SWINGER STOCK AND SWINGER SLING MOUNT, SWINGER STOCK, AND INSERT FOR THE SOPMOD STOCK

Abstract

A rifle stock is provided for a firearm. The rifle stock comprises a body with a bore having a forward opening that receives a rifle buffer tube. The body of the rifle stock defines a pocket at a level below the bore. The pocket of the body has a forward opening, and the stock comprises a sling support element. The sling support element has a mating element pivotally received in the pocket.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/570,331 filed on Oct. 10, 2017, entitled "Swinger Stock and Stubby Sling Mount", and also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/570,339 filed on Oct. 10, 2017, entitled "Swinger Stock", and also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/675,859 filed on May 24, 2018, entitled "Insert for the Sopmod Stock", which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all that is taught and disclosed therein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to sling attachments, sopmod stocks and, more particularly, to a rotational insert for the sopmod stock.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Currently, all sling attachments are non-movable sling mounts. This style sling mount limits the operator to only one attachment point on his rifle, thus limiting the shooter's ability to switch from their strong side shoulder to their weak side shoulder without sling interference. In addition, it limits the operator's choice of mounting their sling to either the left side of the firearm, the right side of the firearm, or in the lower middle of the receiver, directly under the buffer tube, and directly in line with the shooter's hand.

[0004] Also, this style sling mount limits the operator to only one attachment point on their rifle, the left side of the firearm, the right side of the firearm, or in the lower middle of the receiver, thus, limiting the shooter's ability to switch from their strong side shoulder to their weak side shoulder without sling interference.

[0005] These mounting locations make it difficult to transition from strong side, to weak side, when shooting from behind a barrier/barricade, when engaging targets while shooting out of a window of an automobile, or when clearing the corners inside of a room.

[0006] Moreover, by mounting the sling to the left side of the firearm, the right side of the firearm, or in the lower middle of the receiver, directly under the buffer tube, it places the sling directly in line with the shooter's hand and could possibly interfere with shooters who have large hands or if they are wearing gloves.

[0007] All of the AR style collapsible stocks that are currently being sold have built-in sling attachment points that are non-movable and either mount on the left side or the right side of the stock.

[0008] Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT) and Bravo Company manufacture two similar style stocks. LMT manufactures the SOPMOD/Crane Stock and Bravo Company manufactures a similar design, referred to as the B5 SOPMOD stock. This stock design is used, and preferred, by many Special Forces and SWAT Teams around the world.

[0009] The limitations of the prior art are addressed by providing a rifle stock for a firearm. The rifle stock comprises a body with a bore having a forward opening that receives a rifle buffer tube. The body of the rifle stock defines a pocket at a level below the bore. The pocket of the body has a forward opening, and the stock comprises a sling support element. The sling support element has a mating element pivotally received in the pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIGS. 1-58 show various views of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011] FIG. 1 shows an angle view.

[0012] FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 show a top view.

[0013] FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 show side view holes.

[0014] FIG. 10 shows the utilization of a large quick detachable (QD) style push button mechanism located in the center of the top portion of the Stubby sling mount and a 3/16'' steel loop at the bottom of the Stubby for attaching a sling.

[0015] FIG. 11 shows that the second piece of the Swinger Stock & Stubby sling mount is a specially designed stock. The stock is designed with the QD insert located in the front of the stock and directly under the buffer tube. An additional feature of this stock is the hood above the QD insert which extends 1/2'' forward from the insert.

[0016] When the Stubby sling mount swings upward and comes in contact with the hood, it cushions the impact and it also protects the buffer tube from the metal on metal contact between the Stubby sling mount and the buffer tube. The stock is made of black polymer for its durability.

[0017] FIG. 12 shows a front angled view of the Swinger Stock to illustrate the overall design of the stock and the placement of the QD insert.

[0018] FIG. 13 shows a rear angled view of the Swinger Stock to illustrate the overall design of the stock.

[0019] FIG. 14 shows a front view of the Swinger Stock to illustrate the positioning of the QD insert in relation to the overall profile of the stock.

[0020] FIG. 15 shows a side cut away view of the Swinger Stock to illustrate the positioning of the QD insert in relation to the overall profile of the stock.

