OPTIC AND STRIKER DESIGN FOR A HANDGUN

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/709,640, filed Oct. 21, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to projectile weapons and more particularly to the optic and striker design for handguns.

BACKGROUND

Firearms design involves many non-trivial challenges. Traditionally, semiautomatic handguns have been made with a metal frame that includes the grip. The grip portion of the frame defines a magazine well into which a magazine is installed. A slide mounts to and slides longitudinally along rails along the top of the frame as the action is cycled. The frame defines an open region adjacent and above the magazine well for the fire control group. Components of the fire control group are installed in the frame, often with a pin that extends laterally through the frame. More recently, the semiautomatic pistol has been made with a polymer grip module that defines a frame well for a separate metal frame that houses the fire control group. The frame can be installed into the grip module and may include rails for the slide. Rather than a hammer that impacts a firing pin, striker-fired handguns have a striker that is cocked and then released forward to strike the ammunition primer upon pulling the trigger.

Firearms operators often use some type of sight to assist in aligning a shot to impact a target at the desired location. In an example, a reflex sight (or “red dot” sight) has non-magnifying or low-magnification lens onto which the operator can see a reflection of an illuminated aiming point or “red dot” superimposed over the field of view. The red dot can be light from a laser or light emitting diode (LED) located in the body of the sight and directed to reflect off of the lens to be visible to the user. There exist non-trivial challenges with positioning the sight at the ideal location on some semiautomatic handguns.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a handgun having an integrated optic (e.g., a red dot sight) and an improved striker design that allows for the optic to sit lower within the top of the handgun slide compared to existing optical sights that mount to the top of the slide. The striker may be designed such that it also sits lower within the slide of the handgun, thus providing further clearance above the striker for the optic. In some examples, the striker includes an offset tip (as opposed to a coaxially-aligned tip) that allows the striker body to sit lower within the handgun. In some examples, the striker incorporates more than one spring to reduce the diameter of the main body, thus providing more clearance above the striker. Due at least in part to the altered design of the striker, the optic is arranged on the slide of the handgun such that the top of the optic body (e.g., beneath the hood around the lens or lenses) is substantially coplanar (e.g., within 0.5 mm) with the top surface of the slide, according to some embodiments. Furthermore, the striker may be designed such that a distance between an axis passing through a tip of the striker and a topmost surface of the striker as it sits within the handgun is less than 3 mm, which is smaller than conventional designs and provides further clearance above the striker to make a deeper optic cut into the handgun slide. Conventional handgun striker assemblies have tips with a primary axis that is at least 5 mm from the top of the striker assembly, and in handgun design, even 1 mm can make a difference. Thus, for the embodiments described herein to be able to save 2, 3, 4, or more mm in this critical dimension is substantial.

As can be appreciated, the tip of the striker is what makes contact with the primer of an ammunition round to cause the round to fire. The primer is the small explosive component at the base of, and in the center of, an ammunition round, and after the primer is hit by the striker tip, it ignites the powder in the round to propel the bullet forward. Accordingly, the primary axis of the tip of the striker is coaxial with (i.e., shares a common axis with) the primary axis of the barrel. Thus, for a fixed barrel location within a handgun, moving the tip of the striker to as close to the top of the striker assembly as possible provides benefits of reducing the overall height impact of the handgun due to the striker assembly. In contrast, if the tip were moved lower for a given striker assembly and a fixed barrel location, the top of the striker assembly would move higher relative to the rest of the handgun. Therefore, for a handgun having a set height, by moving the striker tip closer to the top of the striker assembly, 1) the height of the slide of the handgun can be increased due to the decrease in the overall height contribution from the striker assembly and/or 2) the depth from the top of the slide that an optic device cut can be made can be increased (i.e., a deeper cut can be achieved), as the top of the striker assembly (which is typically at least partially under the optics cut) is lower. This leads to the benefit of enabling the bottom of an installed optic device (e.g., a red dot sight) to sit lower relative to the top surface of the slide. Such a feature can allow components of the optic to sit under the optic window (the portion the user looks through) in the slide cut (as the cut can be deeper/bigger), and even allow for the bottom of the window to be aligned with the top surface of the slide, which would provide performance and aesthetic advantages. In addition, this allows the overall height of the handgun plus installed optic to be smaller and creates other design opportunities that were not previously possible.

According to an embodiment, a striker for a handgun includes an elongated body having a first end and an opposite second end, a catch structure coupled to or near the first end of the elongated body, an end face at the second end of the elongated body, and a tip coupled to the end face. The elongated body extends along a first direction between the first end and the second end. The catch structure is designed to engage with a sear of the handgun. The tip extends away from the end face along the first direction. A distance between a first axis extending coaxially along the first direction through the tip and a plane extending along the first direction and coplanar with a topmost surface of the striker is less than 3 mm.

According to an embodiment, a striker for a handgun includes an elongated body extending in a first direction between a first end and an opposite second end, a catch structure coupled to or near the first end of the elongated body, a wing structure extending outwards from the elongated body along a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a protrusion coupled to the wing structure and extending longitudinally in a third direction opposite from the first direction, a spring disposed around the protrusion, and a tip at the second end and extending away from the second end along the first direction. The elongated body has a first central axis extending in the first direction between the first end and the second end. The catch structure is designed to engage with a sear of the handgun. The protrusion has a second central axis that is parallel to the first central axis. The spring extends longitudinally in the first direction and parallel to the first central axis.

