FORWARD ROTATING AR-15 SAFETY

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/667,923, filed on Jul. 5, 2024, entitled “FORWARD ROTATING AR-15 SAFETY”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all that is taught and disclosed therein.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to firearms, namely safety selectors.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The disclosure is designed to be used with any weapon that uses a mil-spec AR15 fire control group. The safety on a mil-spec AR15 rotates clockwise 90 degrees (viewed from the left side of the receiver) to place the weapon on FIRE, from SAFE. While putting the weapon on FIRE is somewhat expedient for a right-handed person, returning the weapon to SAFE often requires the user to break their grip on the pistol grip to get the thumb forward of the safety and rotate it back to the SAFE position. There are ambidextrous safeties on the market meant to provide the same use described above to left-handed shooters, but they also frequently need to break their grip to actuate the safety. The traditional process is slower, and breaking one's grip to put the safety on introduces more movement and a potential opportunity to lose one's grip of the weapon.

The above disadvantages are addressed by a firearm comprising a frame, a trigger pivotally connected to the frame, a hammer pivotally connected to the frame, and a safety selector pivotally connected to the frame, with the selector having opposed ends, each supporting a respective first and second lever connected to the selector and external to the frame, with the first and second levers being angularly displaced with respect to each other, and having different lengths.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows an exploded, installed view of the preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 1B-D show different angle views of a component of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A shows an exploded cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 2B-D show different angle views of a component of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A shows a side section view of an embodiment in a first condition.

FIG. 3B shows a side section view of the embodiment of FIG. 3A in a second condition.

FIG. 3C shows a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a first condition.

FIG. 3D shows a view of a component in the embodiment of FIG. 3C in a first condition.

FIG. 3E shows a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a second condition.

FIG. 3F shows a view of a component in the embodiment of FIG. 3E in a first condition

FIG. 4A shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a first condition.

FIG. 4B shows a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a first condition.

FIG. 4C shows a isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a second condition.

FIG. 4D shows a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a first condition.

FIGS. 5A-D show prior art.

FIG. 6A shows a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6B shows a section view of FIG. 6A.

FIGS. 7A-B show prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The disclosure allows for a much shorter 32 degrees of travel to rotate the safety counterclockwise (viewed from the left side of the receiver) from SAFE to FIRE, with the nearest other commercially available product being 45 degrees. The new geometry of the pocket allows for a much shorter travel to prevent the trigger from being actuated, or released. Furthermore, the ambidextrous nature allows one to place the weapon on FIRE with their thumb and place the weapon on SAFE by naturally resting the trigger finger in its traditional resting position.

To install the safety on an AR-15 style-rifle, the user will take an M4 button cap screw and affix one of the actuators (FIG. b2 (thumb rest or lever)) to the safety. The user will then slide the safety into the receiver and affix the other actuator. Once both sides are installed and secure, the safety detent can be added to the hole in the receiver, interfacing with the detent path on the safety (FIG. a2). A spring is inserted into the grip and placed onto the receiver and affixed with a screw and washer.

With the weapon on SAFE and in the hand of a right-handed shooter (mirrored for a left-handed shooter), the weapon can be brought up to point at the target and taken off SAFE by pushing the top of the thumb rest forward (FIG. b2 (installed on the left side of the receiver)) or swiping down on the lever (FIG. b2 (right side of the receiver)) with the trigger finger. When ready to place the weapon on SAFE, the shooter will remove their finger from the trigger well and place it along the receiver in its natural resting position. The lever will be pushed up, placing the weapon back on SAFE.

When the weapon is on SAFE, the safety has a small ledge (FIGS. a2, a1) that prevents the trigger from raising in the rear, releasing the hammer in the front. The safety detent keeps the safety located in its current rotation until actuated by the shooter. When the shooter pushes the thumb rest forward or uses the pointer finger to lower the lever, the detent rides in its track (FIGS. a2, b1) to the next detent dome, 32 degrees from the previous position. This location provides the rear of the trigger just enough room to raise and release the hammer and fire the weapon.