[0021] FIG. 16 shows an angled cut away view of the Swinger Stock to illustrate the positioning of the QD insert in relation to the overall profile of the stock.

[0022] FIG. 17 shows a side cut away view of the Swinger Stock and Stubby assembly to illustrate the positioning of the Stubby in relation to the overall profile of the stock.

[0023] FIG. 18 shows an angled cut away view of the Swinger Stock and Stubby assembly to illustrate the positioning of the Stubby in relation to the overall profile of the stock.

[0024] FIG. 19 shows step 1 of the assembly that begins with a standard mil spec or commercial buffer tube attached to a lower receiver. If there is currently a stock on the buffer tube of the rifle, it should be removed and set aside.

[0025] FIG. 20 shows step 2 of the assembly, where the Swinger stock is placed on the buffer tube of the rifle. The stock is slid forward until it comes to a complete stop, and then slid backward to make sure it is securely mounted on the buffer tube.

[0026] FIG. 21 shows step 3 of the assembly, where the stock is slid to a comfortable location on the buffer allowing the weapon to be shouldered without any problems.

[0027] FIG. 22 shows step 4 of the assembly where the end of the sling is placed through the metal loop located at the bottom of the Stubby Sling mount.

[0028] FIG. 23 shows step 5 of the assembly, where the sling is wrapped around the metal loop and the end of the sling is woven through the locking hardware that should be on the sling.

[0029] FIG. 24 shows step 6 of the assembly, where the QD Stubby sling mount is placed into the QD insert located at the front of the Swinger Stock. Installation is complete.

[0030] FIG. 25 shows step 7, the final step of the assembly, where a function check is conducted by pulling on the sling while making sure the QD sling mount is securely fastened inside the QD insert and does not pull out. Once it has been verified that the sling is securely mounted to the stock, the assembly is finished.

[0031] FIG. 26 shows the Swinger Stock, designed with a custom made QD insert made of 304 stainless steel. It is located at the front of the stock and hangs down 3/4'' from the stock. This design allows a 180-degree rotation with a sling while it is attached to the firearm. The material of the stock is made of polymer for its durability.

[0032] FIG. 27 shows an angled view of the swinger to illustrate the proprietary design.

[0033] FIG. 28 shows a top view of the swinger to illustrate the proprietary design.

[0034] FIG. 29 shows a top view of the swinger to illustrate the proprietary design.

[0035] FIG. 30 shows a side view of the Swinger Stock assembly to illustrate the overall design.

[0036] FIG. 31 shows a front view of the Swinger Stock assembly to illustrate the overall design.

[0037] FIG. 32 shows a side cut away view to illustrate the positioning of the swinger in relation to the overall profile of the Swinger Stock.

[0038] FIG. 33 shows a front angled cut away view to illustrate the positioning of the swinger in relation to the overall profile of the Swinger Stock.

[0039] FIG. 34 shows a side cut away view of the Swinger Stock assembly to illustrate the positioning of the swinger in relation to the overall profile of the Swinger Stock.

[0040] FIG. 35 shows a front angled cut away view of the Swinger Stock assembly to illustrate the positioning of the swinger in relation to the overall profile of the Swinger Stock.

[0041] FIG. 36 shows step 1 of the assembly that begins with a standard mil spec or commercial buffer tube attached to a lower receiver. If there is currently a stock on the buffer tube of the rifle, it should be removed and set aside.

[0042] FIG. 37 shows step 2 of the assembly, where the Swinger stock is placed on the buffer tube of the rifle. The stock is slid forward until it comes to a complete stop, and then slid backward to make sure it is securely mounted on the buffer tube. Finally, the stock is slid to a location on the buffer where the weapon can be shouldered comfortably.

[0043] FIG. 38 shows step 3 of the assembly, where the QD sling mount is placed into the insert located on the Swinger Stock. The installation is now complete.

[0044] FIG. 39 shows step 4 of the assembly, where a function check is conducted by pulling on the sling while making sure the QD sling mount is securely fastened to the Swinger stock and does not pull out. Once it has been verified that the sling is securely mounted, the firearm is ready to be used.

[0045] FIG. 40: Side profile of the insert when mounted in the stock.

