Floated Barrel Rifle With Metal Stock For Improved Barrel Action Bedding

Abstract

A lightweight metallic stock for a rifle onto which the barrelled action is firmly bedded so that it is permanently held in place, obviating the necessity of rebedding after continued use of the rifle The action is firmly held to the stock through the cooperation of registration surfaces on the action and the stock which are placed in firm abutment by conventional screw-threaded fasteners.

Parent Case Text

This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29,036 filed Apr. 16, 1970, and now abandoned.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to an apparatus for holding or bedding the breech section or action of a rifle. More particularly, the invention relates to a device by means of which the action may be firmly and permanently bedded in a mass production system so as to obviate the necessity of rebedding or retightening of the action in the rifle stock.

Most rifles generally comprise a wooden stock to which a steel action is secured by two or more steel screws. A separate trigger guard through which the screws pass is mounted on the opposite side of the stock from the action. The barrel of the rifle is then threadably attached to the action and is either cantilevered therefrom to form a floated barrel or else it is attached to the stock at a forward portion thereof.

When a rifle is to be fired with repeated accuracy, such as in match or competition shooting, a floated barrel is preferred for two reasons. First, if the barrel is not restrained by some outside force such as an attachment to the forward portion of the stock, but rather is cantilevered from the action with a clearance from its surroundings for its entire length, it will vibrate in exactly the same manner for each shot. Secondly, since rifles used in match shooting must be fired from a wide variety of positions, some of which require the use of a sling and some of which do not, different holding and bending stresses are exerted on the stock for each firing position. If the barrel were firmly secured to the stock, these different stresses would cause the barrel to bend slightly from one firing position to the next and thereby reduce the consistency required for accurate firing.

Whether or not the barrel is floated, a problem exists in all presently available rifles in that the action or receiver must withstand an impulse force directed toward the rear of the stock every time the rifle is fired. This creates virtually no problems in a rifle which is fired only occasionally, such as in hunting. However, match or competition rifles are usually fired so often that their barrels must be replaced due to the wear caused by the firing at intervals of about a year or even less. Consequently, the repeated firing of these rifles causes the actions to become loosened from their mountings due to the firing impulses imposed upon them. In other words, the action repeatedly stresses the wooden stock and deforms it slightly, causing the angular relationship therebetween to be altered and/or the fastening screws to become loosened. When this happens, the accuracy of the firearm is impaired and the action must be rebedded, or tightened in its mountings, to regain the lost accuracy. Often, the stock itself must be replaced.

Whether or not the barrel is floated, most rifles today generally comprise a wooden stock to which a steel action having an integral or separate steel trigger guard is fastened by means of steel screws. The barrel is suitably attached to the action, such as by mating threads. It will be quite obvious that the weakest member of this structure is the wooden stock. In fact, a comparison of the relative strength of the receiver, the screws, and the stock results in the realization that if the action is tightened into the stock utilizing the maximum strength of the screws, the receiver could theoretically be pulled all the way through the wooden stock due to the relatively low strength of wood.

These comparisons will also yield the realization that when a firearm is fired a great number of times, the impulse forces exerted on the action will cause it to transfer these forces into the wooden stock, eventually causing deformation and compression thereof so that the action becomes loosened within the stock. This looseness can be corrected a few times by tightening the screws, but eventually the looseness between the action and the stock will become so great that the action must be rebedded in a new stock.

A wide variety of devices have been conceived and built in attempts to overcome this problem but have generally been found to be unsuccessful. One such apparatus has provided a metal bearing member mounted in a thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic material in a routed-out portion of the wooden stock. The action is directly positioned on the bearing member and is bolted to it through the wooden stock. Unfortunately, this device does not solve the problem since the impulse forces imposed upon the action are merely transferred through the bearing member and the plastic material to the wooden stock and, eventually, the entire mounting structure will begin to work loose, even as does an action fastened directly to the stock.

