejection port 74 defined by the frame 12.

In the current embodiment, the lock body 22 and latch element 28 are sized to fit an AR-style rifle magazine well 16. The upper portion 24 is partially curved to conform to the top of the cylindrical bolt passage 18. The lock body is 0.88 inch wide, and the latch element protrudes 0.38 inch from the lock body when the locking mechanism 26 is in the locked condition. It should be appreciated that even if a round is chambered in the forward extending barrel 14, the lock for a firearm 10 can still be installed in the magazine well and be placed in the locked condition to prevent discharge of the host firearm. This is accomplished because the lock body locks the bolt 20 in the rearward position, which prevents engagement of the bolt face with the chamber and the firing pin from striking the chambered round.

In the context of the specification, the terms “rear” and “rearward,” and “front” and “forward,” have the following definitions: “rear” or “rearward” means in the direction away from the muzzle of the firearm while “front” or “forward” means it is in the direction towards the muzzle of the firearm.

While a current embodiment of a lock for a firearm has been described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The lock for a firearm is suitable for use with pistols, rifles, light and medium machine guns, and other firearms having a magazine well. In the case of a pistol, a bolt can be a slide, and a “bolt path” can include a pistol's space forward of the breech face during the slide's reciprocation, because the breech faces acts on a cartridge to chamber it and retain chamber pressure upon discharge just as a rifle's reciprocating bolt does. A lock made on these principles for a pistol would have the benefit of requiring the slide to be retracted to admit the lock, providing visual verification, and preventing discharge even if a round were left in the chamber. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.