US3919781A

US3919781A - Sight-mounting bars for pistols

Info

Publication number: US3919781A
Application number: US480154A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry P Chaba
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-06-17
Filing date: 1974-06-17
Publication date: 1975-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-18

Abstract

A sight-mounting bar is provided for quick detachment or attachment on pistols of historical design such as the Remington 1858 cap and ball revolver or the 1851 Colt Navy revolver, comprising a rigid metal bar that is pressed down against the upper surfaces of the gun barrel and frame to engage a spring clip carried at the forward end of the bar with the barrel sides, and to rest the underside of the bar upon the gun frame, clamp means being secured to engage clamp flanges under edges of a bridge member or frame strap overlying the cylinder, or alternatively to engage clamp faces against side surfaces of the gun frame utilising a modified pivot screw passing transversely through the gun frame. The support arrangement prevents lateral shift and longitudinal or lateral pivoting of the bar.

Description

[ NOV. 18, 1975 SIGHT-MOUNTING BARS FOR PISTOLS [76] Inventor: Harry P. Chaba, 520 Moraine Road NE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2A 2P2 [22] Filed: June 17, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 480,154

Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-Steven L. Stephan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Roman J. Filipkowski [57] ABSTRACT A sight-mounting bar is provided for quick detachment or attachment on pistols of historical design such as the Remington 1858 cap and ball revolver or the 1851 Colt Navy revolver, comprising a rigid metal bar that is pressed down against the upper surfaces of the gun barrel and frame to engage a spring clip carried at the forward end of the bar with the barrel sides, and to rest the underside of the bar upon the gun frame, clamp means being secured to engage clamp flanges under edges of a bridge member or frame strap overlying the cylinder, or alternatively to engage clamp faces against side surfaces of the gun frame utilising a modified pivot screw passing transversely through the gun frame. The support arrangement prevents lateral shift and longitudinal or lateral pivoting of the bar.

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 hm "lllllllllllm' nupzumil SIGHT-MOUNTING BARS FOR PISTOLS This invention relates to a mounting bar for gun sights for revolvers and pistols, and is directed particularly to sight-mounting bar devices which may be readily attached to and detached from pistols of the nineteenth century and their replicas, such as the 1858 Remington and the 1851 Colt Navy muzzle loading revolvers.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide improved sights for increasing the potential accuracy of antique hand gun designs which were fitted with only rudimentary non-adjustable front and rear sights such as a bead or web fore sight carried at the muzzle end and a notch cut in the hammer of the gun as rear sighting element.

The mounting bar device of the present invention permits such early forms of pistols and revolvers to be readily equipped with target-grade sighting facilities permitting their use for accurate target shooting, whether with black-powder or modern smokeless powder propellants. The sight-mounting bar is a rigid, light bar of metal having integrally affixed on the forward upper surface any suitable front sight 'such as a projecting blade or web and shaped on its rearward upper surface portion for mounting any conventional micrometer-adjustable notched rear sight, the bar being provided with a quick-detachable spring clip for frictionally engaging the sides of the forward end of the gun barrel and with a pair of lugs or brackets depending from a rearward portion of the mounting bar including means to clampedly engage gun frame surfaces to prevent rocking or twisting.

The construction of the sight-mounting bar utilises an upper surface of the gun frame as a limit stop to prevent pivoting movement of the bar about either a longitudinal axis or about a transverse axis. Where the gun frame includes a bridge member overlying the cylinder of a revolver the under surface of the bar is disposed to rest conformably in overlying contacting relation with the bridge member. Clamp-forming elements integral with or secured releasably to the bar in depending relation are adapted to closely engage the sides of the gun frame-to prevent lateral sliding or twisting movement out of a reference alignment position determined by such upper frame surface and the engagement of the forward spring clamp with the barrel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sight-carrying bar device which may be quickly mounted upon a hand gun having an existing fore sight without need of alteration or any marking of the weapon surfaces, by simply pressing the bar device downwardly upon the upper surface of the gun barrel and frame, and securing clamp elements as by pinning with an existing pivot screw transversely aligned in the gun frame or by turning auxiliary clamp screws into the bar sides to clampedly grip the sides of the gun frame.

The foregoing and other features of the invention will be more fully understood from a reading of the description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a revolver having the sight-mounting bar of the present invention taken on the. line 33 of FIG-2;. 1

FIG.- 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing only the bar device having one bracket integrally formed with the bar;

FIG: 5 isa side elevational view of an alternative sight-mounting bar secured on the frame of another pistol;

FIGt-6 is a partial sectional view of the bar of FIG. 5 taken on the line 6-6 thereof; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 6 showing only the bar device having one bracket integral therewith.