According to an embodiment, a handgun includes a frame, a slide displaceable along the frame in a direction parallel with a bore axis extending coaxially through a barrel of the handgun, a fire control group housed within the frame and/or the slide, and an optic mounted to the slide. The fire control group includes a striker and a sear. The optic includes a body housing a power source and an emitter, and a hood above the body. The body is between the hood and the slide when the optic is mounted to the slide, and a top surface of the body is substantially coplanar with or below a top surface of the slide.

According to an embodiment, a handgun includes a frame, a slide displaceable along the frame in a direction parallel with a bore axis extending coaxially through a barrel of the handgun, and a fire control group housed within the frame and/or the slide. The fire control group includes a striker and a sear. The striker includes an elongated body having a first end and an opposite second end such that the elongated body extends along the direction parallel with the bore axis between the first end and the second end, a catch structure coupled to or near the first end of the elongated body, and a tip at the second end of the elongated body and extending away from the second end. The catch structure is configured to engage with the sear. The tip has a tip axis passing coaxially through a center of the tip that is colinear with the bore axis. A distance between a topmost surface of the striker and the tip axis is less than 3 mm.

According to an embodiment, a slide for a handgun includes a body extending lengthwise parallel to a bore axis of the handgun. The body includes a top surface and a recess cut into a portion of the top surface. The recess has front and rear surfaces, and a bottom surface between the front and rear surfaces. The bottom surface has a thickness of less than 2 mm.

As used herein, terms referencing direction, such as upward, downward, vertical, horizontal, left, right, front, back, etc., are used for convenience to describe components of a handgun oriented in a traditional shooting position with the barrel extending horizontally in front of the user. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited by these directional references and it is contemplated that a firearm and its components in accordance with the present disclosure could be used in any orientation.

Numerous embodiments will be apparent in light of the present disclosure.

The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been selected principally for readability and instructional purposes and not to limit the scope of the disclosed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of a handgun, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the handgun of FIG. 1A, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the handgun of FIG. 1A having an optic integrated with the slide, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A illustrates an isometric view of a handgun slide showing an optic cut designed to receive the optic, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B illustrates an isometric view of a handgun slide showing the optic arranged within the optic cut of the slide, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of the optic, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front-facing view of the handgun slide with the integrated optic, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate isometric views of different striker designs having an offset tip, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates an isometric view of a double barrel striker with an offset tip, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate isometric views of flattened vertical and horizontal striker designs, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate isometric views of striker designs having wing portions, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view through a top portion of a handgun showing the position of the striker with respect to the top surface of the slide, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

These and other features of the present embodiments will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the Figures herein described. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Furthermore, as will be appreciated, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale or intended to limit the present disclosure to the specific configurations shown. In short, the Figures are provided merely to show example structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Firearms design involves many non-trivial challenges. Maintaining a sight picture and sight alignment are important aspects of accurate shooting. Moving while shooting, firing a string of several shots, recoil forces, and rapid shooting can affect one's ability to maintain proper sight alignment on a target. To facilitate rapid target acquisition with handguns and rifles, optical sights with illuminated reticles have been developed. Some such sights have an illuminated reticle, such as cross hairs, a circle, a triangle, or a dot. A variation on sights with illuminated reticle is a low-magnification or 1×-magnification reflex sight. Reflex sights are one type of optical sight that has been adapted for use on rifles and handguns alike.

One challenge with optical sights is the exact placement of the sight on the firearm. While most sights are placed on the top of the handgun or rifle, any distance between the window or lens of the sight optic above the top surface of the handgun or rifle (sometimes referred to as the height over bore) can affect the aiming precision, especially at shorter shot distances (e.g., less than 50 yards or less than 15 yards). Minimizing or eliminating the height over bore distance is challenging due to the compact nature of the slide and frame around the fire control group components within the firearm. The fire control group may include various components that are actuated to fire the ammunition, such as the striker and sear components. The striker is held by spring force until released by pulling the trigger to release the striker forward and impact the ammunition primer. One advantage of striker-fired handguns is a consistent and short trigger pull for every shot. For some users who carry their firearms concealed, another advantage of striker-fired handguns is the lack an external hammer that can snag on clothing. However, the presence of the striker leaves little room to adapt the slide for seamless integration with peripheral components, such as a carry optic.

Thus, and in accordance with some embodiments, various striker designs are disclosed herein that provide greater clearance above the striker for integrating an optical sight into the slide. In an example, the deeper set slide designs allow for a respectively deeper optic cut to be cut into the slide. An optical sight may be mounted in the optic cut of the slide such that the lens or window of the optical sight is arranged flush over the top surface of the slide. In other words, the top surface of the optic body beneath the window is substantially coplanar with the top surface of the slide to reduce, or significantly minimize, the height over bore distance. According to some embodiments, the electrical components of the optic, such as the power source and emitter, may be housed in the optic body that is set within the optic cut of the slide, thus positioning these components beneath the topmost surface of the slide.

A striker may include a tip for striking the primer of the ammunition. According to some embodiments, the tip may be offset from the coaxial axis of the striker body to allow the body to be set lower within the frame of the handgun. The tip may be offset by at least 2 mm from the coaxial axis of the striker body. In some examples, the tip may be offset far enough such that a surface of the tip is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the striker body.

