Abstract: A rigid mounting apparatus for attaaching an auxiliary sighting aid to a pistol. In one embodiment, two major shapes are utilized, one of which has a transverse cross-section that is generally U-shaped; the second shape forms an L-shaped bracket that fits below the barrel of a pistol and lies ahead of the trigger guard. In another embodiment, three elements are designed to fit in such a way that, in combination, they establish a U-shaped body for mounting a sighting aid above the barrel. Two side plates of this embodiment are configured so that they can be extruded from a common die; one of them is rotated so that the two plates form mirror images of each other when they are attached to a pistol. A bracket cooperates with some structural element on the pistol (such as the slide latch pin) to securely hold the mounting apparatus in place when the pistol is fired, so that recoil forces from firing will not cause the mounting apparatus to shift with respect to the pistol.

Abstract: The original recoil spring rod or guide that is present on many semi-automatic pistols is removed and replaced with a new guide that differs from the original by having a means for affixing a mount to the new guide. In one embodiment the new guide has a threaded bore in the end that is exposed at the front of the pistol. Complementary threads are provided on a bolt or machine screw, and a structural mount is configured so that is may be rigidly affixed to the guide (and thusly affixed to the frame of the pistol) by the bolt or machine screw, etc. In another embodiment, the replacement guide is significantly longer than the original guide; and the extra length that protrudes out of the front of the pistol is given external threads. A nut with complementary threads is then used to rigidly fix a mount to the frame of the pistol.

Abstract: In revolvers that are loaded by swinging or shifting the revolver's cylinder away from alignment with the barrel, an extension of the cantilevered axle pin (upon which the cylinder rotates when the revolver is fired) can be sufficiently exposed so that a specially crafted mounting device can be connected to the axle pin. Connection is accomplished by simply sliding the mounting device longitudinally over the distal end of the pin (or an extension thereof). A common extension of the cylinder's axle is an ejector rod that is used to eject spent shells from a cylinder. Typical ejector rods have both the strength and the precision that makes them well suited to function as anchors for a mounting device. When a cylinder and its axle pin are rotated back to a closed position with respect to the revolver's frame, the mounting device is captured by rigid parts of the revolver (e.g., the barrel and/or a part of the frame)--so that the device will remain fixed until the cylinder is again opened.

Abstract: An apparatus including a rigid base having a first portion, typically the top, that is configured to receive and support an auxiliary sighting aid for a firearm (e.g., a rifle, shotgun or pistol). A typical configuration may be a standard dovetail shape that is sized to receive scope rings of the Weaver type. The firearm must have an accessible aperture, but it need not be integral with the firearm's original structure; an adaptor can be attached to the firearm's original structure so as to create a structural extension which contains the necessary aperture. The rigid base also has an exterior that fosters the correct orientation of the auxiliary sighting aid with respect to the firearm's longitudinal bore. A post having a generally smooth exterior is carried by the base and extends outwardly therefrom for a distance which is sufficient so that the distal end of the post may be inserted into the aperture on the firearm.

Abstract: An apparatus adapted for mounting an auxiliary sighting device (such as a scope or night-vision device) on a firearm includes an anchor member which has a surface that is configured so as to abut a portion of the firearm's exterior surface in load-bearing contact. The anchor member has a longitudinal portion through which a pair of spaced bores extend in a transverse direction. A beam having a length greater than the length of the anchor member has a pair of transverse bores whose centers coincide at least approximately with the centers of the two bores on the anchor member. The diameter of a first one of the beam bores is essentially the same as the diameter of one of the anchor member bores, but the diameter of the second beam bore is significantly different in comparison with the diameter of its associated anchor member bore.