Referring to the drawing, the sight-mounting bar 11 carries on its forward end an upwardly-projecting foresight l2.such as a blade or web, and on its rearward upper surface is provided with a recess or groove 13 adapted to receive a conventional adjustable rear sight 14 secured in any convenient manner. The bar carries just behind the fore sight 12 a spring clip 15 affixed as by a screw 16, the clip having a pair of opposed depending leg portions 17 frictionally engaging the sides of gun barrel l8 and applying a spring force thereagainst.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated one of the many antique pistols of the nineteenth century upon which the mounting bar 11 may be separably secured in alignment with the gun barrel, the particular weapon herein shown being the I858 Remington cap and ball revolver. Such pistol serves to illustrate preferred means for attaching the sight-mounting bar upon a pistol which has a gun frame that includes a bridge element or strap 19 overlying cylinder 20, there being a gap or clearance space 21 between the bridge element and the cylinder. As will be seen by reference additionally to FIGS. 2 and 3, the undersurface 22 of the bar device 1 l rests in contact with the upper surface of the gun frame, and the bar is secured thereto by means of a pair of clamp leg elements 23 having intumed lower flange portions 24 entering into gap 21. The flange portions are so shaped as to closely engage the lower surface of the bridge element or equivalent longitudinal strap structure of the upper gun frame.

The upper marginal portions of the clamp leg elements 23 are affixed as by machine screws 25 passing through apertures 25A and being threadedly engaged in bores 26 in the side surfaces 27 of the bar. As may be seen best in FIG. 3 the bar width is substantially identical with the width of the bridge element, or preferably is made very slightly less so that the clamp leg elements 23 will exert pressure against the sides of the bridge element when screws 25 are fully turned in, to seat their heads firmly. The clamp leg elements are preferably made of light guage steel sheet to provide relatively stiff yet resilient clamping structure for preventing lateral shift of the bar on the frame.

Although the flanges 24 are shown as being bent at an angle less than a right angle, i.e., from about 45 to about 60 inclination from the vertical to provide sloping surfaces engaging edges of the bridge element, tending thereby to urge the bar against the gun frame, the bar may alternatively be urged into contact with the frame when the flanges are bent at a right-angle or very nearly a right-angle. As may be seen in FIG. 4, the flanges 24 are bent along lines such that a very slight interference is set up with the undersurface of the bridge element or strap, causing a small deflection of each flange acting as a cantilever beam. One clamp element which may be the leg on either side of the gun is permanently affixed integrally with the bar as by silver 3 soldering or welding to facilitate mounting and disassembly.

For pistols constructed without any bridge element over the cylinder, but having a flat-sided gun frame 28 such as the 1851 Colt Navy pistol illustrated in FIG. 5, clamp leg elements 123 are provided which engage the side surfaces 27 of the bar 11 forwardly of the cylinder, and which are secured against the sides of the gun frame and against the sides 27 of the bar, by means of the single screw fastener 29 which forms part of the weapon itself. In this design of hand gun the loading lever 30 pivots about the loading lever screw 29 passed through the transverse aligned bores 31 in the gun frame. As will be evident in FIG. 6, a replacement screw 29 is formed as two mating parts 29A and 298, the larger diameter screw being made longer than the original and having a major length portion of the shank unthreaded and of a diameter to enter with a close but free-sliding fit relation into the frame bores 31. The screw 29A is also coaxially bored and the bore threaded to receive the companion screw 29B. The clamp structure is assembled by placing the clamp leg elements 123 on either side of the gun frame with the flanges 124 entered into the longitudinal slots 32 formed along opposite side surfaces 27 of bar 11, and

screws

29A and 29B are passed through

respective bores

31A and 31B of the clamp legs and through the bores 31 of the gun frame, then tightened to secure the clamp leg elements against the side surfaces of the gun frame.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6 the sight-mounting bar 11 rests in contact with the upper surface of the gun barrel under a holding force exerted by the flanges 124 which are slightly deflected as short cantilever beams by reason of a small but significant interference with the bar slots 32 due to the positioning of

bores

31A and 31B. As the relative positions of the flanges 124 are determined from the shank surface of screw 29A received in the gun frame bores 31, it will be evident that longitudinal rocking and transverse pivoting of the bar upon the gun barrel are prevented. Lateral shift of the bar is also prevented or minimised to insignificant amount by the provision of relatively stiff but resilient clamp legs acting as limit stops. It has been found that when the clamp leg elements are formed of steel sheet of about 0.037 inch thickness the position of the bar is effectively stabilised.

The lateral stabilisation of bar 11 may be further enhanced by the construction shown in FIG. 7 wherein both the clamp legs 223 are unflanged sheet members, and one is permanently affixed as by silver soldering to the side surfaces 27 of the bar while the other clamp leg is removably secured to the opposite side surface by machine screws 25 passed through bores 33 in the upper marginal edge portion and entering threaded bores 26 in the bar side surfaces.

