Weapon anti-cant indicator
An anti-cant indicator assembly, components thereof, and associated methods. The anti-cant indicator assembly indicates the orientation of a weapon with respect to vertical. The anti-cant indicator assembly includes a mount configured to mount to the weapon, a level including a vial containing a bubble and a pivot connection connecting the level to the mount. The pivot connection is configured to permit movement of the level with respect to the mount about the pivot connection between an operational position in which the bubble can be referenced by the user for indicating orientation of the weapon with respect to vertical, and a stowed position different from the operational position. The pivot connection can include a retainer configured to releasably retain the level in at least one of the operational position or the stowed position. The level can be selectively movable with respect to the mount to calibrate the anti-cant indicator.
1. An anti-cant indicator assembly for indicating orientation of a weapon sight with respect to vertical, said anti-cant indicator assembly including:
a weapon sight connector configured to mount to the weapon sight;
a level including a vial containing a bubble;
a pivot connection connecting the level to the weapon sight connector, the pivot connection being configured to permit movement of the level with respect to the weapon sight connector about the pivot connection between an operational position in which the bubble can be referenced by the user for indicating orientation of the weapon sight with respect to vertical, and a stowed position different from the operational position, the pivot connection including a retainer configured to releasably retain the level in at least one of the operational position or the stowed position.
2. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the retainer comprises a detent.
3. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the level is movable about the pivot connection in a first direction to move the level from the operational position to the stowed position, and the detent is releasable by application of force on the level tending to move the level in the first direction.
4. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the pivot connection includes a recess in which the detent is receivable to releasably retain the level in the operational position.
5. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the detent is spring biased into a retaining position in which the detent releasably retains the level in the operational position.
6. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the level is movable about the pivot connection in a first direction to move the level from the operational position to the stowed position, and the detent is movable out of the retaining position against the spring bias by application of force on the level tending to move the level in the first direction.
7. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the pivot connection is configured to releasably retain the level in the stowed orientation.
8. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the weapon sight connector and the level includes a first pivot connector and the other of the weapon sight connector and the level includes a second pivot connector, the first and second pivot connectors secured to each other and at least partially defining the pivot connection.
9. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second pivot connectors includes the retainer and the other of the first and second pivot connectors includes a retainer recess sized to at least partially receive the retainer to releasably retain the level in said at least one of the operational position or the stowed position.
10. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the retainer is biased into the retainer recess.
11. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a weapon connector configured to mount the anti-cant indicator assembly to a weapon, the weapon connector supporting the weapon sight connector.
12. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the anti-cant indicator is connected to the weapon sight connector on a lateral side of the weapon sight connector, and, in the operational position, a longitudinal axis of the vial extends laterally away from the weapon sight connector and the bubble is located below a top of the weapon sight connector.
13. An anti-cant indicator assembly for indicating orientation of a weapon sight with respect to vertical, said anti-cant indicator assembly including:
a weapon sight connector configured to mount to the weapon sight;
an anti-cant indicator including a bracket and a vial containing a bubble, the bracket connected to the weapon sight connector;
a pivot connection connecting the vial to the bracket, the pivot connection being configured to permit movement of the vial with respect to the bracket and the weapon sight connector about the pivot connection between an operational position in which the bubble can be referenced by a user for indicating orientation of the weapon sight with respect to vertical, and a stowed position different from the operational position;
wherein the bracket is selectively movable with respect to the weapon sight connector to change an orientation of the vial with respect to the weapon sight connector in the operational position.
14. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 13 , wherein the bracket is connected to the weapon sight connector on a lateral side of the weapon sight connector, and, in the operational position, a longitudinal axis of the vial extends laterally away from the weapon sight connector and the bubble is located below a top of the weapon sight connector.
15. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 13 , wherein the bracket is pivotable with respect to the weapon sight connector about a pivot axis extending generally transverse with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vial.
