Abstract: A rail mountable shotgun employs a bullpup configuration and a revolver type cylinder with a plurality of chambers. A trigger is connected through the cylinder to a firing mechanism contained in a housing behind the cylinder to fire a shotgun shell contained in the chamber when the chamber is aligned with the barrel of the shogun.

Abstract: A garment has an upper sleeved section extending above a waist line, and a lower section with legs extending downwardly from the crotch of a lower torso section. For freedom of motion, the upper section has an upper torso stretch panel encircling the waist line. Entry into the garment is provided through a zippered front access opening which departs from an imaginary centerline extending between the neck opening and the crotch of the garment. The zipper path has a first segment which extends along the centerline for at least an inch, and then follows a curved radiused path segment to a second path segment which extends from the centerline less than 90 degrees from the first and which crosses the waist line and descends along the leg to a position about even with the crotch. The curved segment has a radius of at least three times the chain width of the zipper.

Abstract: Ballistic material side elements are shaped to cover portions of a wearer's face and selectively attached to a ballistic helmet. The side elements cover the sides of the wearer's head, but leave room to avoid interfering with hearing needs and goggles. These side elements are held in place by connecting them to the existing helmet shell with an encircling strap and band, or to the straps and hardware of the helmet retention system by receiving portions of the straps through loops on the interior of the side elements. A front ballistic member may join the side elements to cover a significant portion of the wearer's face. The ballistic material is formed of a plurality of layers with a resin and joined by the application of pressure. Higher pressure in the forming of the side elements produces stiff members which stay in place when attached to the helmet.

Abstract: A ballistic resistant groin protector is provided. The groin protector includes a groin panel and a deployable groin wrap. The groin panel can be suspended from clothing or equipment to protect a wearer's anterior pelvic region from ballistic impact. The groin wrap is moveable from a stowed position adjacent the anterior pelvic region to a deployed position between the wearer's legs and adjacent a posterior pelvic region. One or more fasteners secure the groin wrap to the wearer's clothing or equipment to maintain the groin wrap in the deployed position. Optional left and right femoral protective portions extend downwardly from the groin wrap to protect the wearer's medial thigh regions against ballistic injury in the deployed position.

Abstract: A ballistic resistant groin protector is provided. The groin protector includes a groin panel and a deployable groin wrap. The groin panel can be suspended from clothing or equipment to protect a wearer's anterior pelvic region from ballistic impact. The groin wrap is moveable from a stowed position adjacent the anterior pelvic region to a deployed position between the wearer's legs and adjacent a posterior pelvic region. One or more fasteners secure the groin wrap to the wearer's clothing or equipment to maintain the groin wrap in the deployed position. Optional left and right femoral protective portions extend downwardly from the groin wrap to protect the wearer's medial thigh regions against ballistic injury in the deployed position.

Abstract: A garment such as a shirt or pants has a front layer with portions which define a central opening defined by an inner periphery and positionable to overlie a portion of the joint to be protected such as a knee or an elbow. A removable protective insert is larger than the central opening and has a unitary cap sewn thereto. The cap has an upper segment separated from a lower segment by a bending joint defined by at least one groove which extends substantially across the cap. The upper segment and the lower segment are separately fixed to the protective insert by stitching. The upper segment and the lower segment have an outwardly projecting flange which overlies the protective insert, the flange having portions which engage the front layer of the garment between the cap flange and the protective insert. A slot in the insert ventilates through the front layer.

Abstract: A handgun holster permits sideward extraction of the weapon, and engages with the central portions of the handgun without regard to accessories mounted to the front or beneath the barrel. The holster has a main element which engages the central region of the pistol in a snap fit between two opposed arms. Lateral projections extend from the back wall to restrict the side-to-side displacement of the gun and two resilient flaps extend around the engaged gun, providing additional retention, and covering the on/off switch of any flashlight accessory. The main element is connected to a mounting assembly to permit the main element to be set at any desired angular orientation with respect to the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly has two expandable parts with opposed flanges which permit mounting to either a conventional belt, or to a series of webbing pockets, such as in the military's PALS webbing attachment system.

Abstract: A ballistic armored component attaches to the existing retention straps of common combat helmets and provides protection to the otherwise exposed lower skull and upper neck region. A fabric covering contains a soft armor or hard armor insert, and is mounted by straps or other fasteners to existing straps found in conventional helmets. The armored component adds additional protection from ground-level or subterranean munitions, by placing a ballistic shape on the lower skull region (occipital region), providing significant additional ballistic coverage with minimal weight and bulk. The fabric shell may also be connected directly to the helmet shell, to allow the component to withdraw within the helmet when the wearer's neck is flexed rearwardly.

Abstract: A garment button for insertion into a button hole to secure two segments of material together, is described. Generally speaking, the button is a two piece device and includes a first body forming an outer perimeter of the button, the first body being sized to fit into a desired button hole and having an opening defined inside of the outer perimeter, and a second body detachably fixed within the opening, wherein the second body divides the opening to define two distinct and separate openings. The two bodies snap together after passing through a custom strap or loop of material.

