Ambidextrous magazine catch
An ambidextrous magazine catch for a firearm has a body movable on the frame of the firearm. A dog is rotatably mounted on the body. The dog has a jaw which is movable toward and away from the magazine well upon either motion of the body or rotation of the dog. The jaw engages a magazine in the magazine well. A plunger engaged with the body effects rotation of the dog through a cam surface on the plunger and a cam follower on the dog.
1. A magazine catch for a firearm having a magazine well, said catch comprising:
a body mountable on said firearm adjacent to said magazine well, a first end of said body being positionable proximate to a first side of said firearm, a second end of said body being positionable proximate to a second side of said firearm disposed oppositely from said first side, said body being movable in a direction oriented transversely to said first and second sides;
a dog positioned proximate to a second end of said body, said dog being attached to said body for rotation about a rotation axis, said dog having a jaw positioned on one side of said rotation axis and a cam follower positioned on an opposite side of said rotation axis;
a body spring acting directly between said firearm and said body and biasing said jaw toward said magazine well;
a plunger engaging said second end of said body, said plunger being movable toward and away from said first end of said body;
a plunger spring acting between said body and said plunger for biasing said plunger away from said first end of said body;
a cam surface positioned on said plunger, said cam surface engaging said cam follower and rotating said dog upon motion of said plunger toward and away from said first end of said body; wherein
said jaw is movable toward and away from said magazine well upon motion of said body transversely to said firing axis and motion of said plunger relatively to said body.
2. The magazine catch according to claim 1 , wherein:
said body defines a cavity extending between said first and second ends thereof;
said plunger being received within said cavity, said plunger spring being located within said cavity.
3. The magazine catch according to claim 2 , wherein said plunger further comprises a shroud surrounding at least a portion of said dog.
4. The magazine catch according to claim 3 , wherein said shroud has an interior surface defining said cam surface.
5. The magazine catch according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover positioned on said second end of said body, said cover overlying at least a portion of said jaw.
6. The magazine catch according to claim 1 , wherein said rotation axis is oriented transversely to said body.
7. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein said cam follower comprises a lobe having a curved perimeter.
8. A firearm, comprising:
a frame having first and second sides oppositely disposed, said frame defining a magazine well therebetween;
a body mounted on said frame adjacent to said magazine well, a first end of said body being positioned proximate to said first side of said frame, a second end of said body being positioned proximate to said second side of said frame, said body being movable transversely to said first and second sides of said frame;
a dog positioned proximate to said second end of said body, said dog being attached to said body for rotation about a rotation axis, said dog having a jaw positioned on one side of said rotation axis and a cam follower positioned on an opposite side of said rotation axis;
a body spring acting directly between said firearm and said body and biasing said jaw toward said magazine well;
a plunger engaging said second end of said body, said plunger being movable toward and away from said first end of said body;
a plunger spring acting between said body and said plunger for biasing said plunger away from said first end of said body;
a cam surface positioned on said plunger, said cam surface engaging said cam follower and rotating said dog upon motion of said plunger toward and away from said first end of said body; wherein
said jaw is movable toward and away from said magazine well upon motion of said body transversely to said sides of said frame and motion of said plunger relatively to said body.
9. The firearm according to claim 8 , wherein:
said body defines a cavity extending between said first and second ends thereof;
said plunger being received within said cavity, said plunger spring being located within said cavity.
10. The firearm according to claim 9 , wherein said plunger further comprises a shroud surrounding at least a portion of said dog.
11. The firearm according to claim 10 wherein said shroud has an interior surface defining said cam surface.
12. The firearm according to claim 8 , further comprising a cover positioned on said second end of said body, said cover overlying at least a portion of said jaw.
13. The firearm according to claim 8 , wherein said rotation axis is oriented transversely to said body.
14. The firearm according to claim 8 , wherein said cam follower comprises a lobe having a curved perimeter.