According to some embodiments, the striker may include a flattened body with a tip at one end that is vertically or horizontally arranged within the slide of the handgun. The flattened profile of the striker can greatly reduce the distance above the striker and provide clearance for the existence of the aforementioned optic cut in the slide.

According to some embodiments, the striker may include wing structures that extend out of one or more sides along with protrusions on the wing structures that engage with corresponding one or more springs. The wing design allows for the striker to maintain a high spring force while reducing the overall diameter of the striker body.

As will be appreciated in light of this disclosure, the various striker designs and optic sight designs disclosed herein can be used with a wide variety of host firearms, including handguns and rifles configured for duty use, concealed carry, competitive shooting, law enforcement, military, self-defense, and recreation. In some example embodiments, the sight optic designs described herein are configured for mounting atop the slide of a semiautomatic handgun, such as the P365, P320, and P226 handguns manufactured by Sig Sauer, Inc. Other example embodiments include optical sights configured for mounting on a rifle. As will be further appreciated, the particular configuration of the slide and optic sight assemblies and systems described herein may vary, for example, depending on whether the intended use is military, law enforcement, or civilian in nature. The optic sight assemblies described herein may include open and closed reflex sights, rifle scopes, battle sights, thermal reflex sights, variable and fixed magnification optical scopes, to name some examples. Numerous configurations will be apparent in light of the present disclosure.

In accordance with some embodiments, the disclosed apparatus may be detected, for example, by visual inspection of a handgun or other firearm having features such as a striker held under a spring force and/or an optic arranged on the slide. For example, a distance between a topmost surface of the slide and a bottommost surface of the slide optic cut may be greater than 2 mm, or greater than 3 mm, or between 3 mm and 5 mm. In another example, the distance between a topmost surface of the striker body and a tip axis extending coaxially through a tip of the striker is less than 3 mm. In another example, the optic may be integrated with the slide of the handgun such that a top surface of the optic body is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the slide.

As used herein, the term “frame” refers to the serialized component of a handgun that houses components of the fire control assembly. In metal handguns, for example, the frame may include the grip portion, trigger guard, and a portion of the frame that extends along the bottom of the barrel. In handguns having a polymer grip module, for example, the frame is the metal, serialized component that can be secured into the open top portion of the grip module and along which the slide reciprocates.

Structure and Operation

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIGS. 1A-10. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a left-side side view and a cross-section view illustrate an example of a semiautomatic handgun 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Handgun 100 has a slide 102 that is displaceable along a frame 104 in a direction generally parallel to a bore axis 101. A takedown actuation lever 106 is shown in the first position or firing position. When takedown actuation lever 106 is in the firing position, slide 102 can move between the closed position (as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) and the open position (slid further to the right) as the action is cycled by firing or cycled manually to clear the chamber, for example. Slide 102 can also be locked in the open position (i.e., the “slidelock” position) by moving a slidelock lever 108 up to engage a catch in slide 102. According to some embodiments, a grip module 110 includes a grip 112 and a removable magazine 114 installed within grip 112.

Turning to the cross-section view of FIG. 1B, the handgun barrel 116 extends along a first direction away from a chamber 118 where the ammunition sits in preparation to be fired through barrel 116. A striker 120 includes a tip 122 at a first end of striker 120. The striker tip 122 is aligned with an opening 124 through an inner housing 126 that may also be an integral part of slide 102. A cup 128 may be coupled to a portion of striker 120 and engages with a spring 130, such that striker 120 is under a spring force when pulled back away from opening 124 (e.g., to the right). Striker 120 may include a catch structure 132 at or near a second end of striker 120 opposite from its first end. The catch structure 132 may be shaped to engage with a sear 134 designed to hold catch structure 132 in place.

When a cartridge is loaded into chamber 118 and handgun 100 is primed to fire, striker 120 is pulled back against spring 130 and held in place by the engagement between catch structure 132 and sear 134. Accordingly, in this state, striker 120 is held under a large spring force. Furthermore, striker 120 may be pulled back into a striker housing 135 that is generally fixed within a rear portion of handgun 100. When trigger 136 is pulled, sear 134 moves to disengage with catch structure 132. As a result, the spring force propels striker 120 forward and tip 122 accelerates through opening 124 to strike and ignite the primer on the back of the cartridge sitting in chamber 118. The bullet is then propelled forward out of barrel 116 along bore axis 101. Striker 120, spring 130, and sear 134 may all be considered components of a fire control group housed within slide 102 and/or frame 104 of handgun 100.

