Magazine and firearm with positional adjustment of magazine spring

Abstract

Positional adjustment of a firearm magazine spring is supported by various instrumentalities. A magazine housing has therein a locking assembly carried on the magazine spring and cooperable with a sidewall of the housing to releasably lock the spring to the housing. Contact portions that engage the spring and permit application of compressive force to the spring are provided variously as part of: an apparatus separate from a firearm; a magazine well of a firearm; and a magazine insertion opening in a firearm that is separate from a magazine well of the firearm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus that facilitates compressing a spring in a firearm ammunition magazine prior to insertion of ammunition rounds into the firearm ammunition magazine, comprising:
 a base portion: and   a contact portion protruding from said base portion for removable insertion into the firearm ammunition magazine via an opening in the firearm ammunition magazine;   wherein said contact portion, when inserted into the firearm ammunition magazine, engages the spring and permits a force applied to one of said base portion and the firearm ammunition magazine to be transferred to the spring in a direction that causes compression of the spring.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said base portion defines therein a base portion opening that receives insertion of said firearm ammunition magazine, and said contact portion protrudes into said base portion opening. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said base portion includes a plate-like element, and said base portion opening extends through said plate-like element. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said base portion includes a sleeve-like element having an interior space contiguous with said base portion opening. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said base portion is provided in a stock of a firearm. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said base portion opening is a through opening. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said base portion opening is a blind opening. 
     
     
         8 . A firearm apparatus for firing ammunition rounds loaded into a firing chamber thereof, comprising:
 means defining a well adapted to receive insertion of an ammunition magazine that contains a spring for forcibly urging ammunition rounds into said firing chamber when the ammunition magazine is inserted in said well;   means defining a magazine insertion opening also adapted to receive insertion of the ammunition magazine; and   a contact portion protruding into said magazine insertion opening;   wherein, when the ammunition magazine is inserted in said magazine insertion opening, said contact portion is received in the ammunition magazine via an opening in the ammunition magazine, and wherein said contact portion, when received in the ammunition magazine, engages the spring in the ammunition magazine and permits a force applied to one of said firearm apparatus and the ammunition magazine to be transferred to the spring in a direction that causes compression of the spring.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , including a stock having said magazine insertion opening defined therein. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said magazine insertion opening is a through opening. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said magazine insertion opening is blind opening. 
     
     
         12 . A firearm apparatus for firing ammunition rounds loaded into a firing chamber thereof, comprising:
 means defining a well adapted to receive insertion of an ammunition magazine that contains a spring for forcibly urging ammunition rounds into said firing chamber when the ammunition magazine is inserted in said well; and   a contact portion supported for movement into said well;   wherein, when the ammunition magazine is inserted in said well while said contact portion is positioned in said well, said contact portion is received in the ammunition magazine via an opening in the ammunition magazine, and wherein said contact portion, when received in the ammunition magazine, engages the spring in the ammunition magazine and permits a force applied to one of said firearm apparatus and the ammunition magazine to be transferred to the spring in a direction that causes compression of the spring.   
     
     
         13 . A magazine apparatus for delivering ammunition rounds into a firing chamber of a firearm, comprising:
 a housing configured for insertion into a magazine well of the firearm;   a follower disposed and movably supported within said housing, said follower configured to support thereon a stack of ammunition rounds within said housing;   a spring disposed within said housing for forcibly urging said follower and the stack of ammunition rounds toward the firing chamber when said housing is inserted in the magazine well;   said housing having a pair of opposed sidewalls that face one another in a direction generally transverse to a compression direction of said spring; and   a locking assembly carried on said spring and cooperable with one of said sidewalls to releasably lock said spring to said housing.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said locking assembly includes a pair of lock plates carried on opposites sides of said spring and respectively adjacent said pair of opposed sidewalls, wherein each said lock plate has a lock button disposed thereon, wherein said opposed sidewalls define therein respective through openings configured to receive the respective lock buttons, and wherein said locking assembly is configured for forcing said lock buttons respectively into said openings when said lock buttons are respectively aligned with said openings. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said lock buttons are spring-loaded on the respective lock plates to provide said forcing. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said locking assembly includes a pin assembly having a pair of oppositely directed, spring-loaded engagement pins respectively engaged with said lock buttons to provide said forcing. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein each said lock plate has at one end thereof a curved portion substantially surrounding a coil of said spring such that the lock plate depends from said spring. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said lock plates define therein respective through holes configured to receive therein respective contact portions of an external apparatus, and wherein the contact portions are configured for engaging said lock plates to facilitate compression of said spring. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said opposed sidewalls define therein respective through slots extending in said compression direction for permitting the contact portions to (1) pass through the sidewalls and into said through holes and (2) move relative to said housing in said compression direction while received in said through holes. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein each said through hole is located between the associated lock button and the associated curved portion.