Backup gunsights
View Patent ↗A gunsight system for aiming a firearm is disclosed. The gunsight system includes a front sight and a rear sight. The firearm has a barrel defining a bore that extends along a gun bore axis. The gun bore axis extends in a forward direction and a rearward direction. The front sight comprises a front sight post including a front sighting element. The rear sight comprises a rear sight post including a rear sighting element. Each sight post is pivotable between a deployed position and a reclined position. When the sight post are in the deployed position, the user may aim the firearm with reference to a sight line extending through the front and rear sighting elements. The sight line and the gun bore axis may be generally parallel to one another when the sight arms are in the deployed position.
1. A backup sight system for attachment to a Picatinny rail, the backup sight system comprising a front sight with an adjustable elevation post and a rear sight with adjustable windage, the rear sight comprising:
a base with downwardly extending opposing polymer clamp portions for attachment to the Picatinny rail and a pair of forwardly or rearwardly extending arms;
a rear apertured sight assembly pivotally supported between the two forwardly or rearwardly extending arms of the base and pivoting about a rear apertured sight assembly pivot axis between an upright position and a reclined position;
the rear sight aperture assembly comprising a rear polymer support body having a U-shape and defining a slot, a rear metal insert with a U-shape disposed in the slot, and a rear sighting element having a first sight apertured portion and a second sight apertured portion, the rear sighting element being pivotally supported by a threaded rotatable shaft extending between two upper leg portions of the rear metal insert and two upper leg portions of the polymer body;
the rear sighting element pivotable between a first position with the first sight apertured portion upward and with the second sight apertured portion downward and a second position with the second sight apertured portion upward and with the first sight apertured portion downward, the rear sighting element moveable in a left or right direction within the rear polymer support body and the rear metal insert by rotational adjustment of the threaded shaft;
a magnet disposed in a magnet opening defined by the rear metal insert, the magnet operable in a forward and a rearward direction with respect to the rear metal insert, the magnet being positioned to selectively retain the rear sighting element alternately in one of the first position and the second position.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein rear sight aperture assembly pivot axis extends through a portion of the polymer body corresponding to a lower portion of the U-shape.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sight apertured portion is 180 degrees from the second sight apertured portion.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a knob fixed to the threaded shaft, the knob forming part of an interference mechanism comprising a detent ball formed of an elastomeric material.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the downwardly extending opposing polymer clamp portions are unitary.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the front sight comprises a polymer base and a front sight post assembly pivotally connected thereto, the front sight post assembly comprising a polymer front support comprising a polymer front support body and a metal front insert nested therein.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the front sight post assembly further comprises a front sighting element adjustable upwardly and downwardly in the metal insert by an elevation knob positioned in a window of the metal insert.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the front sight includes an elevation mechanism for making elevation adjustments when sighting in the firearm, the elevation mechanism comprising a metal threaded member that can be rotated to raise and lower the adjustable elevation post.
9. A backup sight system for attachment to a firearm upper rail, the backup sight system comprising a front sight with an adjustable elevation post and a rear sight with adjustable windage, each of the front sight and rear sight having a base for clamping onto the firearm upper rail, each base having a pair of downwardly extending clamp portions, the downwardly extending clamp portions of each respective base are unitary with one another, each of the front and rear sights having a sight portion pivotal on the respective base between a deployed position and a reclined position, at least one of the front sight and rear sight comprising an exterior polymer support body with a U-shape, defining a slot, and having a pair of legs extending upwardly when said sight is in the deployed position, the at least one of the front sight and rear sight further comprising a U-shaped metal insert nested within the slot of the exterior polymer support portion, the U-shaped metal insert having a pair of legs extending upwardly when said sight is in the deployed position.
10. The backup sight system of claim 9 wherein both of the front sight and rear sight comprise an exterior polymer support body with a U-shape, define a slot, and have a pair of legs extending upwardly when said sight is in the deployed position, the front sight and rear sight further comprising a U-shaped metal insert nested within the slot of the exterior polymer support portion, the U-shaped metal insert having a pair of legs extending upwardly when said sight is in the deployed position.
11. The backup sight system of claim 10 , wherein the metal insert of the front sight has a window extending therethrough with a rotary knob inserted therein for adjustment of a post.
12. The backup sight system of claim 10 , wherein the exterior polymer support body and the metal insert of the rear sight both support a rear sighting element that has a pair of different sized sighting apertures, the rear sighting element supported by way of a threaded shaft extending through the rear sighting element and through the upwardly extending legs of the polymer support body and the metal insert.
13. The backup sight system of claim 12 wherein the metal insert further comprises a magnet and the rear sight element is attracted to the magnet whereby the magnet can hold the rear sight element in one of two positions, one position for sighting though each of the different sized sighting apertures.
14. A backup sight system for attachment to a Picatinny rail, the backup sight system comprising a front sight with an adjustable elevation post and a rear sight with adjustable windage, the front sight comprising:
a base with a pair of clamping portions for attachment to the Picatinny rail,
a front sight post assembly comprising a U-shaped polymer support base and a U-shaped metal insert positioned in a slot in the U-shaped polymer support base, and a front sight post assembly pivotally connected to the metal insert, the front sight post assembly including a rotatable knob positioned in a window of the metal insert, the rotatable knob connecting to a threaded insert for moving the adjustable elevation post upwardly and downwardly.
15. The backup sight system for attachment to a Picatinny rail of claim 14 wherein the rear sight comprises:
a base with downwardly extending opposing polymer clamp portions for attachment to the Picatinny rail and a pair of forwardly or rearwardly extending arms;
a rear apertured sight assembly pivotally supported between the two forwardly or rearwardly extending arms of the base and pivoting about a rear apertured sight assembly pivot axis between an upright position and a reclined position;
the rear sight aperture assembly comprising a rear polymer support body having a U-shape and defining a slot, a rear metal insert with a U-shape disposed in the slot, and a rear sighting element having a first sight apertured portion and a second sight apertured portion, the rear sighting element being pivotally supported by a threaded rotatable shaft extending between two upper leg portions of the rear metal insert and two upper leg portions of the polymer body;
the rear sighting element pivotable between a first position with the first sight apertured portion upward and with the second sight apertured portion downward and a second position with the second sight apertured portion upward and with the first sight apertured portion downward, the rear sighting element moveable in a left or right direction within the rear polymer support body and the rear metal insert by rotational adjustment of the threaded shaft.
16. A backup sight system for attachment to a Picatinny rail of claim 15 , further comprising a magnet disposed in a magnet opening defined by the rear metal insert, the magnet operable in a forward and a rearward direction with respect to the rear metal insert, the magnet being positioned to selectively retain the rear sighting element alternately in one of the first position and the second position.
17. The backup sight system of claim 15 wherein each base has a pair of unitary clamping portions.
18. The backup sight system of claim 15 further including a windage mechanism for making windage adjustments when sighting in the firearm, the windage mechanism comprising a threaded member that can be rotated to move a rear sighting element.
19. The rear sight of claim 18 further comprising a knob fixed to the threaded member, the knob forming part of an interference mechanism.
20. The rear sight of claim 19 wherein the interference mechanism comprises a detent ball, the detent ball comprising an elastomeric material.