As noted above, and in accordance with some embodiments, striker 120 may be designed to sit lower within slide 102 to provide further clearance above striker 120. This additional clearance provides space for an optic cut to be cut out from slide 102. Any peripheral component may then be arranged within the optic cut, such as an optic. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of handgun 100 having a sight optic 201 arranged at least partially within an optic cut in a portion of a slide 202, according to some embodiments. Optic 201 includes a hood 204 and a body 206. According to some embodiments, body 206 is designed to fit snugly within the optic cut such that the top surface of body 206 is substantially coplanar with or below a top surface of slide 202. Additionally, the various electrical components housed within body 206 (such as a power source and emitter), are arranged below the top surface of slide 202. Further details about the features of optic 201 are provided with reference to FIG. 4.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate isometric views of slide 202 removed from the rest of handgun 100, according to some embodiments. Slide 202 has an elongated body (extending lengthwise parallel to the bore axis) with a top surface 302 which may be flat or have a concave curvature. In the illustration, top surface 302 has a concave curvature. According to some embodiments, slide 202 includes an optic cut 304 that is set into a back portion of slide 202. Optic cut 304 may have depth of at least 4 mm, at least 3 mm, or at least 2 mm. Optic cut 304 includes a bottom surface 306 that may be configured to receive a peripheral component, such as any carry optic. Accordingly, bottom surface 306 may have one or more grooves, catches, or openings used to mechanically engage with and hold the peripheral component. According to some embodiments, optic cut 304 also includes front side and rear surfaces where the distance between the front and rear surfaces defines the length of optic cut 304.

FIG. 3B illustrates optic 201 being coupled to slide 202, according to some embodiments. The body portion of optic 201 is arranged within optic cut 304 such that the top surface 308 of body 206 is substantially coplanar with top surface 302 of slide 202. The alignment between the surfaces may include matching the curvature, such that top surface 308 has substantially the same concave curvature as top surface 302. It should also be understood that, depending on the shape of slide 202, top surface 308 of body 306 may be substantially coplanar with at least a portion of top surface 302 of slide 202. Optic 201 may be attached within optic cut 304 using any number of possible mechanical coupling techniques, such as pinned connections, topside screws, screws from the side, tabbed connections, or using a separate locking component to bridge between optic 201 and slide 202. In some embodiments, optic 201 may slide along a track to engage within optic cut 304.

FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of optic 201 removed from slide 202, according to some embodiments. As discussed above, optic 201 includes a hood 204 and a body 206 beneath hood 204. In some examples, optic 201 is a reflex sight where hood 204 retains at least one lens 402. In some examples, hood 204 includes two lenses, one in the forward position of hood 204 and one in the rear position of hood 204, while in other examples, hood 204 includes only one lens. An emitter within body 206 may be used to provide a point-of-aim indicator 404 on lens 402 that is visible to the user, as will be appreciated.

Body 206 may house any electrical components used to operate optic 201. For example, body 206 may include an emitter, such as a laser diode or any other suitable light source for producing point-of-aim indicator 404 on lens 402. In one embodiment, the emitter includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). Body 206 may also house a power source, such as one or more coin cell batteries or any other suitable power source. In some examples, body 206 includes a switch to turn optic 201 on or off. Body 206 may be positioned beneath hood 204, such that hood 204 extends up above a top surface 308 of body 206. In some examples, such as the illustrated example, body 206 extends away from hood 204 along the same direction as bore axis 101 when coupled to handgun 100. Body 206 may have a thickness that is substantially the same as the depth of optic cut 304, such that body 206 fits within optic cut 304 and top surface 308 of body 206 is substantially coplanar with top surface 302 of slide 202 (as seen in FIG. 3B).

FIG. 5 illustrates a front-facing view of slide 202, with a coupled optic 201, according to some embodiments. A total distance d₁ between a bottom edge of slide 202 and a top of optic 201 may be between about 30 mm and about 40 mm, such as around 34 mm. According to some embodiments, a height over bore distance d₂ between a center of lens 402 and the bore axis is between about 15 mm and about 25 mm, such as around 20 mm or less than 20 mm. A total width of optic 201 may be between about 15 mm and about 30 mm, such as around 22 mm. In some examples, the width w of optic 201 is less than or equal to a total width of slide 202.

As noted above, various striker designs are considered to allow the striker to sit lower within slide 202 of handgun 100, thus providing sufficient clearance above the striker for optic cut 304 to be cut into slide 202. FIG. 6A-9B illustrate various striker designs that can achieve this goal, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6A illustrates an isometric view of a striker 600, according to an embodiment. Striker 600 includes an elongated body having a first body portion 602 and a second body portion 604 axially aligned with first body portion 602. Each of first body portion 602 and second body portion 604 may be substantially cylindrical in shape, with first body portion 602 having a greater diameter compared to second body portion 604. A spring may be arranged around second body portion 604 to provide the spring force when striker 600 is pulled backwards. The elongated body of striker 600 extends along a first direction (axially through first body portion 602 and second body portion 604) between a first end 606 and a second end 607. According to some embodiments, a catch structure 610 may be coupled at or near first end 606 of striker 600. As noted above, catch structure 610 may be designed to engage with a sear within the handgun to hold striker 600 in place and ready for firing. Catch structure 610 may generally have any shape to allow it to catch onto, and disengage from, the sear (or equivalent) depending on the position of the sear.

According to some embodiments, second end 607 of striker 600 may define an end face 608 that can be flat, beveled, or have a convex curvature. According to some embodiments, a tip 612 extends away from end face 608 along the first direction. As discussed above, tip 612 is designed to fit through opening 124 during a firing sequence in order to impact the primer of an ammunition cartridge within chamber 118. According to some embodiments, tip 612 is offset from a central axis passing coaxially through the elongated body (and through end face 608) of striker 600. In the illustrated example, an axis passing coaxially along the first direction through tip 612 is offset from the central axis by a distance Δt. In some examples, Δt is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm, or is at least 1 mm, or at least 2 mm. This offset also reduces the height h of striker 600 above the tip axis. In some examples, the height h above the tip axis of striker 600 is between 2 mm and 3 mm, or less than 3 mm, or less than 2 mm. In some embodiments, tip 612 is offset as far as it can be on end face 608, such that a portion of the cylindrical surface of tip 612 is substantially coplanar with (e.g., continuous with along the first direction) a portion of the cylindrical surface of second end 607.