Other devices conceived in an attempt to solve this problem have included reinforced plastic stocks to which the action is secured. These solutions are also unsatisfactory since, regardless of the type of plastic chosen, it is subject to one or more of the characteristics inherently present in plastics such as relative compressibility, inability to withstand heat from repeated and rapid firing, relative brittleness, etc.

Perhaps the major problem involved in the construction and manufacture of rifles is the desire to mass produce a rifle in large quantities in a manner which does not depend upon various problems normally encountered with wood construction, such as splits, knots, etc. In the construction of prior art firearms, a wooden stock is produced in a nearly "handmade" fashion and a significant amount of expertise must be utilized on each and every stock. As the stock is manufactured, it must be properly cut and recut, using surface dies and/or lamp soot to mark high spots in the wood, so that the action may be suitably fitted into it. Due to the variations between woods of different types, and due to the variations between different pieces of wood of the same type, it has been proven to be impossible to produce rifles in a production line fashion without seriously reducing the quality of the rifle as well as its accuracy.

In producing a wooden stock, the wood is chiseled out by hand and the action is fitted thereto in a repetitive cut and try method by coating the action with a marking material such as alcohol lamp soot, fitting it into the stock, removing the action, and chiseling away the high points until the dyed surface comes into substantially total contact with the stock. When it is realized that the wood from which such a stock is cut can contain as much as six quarts of water, it will quickly become apparent that a gain or loss of moisture in the wood can result in the action being improperly seated either during manufacture of the rifle or at some later date. In other words, the humidity of the environment in which the rifle is manufactured and used will exert a substantial effect on the accuracy of the rifle. It is desirable that the stock be absolutely stable since the action should be properly bedded during manufacture and remain in that properly bedded position throughout the life of the stock and the rifle; otherwise the difficult task of adjusting the sights each time the rifle is used must be undertaken.

The aesthetic values of "feel," strength, and beauty normally dictate that a rifle be provided with a wooden stock. When a really good stock is to be produced, an excellent piece of wood must be selected for the manufacture thereof. Under present circumstances, the cost of such a piece of wood is very high and each time the action must be rebedded, the lifetime cost of the rifle increases.

Unfortunately, even the finest piece of wood is subject not only to impulse deformation, but is also susceptible to temperature and humidity conditions which can cause it to warp or change shape and thereby affect accuracy.

Accordingly, it is highly desirable to manufacture a good looking rifle at high tolerance standards in accordance with mass production techniques. Such a rifle must be able to be quickly and accurately assembled without requiring a continuous fitting and refitting of the action of the stock. Preferably, the rifle should be able to be assembled using standard threaded fastening devices which may be tightened to their maximum or near maximum shear strengths so that it becomes substantially impossible for the stock and action to move relative to one another. Further, it is desirable that the rifle be able to be rebedded without requiring a refitting of the action to the stock each time the rebedding is accomplished.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rifle which can be manufactured from parts which achieve the above-described desirable factors which have not been available under the prior art.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a rifle which may be manufactured from an easily machined, lightweight metal, such as magnesium, in such a manner that the stock may be provided with precisely located registration surfaces or faces in exactly the same position on every stock. Similarly, the action may be provided with registration, bearing, or clamping faces or surfaces which may be drawn into very tight abutting contact with the registration surfaces on the stock. Use of this structure will allow any properly produced action to be firmly and accurately mounted on any properly produced stock in the interchangeable fashion required by mass production techniques.

Further, the present invention generally comprises apparatus by means of which the barrel action may be firmly bedded in a rifle stock utilizing structure which will obviate the necessity for the action to ever require rebedding regardless of the type of shooting in which the rifle is used.

As stated above, the invention may comprise a stock manufactured from high strength metal, such as magnesium, to which the barrel action may be firmly secured by utilizing as much of the strength of the steel screws and action as is necessary. In fact, the force with which the action may be tightened to the stock may be so great that a similar force applied to a wooden stock would crush it.

