US12680773 - Buffered bolt catch

The patent describes a movable bolt catch for firearms that engages a bolt to retain it in a specific position and interacts with an empty magazine’s follower to ensure proper operation. The design includes a pivoting mechanism with an elongate slot and a spring that allows the bolt catch to compress and slide when engaged by the bolt.

Claim 1

1 . A firearm having a longitudinal axis and comprising: a bolt configured for reciprocal motion about and between a first position and a second position along a path of travel along the longitudinal axis, the bolt having a forward surface, wherein the forward surface of the bolt is in a first location along the longitudinal axis when the bolt is in the first position, wherein the forward surface of the bolt is in a second location along the longitudinal axis when the bolt is in the second position, and wherein the first location of the forward surface of the bolt is spaced, in a first direction along the longitudinal axis, from the second location of the forward surface of the bolt; a bolt catch movably mounted on the firearm, the bolt catch comprising: a first surface that is configured to engage the bolt to retain the bolt in the first position; a second surface that is configured to engage a follower of an empty magazine to position the bolt catch in a catching configuration in which the first surface is within the path of travel of the bolt between the first position and the second position; and an elongate slot that extends transversely through the bolt catch; a pin that extends through the slot of the bolt catch, wherein the bolt catch is configured to pivot about the pin and slide relative to the pin, wherein the first surface of the bolt catch is spaced from the pin in the first direction along the longitudinal axis; and a spring that biases the bolt catch in the first direction, wherein, upon engagement between the bolt catch and the first surface of the bolt, the bolt catch is configured to slide relative to the pin to compress the spring. a bolt configured for reciprocal motion about and between a first position and a second position along a path of travel along the longitudinal axis, the bolt having a forward surface, wherein the forward surface of the bolt is in a first location along the longitudinal axis when the bolt is in the first position, wherein the forward surface of the bolt is in a second location along the longitudinal axis when the bolt is in the second position, and wherein the first location of the forward surface of the bolt is spaced, in a first direction along the longitudinal axis, from the second location of the forward surface of the bolt; a bolt catch movably mounted on the firearm, the bolt catch comprising: a first surface that is configured to engage the bolt to retain the bolt in the first position; a second surface that is configured to engage a follower of an empty magazine to position the bolt catch in a catching configuration in which the first surface is within the path of travel of the bolt between the first position and the second position; and an elongate slot that extends transversely through the bolt catch; a first surface that is configured to engage the bolt to retain the bolt in the first position; a second surface that is configured to engage a follower of an empty magazine to position the bolt catch in a catching configuration in which the first surface is within the path of travel of the bolt between the first position and the second position; and an elongate slot that extends transversely through the bolt catch; a pin that extends through the slot of the bolt catch, wherein the bolt catch is configured to pivot about the pin and slide relative to the pin, wherein the first surface of the bolt catch is spaced from the pin in the first direction along the longitudinal axis; and a spring that biases the bolt catch in the first direction, wherein, upon engagement between the bolt catch and the first surface of the bolt, the bolt catch is configured to slide relative to the pin to compress the spring.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12680773

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12680773