FIG. 6B illustrates an isometric view of another striker 601, according to an embodiment, Striker 601 is similar to striker 600, but includes an internal spring within its elongated body 614. According to some embodiments, elongated body 614 of striker 601 is cylindrical with a substantially constant diameter along its entire length between a first end 616 and a second end 618. A catch structure 620 may be coupled at or near first end 616 and second end 618 may define an end face, as described above for striker 600. According to some embodiments, a tip 622 extends away from the end face at second end 618 along the first direction. Similar to striker 600, tip 622 is offset from a central axis passing coaxially through elongated body 614 (and through the end face) of striker 601. In the illustrated example, an axis passing coaxially along the first direction through tip 622 is offset from the central axis by the distance Δt. In some examples, Δt is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm, or is at least 1 mm, or at least 2 mm. This offset also reduces the height h of striker 601 above the tip axis. In some examples, the height h above the tip axis of striker 601 is between 1 mm and 2 mm, or less than 2 mm, or less than 1 mm. In some embodiments, tip 622 is offset as far as it can be on the end face, such that a portion of the cylindrical surface of tip 622 is substantially coplanar with a portion of the cylindrical surface of elongated body 614.

FIG. 7 illustrates an isometric view of another striker 701, according to an embodiment. Striker 701 is similar in principle to striker 600 and striker 601, but striker 701 includes a double barrel internal spring design to further increase the spring force. Thus, according to some embodiments, striker 701 includes an elongated body 702 having a flattened cylindrical shape that extends along a first direction with a width greater than its height. This provides sufficient room internally for two springs to be arranged next to one another (e.g., a double barrel configuration). For example, the width of elongated body 702 may be at least 1.5 times, at least 2 times, at least 2.5 times, or at least 3 times greater than the height of elongated body 702. In some embodiments, striker 701 includes a rod 704 extending along the first direction across at least a portion of elongated body 702. In the illustrated example, rod 704 extends along the entire length of body 702 and extends out from one end of elongated body 702 as tip 706. In some examples, at least a portion of rod 704 extends above the top surface of elongated body 702. Due to the position of rod 704, tip 706 is offset from a central axis passing through the middle of elongated body 702 by a distance of Δt₂, according to some embodiments. This offset also reduces the height h of striker 701 above the tip axis. In some examples, the height h above the tip axis of striker 701 is between 1 mm and 3 mm, or less than 3 mm, or less than 2 mm, or less than 1 mm. Striker 701 may also include a catch structure 708 similar to those described above for strikers 600 and 601.

FIG. 8A illustrates an isometric view of another striker 801 that includes a flattened elongated body 802 extending along a first direction between a first end 804 and a second end 806. According to some embodiments, a catch structure 808 is arranged at or near first end 804 and a tip 810 extends along the first direction away from an end face at second end 806. Elongated body 802 may have a generally rectangular cross-section that is vertically aligned such that the height of elongated body 802 is greater than the width of elongated body 802. In some examples, the height of elongated body 802 is at least 3×, 4×, or 5× greater than the width of elongated body 802. According to some embodiments, striker 801 includes a flange 812 that extends away from elongated body 802 at or near second end 806. Flange 812 may be provided to interface with a spring to provide the spring force when striker 801 is pulled backwards. Furthermore, the location of the spring against flange 812 is offset from a central longitudinal axis of striker 801. The height h of striker 801 above the tip axis may be minimized to provide further clearance above striker 801 as it sits within the handgun. In some examples, the height h above the tip axis of striker 801 is between 2 mm and 3 mm, or less than 3 mm, or less than 2 mm.

FIG. 8B illustrates an isometric view of another striker 803 that also includes a flattened elongated body 814 extending along a first direction between a first end 816 and a second end 818. A catch structure 820 may be coupled at or near first end 816. Elongated body 814 may have a generally rectangular or square cross-section that is oriented horizontally such that the width of elongated body 814 is greater than or equal to the height of elongated body 814. In some examples, the width of elongated body 814 may be up to 10%, up to 20%, or up to 30% greater than the height of elongated body 814. According to some embodiments, a tip 822 extends along the first direction away from second end 818. In an example, tip 822 is an extension of elongated body 814, such that the top surface of elongated body 814 and the top surface of tip 822 are the same seamless surface. In some examples, tip 822 includes the same width and height dimensions as elongated body 814. Similar to striker 801, striker 803 may include a flange 824 that extends away from elongated body 814 at or near second end 818. The location of the spring against flange 824 is offset from a central longitudinal axis of striker 803.

