US-12624913-B1 - Gun magazine spring state indication system and method

US12624913B1US 12624913 B1US12624913 B1US 12624913B1US-12624913-B1

Abstract

A novel system and method for determining when a magazine spring has exceeded a compressive set tolerance and needs to be replaced. The spring includes a visual indicator. The visual indicator is positioned so that it is visible beyond the bottom of the magazine tube when the follower and magazine spring are inserted into the tube and the follower is raised to its uppermost position. The visual indicator is not visible beyond the bottom of the magazine when the spring has exceeded its compressive set tolerance.

Inventors

Brandon Vitulli

Assignees

Brandon Vitulli

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20250205

Claims (17)

1 . A method for a user to determine when a magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set, comprising: (a) providing a magazine tube having an open bottom; (b) providing a follower; (c) providing a magazine spring, including, (i) an upper portion, (ii) an indicator region, having a lower boundary; (d) placing said follower in said magazine tube; (e) placing said magazine spring in said magazine tube, with said upper portion of said magazine spring being connected to said follower; (f) raising said follower and said magazine spring until said follower is arrested at an uppermost point in its range of travel, said magazine spring being in an uncompressed state; and (f) said user observing whether any of said indicator region extends beyond said bottom of said magazine tube, wherein said indicator region has a distinct color in comparison to a portion of said magazine spring lying below said lower boundary of said indicator region.
2 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set as recited in claim 1 , wherein said distinct color is green.
3 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set as recited in claim 1 , wherein: (a) said bottom of said magazine tube lies in a plane; and (b) said user determines whether said magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set by observing whether any portion of said indicator region extends below said plane.
4 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set as recited in claim 1 , wherein said indicator region has an upper boundary in addition to said lower boundary.
5 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set as recited in claim 1 , wherein said magazine spring is pressed into a lower portion of said follower in order to connect said magazine spring to said follower.
6 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set as recited in claim 1 , wherein: (a) said bottom of said magazine tube lies in a plane; and (b) said user determines whether said magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set by observing whether any portion of said indicator region extends below said plane.
7 . A method to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced, comprising: (a) providing a magazine tube having a bottom; (b) providing a follower; (c) providing a magazine spring, including, (i) an upper portion, (ii) an indicator region, having a lower boundary; (d) placing said follower in said magazine tube; (e) placing said magazine spring in said magazine tube, with said upper portion of said magazine spring being connected to said follower; (f) raising said follower and said magazine spring until said follower is arrested at an uppermost point in its range of travel; and (g) with said magazine spring is in an uncompressed state, inspecting said assembly of said magazine tube, said follower, and said magazine spring in order to determine whether any of said indicator region extends beyond said bottom of said magazine tube, wherein said indicator region has a distinct color in comparison to a portion of said magazine spring lying below said lower boundary of said indicator region.
8 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 7 , wherein said distinct color is green.
9 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 7 , wherein: (a) said bottom of said magazine tube lies in a plane; and (b) said user determines whether said magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set by observing whether any portion of said indicator region extends below said plane.
10 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 7 , wherein said indicator region has an upper boundary in addition to said lower boundary.
11 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 7 , wherein said magazine spring is pressed into a lower portion of said follower in order to connect said magazine spring to said follower.
12 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 7 , wherein: (a) said bottom of said magazine tube lies in a plane; and (b) said user determines whether said magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set by observing whether any portion of said indicator region extends below said plane.
13 . A method to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced, said magazine spring configured for use in a magazine tube having a sliding follower, comprising: (a) providing an indicator region on said magazine spring, said indicator region having a lower boundary; (b) placing said follower in said magazine tube; (c) placing said magazine spring in said magazine tube, with said upper portion of said magazine spring being connected to said follower; (d) raising said follower and said magazine spring until said follower is arrested at an uppermost point in its range of travel; and (e) with said magazine spring is in an uncompressed state, inspecting said assembly of said magazine tube, said follower, and said magazine spring in order to determine whether any of said indicator region extends beyond said bottom of said magazine tube, wherein said indicator region has a distinct color in comparison to a portion of said magazine spring lying below said lower boundary of said indicator region.
