Magazine Pouch

Abstract

A magazine pouch for use with magazines that are generally longitudinal and have a generally rectangular cross-section with two side faces being greater in cross-sectional length than the cross-sectional length of the front and back faces. The magazine pouch includes a rear wall (30) including attachment means (82) that in use fasten the pouch to a user's apparel, and a front wall (32), two side walls (34, 36) and a base (38) define a pocket (40) for selectively holding a magazine. Securing means (42) in use secures the magazine in the pocket and is releasable to allow for the removal of the magazine from within the pocket. The dimensions of the pocket walls (30, 32, 34, 36) define the orientation of the magazine when inserted in the pocket such that the magazine side faces are generally perpendicular to the rear wall (30) and the front and rear faces are parallel to the front and rear walls (30, 32) and therefore the user's body.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a magazine pouch for the storage of replacement ammunition magazines for a handgun. The term "magazine" as used throughout this specification refers to a removable ammunition storage and feeding device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Replacement magazines for handguns are carried by users, such as police officers and armed forces personnel, in pouches attached to a standard belt or specially designed duty belt. Magazines for handguns are dimensioned to slot into the handle of a handgun, such that they are typically longitudinal in length, with a generally rectangular cross-section, being narrower across the width of the handgun than in depth. When placed on its base, the front and rear walls of the magazine project forwardly at an incline to the base, in keeping with the inclined design of the handgun handle relative to the barrel, which denotes the horizontal orientation.

[0003] Magazine pouches are typically constructed as a four-sided pocket with a bottom, such that the magazine slides into the pocket, with its base protruding. A cover flap is then folded from the rear wall over the base of the magazine and fastened to the front wall, retaining the magazine in the pouch. The pouch is dimensioned to receive the magazine in an orientation such that when the rear wall is positioned against a wearer's body, the magazine is held in a sideways orientation lying against the user's body, such that the narrower width is protruding from the wearer's body. Generally, magazine pouches are orientated horizontally, such that removal of the magazine is in an upward movement.

[0004] It is at least a desired object of the present invention to provide an alternative magazine pouch design that advantageously improves the efficiency of removal of a magazine and subsequent loading of the handgun.

[0005] Reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention provides a magazine pouch for use with magazines that are generally longitudinal and have a generally rectangular cross-section with two side faces being greater in cross-sectional length than the cross-sectional length of the front and back faces. The magazine pouch includes a rear wall including attachment means for fastening the pouch to a user's apparel, and a front wall, two side walls and a base define a pocket for selectively holding a magazine. The magazine pouch further includes securing means that in use secures the magazine in the pocket and is releasable to allow for the removal of the magazine from within the pocket. The dimensions of the pocket walls define the orientation of the magazine when inserted in the pocket such that the magazine side faces are generally perpendicular to the rear wall and the front and rear faces are parallel to the front and rear walls and therefore to the user's body.

[0007] Advantageously, at least two of the pocket walls include rigidity means, restricting the dimensions of the pocket, such that the magazine can only be inserted in one orientation. Such orientation is preferably with the magazine front face sliding against the pouch front wall.

[0008] Preferably, the longitudinal length of the pouch walls are less than the longitudinal length of the magazine, such that the base of the magazine projects out from the top of the pocket, allowing for gripping by hand to slide out of the pocket. The orientation of the magazine, such that front face faces outwardly from the user, enables removal from the pouch and insertion into a handgun without having to reorientate the magazine in the hand.

[0009] The rigidity means may be in all four pocket walls, and is preferably a piece or pieces of semi-rigid plastic, inserted within the material of the pocket walls. The pocket walls are typically made from a heavy canvas material. Preferable, the front and side walls include a single piece of semi-rigid plastic folded at the corners.

[0010] The magazine base may be angled to the front and rear faces and includes a lip projecting from the side and front faces. The corners between the front face and the side faces have a large radius, whereas the corners between the rear face and the side faces have a smaller radius. The rigidity means preferably creates a tight sliding fit, such that due to the radius of the magazine corners, only the front face can slide against the front wall of the pocket.

[0011] Advantageously, the rear wall extends outside the width of the pocket. The attachment means is preferably a slot adjacent the rear wall to allow for the insertion of a belt. The slot preferably runs down the length of the pocket, such that the length of the pouch lies generally horizontally along the length of the belt, allowing for sideways removal of the magazine, rather than upward lifting. The rear wall may include two differently sized slots to accommodate different belt widths, typically 38 mm belts and 50 mm belts. The attachment means may alternatively or additionally include hook or loop fastener, e.g. Velcro.TM., corresponding to hook and loop fastener on the user's belt, to prevent movement along the length of the belt to hold the magazine pouch in optimum position for easy and quick removal of the magazine.

[0012] The securing means is typically a loop or cap projecting from the rear wall, which folds over the base of the magazine and secures to the front wall by fastening means, such as a press stud or hook and loop fastener. The loop or cap may include a portion defining the rear wall of the pouch pocket.