FIG. 9A illustrates an isometric view of another striker 901, according to some embodiments. Striker 901 includes an elongated body 902 that extends along a first direction between a first end 904 and a second end 906. According to some embodiments, elongated body 902 is made up of different sections, such as a first section 908 adjacent to first end 904 and a second section 910 adjacent to second end 906. Each of first section 908 and second section 910 may have a substantially cylindrical outer profile. First section 908 may have a greater diameter compared to second section 910. According to some embodiments, elongated body 902 includes a third section 912 between first section 908 and second section 910. Third section 912 may have a different shape profile compared to the cylindrical profile of first section 908 and second section 910.

Like the previously described striker designs, striker 901 may include a catch structure 914 coupled at or near first end 904 and a tip 916 extending away from an end face at second end 906. According to some embodiments, tip 916 extends along the first direction away from the end face of elongated body 902. An axis 917 passing coaxially through the center of tip 916 (i.e., a tip axis) may be colinearly aligned with the bore axis of a handgun when striker 901 is used as part of the fire control group of the handgun. In some embodiments, tip axis 917 is colinearly aligned with a central axis passing axially along the first direction through the center of at least second section 910 of elongated body 902. In some embodiments, tip axis 917 is offset from the central axis. In some examples, tip axis 917 is offset from the central axis by between about 2 mm and about 4 mm.

According to some embodiments, striker 901 includes a first wing structure 918a and a second wing structure 918b. First wing structure 918a may extend away from elongated body 902 along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and second wing structure 918b may extend away from elongated body 902 along a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and opposite from the second direction. In some embodiments, first wing structure 918a and second wing structure 918b are coupled to either side of third section 912 of elongated body 902, though they may also be coupled to any other portion of elongated body 902. In an example, first wing structure 918a and second wing structure 918b extend outwards from elongated body 902 along an axis (e.g., a cross axis) that is orthogonal to the central axis (or the bore axis of a handgun). According to some embodiments, a first protrusion 920a is coupled to and extends rearward from the first wing structure 918a and a second protrusion 920b is coupled to and extends rearward from the second wing structure 918b. Each of first protrusion 920a and second protrusion 920b may be substantially cylindrical in shape and extend longitudinally along a fourth direction (e.g., towards first end 904) opposite from the first direction. A first spring 922a and second spring 922b may be provided around the corresponding first protrusion 920a and second protrusion 920b. Each of first spring 922a and second spring 922b.

The design of striker 901 allows for a reduced overall height while maintaining a high spring force with the dual-spring arrangement. For example, a distance h between a topmost surface of elongated body 902 (which may be on first section 908 or third section 912) and the tip axis passing coaxially through tip 916 may be less than 3 mm, such as around 2.7 mm, or less than 2 mm, or between 2 mm and 3 mm.

FIG. 9B illustrates another striker 903 that is very similar to striker 901, except that it includes only one wing structure 924 and corresponding protrusion 926, according to some embodiments. Wing structure 924 may extend outwards from any section of elongated body 902, such as from third section 912, as illustrated in FIG. 9B. All other elements of striker 903 may be substantially similar to those described above for striker 901. For example, a distance h between a topmost surface of elongated body 902 (which may be on first section 908 or third section 912) and the tip axis passing coaxially through tip 916 may be less than 3 mm, such as around 2.7 mm, or less than 2 mm, or between 2 mm and 3 mm.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-section view through a portion of a handgun showing the positioning of striker 1001 with respect to slide 202, according to some embodiments. Striker 1001 may represent any of the various striker designs described herein. More generally, striker 1001 is designed to have a reduced height above its tip axis 1002 so that striker 1001 provides a greater clearance above it for a deeper optic cut 304. As noted above, tip axis 1002 passes coaxially through tip 1004 of striker 1001 and may be colinearly aligned with the bore axis of the handgun such that tip 1004 can pass through opening 124 when striker 1001 is accelerated forward during a firing operation. According to some embodiments, the vertically slimmer profile of striker 1001 provides clearance for a deeper optic cut 304 to be formed in slide 202. This leads to the benefit of enabling the bottom of an installed optic device (e.g., a red dot sight) within optic cut 304 to sit lower relative to the top surface of slide 202. In some embodiments, the depth d of optic cut 304 is at least 4 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 2 mm, or between 3 mm and 5 mm.

A bottom surface 1006 of optic cut 304 may be arranged with as little clearance as possible above a topmost surface 1008 of striker 1001. In some examples, topmost surface 1008 of striker 1001 is positioned near the back end of the elongated body. In some examples, the distance between bottommost surface 1006 of optic cut 304 and topmost surface 1008 of striker 1001 is less than 1 mm, less than 0.5 mm, less than 1.5 mm, or less than 2 mm. Similarly, a thickness of the bottommost surface 1006 of optic cut 304 may be less than 1 mm, less than 0.5 mm, less than 1.5 mm, or less than 2 mm. Since optic 201 sits within optic cut 304, the bottommost surface of optic 201 may be considered to be on substantially the same plane as bottommost surface 1006 of optic cut 304, such that the distance between the bottommost surface of optic 201 and topmost surface 1008 of striker 1001 is less than 1 mm, less than 0.5 mm, or less than 2 mm, when optic 201 is installed within optic cut 304 of slide 202. Additionally, a height h between the tip axis 1002 of striker 1001 and topmost surface 1008 of striker 1001 may be less than 3 mm, such as around 2.7 mm, or less than 2 mm, or between 2 mm and 3 mm.