14 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 13 , wherein said distinct color is green.
15 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 13 , wherein: (a) said bottom of said magazine tube lies in a plane; and (b) said user determines whether said magazine spring has experienced an excessive compressive set by observing whether any portion of said indicator region extends below said plane.
16 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 13 , wherein said indicator region has an upper boundary in addition to said lower boundary.
17 . The method for a user to determine when a magazine spring needs to be replaced as recited in claim 13 , wherein said magazine spring is pressed into a lower portion of said follower in order to connect said magazine spring to said follower.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Not Applicable STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable MICROFICHE APPENDIX Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the field of firearms. More specifically, the invention comprises a system and method for determining when a gun magazine spring has exceeded its useful life and needs to be replaced. 2. Description of the Related Art The present invention pertains to magazine springs used in gun magazines. Many such springs suffer a reduction in uncompressed height as they age-resulting in feeding problems for the magazine. The reasons underlying this phenomenon are not entirely clear. Some publications describe this as cyclic fatigue. It may not be a true fatigue phenomenon, however, since that phenomenon tends to involve micro-fissures and eventually large crack propagation. “Compressive set” is also a term used to describe a reduction in uncompressed spring height. Whatever the underlying causes, it is an accepted fact that many gun magazine springs experience a reduction in uncompressed height over time. The present invention proposes a system and method for detecting this issue and indicating the need to replace the spring. In order to understand the context of the proposed solution, it is important for the reader to consider some background descriptions of the gun magazine assemblies themselves. The invention is well-suited to “double stack” magazines, in which at least a portion of the magazine houses two overlapping columns of cartridges. FIG. 1 provides a side elevation view of such a magazine assembly 10. This disclosure uses a directional convention (upper, lower, forward, rearward, etc.) that is based on the firearm. The assumption is that the firearm's barrel is held in a horizontal position with a magazine well configured to receive the inventive magazine facing downward (so that the magazine is loaded into the well by moving it generally upward). “Forward” is toward the muzzle and “rearward” is the opposite. “Left” is the left side of the firearm and “right” is the opposite. “Width” refers to a measurement taken in a direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the barrel. “Length” refers to a measurement taken in a direction that is parallel to the barrel. The orientation shown in FIG. 1 is the orientation in which a magazine will typically be used. The firearm into which the magazine is inserted—in this case a pistol—is normally held and fired upright with the opening for the magazine (often called the “magazine well”) being contained within a grip the user holds. Tube 12 provides the main structure of the magazine assembly. The term “tube” is conventional in the industry, even though the structure is not round. The tube is typically a thin-walled hollow structure, open at the top and bottom. Rearward wall 25 is generally perpendicular to the tube's side walls. Forward wall 27 is more rounded. Base 14 can be any structure that is attached to the lower portion of the tube 12. It is preferable for the base to provide gripping features that facilitate the quick removal of the magazine. In the example of FIG. 1, base 14 includes an expanding section that is easily grasped. Follower 16 slides up and down within the hollow interior of tube 12. The upper portion of the tube tapers inward. The very top portion of the tube preferably includes a pair of feed lips/rails (Some magazines incorporate a pair of rearward feed lips and a pair of forward feed rails. Pistol magazines, such as the one shown, often combine these features). The feed lips/rails properly locate a cartridge being fed by the magazine so that a moving slide will “strip” a fresh cartridge off the top of the magazine each time the firearm cycles. Follower 16 is sized so that it cannot escape through the feed lips/rails and out the top of the tube. The follower is thus captured within the tube. When the last cartridge is moved out of the magazine, follower 16 will be arrested in its fully raised position-which is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 includes a cutaway through the side wall facing the viewer. Spring 18 rests within the tube's interior-compressed between base 14 and follower 16. The spring remains in a compressed state in all the normal operations of the magazine. The base is retained in a fixed position, so the degree of compression of the spring is determined by the vertical position of the follower within the tube. The spring urges the follower upward. The follower, in turn, urges the cartridges contained within the magazine upward. The exemplary magazine assembly 10 has many other conventional features needed for the operation of a firearm. For example, magazine latch relief 20 receives a firearm magazine latch that holds the magazine in the firearm until a user releases the latch. Inward planar indentations 24 are provided in each of the side walls. These serve to guide the sides of the cartridg