Firearm accessory mount adapted for use with rifles having tangent or ladder-style read sights

Abstract

An accessory mount is removably affixed in place of a pre-existing tangent rear sight lever arm or leaf. The accessory mount is adapted for installation by a user without gunsmithing and includes an elongated body with a distal protuberance carrying opposing transverse trunnions or pins adapted to engage the tangent sight's base. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elongated body has an upper surface configured to accept accessories designed to clamp on a Picatinny-style rail, or a Weaver™ style rail and so provides a universal mounting surface for optical sights, scope rings or other accessories.

1 . An accessory mount adapted for retrofitting on rifles using tangent-style sights comprising: 
 an elongated body having a distal end carrying a distally projecting protuberance having a left side and an opposing right side;    said left side of said protuberance carrying a left transversely projecting pin, and said opposing right side of said protuberance carrying a right transversely projecting pin;    said elongated body having a left edge and a right edge each dimensioned to receive clamping attachments for firearm accessories; and    said elongated body having an upper surface adapted to accept firearm accessories.    
   
   
       2 . The accessory mount of  claim 1 , wherein said upper surface comprises a plurality of transverse raised segments alternately spaced with a plurality of transverse grooves.  
   
   
       3 . The accessory mount of  claim 2 , wherein said upper surface is Picatinny-style rail.  
   
   
       4 . The accessory mount of  claim 1 , wherein said right edge and said left edge of said elongate body are dimensioned to have a V-shaped profile such that the center of the V-shape profile projects outwardly.  
   
   
       5 . The accessory mount of  claim 1 , wherein mount is a unitary, one-piece elongate member and said protuberance has a distal end dimensioned to engage the rifle sight's left and right opposing pin receiving segments.  
   
   
       6 . The accessory mount of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated body has a width that is greater than a width of said protuberance  
   
   
       7 . The accessory mount of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated body has a height that is greater than a height of said protuberance.  
   
   
       8 . A method for retrofitting rifles having tangent-style sights comprising: 
 a) providing an accessory mount comprising an elongated body having a distal end carrying a distally projecting protuberance having a left side and an opposing right side; said left side of said protuberance carrying a left transversely projecting pin, and said opposing right side of said protuberance carrying a right transversely projecting pin; said elongated body having a left edge and a right edge each dimensioned to receive clamping attachments; and said elongated body having an upper surface adapted to accept accessories;    b) providing a rifle including a sight housing comprising opposing sidewalls and fitted with a leaf spring; and    c) inserting said protuberance within the sight housing such that said left pin and said right pin are secured against said opposing sidewalls of the sight housing and said protuberance is biased against the leaf spring.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said elongated body remains outside of said sight housing.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said accessory mount is attached to said rifle only at said protuberance via said left and right pins.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising 
 d) attaching an accessory to said accessory mount.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said accessory is a scope attached to said accessory mount using a sight support ring.  
   
   
       13 . A rifle carrying a releasably affixed mounting rail, comprising: 
 a) a tangent-style sight base sight base with left and right spaced apart side walls terminating distally in left and right opposing pin receiving segments and fitted with a biasing spring;    b) an accessory mount comprising an elongated body having a distal end carrying a distally projecting protuberance having a left side and an opposing right side; said left side of said protuberance carrying a left transversely projecting pin, and said opposing right side of said protuberance carrying a right transversely projecting pin; said elongated body having a left edge and a right edge each dimensioned to receive clamping attachments; and said elongated body having an upper surface adapted to accept accessories;    wherein said left pin and said right pin of said protuberance are releasably secured in said sight base's left and right opposing pin receiving segments and said protuberance is held against said spring.    
   
   
       14 . The rifle of  claim 13 , wherein said elongated body extends proximally beyond the proximal end of said sight base.  
   
   
       15 . The retrofitted rifle of  claim 13 , wherein said accessory mount is attached to said rifle only at said distally projecting protuberance via said left and right pins.