Gun cleaning tool kit
A firearm cleaning kit that can be used to clean the breech of a firearm and, when not in use, may be stored in a relatively compact space. The firearm cleaning kit of the present invention includes a receiver brush, an end brush, a pick, a punch pin, a scraper, an angled pick, and at least one long rod.
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This invention relates generally to the field of cleaning kits for firearms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWith each use, the breech and bore of a firearm accumulate fouling and debris. Most fouling and debris originates from the firearm itself, such as: propellant residue (i.e., carbon deposits), priming compound, and ammunition casings (i.e., copper fragments). But fouling and debris may also originate from the environment if the firearm is used outdoors, such as: dirt, sand, mud, moisture, and plant matter.
Automatic and semi-automatic rifles are particularly susceptible to fouling and debris due to the frequency with which they fire successive rounds of ammunition. Modern automatic and semi-automatic rifles that utilize direct impingement gas operation (such as the M16, AR-15, and M4 rifles) are especially susceptible to fouling and debris due to the means by which they operate. Direct impingement enables a firearm to be manufactured with fewer moving parts—which, consequently, results in increased reliability and decreased maintenance—by harnessing the energy of the high-pressure combustion gases that are generated each time a bullet is fired. When a bullet is fired, the explosion from the gunpowder causes combustion gases rapidly to propel the projectile down the bore of the rifle until the projectile exits the bore at the crown of the firearm's muzzle. By diverting a relatively small amount of the combustion gases, via a small tube, into the rifle's bolt carrier, the rifle's action can be cycled rapidly and efficiently. An unintended consequence of direct impingement gas operation, however, is that the combustion gases typically carry fouling and debris from the bore directly into the rifle's action. As a result, after successive firing, the rifle's action will accumulate undesirable levels of fouling and debris. Yet another drawback of direct impingement is that as the diverted combustion gases expand and cool, matter that was vaporized when the bullet's propellant was ignited will condense and become deposited on the intricate components that comprise the rifle's action.
For all types of firearms, fouling and debris in the breech or bore can result in a decrease in the firearm's accuracy and precision, and may even endanger the operator. Consequently, regular cleaning is one of the most basic and essential elements of proper maintenance for any firearm. Because the breeches of firearms typically contain numerous intricate components, a variety of cleaning tools are needed. Military personnel need to be able to clean their weapons in the field, preferably immediately after shooting so that their firearm is ready for use at all times, so there is a need for the various cleaning tools and rod to be made available as a lightweight, compact, and easy to use firearm cleaning kit. For reasons of convenience, civilians who shoot and clean firearms also have a need for a lightweight, compact, and easy to use firearm cleaning kit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn view of the background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a firearm cleaning kit that can be used to clean the breech of a firearm and, when not in use, may be stored in a relatively compact space. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a firearm cleaning kit that includes a plurality of cleaning tools. The present invention includes a plurality of rods that have threaded connectors affixed at one or more of their ends. The rods may be coupled together via the threaded connectors at their ends in order to couple the rods together and thereby enable the firearm's operator to clean hard-to-reach parts of the breech. The rods may be de-coupled after cleaning to facilitate compact storage of the present invention.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further includes a receiver brush that has a male threaded connector at one end, which is capable of coupling with one of the rods. The receiver brush further includes a plurality of bristles mounted substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the receiver brush.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further includes an end brush that has a base with a longitudinal axis and a plurality of bristles mounted substantially parallel to that axis. The end brush further has a male threaded connector at one end, which is capable of coupling with one of the rods.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further includes a pick that has a generally cylindrical body portion that has a substantially rigid wire extending longitudinally from one end. The pick further has a male threaded connector at one end, which is capable of coupling with one of the rods.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further includes a punch pin that is made of a rigid material and can be used to depress a receiver pivot pin of a firearm. The punch pin that is part of the present invention has a male threaded connector at one end, which is capable of coupling with one of the rods.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further includes a scraper that has a tapered end that can be used to scrape fouling and debris from the breech of a firearm. The tapered end of the scraper may be either symmetric or asymmetric. The scraper that is part of the present invention has a male threaded connector at one end, which is capable of coupling with one of the rods.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further includes an angled pick that can be used to clean in and among the intricate components found in a firearm's breech. The angled pick that is part of the present invention has a male threaded connector at one end, which is capable of coupling with one of the rods.
The cleaning tools of the preferred embodiment of the invention may be constructed from various metals, polymers, or other suitable materials. Each of the cleaning tools of the preferred embodiment are configured such that it may releasably attach to one or more of the long rods that are provided. The rods of the preferred embodiment may be coupled together through compatible threaded connectors. According to an embodiment of the invention, a firearm cleaning kit includes cleaning tools that are each made of brass, a sufficiently rigid polymer, or similar materials in order to prevent scratching the bore of a firearm.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a firearm cleaning kit is provided that includes cleaning tools and rods that are all sufficiently small and lightweight so as to minimize the amount of storage space the firearm cleaning kit requires. Another embodiment of the invention may further include a small flashlight in order to facilitate cleaning of a firearm in lowlight conditions or simply to enable the user better to illuminate the interior of the breech of a firearm.