In order to retain the aesthetic values which most shooters desire in their rifles, an inexpensive block of wood may be utilized to form the visible sides of the stock; they may be bonded or otherwise suitably attached to the metallic stock. If desired, the sides may be manufactured so as to completely enclose the metallic stock, or the stock may be exposed at its periphery so as to form a seam-like joint between the wooden sides. Further, if desired, the metallic stock can be anodized to any desired color.

The use of the metallic stock presents to the rifle owner a firearm which is not subject to warpage, shrinkage, or expansion, such as may result from variations of temperature and humidity. In other words, none of these factors will alter the tightness of the fit between the stock and the barrel action and accurate shooting will no longer be affected thereby.

Additionally, use of the metallic stock allows the mass production of a rifle which is at least as accurate as the finest prior art rifles, and possibly more accurate. The firearm may be as visually attractive as prior art rifles of the highest quality, and may be produced and sold at a much lower cost than comparably accurate and attractive firearms manufactured in accordance with prior art methods.

Further advantages, objects, modes, and embodiments will become obvious to those skilled in the art by reference to the Detailed Description and accompanying drawing which illustrate what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment of the best mode contemplated for utilizing the novel principles of this invention which are defined by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 comprises an exploded perspective view of a rifle formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 comprises a side elevational view, partly in section, of an assembled rifle formed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 3 comprises a perspective illustration of a portion of the stock of the rifle of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown a barrel 11 which may be suitably attached to an action or receiver 13 by means of complementary threaded sections 15 and 15'. On the lower portion of the action, a trigger 17 may extend from a base 16 and a lug or tang member 19 may be suitably located forward of a cross slot 20.

A lightweight material having a high compressive strength such as magnesium, may be used to form a stock frame 21. Frame 21 may be provided with a vertical slot 23 through which the trigger 17 may be passed as shown in FIG. 2. The stock may also have a transverse slot 25 into which the lug or tang 19 may be seated. If high compressive strength is the only criteria which must be fulfilled by the stock frame, there are a wide variety of materials, including steel, which could be used for its formation. However, if it is necessary or desirable that the rifle be lightweight and capable of resisting corrosion, materials such as a heat treated magnesium will yield a highly satisfactory result. In any case, the selected material should be accurately and easily machinable to within very close tolerances.

A trigger guard or housing 27 may be secured to the frame on the side thereof opposite the action 13 so that a guard member 29 encloses the trigger 17 in the well-known manner. A hingedly connected member 31 on the trigger housing 27 may be utilized to provide access to a magazine opening 33 which may be formed in the frame 21 so as to form a magazine receiver for automatic feeding of shells to the action for firing.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the slot 25 is machined with a very accurate and close tolerance, particularly on its rear surface 101 (FIG. 3). Similarly, the horizontal surfaces 103 and 109 of the stock should be accurately machined to be substantially perfectly flat. In this manner, the vertical surface 101 and the horizontal surfaces 103 and 109 may be used as registration surfaces in a manner to be described.

With a similar machining accuracy, the tang or lug 19 on the action may be provided with a vertical registration surface 105 and a horizontal registration surface 107 on the under surface thereof. In a similar fashion, a horizontal surface 113 of the slot 20 in action 13 may be similarly accurately machined.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the vertical registration surface 101 on the stock 21 is positioned in close planar abutment with the vertical registration surface 105 on the action. Similarly, the horizontal registration surfaces 103 and 109 on the stock may be located in close planar abutment with the registration surfaces 107 and 113 on the action.

It should be noted that the particular number or relative orientation of the registration surfaces, i.e., horizontal, vertical, etc., is not of importance. It is only important that the surfaces be so related that the planar contacts positively prohibit relative movement between the action and the frame. Accordingly, only the selected registration surfaces create any contact and all non-registration surfaces may be positively separated as indicated by the clearances 120 depicted in FIG. 2.

