Ammunition magazine and follower configured to chamber an ammunition cartridge without contacting the bullet portion of the cartridge
The present disclosure provides ammunition magazines and followers for use in a firearm, such as an AR15 or M16 firearm, that prevent contact between the bullet portion of a cartridge and interior surfaces of the firearm's receiver portion during transfer of the cartridge from the magazine to the firearm's chamber.
1. An ammunition magazine configured to bottom-feed a plurality of ammunition cartridges into an upper receiver of a firearm, each ammunition cartridge comprising a bullet, the ammunition magazine comprising:
a magazine housing including a catch and a floor plate receiver;
a spring within the magazine housing;
a floor plate retainer disposed at a bottom end of the spring;
a floor plate disposed at a bottom end of the magazine housing and reversibly mated with the floor plate retainer; and
a magazine follower disposed at a top end of the spring, the magazine follower including:
a cartridge-shaped protrusion on a top surface,
a ramp on the top surface and disposed adjacent to the cartridge-shaped protrusion, and configured to direct a cartridge from the ammunition magazine to an upper receiver portion of an associated firearm without enabling contact between any portion of the bullet of the ammunition cartridge and a feed ramp portion of the receiver,
a front leg disposed on a distal end of the magazine follower, and
a rear leg disposed generally opposite the front leg.
2. The ammunition magazine of claim 1 , wherein the ammunition round is a 0.223 inch round.
3. The ammunition magazine of claim 1 , wherein the ammunition round is a 5.56 mm round.
4. The ammunition magazine of claim 1 , wherein the magazine follower further comprises a tail fin configured to slide vertically within a tail recess of the magazine housing.
5. A magazine follower comprising:
a cartridge-shaped protrusion on a top surface,
a ramp on the top surface and disposed adjacent to the cartridge-shaped protrusion, and configured to direct a cartridge comprising a bullet from an ammunition magazine to an upper receiver portion of an associated firearm without enabling contact between the bullet of the cartridge and a feed ramp portion of the receiver,
a front leg disposed on a distal end of the magazine follower, and
a rear leg disposed generally opposite the front leg.
6. The magazine follower of claim 5 further comprising a tail fin disposed adjacent the rear leg and configured to slidably mate with a tail recess of a magazine housing.
7. The ammunition magazine of claim 5 , wherein the ammunition cartridge is a 0.223 cartridge or a 5.56 cartridge.
8. An ammunition magazine configured to mate with an upper receiver of an associated firearm, the ammunition magazine comprising:
a cavity;
a magazine follower disposed in the cavity and comprising:
a top surface, and
a ramp on the top surface configured to align a cartridge comprising a bullet from the ammunition magazine with a chamber of the upper receiver of the associated firearm such that the bullet of the cartridge will not contact a feed ramp of the upper receiver; and
a compression spring disposed to exert an upward force on the magazine follower.
9. The ammunition magazine of claim 8 , wherein the ammunition round is a 0.223 inch round.
10. The ammunition magazine of claim 8 , wherein the ammunition round is a 5.56 mm round.
11. The ammunition magazine of claim 8 , wherein the magazine follower further comprises a tail fin configured to slide vertically within a tail recess of the ammunition magazine.