[0013] As used herein, except where the context requires otherwise the term "comprise" and variations of the term, such as "comprising", "comprises" and "comprised", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a magazine pouch, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in use;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective top front left side view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned perspective bottom front left side view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a front view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 1;

[0020] FIGS. 6 and 7 are respectively a perspective top front right side view and a perspective top rear side view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 8 is a side view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 9 is a side view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 8, with a magazine in place;

[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the magazine as shown in FIG. 9;

[0024] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the magazine pouch of FIG. 1;

[0025] FIG. 12 is a close-up view of detail A from FIG. 11; and

[0026] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a magazine pouch in use, similar to FIG. 1, where the replacement magazine has been removed from the pouch and is ready to be inserted into a handgun.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0027] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 13 in particular police officers and other armed personnel 10 carry handguns 12 with removable magazines 14 that slot into the handle 16 of the handgun. Typically, an officer would hold a handgun 12 in their right hand while removing the used magazine with their left hand. A replacement magazine 14 is carried in a magazine pouch 20 suspended from their belt 22. A user 10 would remove the replacement magazine 14 from the magazine pouch 20 with their left hand, reorientate it whilst in their left hand and slot it into the handle 16 of the handgun being held in their right hand.

[0028] The magazine pouch 20 according to the present invention includes an outer rear wall 30, front wall 32, two side walls 34, 36 and a base 38. Securing means, in the form of cap 42, projects from the rear wall 30 and folds over the base 50 of the magazine 14, being secured to the front wall 32 with fastening means in the form of a press stud 44. Cap 42 includes a longitudinally extending strip portion parallel to rear wall 30. Front wall 32, side walls 34, 36, base 38 and strip portion 43 together define a pocket 40 for holding the magazine 14. Strip portion 43 provides a rear wall of the pocket 40.

[0029] A typical magazine 14, shown in FIG. 10, has a body 56 that is generally elongate and includes a base 50 and a top 52, where the bullets (not shown) are loaded into and discharged from. The body 56 has a front face 58, a rear face 60 and two side faces 62, 64. The body 56 has a generally rectangular cross-section, with the length of the two side faces 62, 64 being greater than the length of the front and rear faces 58, 60. The front corners 66 between the front face 58 and the side faces 62, 64 have a larger radius of curvature than the rear corners 68 between the rear face 60 and the two side faces 62, 64. The base 50 includes a lip 70 projecting from the front and side faces, but being flush with the rear face 60, as best seen in FIG. 9.

[0030] The magazine 14 is inserted into the pocket 40 with its top 52 first sliding in until the top 52 hits the base 38. The magazine base 50 projects out of the top of the pocket 40 (FIG. 9) enough to allow the magazine body 56 to be grasped by hand and slid out.

[0031] The outer rear wall 30 projects outside the width of the front and side walls and is folded over at one longitudinal side 30a and stitched along the other side 30b to define respective return portions 31 that are contiguous with the front and side walls 34, 36 at corners 35, 37. Return portions 31 are spaced from the main part 29 of rear wall 30 to define a longitudinally extending wide but shallow through passage that extends the full length of the pouch. This accommodates rear pocket wall strip portion 43 of cap 42 that is secured to return portions 31, and a web 81 that divides the through passage into a first, front, and a second, rear, slot 84. Web 81 is secured at its side edges 83 onto the inside face of the main part 29 of rear wall 30, so that first slot 82 is wider than rear slot 84.

[0032] Slots 82, 84 each constitute attachment means that in use fasten the pouch to a user's apparel, e.g. a belt. Indeed, the dimensions are arranged so that rear slot 84 is wide enough to accommodate a 38 mm belt and the front slot 82 is wide enough to accommodate a 50 mm belt. The slots 82, 84 run down the length of the pocket 40, such that the length of the pouch 20 lies generally horizontally along the length of the belt 22 and across the torso of the wearer. This horizontal orientation allows for easier and quicker removal of the magazine 14 from the pouch 20.

[0033] When held in the pouch 20, the magazine is orientated such that its greater dimension being the sides, projects out perpendicularly from the user's body, rather than laying flat against it, as is the case in prior art pouches. The dimensions of the pocket walls are such that they restrict the orientation of the magazine 14 to this orientation, not allowing it to lie flat against the user's body. The pocket walls include rigidity means in the form of pieces 33a, 33b (FIGS. 3, 11, 12) of semi-rigid plastic. The walls are made from a heavy canvas and the plastic pieces are inserted or embedded within the walls. A single bent piece 33a (FIG. 3) may be used to provide rigidity in the front and side walls, with a separate piece 33b (FIGS. 11, 12) provided in or on the rear wall 30. There may be a rigidity piece in pocket rear wall 43.