As will be appreciated in light of this disclosure, embodiments of optic 201 and the various striker designs described herein may be utilized with any suitable firearms, including handguns, long guns, short-barreled rifles, and machine guns as will be apparent in light of this disclosure. In some embodiments, optic 201 and any of the various striker designs can be provided assembled with handgun 100 or can be provided separately, such as part of a kit to retrofit existing handguns.

Any of the described components of handgun 100, may be constructed from any suitable materials as will be apparent in light of this disclosure. For example, some embodiments of optic 201 (including hood 204 and body 206) and any of the striker designs are constructed from steel, polymers, composites, aluminum, or other suitably strong materials.

Further Example Embodiments

The following examples pertain to further embodiments, from which numerous permutations and configurations will be apparent.

Example 1 is a striker for a handgun. The striker includes an elongated body having a first end and an opposite second end such that the elongated body extends along a first direction between the first end and the second end, a catch structure coupled to or near the first end of the elongated body, an end face at the second end of the elongated body, and a tip coupled to the end face and extending away from the end face along the first direction. The catch structure is configured to engage with a sear of the handgun. A first axis extending coaxially along the first direction through the tip is offset by at least 2 mm from a second axis that extends along the first direction through a center of the end face.

Example 2 includes the striker of Example 1, further comprising a spring disposed around an outside surface of at least a portion of the elongated body.

Example 3 includes the striker of Example 1 or 2, wherein the elongated body has a substantially cylindrical shape.

Example 4 includes the striker of any one of Examples 1-3, wherein the tip is located at an edge of the end face.

Example 5 includes the striker of Example 4, wherein a topmost surface of the tip is substantially coplanar with a topmost surface of the second end of the elongated body.

Example 6 includes the striker of any one of Examples 1-5, further comprising a spring disposed around the first axis within the elongated body.

Example 7 includes the striker of any one of Examples 1-6, wherein the elongated body has a height and a width that is at least two times greater than the height.

Example 8 includes the striker of Example 7, further comprising two springs arranged adjacent to each other within the elongated body and extending parallel to each other along the first direction.

Example 9 is a striker for a handgun that includes an elongated body extending in a first direction between a first end and an opposite second end, a catch structure coupled to or near the first end of the elongated body, a wing structure extending outwards from the elongated body along a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a protrusion coupled to the wing structure and extending longitudinally in a third direction opposite from the first direction, a spring disposed around the protrusion, and a tip at the second end and extending away from the second end along the first direction. The elongated body has a first central axis extending in the first direction between the first end and the second end. The catch structure is designed to engage with a sear of the handgun. The protrusion has a second central axis that is parallel to the first central axis. The spring extends longitudinally in the first direction and parallel to the first central axis.

Example 10 includes the striker of Example 9, wherein a distance between a topmost surface of the elongated body and a third central axis passing through the tip along the first direction is less than 3 mm.

Example 11 includes the striker of Example 9 or 10, wherein the wing structure is a first wing structure, the protrusion is a first protrusion, and the spring is a first spring. The striker further includes a second wing structure extending outwards from the elongated body along a fourth direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and opposite from the second direction, a second protrusion coupled to the second wing structure and extending longitudinally in the third direction, and a second spring disposed around the second protrusion. The second protrusion has a third central axis that is parallel to the first central axis. The second spring extends longitudinally in the third direction and parallel to the first central axis.

Example 12 includes the striker of Example 11, wherein the first wing structure and the second wing structure extend outwards along a fourth axis orthogonal to the first central axis.

Example 13 includes the striker of any one of Examples 9-12, wherein the tip has a third central axis passing through the tip along the first direction that is colinearly aligned with the first central axis of the elongated body.

Example 14 includes the striker of any one of Examples 9-12, wherein the tip has a third central axis passing through the tip along the first direction that is offset from the first central axis of the elongated body.

Example 15 includes the striker of Example 14, wherein the third central axis is offset from the first central axis by between 2 mm and 4 mm.

Example 16 includes the striker of any one of Examples 9-15, wherein the elongated body has a first section adjacent to the first end having a substantially cylindrical shape with a first diameter, and the elongated body has a second section between the first section and the second end having a substantially cylindrical shape with a second diameter less than the first diameter.

Example 17 includes the striker of Example 16, wherein the elongated body has a third section between the first and second sections, the third section not having a cylindrical shape.

Example 18 includes the striker of Example 17, wherein the wing structure extends outwards from the third section of the elongated body.

Example 19 is a handgun that includes a frame, a slide displaceable along the frame in a direction parallel with a bore axis extending coaxially through a barrel of the handgun, a fire control group housed within the frame and/or the slide, and an optic mounted to the slide. The fire control group includes a striker and a sear. The optic includes a body housing a power source and an emitter, and a hood above the body. The body is between the hood and the slide when the optic is mounted to the slide, and a top surface of the body is substantially coplanar with or below a top surface of the slide.

Example 20 includes the handgun of Example 19, wherein the body and hood of the optic comprise steel or stainless steel.

Example 21 includes the handgun of Example 19 or 20, wherein the hood comprises a first lens arranged in a forward position of the hood and a second lens arranged in a rear position of the hood.

Example 22 includes the handgun of Example 19 or 20, wherein the hood comprises at least one lens.

Example 23 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 19-22, wherein the emitter comprises a laser diode.

