Firearm safety apparatus and methods

Abstract

A firearm safety apparatus comprises an elongated member with an enlarged barrel cap at one end, and means for retaining the other end outside the barrel. The elongated member is long enough to extend through and out of the barrel, and the barrel cap is large enough to prevent its passage through the barrel. The retaining means are engaged with the elongated member after emergence of the end from the barrel so as to retain the first end outside the barrel. The apparatus may be further adapted for enabling removal of the retaining member and removing the safety apparatus from the firearm. The presence (or lack) of the firearm safety apparatus thus installed may be readily ascertained by visual inspection, enabling an observer to determine whether a firearm is definitely safe to handle. The firearm safety apparatus may be brightly colored for facilitating such observation.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A firearm safety method, comprising: 
 inserting a first end of an elongated member of a firearm safety apparatus into a discharge end of a barrel of a firearm, the firearm safety apparatus comprising: 
 (i) an elongated member, the elongated member having a transversely enlarged barrel cap segment thereof and a plurality of transverse protrusions longitudinally spaced apart along the elongated member between the first end and the barrel cap segment, the transverse protrusions being smaller in transverse extent than the inner diameter of the barrel so as to enable passage of the elongated member and transverse protrusions thereof through the barrel, and  
 (ii) a retaining member, the retaining member having a longitudinal hole therethrough, the hole being adapted for receiving therethrough the elongated member and transverse protrusions thereof;  
   pushing the elongated member further into the barrel of the firearm so that the first end thereof emerges from the barrel at a point other than the discharge end thereof, the elongated member being sufficiently long therefor;    inserting the first end of the elongated member through the hole in the retaining member;    urging the transversely enlarged barrel cap segment of the elongated member against the discharge end of the barrel, the barrel cap segment being larger in transverse extent than an inner diameter of the barrel so as to prevent the barrel cap segment from passing into the barrel;    sliding the retaining member along the elongated member in an insertion direction and urging the retaining member against the firearm, the retaining member being larger in transverse extent than the inner diameter of the barrel so as to prevent the retaining member from passing into the barrel; and    engaging one of the transverse protrusions of the elongated member with the hole through the retaining member, the hole being adapted therefor, thereby retaining the elongated member in the hole through the retaining member.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , at least one of the first end, the barrel cap segment, and the retaining member being brightly colored, thereby enabling an observer to readily ascertain the safety status of a firearm by visual inspection.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , at least one of the first end, the barrel cap segment, and the retaining member being orange in color.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , at least one of the elongated member and the retaining member being formed from a resilient polymeric material.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 disengaging the engaged one of the transverse protrusions from the hole through the retaining member;    removing the retaining member from the elongated member in a removal direction, the removal direction being opposite the insertion direction; and    removing the elongated member from the barrel,    the transverse protrusions of the elongated member and the hole through the retaining member being further adapted for enabling disengagement of the engaged one of the transverse protrusions from the hole and passage of the elongated member and the transverse protrusions thereof through the hole as the retaining member is removed in the removal direction.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , 
 the hole through the retaining member including a central portion and at least one radially-extending slot, the central portion of the hole being at least as large in transverse extent as segments of the elongated member between transverse protrusions thereof, the central portion of the hole being smaller in transverse extent than the transverse protrusions,    the retaining member being formed from material sufficiently resilient so as to enable the transverse protrusions to pass through the hole as the retaining member slides along the elongated member in the insertion direction when a sufficient insertion force is applied by a user, sufficiently rigid so as to substantially prevent the transverse protrusions from passing through the hole as the retaining member slides along the elongated member in the removal direction in the absence of sufficient removal force applied by a user, and sufficiently resilient so as to enable the transverse protrusions to pass through the hole as the retaining member slides along the elongated member in the removal direction when a sufficient removal force is applied by a user.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , at least one transverse protrusion having a longitudinally tapered shape, the transverse extent of the transverse protrusion decreasing toward the first end of the elongated member so that the sufficient insertion force that is less than the sufficient removal force.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the first end of the elongated member being angled so as to facilitate emergence of the first end from the barrel after insertion of the elongated member therethrough.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , the retaining member comprising a flattened member substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal hole therethrough.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , the barrel cap segment including a flattened member substantially perpendicular elongated member.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , the barrel cap segment including a tapered segment adapted for insertion into the discharge end of the barrel.  
     