A plurality of threaded fasteners, such as bolts 133, may be passed through bores 35 in the trigger guard housing 27, bores 37 in the frame 21, and into threaded bores 39 in the action 13 so as to hold the trigger guard housing, the stock frame, and the action together. The bolts or threaded fasteners may be suitably tightened after the action and stock are properly located relative to one another so that the vertical and horizontal registration faces are in close abutment. When this abutment has been achieved, the fasteners 133 can be turned with a maximum amount of torque, according to their own strength, so that, in effect, the trigger guard housing 27 and the action 13 are tightened to one another and are separated only by the stock frame 21 which, in effect, serves as a spacer. It will be realized that this is possible since the metal stock may have a tensile strength of, for example, 7,000 pounds as opposed to a strength of approximately 70 pounds for most good woods. Thus, when the members 133 are completely tightened, the action 13 will be so tightly fastened and accurately located on the stock frame that its bedded position will be permanent until such time as the members 133 are removed.

Since the registration faces on the action and the frame may be accurately machined under mass production techniques, it will be unnecessary to match and rematch these parts of the structure to one another on a trial and error basis. On the contrary, it will be possible to mount any action on any stock, selected from a coordinated production run, utilizing relatively unskilled labor techniques. The action will be firmly and accurately bedded on the stock and the rifle sight will not have to be readjusted every time the rifle is used since the stock will not be susceptible to warpage or other variations as a result of humidity changes, etc. Further, the stock may be produced, as previously described, from a lightweight metal which may, if desired, be further lightened by cutting away a portion 115 thereof as illustrated in FIG. 1.

If desired, a plurality of threaded bores 43 may be formed in the forward portion of the stock frame 21 so that a forward handgrip may be attached to the rifle stock.

A pair of members 45 may be machined of wood, plastic, or other suitable material so as to cooperate with the sides of the stock frame 21. The sides 45 may be fastened to the stock by any suitable means such as a bonding material and the particular choice of type and quality of the wood is not critical since no forces will be passed through the wood from the stock. In other words, the wood only serves as an ornamental material and its warpage, expansion, etc., will in no way affect rifle accuracy.

A butt plate 47 may be suitably fastened to the rear end of the stock frame 21 by suitable means such as bolts (not shown). If desired, the butt plate 47 can be manufactured from wood and shaped so as to cover and blend into the rear corners of the sides 45. Thus, the frame 21, sides 45, and butt plate 47 form the completed stock, although the frame alone may be used as a complete stock, if desired.

Although the invention has been described relative to a rifle having a magazine receiver, it should by now be quite apparent to those skilled in the art that the concepts of the invention are equally as applicable to any type of rifle, shotgun, or similar firearm, with the same results. Consequently, any firearm utilizing such a stock will yield a permanent, solid bedding for the action and the barrel which is not susceptible to changes caused by humidity or repeated firing. Thus, such firearms will never require rebedding and the total lifetime cost of the firearm will be vastly reduced since the stock need never be replaced.

Thus the applicant has provided an embodiment of a new and improved concept in the firearm art which yields a true advance in that art.

Claims

Many other embodiments and modifications of this and such other embodiments will now be apparent to those skilled in the art without exceeding the scope of the following claims, wherefore what is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a firearm,

a metal stock frame having

a first surface,

a second surface on the opposite side of said metal stock frame as said first surface,

at least one mounting bore extending between said first and second surfaces,

at least one slot extending between said first and second surfaces,

at least one transverse groove extending substantially across one of said first and second surfaces, and

an ammunition receiver mounted on said one of said first and second surfaces with said at least one transverse groove therein and having

at least one transverse lug thereon extending into said at least one transverse groove in said stock frame to prohibit relative longitudinal movement between said receiver and said stock frame,

at least one mounting bore in coaxial relation with said at least one mounting bore in said stock frame, and

a trigger member extending through said at least one slot in said stock frame.

2. The firearm of claim 1 including

a trigger housing on the other of said first and second surfaces on said stock frame having

at least one mounting bore in coaxial relation with said at least one mounting bore in said stock frame.

