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Three-piece grip safety

Three-piece grip safety description/claims

This application claims priority on prior filed U.S. provisional application No. 60/895,301, filed Mar. 16, 2007, and incorporates the prior Application herein in its entirety.

The present invention relates to the field of firearms and more particularly relates to a grip safety for handguns which is structured in two pieces.

The grip safety of a pistol is intended to prevent the pistol from firing until a proper firing grasp depresses it forward, pivoting on a pin. This action pivots the body of the grip safety inward. An integral blocking arm, which protrudes forward from the grip safety's main body and into the interior of the pistol, pivots upward as the grip safety is depressed inward. This upward motion of the arm removes it from the path of the trigger bow, allowing the trigger to be pulled and thus the pistol to be fired.

The most common design for a grip safety is called a “beavertail,” shown in FIG. 1. The term beavertail is derived from the fact that the top portion of the grip safety 10 is wider and longer than the original design, and somewhat resembles a beaver's tail. These have been in common use for 25+ years, first as aftermarket parts custom fitted, then as factory standard features. The advantage of the beavertail grip safety is increased comfort afforded by the wider and longer top portion, which, when the pistol is held in a firing grasp, is situated over the top of the web of the hand. The increased contact area tends to distribute the recoil from firing over a larger portion of the hand, reducing the perception of recoil.

It was soon realized that, while comfort was increased, the upward pressure that the web of the hand exerted to the underside of the beavertail directly opposed the forward pressure required to be applied to the lower portion of the grip safety. The result was that many shooters complained that full disengagement of the grip safety was difficult to obtain, resulting in the pistol not firing. The only solution offered has been the addition of a raised area at the bottom of the grip safety 15, to increase the likelihood of getting the grip safety depressed enough to enable firing. This solution does work most of the time for most shooters. Some shooters resort to taping or pinning the grip safety into the depressed position to make sure. Other shooters fear this solution as a potential legal liability. The beavertail grip safety as it exists, then, can be likened to a Bell crank—pressure forward on the lower portion is desirable and necessary. Pressure upward on the underside of the beavertail portion is counterproductive but unavoidable

The inventor developed a solution to the above problem in the form of a two-piece grip safety in 2004. FIG. 2 represents the original design from January of 2004. The solution is accomplished by making the grip safety a two-piece unit, where the main body 20 no longer pivots. Only the right-hand side pivots, and no portion of this pivoting member 25 extends above the pivot point 23; so, no pressure counter to the required forward pressure can be exerted. The result is a more certain and consistent disengagement of the grip safety. Further improvement occurred in January 2006 by making the bottom portion of the pivoting member 25 somewhat wider. This design is, however, susceptible to accidental disengagement as the pivoting member is free to pivot about the pivot point 23 without hinderance.

The present invention is a still further improvement in the two-piece grip safety design. In the present design, the lower portion is further enlarged to increase positive activation and it is structured in two pieces which interact cooperatively to disengage the safety. The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the two-piece grip safety of the present invention allows for an easier disengagement of the safety while still insuring that such disengagement is purposeful.

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of grip safeties, this invention provides an improved two-piece grip safety. To accomplish these objectives, the improved grip safety comprises a fixedly attached body with a secondary pivoting member. The pivoting member is connected to a blocking arm which protrudes into the weapon and blocks the trigger bow. Towards the bottom of the pivoting member is a broad thick pressure plate to increase positive interaction between the pivoting member and a user's hand. The pivoting member likewise interacts with a tertiary pivoting lower member, which can bias the secondary pivoting member in the disengaged position.

The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Many objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a prior art beavertail style grip safety.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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