[0046] FIG. 41: Front profile of the insert when mounted in the stock.

[0047] FIG. 42: Top profile of the insert when mounted in the stock.

[0048] FIG. 43: Illustrates "Step 1" of the assembly guide.

[0049] FIG. 44: Illustrates "Step 2" of the assembly guide.

[0050] FIG. 45: Illustrates "Step 3" of the assembly guide.

[0051] FIG. 46: Illustrates "Step 4" of the assembly guide.

[0052] FIG. 47: Illustrates "Step 5" of the assembly guide.

[0053] FIG. 48: Illustrates "Step 6" of the assembly guide.

[0054] FIG. 49: Illustrates "Step 7" of the assembly guide.

[0055] FIG. 50: Illustrates "Step 7" of the assembly guide.

[0056] FIG. 51: Illustrates "Step 8" of the assembly guide.

[0057] FIG. 52: Illustrates "Step 9" of the assembly guide.

[0058] FIG. 53: Detailed dimension of side profile of the insert.

[0059] FIG. 54: Detailed dimension of side profile of the insert.

[0060] FIG. 55: Detailed dimension of side profile of the insert.

[0061] FIG. 56: Detailed dimension of side profile of the insert.

[0062] FIG. 57: Detailed dimension of top profile of the insert.

[0063] FIG. 58: Detailed dimension of front profile of the insert.

[0064] Tech-10 Tactical found a way to improve on this popular design and make this style stock even better for the operator. Tech-10 Tactical developed an insert for the front of the stock that is guaranteed to give every operator a major tactical advantage over any stock currently on the market today.

[0065] This accessory converts the current SOPMOD stock into a stock where you have a full 190 degrees of rotation, with a single point sling, when used in conjunction the Stubby Sling Mount.

[0066] This allows the shooter to transition from strong side, to weak side, with no interference from their sling or when shooting from behind a barrier/barricade, engaging targets while shooting out of a car window or when clearing rooms/corners inside a building.

[0067] Finally, by mounting the sling directly at the front of the stock and under the buffer tube the shooter's hand never comes in contact with their sling.

[0068] The Swinger Stock & Stubby sling mount consists of two individual pieces working in concert to produce a user-friendly design while making it the most secure Quick Detachable (QD) style sling mount on the market today.

[0069] The first of the two pieces is the Stubby sling mount. It is made of 304 stainless steel. The sling mount measures 1.75''.times.1 1/2''.times.3/8'' and has 1/4'' holes on the left and right side of the sling mount, at the top and at the bottom; and in the middle, is a 5/8'' hole designed for a QD insert to be installed and held in place using epoxy and 1/4'' pins inserted in the left side and the ride side of the Stubby sling mount.

[0070] The Stubby sling mount will rotate a full 180 degrees. Thus, allowing the user to easily switch from one shoulder to the opposite shoulder without any interference from the sling.

[0071] Also, by placing the sling mount in the middle of the stock, and directly at the front of the stock, it completely eliminates any contact of the sling with the shooters hand while their hand is on the pistol grip.

[0072] However, the most significant advantage of this design, mounting the QD insert at the front of the stock, is when the weapon is not shouldered but it is being suspended in air by the sling.

[0073] Since the weight of the weapon is exerting a downward force on the sling, this new design capitalizes on this downward force and uses it to push the QD sling mount upward and into the QD insert. This eliminates all stresses on the ball bearings located around the base of the QD.

[0074] As an example, the very best QD sling mount on the market today requires about 450 psi of pressure to pull the QD sling mount out of the QD insert. With this newly designed stock and sling mount, it is virtually impossible for the QD sling mount to be pulled out of the QD insert.

[0075] The weight of the weapon is pushing the QD sling mount into the QD insert located on the stock. It is not pulling the QD sling mount tangentially or out of the insert, which is how all other QD sling mounts are currently manufactured to remain secured.

[0076] This new concept totally eliminates any stresses on the ball bearings, unlike every other QD sling mount on the market.

[0077] The Swinger Stock consists of two individual pieces working in concert to produce a user-friendly design while making it the most secure Quick Detachable (QD) style sling mount on the market today.