16. An anti-cant indicator assembly for indicating orientation of a weapon sight with respect to vertical, said weapon sight including a forward end which a user points toward a target for aiming the weapon sight at the target, said anti-cant indicator assembly including:
a weapon sight connector configured to mount to the weapon sight, the weapon sight connector including a forward portion and a rearward portion, the forward portion arranged to be in front of the rearward portion when the weapon sight connector is mounted on the weapon sight;
an anti-cant indicator including a vial containing a bubble;
a pivot connection connecting the vial to the weapon sight connector, the pivot connection being configured to permit movement of the vial with respect to the weapon sight connector and the weapon sight about a pivot axis of the pivot connection between an operational position in which the bubble can be referenced by a user for indicating orientation of the weapon sight with respect to vertical, and a stowed position different from the operational position;
wherein the pivot axis of the pivot connection extends in a rearward-to-forward orientation with respect to the weapon sight connector.
17. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the pivot axis of the pivot connection is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vial.
18. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the pivot axis is arranged with respect to the weapon sight connector such that when the weapon sight connector is mounted on the weapon sight the pivot axis extends generally parallel with a longitudinal sighting axis of the weapon sight.
19. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the pivot axis is arranged with respect to the weapon sight connector such that when the weapon sight connector is mounted on the weapon sight the level is pivotable downward and laterally with respect to the weapon sight to move the level to the deployed position, and the level is pivotable upward toward the stowed position.
20. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the pivot axis is arranged with respect to the weapon sight connector such that the level is pivotable between the operational and stowed positions in a pivot plane extending transversely with respect to a longitudinal sighting axis of the weapon sight.
21. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retainer is carried by the level and movable with the level as the level moves about the pivot connection.
22. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the pivot connection is disposed below an elevation of a top of the weapon sight connector.
23. The anti-cant indicator assembly as set forth in claim 16 , further comprising a weapon connector configured to mount the anti-cant indicator assembly to a weapon, the weapon connector supporting the weapon sight connector, and wherein the pivot axis is disposed below an elevation of a top of the weapon sight connector.
24. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 1 , wherein in the stowed position the bubble cannot be referenced by the user for indicating orientation of the weapon sight with respect to vertical.
25. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 24 , wherein the vial is in an upstanding orientation when the level is in the stowed position.
26. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 24 , wherein the retainer is configured to releasably retain the level in the stowed position.
27. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retainer is configured to releasably retain the level in the operational position and the stowed position.
28. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 13 , wherein in the stowed position the bubble cannot be referenced by the user for indicating orientation of the weapon sight with respect to vertical.
29. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 28 , wherein the vial is in an upstanding orientation when the level is in the stowed position.
30. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 16 , wherein in the stowed position the bubble cannot be referenced by the user for indicating orientation of the weapon sight with respect to vertical.
31. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 30 , wherein the vial is in an upstanding orientation when the level is in the stowed position.
32. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the level is configured to pivot less than 180 degrees about a pivot axis of the pivot connection as the level moves from the operational position to the stowed position.
33. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 32 , wherein the level is configured to pivot 90 degrees about the pivot axis as the level moves from the operational position to the stowed position.
34. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 16 , wherein the level is configured to pivot less than 180 degrees about the pivot axis as the level moves from the operational position to the stowed position.
35. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 34 , wherein the level is configured to pivot 90 degrees about the pivot axis as the level moves from the operational position to the stowed position.
36. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the weapon sight connector includes a forward portion and a rearward portion, the forward portion arranged to be in front of the rearward portion when the weapon sight connector is mounted on the firearm, wherein the pivot connection defines a pivot axis about which the level pivots between the operational and stowed positions, and wherein the pivot axis extends in a rearward-to-forward orientation with respect to the weapon sight connector.
37. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 36 , wherein the pivot connection includes a bracket connected to the weapon sight connector, the bracket being selectively movable with respect to the weapon sight connector to change an orientation of the vial with respect to the weapon sight connector in the operation position.
38. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 37 , wherein the pivot axis of the pivot connection is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vial.
39. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 38 , wherein in the stowed position the bubble cannot be referenced by the user for indicating orientation of the weapon sight with respect to vertical.
40. The anti-cant indicator assembly of claim 39 , wherein the retainer is carried by the level and movable with the level as the level moves about the pivot connection, and wherein the retainer is configured to releasably retain the level in the operational position and the stowed position.