Compact anti-tilt follower for an ammunition magazine
View Patent ↗A firearm magazine assembly and a related method are disclosed. The follower has a top platform, a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one slider rail on a first side of the follower. At least a portion of the at least one slider rail is at a position that is between and remote from both the proximal end of the follower and the distal end of the follower. The housing is shaped to receive the follower. The housing has a first wall having a first recess for receiving the at least one slider rail, the first recess defined by opposing surfaces. At least a portion of the at least one slider rail is shaped to engage the two opposing surfaces to limit tilt of the follower.
1. A firearm magazine assembly, comprising:
a follower having a top platform, a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one slider rail extending below a bottom surface of the top platform and on a first side of the follower, the at least one slider rail is located about a center of gravity of a cartridge seated on the follower; and
a housing shaped to receive the follower, the housing having a first wall having a first recess for receiving the at least one slider rail, the first recess defined by opposing surfaces; wherein
at least a portion of the at least one slider rail is shaped to engage the two opposing surfaces to limit tilt of the follower.
2. The firearm magazine assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the top platform is shaped to seat a cartridge;
the proximal end has a first surface shaped to engage a proximal interior region of the housing;
the distal end has a second surface shaped to engage a distal interior region of the housing, and
the first recess is formed by two ridges positioned on the first wall.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one slider rail is located distal of the center of gravity of the follower.
4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one slider rail is located distal of a center of gravity of the follower.
5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
at least a portion of the at least one slider rail has a curvature shaped to guide the follower along a curvature of at least one of the two surfaces forming the recess.
6. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
the second surface has a curvature shaped to conform to a curvature of the distal interior region of the housing.
7. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
the curvature of the at least one slider rail is not identical to the curvature of the second surface.
8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the top platform has a tapered distal region.
9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the follower further comprises:
a plurality of slider rails, wherein the at least one slider rail opposes a second one of the plurality of slider rails.
10. The assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of slider rails on the first side of the follower.
11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the slider rail has a length oriented between a top and bottom of the follower and a thickness oriented outward from a center of the follower, the length at least 1.5 times the thickness, or at least 5 times the thickness, or at least 10 times the thickness, or at least 15 times the thickness.
12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the follower does not have a slider rail extending from or adjacent to the second surface of the follower.
13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first side of the housing has at least two recesses for receiving at least two slider rails.
14. A method of using a firearm magazine assembly, the method comprising:
providing a firearm magazine assembly having a follower and a housing, the follower having a top platform, a proximal end, a distal end, sides extending down from the distal end and extending below a bottom surface of the top platform, and at least one slider rail extending down one of the sides and having a length oriented between a top and bottom of the follower greater than a thickness oriented outward from a center of the follower, the housing having a first wall having a first recess for receiving the at least one slider rail, the first recess defined by opposing surfaces; and
causing opposing sides of the at least one slider rail to engage the two opposing surfaces to limit tilt of the follower.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
biasing the follower towards a feed end of the housing, the biasing having a biasing force comprising a longitudinal component associated with a longitudinal axis of the housing; wherein
the longitudinal component of the biasing force is at a maximum at a center of gravity of a cartridge placed in the magazine assembly.
16. The firearm magazine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one slider rail is discontinuous.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one slider rail is discontinuous.
18. The firearm magazine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slider rail extends to a bottom of the follower.
19. The firearm magazine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one slider rail is located closer to a center of gravity of the follower than to either the distal end or the proximal end of the follower.
20. The firearm magazine assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one slider rail is located closer to a center of gravity of the follower than to either the distal end or the proximal end of the follower.