While the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 provides lateral stabilization of the sighting bar by reference to a side surface of the gun frame, a mounting arrangement similar to that of FIG. 7 but not shown comprises rigidly affixed upper marginal portions of both clamp leg members 223, the mounting being arranged so that the inner opposed surfaces of the clamp legs are parallel and spaced to closely engage the gun frame by springing very slightly outwardly as the clamp legs are pressed down to seat the bar. In such mounting, the pivot bolt passed through both clamp legs and the gun frame restrains the bar from rocking or shifting as in FIG. 7.

I claim:

1. A sight-mounting attachment for a pistol having a barrel and a gun frame structure assembled with said barrel comprising an elongate bar having a length greater than the length of said barrel and contoured to be assembled in longitudinally aligned overlying contacting relation upon upper surfaces of said gun barrel and gun frame, said bar carrying spring clip means dependingly supported by the forward end of said bar for frictionally engaging a forward part of the gun barrel, and having a rearward portion of rectangular section carrying a pair of spaced clamp leg means each of the pair of spaced clamp leg means disposed on opposite sides of and depending from the side surfaces of said rectangular-section portion of said bar in the same direction as said spring clip means, said bar and clamp leg means being formed to cause said clamp leg means to releasably clampedly engage with side surfaces of said gun frame and simultaneously to urge the underside of said bar against an upper surface of said gun frame.

2. A sight-mounting attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gun frame includes a bridge member overlying and spaced from a cylinder for the pistol, said clamp leg means being adapted to be removably secured against side surfaces of said rectangular end portion to provide limit stops closely confining said gun frame to restrict lateral bar displacement and including inturned flange portions formed along ends of said leg means remote from said bar and adapted to grippingly engage longitudinal lower edge portions of the bridge member of said gun frame.

3. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 2 wherein said flange portions extend relative to the remainder of said leg means at and the depending length of each leg means is such as to deflect said flanges downwardly as cantilever beams engaging said bridge member when said clamp leg means are secured to said bar.

4. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 2 wherein said flange portions extend with inclinations of about 45 to about 60 with respect to the remainder of said leg means, the leg means being formed so that the inclined surfaces of said flange portions resiliently grippingly engage said lower edge portions of said bridge member to apply a force component urging said bar against the upper surface of the gun frame.

5. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 4 wherein one clamp leg means is permanently affixed integral with one side surface of said rectangular portion.

6. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the side surfaces of said rectangular end portion are formed with longitudinal slots and said clamp leg means have upper longitudinal flanges inturned and received in said slots, said leg means also including opposed apertures in respective leg means spaced from said upper flanges, and a pivot bolt passing transversely through and extending beyond side surfaces of the gun frame adapted to engage respective apertures of the leg means.

7. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamp leg means are substantially flat sheet metal resilient bodies having upper margins adapted to be secured against side surfaces of said rectangular section bar end portion and opposed apertures formed in respective leg, means in spaced relationship to the upper margins thereof and a pivot bolt is provided passing transversely through and extending beyond side surfaces of the gun frame adapted to engage respective apertures of the leg means.

8. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 7 wherein one of said clamp leg means has its upper margin permanently affixed integral with one side surface 5 mounted on said bar adjacent the end thereof adapted to overlie said gun barrel and a rear sight means mounted on said bar adjacent the end thereof adapted to overlie said gun frame, said spring clip means including a pair of spaced, opposed spring clamp members depending from the forward end of said bar to engage opposite side surfaces of said barrel.

Claims

3. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 2 wherein said flange portions extend relative to the remainder of said leg means at 90* and the depending length of each leg means is such as to deflect said flanges downwardly as cantilever beams engaging said bridge member when said clamp leg means are secured to said bar.

4. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 2 wherein said flange portions extend with inclinations of about 45* to about 60* with respect to the remainder of said leg means, the leg means being formed so that the inclined surfaces of said flange portions resiliently grippingly engage said lower edge portions of said bridge member to apply a force component urging said bar against the upper surface of the gun frame.

8. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 7 wherein one of said clamp leg means has its upper margin permanently affixed integral with one side surface of said rectangular section bar end portion.

9. A sight-carrying attachment as set forth in claim 1 which includes an upwardly-projecting foresight mounted on said bar adjacent the end thereof adapted to overlie said gun barrel and a rear sight means mounted on said bar adjacent the end thereof adapted to overlie said gun frame, said spring clip means including a pair of spaced, opposed spring clamp members depending from the forward end of said bar to engage opposite side surfaces of said barrel.