Quick Draw Holster

Abstract

A rigid holster having a spring biased, pivotable, arcuate lever arm positively engaging the trigger guard to prevent the displacement of the firearm from the holster. The lever is released from locking position by a spring loaded push button. The replacement of the firearm and the locking and unlocking may be accomplished by a simple one hand movement.

Description

This invention relates to firearms and has particular reference to sidearms, or hand guns, such as carried by police officers.

An object of the invention is to provide a holster for the hand gun, which positively locks the gun in place, when not in use, and permits the gun to be quickly unlocked and withdrawn from the holster by a simple, single hand movement.

Holsters now known to the public secure the weapon against displacement by various means, including straps, flaps, and friction devices. Such restraining devices have the disadvantage of making a fast draw extremely difficult. To draw the firearm from the holster, one must either unsnap a strap, pull up a flap, or unhinge the outer half of the holster, as is necessary when using the so called "clam shell" type of holster. Each of these movements requires precious time, to say nothing of the possibility of missing the strap, or flap, or other restraining element, during the drawing operation. The "clam shell" type holster has a further disadvantage, in that it is not advantageous to wear beneath a jacket or coat.

The friction devices for holding the firearm in the holster, if adjusted to apply sufficient force to maintain the firearm securely in place, make a fast draw extremely difficult. On the other hand they do not provide adequate safety, should an antagonist attempt to pull the firearm from the holster during an arrest or other encounter.

A further disadvantage of using certain devices now known to the public is that they require the use of two hands to replace the weapon in the holster and secure it in position.

It is therefore an object of this invention to obviate the foregoing difficulties and to provide a sidearm holster which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and efficient and foolproof in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holster with a spring biased mechanism, which produces positive pressure on the trigger guard of the firearm, to firmly and safely lock the firearm in the holster, but allowing practically frictionless draw when the locking mechanism is released.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holster with a positive mechanism, which fits beneath the trigger guard of the weapon and applies force against the trigger guard which in turn urges the weapon against the opposite side of the holster to securely lock the weapon in the holster.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holster for a firearm, which has a positive spring biased, pivotable locking arm, which engages the trigger guard in locking position and may be unlocked by finger pressure on a spring biased release button, which is positioned in the area between the trigger guard and the trigger.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holster with positive means, for securing the weapon against accidental displacement from the holster, or the unwanted removal of the firearm from the holster by an antagonist.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holster of the character indicated, from which the firearm may quickly be withdrawn, and then replaced in the holster with simple single arm actions.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawing, forming part of the within disclosure in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the invention, with a conventional firearm therein. The firearm is shown in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section, taken substantially on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, partly in section, taken substantially on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed, the reference character 7 indicates, in general, the holster embodying the invention in which is positioned a conventional firearm, which is illustrated in broken lines and indicated in general by the reference character 8. The firearm 8 includes a hand grip 9, frame 10, cylinder 11, hammer 12, barrel 13, front sight 14, trigger 15, and trigger guard 16.

The holster is preferably made of rigid metal, which is covered with real, or imitation leather 17, or it may be fabricated of rigid plastic material, which may be given any suitable exterior finish. The metal, or plastic comprising the body of the holster may be provided with a return curved element 7A, which contacts the upper portion of the frame 10 and together with the front sight 14, maintains the weapon in proper alignment in the holster 7. The holster 7 may be provided with a tab 18 having an opening 19, so that it may be attached to a belt or the like.

In order to secure the firearm 8 in the holster 7, I provide a positive, spring biased, locking device which I will now describe. Extending through the walls of the holster 7, in a position below the frame 10 and ahead of the trigger guard 16, is a pivot pin 20, on which is mounted the hub 21 of an arcuate arm, or lever 22, which may be made of aluminum casting, or other suitable metal. The arm 22 has substantially the same contour as the trigger guard 16 and when in closed position, impinges on the trigger guard 16 to lock the firearm 8 against withdrawal of the firearm 8 from the holster 7. The arm 22 is provided with a spring 23, which normally urges the arm 22 into unlocked position as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. In order to lock the arm 22 in closed position, as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 1, I provide the following mechanism. A pin 24 is slidable in a bushing 25 (FIG. 3) which is mounted in a suitable opening, formed in the inside wall of the holster 7, and is held in the position shown in FIG. 3 by means of a compression spring 26. The pin 24 has a head 27 which is positioned, so that it may be pressed inwardly by the trigger finger of the user, preliminary to the draw of the firearm 8 from the holster 7. Mounted on the pin 24, and slidable therewith, is a locking arm 28. The locking arm 28 is also slidable on an extension 29, which forms a part of the hub or pivot member 21. The arm 28 has a detent 30, which engages a slot 31 (FIG. 5) formed in the extension 29. When the detent 30 is received in the slot 31, as shown in FIG. 4, the arm 22 is locked in closed position against the trigger guard 16. When the button 27 (FIG. 3) is pushed in the direction of the arrow, the detent 30 is released from the slot 31, so that the arm 22 may swing to the open, or unlocked, position as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1. This frees the locking lever 22 from the trigger guard 16, so that the firearm 8 may be quickly withdrawn from the holster 7 without resistance.

The push button 27 is positioned so that the trigger finger will naturally contact it, when the gun is grasped to be withdrawn from the holster 7, so that the pressure on the push button 27 is almost simultaneous with the withdrawal action.

It is believed that the operation of the device is obvious from the foregoing description.

Claims

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A holster, for a hand gun having a barrel, hand grip, trigger and trigger guard, comprising a pocket, having rigid side walls for receiving the gun, a spring biased arm pivoted on a pin extending through the said walls, and arranged to engage the said trigger guard, a second pin slidable through the inside wall of said holster, a compression spring for biasing said last pin, a latch member secured to said last pin and moveable therewith, said latch member having a detent receivable in a slot formed in an extension on the pivot of said arm, and arranged to lock said arm against said trigger guard.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which said slidable pin has a head positioned adjacent the said trigger, and arranged to slide said pin and said latch member out of locking position upon the exertion of pressure thereon by the trigger finger of the user of said gun.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which said arm is arranged to partially extend around said trigger guard and to exert pressure on said gun while in the holster.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which said arm is arranged to pivot out of contact with said trigger guard, under the tension in said first named spring, upon the sliding movement of said last pin.

5. The structure of claim 1, in which said holster has means on the side opposite the position of said first named pin, for aligning said gun in said holster.

6. The structure of claim 1, in which said first named pin is located below the frame position of said gun and ahead of said trigger guard when the gun is in the holster.

7. The structure of claim 1, in which said second named pin has one end positioned in an area defined by said trigger and said trigger guard.