Sling for automatic rifle to prevent injury by accidental discharge
A sling for an automatic rifle enables the rifle to be mounted on a first individual in action carry in an orientation which eliminates or significantly minimizes the likelihood that a second individual walking along side the first individual will be injured if the rifle accidentally discharges.
This invention relates to hand held weapons and slings for such weapons.
More particularly, the invention relates to a weapon—sling system to prevent injury by accidental discharge of the weapon.
In a further respect, the invention relates to a weapon—sling system to minimize the likelihood of injury by accidental discharge of an automatic rifle or shotgun.
The action carry of a rifle and sling is defined as the position of a rifle and sling on an individual in which the rifle extends muzzle-down across the front of an individual's body, in which the sling extends from the stock of the rifle up over the shoulder of the individual, across the back of the individual, around the opposite (from the shoulder over which the sling extends) side of the individual and back to a portion of the rifle that extends downwardly from the stock.
A significant disadvantage of the sling—rifle system of
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved weapon—sling system that would reduce the likelihood of injury by an accidental discharge of the weapon.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the instant invention to provide an improved sling—weapon system and method.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sling system for an automatic rifle, particularly an M16/AR15 rifle, that reduces the risk of injury by accidental discharge when the rifle is in action carry on an individual.
These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide an improved method for a first individual to action carry an automatic rifle in an orientation that significantly reduces the likelihood the a second individual walking next to the first individual will be shot in the event the automatic rifle accidentally discharges while in action carry. The automatic rifle has a muzzle end, a stock end opposite the muzzle end, and a center of gravity intermediate the stock end and the muzzle end. The method comprises the steps of providing a sling having a first end and a second end and shaped and dimensioned to extend in action carry from the stock of the automatic rifle over a shoulder of the first individual, across the back of the individual, and around the side opposite the shoulder to the automatic rifle; of attaching the first end of the sling to the stock end of the rifle; of determining the near center-of-gravity location at which the second end of said sling can be attached to the rifle so that in action carry the rifle assumes a vertically oriented balanced orientation at an angle from the vertical of less than twenty-five degrees; of attaching the second end of the sling to said near-center-fo-gravity location; and, placing the rifle and the sling on the first individual in action carry.
Turning now the drawings, which depict the presently preferred embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustration thereof, and not by way of limitation of the invention, and in which like characters refer to corresponding elements throughout the several views,
Receiver 41 detachably receives clip 40. Clip 40 is secured to strap 27 by strap 43.
End 24 can be affixed to stock end 11 by any desired means. End 38 can be affixed to weapon 10 by any desired means.
Attaching end 38 of strap 36 to rifle 10 at the Delta Ring 44 (
In the event individual 50 wishes to completely remove sling from his person, individual simply grasps and squeeze clip 23 to remove it from receiver 26. Once clip 23 is removed from receiver, strap 21 can, as can be readily seen in
In use, a sling 20 is provided with a pair of ends 24, 38. One of the ends 24 is connected to the stock end 11 of an automatic rifle 10 or other hand-held weapon. The other of the ends 24, 38 is connected to an automatic rifle 10 at a “near center-of-gravity” point intermediate the muzzle end and center of gravity G of the rifle. The near center-of-gravity point at which end 38 is attached in order to achieve the desired angle R in action carry is selected such that angle R is less than 25 degrees, preferably less than 20 degrees, and most preferably less than 15 degrees, and, such that angle R preferably minimizes the risk that an individual 50 will be struck in the foot by an accidental discharge. The “near center-of-gravity” point likely can be determined with mathematical algorithms utilizing the center of gravity of rifle 10, weight distribution data for rifle 10, and/or other data. However, simple trial-and-error usually suffices and takes a limited amount of time. Trial-and-error is accomplished by attaching one end of a sling 20 to rifle 10 at end 11 and the other end of sling 20 at various points between end 12 and center of gravity G, and by, for each attachment point between end 12 and the center of gravity G, noting the angle R achieved when the rifle or other weapon is mounted on an individual in the action carry orientation. Attempting to mount sling 20 on a rifle or other weapon in action carry such that angle R is zero normally is, as would be appreciated by those of skill in the art, impractical. While angle R can, as noted vary, angle R typically is greater than ten degrees.
After end 38 and end 24 are attached, the rifle 10 and sling 20 are worn by an individual in action carry as illustrated in
Quick release clip—receiver 23, 26 is large to facilitate operation thereof by a solider or other individual wearing gloves. Clip—receiver 23,26 has a width of at least three-quarters of an inch, preferably at least one inch, and most preferably at least one and one-half inches. Clip—receiver 40, 42 has a width of at least one-half inch, preferably at least three-quarter inch, and most preferably at least one inch.
Claims
1. A method for a first individual to action carry an automatic rifle in an orientation that significantly reduces the likelihood the a second individual walking next to the first individual will be shot in the event the automatic rifle accidentally discharges while in action carry, the automatic rifle having a muzzle end, a stock end opposite the muzzle end, and a center of gravity intermediate said stock end and said muzzle end, the method comprising the steps of
- (a) providing a sling having a first end and a second end and shaped and dimensioned to extend in the action position from the stock of the automatic rifle over a shoulder of the first individual, across the back of the individual, and around the side opposite the shoulder to the automatic rifle;
- (b) attaching said first end of said sling to the stock end of the rifle;
- (c) determining the near center-of-gravity location at which said second end of said sling can be attached to the rifle so that in action carry the rifle assumes a vertically oriented balanced orientation at an angle from the vertical of less than twenty degrees;
- (d) attaching said second end of said sling to said near-center-fo-gravity location; and,
- (e) placing the rifle and said sling on the individual in action carry.
2. The method of claim 1 including the additional step of attaching an optical sight to the rifle intermediate the muzzle end and said attachment location.
3. The method of claim 1 including the additional step of attaching a target designator to the rifle intermediate the muzzle end and said attachment location.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein a shotgun is utilized in place of the automatic rifle.
5. A method for a first individual to action carry a shotgun in an orientation that significantly reduces the likelihood the a second individual walking next to the first individual will be shot in the event the shotgun accidentally discharges while in action carry, the shotgun having a muzzle end, a stock end opposite the muzzle end, and a center of gravity intermediate said stock end and said muzzle end, the method comprising the steps of
- (a) providing a sling having a first end and a second end and shaped and dimensioned to extend in the action position from the stock of the shotgun over a shoulder of the first individual, across the back of the individual, and around the side opposite the shoulder to the shotgun;
- (b) attaching said first end of said sling to the stock end of the shotgun;
- (c) determining the near center-of-gravity location at which said second end of said sling can be attached to the shotgun so that in action carry the shotgun assumes a vertically oriented balanced orientation at an angle from the vertical of less than twenty degrees;
- (d) attaching said second end of said sling to said near-center-of-gravity location; and,
- (e) placing the shotgun and said sling on the individual in action carry.
Type: Application
Filed: May 31, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 6, 2007
Inventor: Richard N. Gallagher (Phoenix, AZ)
Application Number: 11/444,054
International Classification: F41C 33/00 (20060101); F41C 27/00 (20060101); F41C 23/02 (20060101);