[0078] This new concept allows the user to easily switch from one shoulder to the opposite shoulder without any interference with the sling. Also, by placing the sling mount in the middle of the stock, it completely eliminates any contact of the sling with the shooter's hand while their hand is on the pistol grip.

[0079] The most significant advantage of this design, mounting the QD insert into the front the stock, is when the weapon is not in use but it is being suspended by the sling as it hangs down in front of the user.

[0080] Since the weight of the weapon is exerting a downward force on the sling, this new design capitalizes on this downward force and uses it to push the QD sling mount upward and into the QD insert. This eliminates all stresses on the ball bearings located around the base of the QD.

[0081] As an example, the very best QD swivel on the market today requires about 450 psi of pressure to pull the QD mount out of the insert. With this newly designed stock, it is virtually impossible for the QD mount to be pulled out of the QD insert.

[0082] The weight of the weapon is pushing the QD insert downward on to the QD swivel. It is not pulling on the QD attachment point, which is how all other QD sling mounts are currently manufactured.

[0083] This new concept totally eliminates any stresses on the ball bearings, unlike every other QD sling mount on the market.

[0084] The accessory for the LMT and Bravo Company SOPMOD stock utilizes two individual pieces, a custom made insert that mounts into the cavity at the bottom center of the SOPMOD stock, and a 3/16'' tension pin to secure the insert firmly in place so that it will never accidently fall out of the stock.

[0085] The accessory is designed to be used with the Stubby Sling mount. After inserting the Stubby Sling mount into the front of the stock it allows a full 190-degrees of rotation with a single point sling while attached to the firearm.

[0086] The material of the insert is made of glass filled polymer for its durability.

[0087] By using this accessory with the Bravo SOPMOD stock, it allows your sling to be mounted on the front the stock and offers 190 degrees of rotation. With other stocks you have only two options, you can mount your sling on the left or right side of the firearm and offers no rotational advantage. This causes undue sling tension when switching from a strong side to a weak side shooting position.

[0088] In addition, when the operator isn't shooting his weapon the firearm is hanging down in front. Tech-10 Tactical saw an additional opportunity and designed the accessory to capitalized on it.

[0089] With the weight of the weapon exerting a downward force on the sling, our design capitalizes on this downward force and uses it as an advantage by push the Stubby sling mount upward and into the QD insert. This design eliminates all stresses on the ball bearings located around the base of the QD and essentially eliminates any chance of the attachment point from pulling out of the insert.

[0090] Moreover, the very best QD attachment on the market today fails at about 450 psi of pulling force on the insert. With our Stubby sling mount, it is virtually impossible to be pulled out of the QD insert. The weight of the weapon is pushing downward on the Stubby Sling Mount, it is not exerting a pulling force at the attachment point, so it cannot be pulled out.

[0091] The present invention can be assembled by following these steps:

[0092] Step 1: Place the SOPMOD stock, the insert, the 3/16'' roll pin, a small hammer and the roll pin punch in front of you.

[0093] Step 2: Stand the stock up on the butt pad Place the custom made inert into the cavity at the front of the stock.

[0094] Step 3: Place the custom made inert into the cavity at the front of the stock. Next, take your hammer and tap the insert into the cavity until it comes to a complete stop. If performed correctly you should be able to see thru the hole without any material being in the way.

[0095] Step 4: Insert the 3'16'' roll pin into the hole on the side of the stock.

[0096] Step 5: Take the hammer and slightly tap the 3/16'' roll pin until it is flush with the side of the stock.

[0097] Step 6: The edge of the roll pin should be even with the stock and the insert.

[0098] Step 7: When the insert is complete it should resemble FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.

[0099] Step 8: Place the Bravo stock on the buffer tube of your weapon.

[0100] Step 9: Insert the Stubby sling mount into the attachment point at the front of the stock.

[0101] Now conduct a function check. Pull on the sling while making sure the Stubby Sling Mount remains securely fastened to the SOPMOD stock insert. Once you have verified the sling is securely fastened you are ready to use your firearm.

Claims

1. A rifle stock comprising: A body defining a bore having a forward opening adapted to receive a rifle buffer tube; the body defining a pocket at a level below the bore; the pocket having a forward opening; and a sling support element having a mating element pivotally received in the pocket.