Follower and methods for weapons magazine

1. A follower for a firearm magazine, the follower comprising:

a cartridge platform coupling a first wall to a second wall; wherein

the first wall, the second wall, and the platform define a receiving space for receiving at least a portion of a magazine spring; and

at least one of the first wall or the second wall has a nonlinear end profile having a concave portion extending less than halfway into the at least one of the first wall or the second wall, whereby the nonlinear profile is shaped to translate a lateral spring force into a longitudinal spring force.

2. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one concave portion has a radius of curvature of at least half of a transverse width of the at least one of the first wall or the second wall.

3. The follower of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third wall coupling at least two of the first wall, the second wall, and the platform; and

wherein

at least one of the first wall, the second wall, or the third wall comprises an end distal from the platform, the end having a spring deflector shaped to deflect a spring from catching on the follower.

4. The follower of claim 3 , wherein:

the spring deflector comprises a recessed face shaped to translate a lateral spring force into a longitudinal spring force.

5. The follower of claim 3 , wherein:

the spring deflector comprises at least one of a relief entry, an angled lead-in, a bevel, a chamfer, a crimped region, a convex bevel, a concave bevel, a convex chamfer, a concave chamfer, a chisel, a concave chisel, a convex chisel, and a compound bevel.

6. The follower of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one of the first wall or the second wall comprises a spring deflector shaped to deflect a spring from catching on the follower.

7. The follower of claim 6 , wherein:

the spring deflector is shaped to translate a lateral spring force into a longitudinal spring force.

8. The follower of claim 7 , wherein:

the spring deflector comprises at least one of a relief entry, an angled lead-in, a bevel, a chamfer, a crimped region, a convex bevel, a concave bevel, a convex chamfer, a concave chamfer, a chisel, a concave chisel, a convex chisel, and a compound bevel.

9. The follower of claim 6 , wherein:

the concave portion comprises the spring deflector.

10. A follower for a firearm magazine, the follower comprising:

an upper region having a cartridge interface shaped to support a cartridge in a firearm magazine;

a magazine housing interface shaped to orient the follower relative to the firearm magazine; and

a magazine spring receiving space shaped to receive at least a portion of a magazine spring; wherein

a lower region of the follower comprises a nonlinear end profile having a concave portion, a first convex portion forward of the concave portion, a second convex portion aft of the concave portion, the first convex portion having a radius of curvature that is less than a radius of curvature of the concave portion and no linear portions between the first and second convex portions; and wherein

at least a portion of the nonlinear end profile is shaped to translate a lateral spring force into a longitudinal spring force.

11. The follower of claim 10 , wherein:

at least a portion of the magazine housing interface comprises a spring deflector shaped to deflect the spring from catching on the magazine housing interface.

12. The follower of claim 10 , wherein:

at least a portion of the magazine housing interface comprises a relief entry shaped to deflect a spring from catching on the magazine housing interface.

13. A method of using a follower for a firearm magazine, the method comprising:

providing a follower in a firearm magazine, the follower having a receiving space defined by a plurality of walls;

loading the firearm magazine such that the follower compresses at least a portion of the magazine spring into the receiving space; and

causing a nonlinear end profile in at least one of the plurality of walls to deflect the magazine spring from catching on the nonlinear end profile, the nonlinear end profile having a first convex region, a second convex region, a concave region positioned between the first and second convex regions, and no linear regions between the first and second convex regions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

loading the firearm magazine comprises allowing the concave region in the nonlinear end profile to deflect the magazine spring.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein loading the firearm comprises at least one of:

allowing a recessed face in at least one of the plurality of walls to deflect the spring from catching on the magazine housing interface;

allowing a recessed face in at least one of the plurality of walls to translate a lateral spring force into a longitudinal spring force; or

allowing the concave region in the nonlinear end profile to translate a lateral spring force into longitudinal spring force.