Abstract: Ballistic material side elements are shaped to cover portions of a wearer's face and selectively attached to a ballistic helmet. The side elements cover the sides of the wearer's head, but leave room to avoid interfering with hearing needs and goggles. These side elements are held in place by connecting them to the existing helmet shell with an encircling strap and band, or to the straps and hardware of the helmet retention system by receiving portions of the straps through loops on the interior of the side elements. A front ballistic member may join the side elements to cover a significant portion of the wearer's face. The ballistic material is formed of a plurality of layers with a resin and joined by the application of pressure. Higher pressure in the forming of the side elements produces stiff members which stay in place when attached to the helmet.

Abstract: A device for carrying an ammunition magazine has a band which encircles a conventional magazine and which has two downwardly extending plastic tabs. The two plastic tabs are spaced sidewardly to define an downwardly opening, downwardly extending gap, which permits the tabs to be received within openings in two adjacent loops presented by a standard MOLLE webbing on a Pouch Attachment Ladder System or PALS grid on a vest or other clothing item. The tabs are shaped to slide behind standard MOLLE webbing and engage the webbing to hold the magazine securely until the user grabs the magazine and pulls it away from the MOLLE webbing. The tabs are biased towards the magazine, and have a lower protrusion which engages beneath a belt, allowing the same device to be attached to a belt.

Abstract: A concealable armored vest is provided. The armored vest can include a ballistic insert and a contoured member that overlies the ballistic insert to obscure the outline of the ballistic insert from view. The foam insert can include tapered end portions that flatten as they extend laterally outward of the ballistic insert. The armored vest can also include a downwardly extending retention panel having a retention member to limit vertical movement of the vest. The retention panel can be tucked into a lower body garment, and the retention member can be oversized to inhibit the sliding retraction of the retention panel from the lower body garment. The retention member can include a longitudinal foam element generally parallel to the waistline and generally coextensive with the lowermost portion of the retention panel.

Abstract: A ballistic resistant groin protector is provided. The groin protector includes a groin panel and a deployable groin wrap. The groin panel can be suspended from clothing or equipment to protect a wearer's anterior pelvic region from ballistic impact. The groin wrap is moveable from a stowed position adjacent the anterior pelvic region to a deployed position between the wearer's legs and adjacent a posterior pelvic region. One or more fasteners secure the groin wrap to the wearer's clothing or equipment to maintain the groin wrap in the deployed position. Optional left and right femoral protective portions extend downwardly from the groin wrap to protect the wearer's medial thigh regions against ballistic injury in the deployed position.

Abstract: A stowable outerwear garment is provided. The outerwear garment includes a shortened torso portion that deploys from an integral pouch to provide protection to a wearer's upper torso when worn in combination with a load-bearing vest. The shortened torso portion can include an elastic band extending about the wearer's torso and a plurality of fasteners supported by the elastic band to detachably secure the garment to the load-bearing vest. Sleeves can extend from the torso portion and can include an outer waterproof shell, an inner lining and an insulating material therebetween.

Abstract: A body armor component mounts to the waist of a wearer by attachment to a belt to protect the lower back of the wearer. The component has a flexible fabric carrier with a front sheet which faces the wearer, and two rear sheets sewn to the front sheet to define two pockets opening towards each other and joined by a connecting segment. A flexible soft ballistic armor element has a first wing connected by a center segment to a second wing, the ballistic armor element being concave and opening toward the wearer, and the first wing being received within the flexible carrier first pocket and the second wing being received within the carrier second pocket. A covering flap is pivotable on the fabric carrier to cover the gap between the pockets. A belt loop is defined by an accessory segment fixed to the covering flap.

Abstract: A body armor component mounts to the waist of a wearer by attachment to a belt to protect the lower back of the wearer. The component has a flexible fabric carrier with a front sheet which faces the wearer, and two rear sheets sewn to the front sheet to define two pockets opening towards each other and joined by a connecting segment. A flexible soft ballistic armor element has a first wing connected by a center segment to a second wing, the ballistic armor element being concave and opening toward the wearer, and the first wing being received within the flexible carrier first pocket and the second wing being received within the carrier second pocket. A covering flap is pivotable on the fabric carrier to cover the gap between the pockets. A belt loop is defined by an accessory segment fixed to the covering flap.

Abstract: A body armor system has a left vest section connected to a right vest section and has a front plate carrier which is alternatively mounted with a buckle at either the right shoulder or the left shoulder. The front plate carrier has identical straps terminated by patches of hook and loop fastener material. One strap is passed through a loop on the rear of the front plate carrier and mounts one part of a buckle, the other part of the buckle is mounted on a hook and loop fastener strap which is affixed to a shoulder element, thus permitting the system to be reconfigured for left- or right-handed users. U-shaped ballistic inserts are received in mating pockets in each vest section. A laced cord which joins the rear segments of the vest sections is held in place by a cord restraint member which defines a loop for each cord crossing.

Abstract: Support assemblies releasably extending between a ballistic vest and a waist encircling belt transfer the loads from the vest to the belt relieving the stress on the wearer's shoulders and spine. Each support assembly has a stiff carbon fiber bar enclosed within webbing which is attached to a side section of the vest such as by extending within a downwardly opening pocket, and is attached to the belt such as by an upwardly opening pocket. Alternatively, plastic shelves mounted to the belt can support the weight of the vest.