Example 24 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 19-23, wherein the slide comprises an optic cut in the top surface of the slide, and the optic is mounted within the optic cut.

Example 25 includes the handgun of Example 24, wherein the optic cut has a depth of at least 3 mm relative to the top surface of the slide.

Example 26 includes the handgun of Example 24 or 25, wherein the body of the optic sits flush within the optic cut when the optic is mounted to the slide.

Example 27 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 19-26, wherein a distance between a top surface of the striker and a bottommost surface of the body of the optic is less than 2 mm.

Example 28 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 19-27, wherein the optic has a total width along a direction perpendicular to the bore axis that is less than or equal to a total width of the slide along the direction perpendicular to the bore axis.

Example 29 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 19-28, wherein the body extends further along the direction parallel to the bore axis compared to the hood.

Example 30 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 19-29, wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the slide is concave.

Example 31 is a handgun that includes a frame, a slide displaceable along the frame in a direction parallel with a bore axis extending coaxially through a barrel of the handgun, and a fire control group housed within the frame and/or the slide. The fire control group includes a striker and a sear. The striker includes an elongated body having a first end and an opposite second end such that the elongated body extends along the direction parallel with the bore axis between the first end and the second end, a catch structure coupled to or near the first end of the elongated body, and a tip at the second end of the elongated body and extending away from the second end. The catch structure is configured to engage with the sear. The tip has a tip axis passing coaxially through a center of the tip that is colinear with the bore axis. A distance between a topmost surface of the elongated body and the bore axis is less than 3 mm.

Example 32 includes the handgun of Example 31, wherein the striker further includes a wing structure extending outwards from the elongated body along a direction substantially orthogonal to the bore axis, a protrusion coupled to the wing structure and extending longitudinally in a direction parallel with the bore axis, and a spring disposed around the protrusion. The spring extends longitudinally in the direction parallel with the bore axis.

Example 33 includes the handgun of Example 32, wherein the wing structure is a first wing structure extending along a first direction substantially orthogonal to the bore axis, the protrusion is a first protrusion, and the spring is a first spring. The striker further includes a second wing structure extending outwards from the elongated body along a second direction substantially orthogonal to the bore axis and opposite from the first direction, a second protrusion coupled to the second wing structure and extending longitudinally in the direction parallel with the bore axis, and a second spring disposed around the second protrusion. The second spring extends longitudinally in the direction parallel with the bore axis.

Example 34 includes the handgun of Example 33, wherein the first wing structure and the second wing structure extend outwards along a cross axis orthogonal to the bore axis.

Example 35 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 31-34, wherein the tip axis is offset from a central axis passing coaxially through a center of the second end of the elongated body.

Example 36 includes the handgun of Example 35, wherein the tip axis is offset from the central axis by between 2 mm and 4 mm.

Example 37 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 31-36, wherein the elongated body has a first section adjacent to the first end having a substantially cylindrical shape with a first diameter, and the elongated body has a second section between the first section and the second end having a substantially cylindrical shape with a second diameter less than the first diameter.

Example 38 includes the handgun of Example 37, wherein the elongated body has a third section between the first and second sections, the third section not having a cylindrical shape.

Example 39 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 31-38, further comprising an optic mounted to the slide. The optic includes a body housing a power source and an emitter, and a hood above the body such that the body is between the hood and the slide when the optic is mounted to the slide.

Example 40 includes the handgun of Example 39, wherein a top surface of the body of the optic is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the slide.

Example 41 includes the handgun of Example 40, wherein a distance between the topmost surface of the elongated body and a bottommost surface of the body of the optic is less than 2 mm.

Example 42 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 39-41, wherein the slide comprises an optic cut in a top surface of the slide, and the optic is mounted within the optic cut.

Example 43 includes the handgun of Example 42, wherein the body of the optic sits flush within the optic cut when the optic is mounted to the slide.

Example 44 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 39-43, wherein the optic has a total width along a direction perpendicular to the bore axis that is less than or equal to a total width of the slide along the direction perpendicular to the bore axis.

Example 45 includes the handgun of any one of Examples 39-44, wherein the body of the optic extends further along the direction parallel to the bore axis compared to the hood.

Example 46 is a slide for a handgun. The slide includes a body extending lengthwise parallel to a bore axis of the handgun. The body includes a top surface and a recess cut into a portion of the top surface. The recess has front and rear surfaces, and a bottom surface between the front and rear surfaces. The bottom surface has a thickness of less than 2 mm.

Example 47 includes the slide of Example 46, wherein the recess has a depth of at least 3 mm relative to the top surface of the body.

Example 48 includes the slide of Example 46 or 47, wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the body is concave.

Example 49 includes the slide of any one of Examples 46-48, wherein the bottom surface has a thickness of less than 1.5 mm.

Example 50 includes the slide of any one of Examples 46-49, wherein the bottom surface has a thickness of less than 1.0 mm.

Example 51 includes the slide of any one of Examples 46-50, wherein the recess is sized to fit an optic having an optic body mounted flush within the recess.

Example 52 includes the slide of Example 51, wherein a top surface of the optic body is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the body of the slide.

The foregoing description of example embodiments has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto. Future-filed applications claiming priority to this application may claim the disclosed subject matter in a different manner and generally may include any set of one or more limitations as variously disclosed or otherwise demonstrated herein.