     
         12 . A firearm safety apparatus, comprising: 
 an elongated member, the elongated member having a first end thereof, a transversely enlarged barrel cap segment thereof, and a plurality of transverse protrusions longitudinally spaced apart along the elongated member between the first end and the barrel cap segment, the barrel cap segment being larger in transverse extent than an inner diameter of a barrel of a firearm so as to prevent the barrel cap segment from passing into the barrel, the transverse protrusions being smaller in transverse extent than the inner diameter of the barrel so as to enable passage of the elongated member and transverse protrusions thereof through the barrel, the elongated member being sufficiently long so as to enable insertion of the first end thereof into a discharge end of the barrel of the firearm and emergence of the first end thereof from the barrel at a point other than the discharge end thereof; and    a retaining member, the retaining member having a longitudinal hole therethrough, the hole being adapted for receiving therethrough the elongated member and transverse protrusions thereof, the hole being further adapted for engaging one of the transverse protrusions thereby retaining the elongated member in the hole through the retaining member, the retaining member being larger in transverse extent than the inner diameter of the barrel so as to prevent the retaining member from passing into the barrel.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , at least one of the first end, the barrel cap segment, and the retaining member being brightly colored, thereby enabling an observer to readily ascertain the safety status of a firearm by visual inspection.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , at least one of the first end, the barrel cap segment, and the retaining member being orange in color.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , at least one of the elongated member and the retaining member being formed from a resilient polymeric material.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the transverse protrusions of the elongated member and the hole through the retaining member being further adapted for enabling disengagement of the engaged one of the transverse protrusions from the hole and passage of the elongated member and the transverse protrusions thereof through the hole as the retaining member is removed in a removal direction, the removal direction being opposite the insertion direction.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , 
 the hole through the retaining member including a central portion and at least one radially-extending slot, the central portion of the hole being at least as large in transverse extent than segments of the elongated member between transverse protrusions thereof, the central portion of the hole being smaller in transverse extent than the transverse protrusions,    the retaining member being formed from material sufficiently resilient so as to enable the transverse protrusions to pass through the hole as the retaining member slides along the elongated member in the insertion direction when a sufficient insertion force is applied by a user, sufficiently rigid so as to substantially prevent the transverse protrusions from passing through the hole as the retaining member slides along the elongated member in the removal direction in the absence of sufficient removal force applied by a user, and sufficiently resilient so as to enable the transverse protrusions to pass through the hole as the retaining member slides along the elongated member in the removal direction when a sufficient removal force is applied by a user.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , at least one transverse protrusion having a longitudinally tapered shape, the transverse extent of the transverse protrusion decreasing toward the first end of the elongated member so that the sufficient insertion force that is less than the sufficient removal force.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the first end of the elongated member being angled so as to facilitate emergence of the first end from the barrel after insertion of the elongated member therethrough.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the retaining member comprising a flattened member substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal hole therethrough.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the barrel cap segment including a flattened member substantially perpendicular elongated member.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the barrel cap segment including a tapered segment adapted for insertion into the discharge end of the barrel.  
     
     
         23 . A firearm safety method, comprising: 
 inserting a first end of an elongated member of a firearm safety apparatus into a discharge end of a barrel of a firearm, the elongated member having a first end thereof and means for preventing a second end thereof from passing into the barrel;    pushing the elongated member further into the barrel of the firearm so that the first end of the elongated member emerges from the barrel at a point other than the discharge end thereof, the elongated member being sufficiently long therefor; and    retaining the first end of the elongated member outside the barrel after emergence thereof from the barrel.    
     
     
         24 . he method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 releasing the first end of the elongated member; and    removing the elongated member from the barrel.    
     
     
         25 . A firearm safety apparatus, comprising: 
 an elongated member, the elongated member having a first end thereof and means for preventing a second end thereof from passing into the barrel, the elongated member being sufficiently long so as to enable insertion of the first end thereof into a discharge end of the barrel of the firearm and emergence of the first end thereof from the barrel at a point other than the discharge end thereof; and    means for retaining the first end of the elongated member outside the barrel after emergence thereof from the barrel.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , further comprising means for releasing the first end of the elongated member and enabling removal of the elongated member from the barrel.