Magazine system for increasing the capacity of a firearm

Abstract

A magazine system for increasing the cartridge storage capacity of a firearm is disclosed. The magazine system may be a magazine that includes a housing that has a capacity for ammunition and a spring mechanism housed within the housing. Additionally, the magazine system may include a connection mechanism that is connectable to the housing, and an extension portion that is insertable into the housing. The extension portion may increase the capacity for the ammunition by enabling the spring mechanism to expand beyond the length of the housing when the extension portion is extended from the housing, thereby making the magazine system easier to load. The magazine system may then be loaded, and the extension portion may then be retracted back into the housing. The connection mechanism may then be utilized to lock the extension portion into a retracted position once the extension portion is retracted back into the housing.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A magazine system for increasing a cartridge storage capacity of a firearm comprising:
 a housing having a capacity for ammunition for the firearm;   a spring mechanism housed within the housing;   a latch mechanism that is connectable to the housing via a hinge, wherein the hinge enables the latch mechanism to move in a plurality of directions; and   an extension portion insertable into the housing, wherein the extension portion increases the capacity for the ammunition by enabling the spring mechanism to expand beyond a length of the housing when the extension portion is extended from the housing in an extended position, wherein the magazine system is loaded when the extension portion is extended from the housing, wherein the spring mechanism retracts when the extension portion is retracted into the housing in a retracted position, and wherein the latch mechanism locks into a bottom portion of the extension portion when the extension portion is retracted into the housing in the retracted position.   
     
     
         2 . The magazine system of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the magazine system is substantially equal to the length of the housing when the extension portion is retracted into the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The magazine system of  claim 1 , wherein the extension portion includes a tab that catches onto a portion of the housing when the extension portion is extended from the housing, wherein the tab prevents the extension portion from being completely removed from the housing when the extension portion is extended from the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The magazine system of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine system is insertable into a receptacle of the firearm. 
     
     
         5 . The magazine system of  claim 1 , wherein the extension portion includes a slot, and wherein the latch mechanism locks into the slot of the extension portion when the extension portion is extended from the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The magazine system of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine system further comprises an additional spring mechanism which causes the latch mechanism to automatically lock into the bottom portion of the extension portion when the extension portion is retracted into the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The magazine system of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge is configured to act as an ammunition stop to prevent overloading of the magazine system. 
     
     
         8 . The magazine system of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine system further comprises a follower mounted to a top portion of the spring mechanism, wherein the ammunition is loaded into the magazine system by pushing the ammunition down against the follower and the spring mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . A method for increasing a cartridge storage capacity of a firearm, the method comprising:
 extending an extension portion from a housing of a magazine of the firearm, wherein the extension portion increases the capacity of the firearm by enabling a spring mechanism housed within the housing to expand beyond a length of the housing when the extension portion is extended, thereby making the firearm easier to load;   loading ammunition into the housing of the magazine after the extension portion has been extended from the housing of the magazine of the firearm in an extended position; and   retracting the extension portion into the housing of the magazine of the firearm in a retracted position after the ammunition is loaded into the housing of the magazine.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein loading the ammunition into the housing further comprises pushing each cartridge of the ammunition down against a follower mounted onto a top portion of the spring mechanism until the magazine is filled with the ammunition. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising locking a latch mechanism of the magazine into a bottom portion of the extension portion when the extension portion is retracted into the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising locking the latch mechanism into a slot of the extension portion when the extension portion is extended from the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising inserting the magazine into a receptacle of the firearm. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a length of the magazine is substantially equal to the length of the housing when the extension portion is retracted into the housing. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising preventing, by utilizing a tab that catches onto a portion of the housing, the extension portion from being completely removed from the housing when the extension portion is extended from the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the spring mechanism expands beyond the length of the housing for a distance substantially equal to the length of the extension portion when the extension portion is extended from the housing. 
     
     
         17 . A magazine system for increasing a cartridge storage capacity of a firearm comprising:
 a housing having a capacity for ammunition for the firearm and a spring mechanism housing within the housing;   a connection mechanism that is connectable to the housing; and   an extension portion insertable into the housing, wherein the extension portion increases the capacity for the ammunition by enabling the spring mechanism to expand beyond a length of the housing when the extension portion is extended from the housing in an extended position, wherein the magazine system is loaded when the extension portion is extended from the housing, wherein the connection mechanism locks the extension portion into a retracted position by connecting onto a bottom portion of the extension portion when the extension portion is retracted back into the housing.   
     
     
         18 . The magazine system of  claim 17 , wherein a length of the magazine system is substantially equal to the length of the housing when the extension portion is retracted into the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The magazine system of  claim 17 , wherein the extension portion includes a slot, and wherein the connection mechanism locks into the slot of the extension portion when the extension portion is extended from the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The magazine system of  claim 17 , the magazine system further comprises a follower mounted to a top portion of the spring mechanism, wherein the ammunition is loaded into the magazine system by pushing the ammunition down against the follower and the spring mechanism.