The novel features that are characteristic of the preferred embodiment of the invention are set forth with particularity in the claims. The invention itself may be best be understood, with respect to its organization and method of operation, with reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to
Referring to
The firearm cleaning kit 10 further includes punch pin 30 that can be used to depress various parts of a firearm, such as a receiver pivot pin. Referring to
The firearm cleaning kit 10 further includes an angled pick 40 having a generally cylindrical body 41 that has a blade 42 secured to one end. Referring to
The firearm cleaning kit 10 further includes an end brush 50 that has a base 51 having a plurality of bristles 52 extending from one end. Referring to
Referring to
The firearm cleaning kit 10 further includes a pick 70 that has a generally cylindrical body 71 with a substantially rigid wire 72 extending longitudinally from one end. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
While the present invention has been described with reference to a particular preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment and that various modifications and the like could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
Claims
1. A firearm cleaning kit constructed of a plurality of cleaning tools comprising:
- a first rod having a first and a second end, said first end containing a male threaded connector, said second end containing a female threaded connector;
- a receiver brush having a base with a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a second end, said base containing a plurality of bristles mounted substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis, said first end containing a male threaded connector capable of releasably engaging the female threaded connector of said first rod;
- an end brush having a base with a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a second end, said base containing bristles mounted substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, said second end containing a male threaded connector capable of releasably engaging the female threaded connector of said first rod;
- a pick having a generally cylindrical body portion with a first end and a second end, said first end having a substantially rigid wire extending longitudinally from said body portion, said second end having a male threaded connector capable of releasably engaging the female threaded connector of said first rod;
- a punch pin having an elongated first end and a second end, said elongated first end having sufficient rigidity to depress a receiver pivot pin of a firearm, said second end having a male threaded connector capable of releasably engaging the female threaded connector of said first rod;
- a scraper having a body with a first and a second end, said first end being tapered to define a scraping surface, said second end having a male threaded connector capable of releasably engaging the female threaded connector of said first rod;
- and
- an angled pick having a body portion with a first and a second end, a blade, and a bent terminal section, said first end of the body portion having a male threaded connector capable of releasably engaging the female threaded connector of said first rod, said blade having a longitudinal axis, a first end attached to said body portion, a second end having a width that is narrower than the width of the first end of the blade, and a corrugation extending at least partially along the longitudinal axis of the blade between said first and second ends of the blade, said bent terminal section attached to said second end of the blade and being configured to protrude at an angle relative to said longitudinal axis of the blade.
2. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1, wherein said pick has a body portion configured to have a first circumferential band that is textured for ease of handling and a second circumferential band that has a hexagonal cross-section.
3. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1, wherein the bristles of said receiver brush have varying lengths configured to form a notch.
4. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 3, wherein the bristles of said receiver brush are made of a stiff polymer that is solvent resistant.
5. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1, wherein the bent terminal section of the angled pick protrudes 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the blade.
6. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1 further including a second rod having a first and a second end, at least one of said first and second ends containing a female threaded connector.
7. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 6, wherein said first rod, said second rod, and said scraper are made out of metal.
8. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1, wherein the first end of said scraper is about 0.2′ wide and about 0.02′ thick.
9. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 6, wherein the first end of said scraper is about 0.2′ wide and about 0.02′ thick.
10. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1, wherein said second rod has a circumferential band that is textured for ease of handling.
11. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 6, wherein said second rod has a circumferential band that is textured for ease of handling.
12. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1, where the elongated first end of said punch pin is about 0.1′ in cross-sectional diameter.
13. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 1 further including a small flashlight.
14. A firearm cleaning kit according to claim 6 further including a small flashlight.
15. An angled pick for incorporation in a firearm cleaning kit that is configured for picking and scraping fouling and debris from the breech of a firearm comprising:
- a body portion with a first and a second end, a blade, and a bent terminal section, said first end of the body portion having a male threaded connector, said blade having a longitudinal axis, a first end attached to said body portion, a second end having a width that is narrower than the width of the first end of the blade, and a corrugation extending at least partially along the longitudinal axis of the blade between said first and second ends of the blade, said bent terminal section attached to said second end of the blade and being configured to protrude at an angle relative to said longitudinal axis of the blade.
16. An angled pick according to claim 15, wherein said bent terminal section is configured to protrude 90 degrees relative to said longitudinal axis of the blade.
17. An angled pick according to claim 15, wherein said blade is made of metal.
18. An angled pick according to 15, wherein said blade is made of substantially rigid polymer.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 12, 2007
Publication Date: Jun 18, 2009
Applicant: The Otis Patent Trust (Lyons Falls, NY)
Inventor: Nicholas Williams (Turin, NY)
Application Number: 12/001,573
International Classification: F41A 29/02 (20060101);