Ambidextrous magazine catch for firearms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a retaining and release mechanism for the magazines of automatic and/or semi-automatic firearms, in particular to a type of magazine which is provided with a lateral securing slot. A tooth ( 52 ) of lever ( 54 ) is designed to engage lateral securing slot ( 34 ) of magazine ( 30 ). Said lever ( 54 ) is pivotally connected to a shaft ( 36 ), located transversely in body ( 16 ) of the firearm, by means of a pin ( 58 ) and attached at its opposite end to an operating push button ( 44 ). A lever seat ( 60 ) of said lever ( 54 ) is urged towards said body ( 16 ) of the firearm and firmly abuts a seat ( 50 ) of a magazine catch slot ( 28 ) by energy exerted through a spring ( 42 ) against said operating push button ( 44 ) and a spring cavity ( 74 ). The tooth ( 52 ) can be disengaged from lateral securing slot ( 34 ) by depressing either operating push button ( 44 ) or a depression extension ( 66 ) of said lever ( 54 ). The magazine ( 30 ) can thus be released from both sides of the rifle.

1 . An ambidextrous magazine release and retaining mechanism for use with a gun, comprising: 
 a rod having first and second ends transversely and slidably mounted within the gun;    a spring for biasing the rod towards the first end thereof;    a pushbutton connected to the first end of the rod for pushing the rod against the bias of the spring;    a lever pivotally connected to the second end of the rod;    said lever having first and second ends;    the first end of the lever for engaging with the magazine and the second end of the lever including a pressing surface which when pressed towards the gun moves the first end of the lever away from the magazine, the pressing surface of the second end of the lever disposed exterior to the gun and directly pressable by a user.    
   
   
       2 . A mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the rod and lever are arranged such that when the push button is pressed towards the gun, the lever moves away from the gun without the lever pivoting.  
   
   
       3 . A mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the lever has a rounded surface on the first end thereof, the rounded surface facing away from the gun.    
   
   
       4 . A gun having an ambidextrous magazine release and retaining mechanism, comprising: 
 a gun body for accepting a magazine;    a rod having first and second ends transversely and slidably mounted within the gun;    a spring for biasing the rod towards the first end thereof;    a pushbutton connected to the first end of the rod for pushing the rod against the bias of the spring;    a lever pivotally connected to the second end of the rod;    said lever having first and second ends;    the first end of the lever for engaging with the magazine and the second end of the lever including a pressing surface which when pressed towards the gun moves the first end of the lever away from the    magazine, the pressing surface of the second end of the lever disposed exterior to the gun and directly pressable by a user.    
   
   
       5 . A gun according to  claim 4 , wherein the rod and lever are arranged such that when the push button is pressed towards the gun, the lever moves away from the gun without the lever pivoting.  
   
   
       6 . A gun according to  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the lever has a rounded surface on the first end thereof, the rounded surface facing away from the gun.