3. The firearm of claim 2 wherein

said trigger housing further includes

a trigger guard situated thereon so as to protect said trigger member extending through said stock frame.

4. The firearm of claim 2 including

fastening means extending through said at least one set of coaxially related bores in said stock frame, said receiver, and said trigger housing.

5. The firearm of claim 1 wherein

said stock frame has

opposed third and fourth surfaces, including

ornamental means mounted on said second and third surfaces.

6. The firearm of claim 5 including

means in the butt end of said stock frame for mounting a cover plate thereon to cover and protect the butt ends of said ornamental means.

7. The firearm of claim 1 including

means in said stock frame for fastening a handgrip member thereto.

8. A firearm comprising

a metal support frame having

a plurality of peripheral sides, one of said peripheral sides having

a plurality of registration surfaces thereon and

a plurality of non-registration surfaces thereon,

an action having

a plurality of peripheral sides, one of which includes

a corresponding plurality of registration surfaces thereon and

a corresponding plurality of non-registration surfaces thereon, and

means for drawing the corresponding registration surfaces on said frame and said action into close abutment and for maintaining the corresponding non-registration surfaces thereon out of contact with one another.

9. A firearm comprising

a support frame having

a plurality of peripheral sides, one of said peripheral sides having

a first horizontal registration surface comprising a planar surface finished within predetermined tolerance limits,

a second horizontal registration surface comprising a planar surface finished within predetermined tolerance limits, and

a vertical registration surface comprising a planar surface finished within predetermined tolerance limits,

an action for receiving a cartridge and having

a plurality of peripheral sides, one of which includes

first and second horizontal registration surfaces and

a vertical registration surface, each comprising a planar surface and finished to within predetermined tolerance limits, and

means for releasably fixing said action to said support frame such that each of the first and second horizontal registration surfaces of said action and said frame and the vertical registration surfaces of said action and said frame are in close fitting planar abutment and all other surfaces of said action and said frame are positively prohibited from contacting any surface on the other of said action and said frame.

10. A firearm comprising

a frame member having

a plurality of peripheral sides, one of which includes

a plurality of registration surfaces, each comprising a planar surface finished to within predetermined tolerance limits, at least two of said surfaces being located within planes which intersect,

a cartridge receiving action having

a plurality of peripheral sides, one of which includes

a plurality of registration surfaces, each comprising a planar surface finished to within predetermined tolerance limits and located in planes such as to substantially coincide with the planes containing the registration surfaces of said frame when the frame and action are operatively positioned relative to one another, and

means for joining and fastening said action to said frame in such a manner that said registration surfaces are in substantial planar abutment and all other surfaces on said frame and said action, including those on said one peripheral side on each of said frame member and said action, are retained in distinct and separated relationships.

11. The firearm of claim 10 wherein

said action further included

threaded receiving means therein and

said joining and fastening means pass through said frame member and into said threaded receiving means and are turned thereinto under a maximum torque determined only by the shear strength of said joining and fastening means and the threads in said threaded receiving means.

12. The firearm of claim 10 including

decorative means attached to said frame to provide an aesthetically pleasing visual effect.

13. A firearm comprising

a metal support frame having

a plurality of peripheral edges, one of which includes

first and second relatively highly finished angularly related registration surfaces,

a metal cartridge receiving action having

a plurality of peripheral edges, one of which includes

first and second relatively highly finished angularly related registration surfaces, and

means for fastening said action to said frame such that both of the first registration surfaces and both of the second registration surfaces are in abutting planar contact to prevent relative horizontal and vertical movement between said action and said frame while retaining all non-registration surfaces on said action and said frame on said one edge of both frame and said action under positive separation.

14. The firearm of claim 13 wherein

said frame includes

at least one bore extending therethrough and intersecting one of the registration surfaces thereon,

said action includes

at least one threaded bore partially extending thereinto and intersecting one of the registration surfaces thereon, and wherein

said fastening means extends through said at least one bore and into said at least one threaded bore.