[0034] The provided rigidity facilitates definition of the dimensions of the pocket 40, meaning that the magazine 14 can only be inserted in one way and the walls cannot flex, as they can in current pouches where the magazine can be inserted in different orientations. The orientation for the magazine is set, with the curvature of the corners of the rigidity means 33a corresponding with the curvature of the corners 66 of the magazine, such that the magazine can only be inserted with the front face facing outwards and tightly sliding into contact with the front wall, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0035] As can be seen in FIG. 13, a user 10 would typically hold their handgun 12 in their right hand. The left hand is able to flick open the studded cap 42 and grip the lip 70 and body 56 of the magazine 14 in a single ongoing action and then bring the magazine 14 across to the handgun 12 in the right hand. Due to the orientation of the magazine in pouch 20, the magazine 14 is currently in the exact orientation in the hand for it to be rapidly and smoothly inserted into the handgun handle 16 without having to reorientate it in the left hand before insertion, as is the case with current pouch designs. Whilst the magazine shown in FIG. 13 illustrates being held along the length of the body 56, this has been shown in order to illustrate the orientation of the magazine 14. In reality the magazine would be held around its base 50, such that the palm of the hand was around the base 50 to allow for swiftly pushing the magazine into the handle of the handgun.

Claims

1. A magazine pouch for use with magazines that are generally longitudinal and have a generally rectangular cross-section with two side faces being greater in cross-sectional length than the cross-sectional length of the front and back faces, the magazine pouch comprising: a rear wall including attachment means that in use fastens the pouch to a user's belt; a front wall, two side walls and a base, defining a pocket for selectively holding a said magazine; and securing means that in use secures the magazine in the pocket and is releasable to allow for the removal of the magazine from within the pocket; wherein the dimensions of the pocket walls define the orientation of the magazine when inserted in the pocket such that the magazine side faces are generally perpendicular to the rear wall and the front and rear faces are parallel to the front and rear walls and therefore to the user's body; and wherein said attachment means is such that the length of the pouch lies generally horizontally along the length of the belt, allowing for sideways removal of the magazine.

2. A magazine pouch according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the pocket walls include rigidity means, restricting the dimensions of the pocket, such that the magazine can only be inserted in one orientation.

3. A magazine pouch according to claim 2 wherein said one orientation is with the magazine front face sliding against the pouch front wall.

4. A magazine pouch according to claim 2 wherein the rigidity means is in all four pocket walls.

5. A magazine pouch according to claim 2 wherein each rigidity means is a piece or pieces of semi-rigid plastic, inserted within the material of the respective pocket wall.

6. A magazine pouch according to claim 5 wherein the front and side walls include a single piece of semi-rigid plastic folded at the corners.

7. A magazine pouch according to claim 2 wherein the rigidity means creates a tight sliding fit, such that due to the radius of the magazine corners, only the front face can slide against the front wall of the pocket.

8. A magazine pouch according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal lengths of the pouch walls are less than the longitudinal length of a magazine, such that the base of the magazine projects out from the pocket, allowing for gripping by hand to slide out of the pocket.

9. A magazine pouch according to claim 8 wherein the rear wall extends outside the width of the front and side walls of the pocket.

10. A magazine pouch according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means is a slot adjacent the rear wall to allow for the insertion of a belt, which slot runs down the length of the pocket.

11. A magazine pouch according to claim 10 wherein there are two said slots to accommodate belts of different widths.

12. A magazine pouch according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means includes hook or loop fastener, corresponding to hook and loop fastener on the user's belt, to prevent movement along the length of the belt to hold the magazine pouch in optimum position for easy and quick removal of the magazine.

13. A magazine pouch according to claim 1 wherein the securing means is a loop or cap projecting from the rear wall, which folds over the base of the magazine and is fastened to the front wall.

14. A magazine pouch according to claim 1 containing a magazine in said pocket.

15. A magazine pouch according to claim 4 wherein each rigidity means is a piece or pieces of semi-rigid plastic, inserted within the material of the respective pocket wall.

16. A magazine pouch according to claim 4 wherein the rigidity means creates a tight sliding fit, such that due to the radius of the magazine corners, only the front face can slide against the front wall of the pocket.

17. A magazine pouch according to claim 2 wherein the longitudinal lengths of the pouch walls are less than the longitudinal length of a magazine, such that the base of the magazine projects out from the pocket, allowing for gripping by hand to slide out of the pocket.

18. A magazine pouch according to claim 17 wherein the rear wall extends outside the width of the front and side walls of the pocket.

19. A magazine pouch according to claim 1 wherein the rear wall extends outside the width of the front and side walls of the pocket.

20. A magazine pouch according to claim 8 wherein the attachment means is a slot adjacent the rear wall to allow for the insertion of a belt, which slot runs down the length of the pocket.

21. A magazine pouch according to claim 2 containing a magazine in said pocket.

22. A magazine pouch according to claim 8 containing a magazine in said pocket.