Replaceable feed ramp
View Patent ↗A feed ramp system for feeding cartridges into the chamber of a firearm. The feed ramp system includes a feed ramp insert having a body with at least one attachment tab projecting therefrom. The feed ramp insert is received within a mating recess formed in the receiver and is removably coupled to the receiver to enable replacement of the feed ramp insert. The feed ramp insert includes a pair of proximal ramp surfaces that align with distal ramp surfaces form at a breech end of the firearm barrel, to define a pair of feed ramps for directing cartridges into the chamber.
1. A firearm, comprising:
a barrel having a bore formed along a longitudinal axis, a breech at which a chamber is formed, the breech having a breech face defined by a circumferential rim and a plurality of barrel lugs radially spaced thereabout, with a series of lug gaps defined between adjacent barrel lugs, and a pair of distal ramp surfaces formed between selected ones of the barrel lugs;
a receiver having a forward end coupled to the barrel adjacent the breech end of the barrel;
a magazine for supplying a series of cartridges to the chamber;
a bolt at least partially housed within and movable along the receiver, the bolt comprising a series of lugs that engage the barrel lugs to at least partially seal the chamber for firing; and
a feed ramp insert having a body that is received in mating engagement between the breech face of the barrel and the receiver, with at least one attachment member projecting from the body to couple the feed ramp insert to the receiver, and a pair of proximal ramp surfaces sloped with respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel and configured to align with the distal ramp surfaces of the breech face to form a series of feed ramps, for guiding cartridges from the magazine and into the chamber of the firearm, and wherein the feed ramp insert comprises a replaceable insert detachably mountable between the breech face of the barrel and the receiver for replacement thereof.
2. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is made from a first metallic material and the feed ramp is made from a second metallic material that is different from the first metallic material.
3. The firearm of claim 2 , wherein the distal ramp surfaces have a first surface hardness and the proximal ramp surfaces have a second surface hardness that is substantially equal to the first surface hardness.
4. The firearm of claim 2 , wherein the distal ramp surfaces have a first surface hardness and the proximal ramp surfaces have a second surface hardness that is different from the first surface hardness.
5. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the barrel further comprises a barrel extension coupled to the barrel body at the breech of the barrel, with the breech extending along the barrel extension.
6. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein a slope of the proximal ramp surfaces relative to the longitudinal axis is substantially equal to a slope of distal ramp surfaces.
7. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the proximal ramp surfaces is greater than a surface area of the distal ramp surfaces.
8. A firearm, comprising:
a barrel having a bore, a breech end at which a chamber is formed, the breech end having a breech face defined by a circumferential rim and including a plurality of barrel lugs radially spaced thereabout, wherein the breech face further comprises a pair of distal ramp surfaces formed between selected ones of the barrel lugs;
a receiver having a forward end coupled to the barrel adjacent the breech end of the barrel and including a mating aperture;
a replaceable feed ramp insert having a body received within the mating aperture of the receiver, the body having at least one attachment member projecting from the body and coupling the feed ramp insert to the receiver, the body comprising a pair of proximal ramp surfaces that align with the distal ramp surfaces of the breech face for directing cartridges into the chamber of the firearm,
wherein a surface area of the pair of proximal ramp surfaces is at least about 40% larger than a total surface area of the pair of bifurcated feed ramps.
9. A firearm, comprising:
a barrel having a breech end at which a chamber is formed, the breech end having a breech face defined by a circumferential rim and including a plurality of barrel lugs radially spaced thereabout, wherein the breech face further comprises a pair of distal ramp surfaces formed between selected ones of the barrel lugs;
a receiver having a forward end coupled to the barrel adjacent the breech end of the barrel and including a mating aperture formed therein;
a feed ramp insert having a body received within the mating aperture of the receiver, with at least one attachment member projecting from the body and coupling the feed ramp insert to the receiver, the body comprising a pair of proximal ramp surfaces that align with the distal ramp surfaces of the breech face to form feed ramps for directing cartridges into the chamber of the firearm,
wherein the feed ramp insert is removably mounted within the receiver by one or more slotted pins.
10. The firearm of claim 9 , wherein the receiver is made from a first metallic material and the feed ramp is made from a second metallic material that is different from the first metallic material.
11. The firearm of claim 10 , wherein the distal ramp surfaces have a first surface hardness and the proximal ramp surfaces have a second surface hardness that is substantially equal to the first surface hardness.
12. The firearm of claim 9 , wherein the distal ramp surfaces have a first surface hardness and the proximal ramp surfaces have a second surface hardness that is different from the first surface hardness.
13. The firearm of claim 9 , wherein the barrel further comprises a barrel extension coupled to the barrel body at the breech end of the barrel, with the breech extending along the barrel extension.
14. The firearm of claim 9 , wherein a slope of the proximal ramp surfaces relative to the longitudinal axis is substantially equal to a slope of distal ramp surfaces.
15. The firearm of claim 9 , wherein a surface area of the proximal ramp surfaces is greater than a surface area of the distal ramp surfaces.
16. A firearm, comprising:
a barrel having a barrel extension and a chamber located at a breech end thereof, the breech end including a circumferential rim defining a breech face, a series of radially spaced locking lugs extending toward the chamber, and one or more ramp surfaces defined between adjacent locking lugs along a lower portion of the breech end;
a receiver coupled to the barrel extension at the breech end of the barrel;
a magazine received within a magazine well along a lower portion of the receiver for supplying ammunition to the chamber;
a feed ramp insert replaceably mountable between the receiver and the barrel extension, the feed ramp insert comprising a body received within an aperture formed in the receiver and/or a notch in the barrel extension adjacent the ramp surfaces of the barrel for feeding ammunition from the magazine into the chamber; and
wherein the body of the feed ramp insert includes at least one fastener aperture that substantially aligns with a corresponding opening in the receiver for receiving a locking element or fastener therein for releasably coupling the feed ramp insert between the receiver and the barrel extension so as to enable removal and replacement of the feed ramp insert.