Firearms – Safety mechanism – Firearm lock
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-20
2001-07-10
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3641)
Firearms
Safety mechanism
Firearm lock
C042S070060, C042S070060, C042S070060
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256919
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The field of the invention is firearms, particularly firearm locking and retaining methods and devices.
BACKGROUND
It is often desirable when dealing with firearms to have methods and devices available for preventing theft or accidental or unauthorized discharge of the firearms. Although many such methods and devices are known, most are in some way unsuitable or problematic.
One desirable feature of a safety device which is aimed at preventing unauthorized use of a firearm is the ability to lock the safety device in place. Many devices are unsuitable for preventing unauthorized use simply because they cannot be locked in place, and thus can be bypassed by simply removing the device. Examples of such devices include the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,062 issued to Johnson, and the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,362 issued to Melcher.
Some firearm safety devices provide an unsatisfactory solution in that their use requires modification of the firearm, such as by modifying existing parts or adding additional parts to the firearm. For example, the magazine safety device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,362 issued to Melcher requires modifying the pistol itself to include an additional spring and plate. Similarly, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,420 issued to Von Muller requires modification of the firearm by drilling a hole into the slide or bolt carrier of the firearm.
A firearm safety device also may be unsuitable because it can be easily overcome by simply disassembling a portion of the device or firearm. For example, the magazine safety described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,362 issued to Melcher can be bypassed by simply disassembling the firearm and removing the safety device.
Some firearm safety devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,029 issued to Brooks, rely on the device being positioned and subsequently “locked” to prevent use of the firearm. Although it may be desirable in some instances to have a safety device that can be positioned in the firearm, but still allow use of the firearm, in other instances such a feature is undesirable as it increases the likelihood that the firearm will be judged to be inoperative when in fact it is not. Moreover, such devices tend to rely on moveable parts to prevent the firearm from being discharged. Such a reliance on moveable parts is at times also undesirable due to the tendency of such parts to wear out and/or fail.
Another feature which may be undesirable in a firearm safety device is the need to insert a portion of the device into the barrel of the firearm, as with the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,174 issued to Bentley, and the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,377 issued to Gunning. Insertion of anything into the barrel of a firearm may be undesirable because of the potential for damage to the barrel.
Yet another feature which may be undesirable in a firearm safety device is that use of the device requires storing and or transporting the firearm in a condition in which it would normally not be stored or transported. As an example, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,377 issued to Gunning intentionally requires that the action be left open while the device is in use. Similarly, one embodiment of the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,729 issued to Von Muller requires that the slide be partially pulled back to allow it to be blocked.
Thus there is a continuing need to develop new firearm locking devices and methods.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In a firearm having a grip, a magazine well, and a hammer, a magazine lock has a body sized and dimensioned to be removeably positioned within the magazine well of the firearm, and a locking body retaining mechanism at least intermittently inhibiting removal of the body from the magazine well. When positioned within the magazine well of the firearm, the body prevents at least one of the following: cocking the hammer of the firearm; removal of the firearm from a tether; removal of a key located inside the magazine well; and accessing any retaining member of the locking body retaining mechanism by disassembling the firearm grip.
When used with a tether, the magazine lock can function as part of a firearm retaining system. Such a system can advantageously be used for discouraging removal of a firearm by coupling the firearm to an object which is more difficult to transport than the firearm itself such as a counter or post. A method incorporating such a system would advantageously comprise the steps of; providing a firearm; providing a tether; providing a magazine lock; coupling the tether to an object which is more difficult to transport than the firearm; coupling the tether to the magazine lock; coupling the firearm to the tether by inserting the magazine lock into the magazine well of the firearm; locking the magazine lock into the well to prevent the firearm from being uncoupled from the tether.
The magazine lock can also be used in a method for transporting a firearm along with a key for the magazine lock while still inhibiting unauthorized use of the firearm before it reaches its destination. By using the magazine lock to lock the key within the magazine well of the firearm, the firearm can be transported in a relatively secure fashion until the magazine lock and key are removed by a custodian having a second key for operating the magazine lock. Such a method for transporting a firearm would comprise the steps of: inserting a first key within the magazine well of the firearm; inserting the magazine lock into the magazine well of the firearm; transporting the combination of firearm, key, and magazine lock; utilizing a second key to unlock the magazine lock to allow it and the first key to be removed from the magazine well of the firearm.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4384420 (1983-05-01), Von Muller
patent: 4457091 (1984-07-01), Wallerstein
patent: 4532729 (1985-08-01), Von Muller
patent: 4584855 (1986-04-01), Burlingame
patent: 4587756 (1986-05-01), Jakubaschk et al.
patent: 4619062 (1986-10-01), Johnson
patent: 4672763 (1987-06-01), Cunningham
patent: 4833811 (1989-05-01), Wilkinson
patent: 5361525 (1994-11-01), Bowes
patent: 5467550 (1995-11-01), Mumbleau
patent: 5782029 (1998-07-01), Brooks
patent: 5974717 (1999-11-01), Brooks
patent: 5992076 (1999-11-01), Magnusson
patent: 6052934 (2000-04-01), Carpenter
Carone Michael J.
Fish Robert D.
Fish & Associates, LLP
Richardson John
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