15. The firearm of claim 14 including

trigger guard means having

at least one bore extending therethrough and through which said fastening means is passed whereby said action may be fastened to said trigger guard means, separated only by the thickness of said frame.

16. A firearm comprising

an elongated support frame having

a plurality of peripheral edges, one of which includes

a first registration surface extending along a portion of the length of said frame on a first plane,

a second registration surface extending along a portion of the length of said frame on a second plane, and,

a third registration surface extending substantially perpendicular to the length of said frame on a third plane,

an elongated action receiving a cartridge having

a plurality of peripheral edges, one of which includes

a first registration surface extending along a portion of the length of said action on a first plane,

a second registration surface extending along a portion of the length of said action on a second plane, and

a third registration surface extending substantially perpendicular to the length of said action on a third plane, and

means for fixedly clamping said action to said frame in parallel relationship such that said first registration surfaces are in planar abutment, said second registration surfaces are in planar abutment, said third registration surfaces are in planar abutment, and all other portions of said action on its said one peripheral edge are rigidly held away from contact with every portion of said frame on its said one peripheral edge.

17. The firearm of claim 16 wherein

said support frame includes

a planar surface extending along a portion of the length of said frame on a peripheral edge thereof opposite said first and second registration surfaces, and further including,

a trigger housing located against said planar surface, and

said clamping means also fixedly clamping said trigger housing to said frame.

18. The firearm of claim 17 wherein said frame is constructed of a material of such strength that said clamping means fix said action, frame, and trigger housing together with a force limited only by the shear strength of said clamping means.

19. A firearm comprising

a stock frame having

a plurality of registration and non-registration surfaces on one side thereof,

an action having

a like plurality of registration and non-registration surfaces on one side thereof, and

means for fixing said action to said stock frame, such that only the registration surfaces of each thereof are in contact therebetween, with a force limited only by the strength of said fixing means.

20. The firearm of claim 19 including

a trigger housing located against the opposite side of said stock frame from said one side thereof and rigidly held thereagainst by said fixing means.

21. A firearm comprising

a metal support frame having

first and second relatively highly finished, angularly related registration surfaces and

at least one bore extending therethrough and intersecting one of the registration surfaces thereon,

a metal cartridge receiving action having

first and second relatively highly finished, angularly related registration surfaces and

at least one threaded bore partially extending thereinto and intersecting one of the registration surfaces thereon,

means extending through said at least one bore and into said at least one threaded bore for fastening said section to said frame such that both of the first registration surfaces and both of the second registration surfaces are in abutting planar contact to prevent relative horizontal and vertical movement between said action and said frame while retaining all non-registration surfaces on said action and said frame under positive separation, and

trigger guard means having

at least one bore extending therethrough and through which said fastening means is passed whereby said action means may be fastened to said trigger guard means, separated only by the thickness of said frame.

22. A firearm comprising

an elongated support frame having

a first registration surface extending along a portion of the length of said frame on a first plane,

a second registration surface extending along a portion of the length of said frame on a second plane,

a third registration surface extending substantially perpendicular to the length of said frame on a third plane, and

a planar surface extending along a portion of the length of said frame on a side thereof opposite said first and second registration surfaces,

an elongated action for receiving a cartridge having

a first registration surface extending alng a portion of the length of said action on a first plane,

a second registration surface extending along a portion of the length of said action on a second plane, and

a third registration surface extending substantially perpendicular to the length of said action on a third plane,

a trigger housing located against said planar surface, and

means for fixedly clamping said action to said frame in parallel relationship such that said first registration surfaces are in planar abutment, said second registration surfaces are in planar abutment, said third registration surfaces are in planar abutment, and all other portions of said action are rigidly held away from contact with every portion of said frame and for fixedly clamping said trigger housing to said frame.

23. The firearm of claim 22 wherein said frame is constructed of a material of such strength that said clamping means fix said action, frame, and trigger housing together with a force limited only by the shear strength of said clamping means.