Safety Lever

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/633,643, filed Apr. 12, 2024, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This disclosure relates to firearms and, in particular, safety levers for firearms.

Firearms have safety mechanisms that are operable to change the firearm between a fire mode and a safety mode. When the safety mechanism is in the fire mode, the safety mechanism permits a user to pull a trigger of the firearm to fire the firearm. When the safety mechanism is in the safety mode, the safety mechanism inhibits the user from being able to fire the firearm. Many existing firearms include a safety mechanism (e.g., a switch) that is operable from one side of the firearm. For example, AK-47 rifles include a safety lever on the right side of the gun that a user shooting with their right hand may switch between the fire mode and the safety mode with their trigger finger. Users may also shoot with their left hand, for example, if they are left-handed or when weak hand shooting, e.g., in a competition. When shooting such firearms with their left hand, a user needs to move the safety lever on the right side of the firearm which can be cumbersome and slow down the user. For example, the user may need to remove their right hand from the stock of the firearm or reach over the firearm with their left hand to flip the safety lever.

With respect to, a firearmis shown having a safety leveron the left side of the firearm. The safety levermay be pivoted to switch the firearmbetween the safety mode () and fire mode (). In the example shown, the firearmis an AK-47 rifle that includes a right side safety lever(see), as is conventional for AK-47 rifles, which a user typically operates using their trigger or index finger when shooting with their right hand. With the safety leveron the left side of the firearm, a user shooting with their left hand (e.g., when weak hand shooting or a left-handed shooter) may operate the safety leverusing their trigger or index finger of their left hand rather than having to operate the right side safety lever. This permits the user to operate the safety of the firearmwhile keeping both of their hands at their proper positions on the firearm. A user can thus more quickly and easily switch the firearm between the fire and safety modes. The left side safety levermay also permit a right-handed shooter to switch the firearmbetween the safety mode and the fire mode using their thumb rather than their index finger if desired.

With respect to, a safety assemblyis shown in an assembled configuration like it would be when assembled on the firearm(but without the clip, discussed below). The safety assemblyincludes the conventional right-side safety leverthat is coupled to the safety axle. The user may pivot the right-side safety lever(e.g., with their index finger) to rotate the safety axleto pivot an engagement portionof the safety axle. The engagement portionmay be pivoted to engage portions of the safety mechanism, not shown for conciseness, when moved to the safety mode to prevent the firearmfrom being fired. The engagement portionmay be pivoted to disengage the other portions of the safety mechanism when moved to the fire mode to permit the firearmto be fired by pulling the triggerof the firearm.

With respect also to, the safety assemblyfurther includes components of the modification kitto add the left side safety leverto the conventional firearm. The modification kitmay include the left side safety lever, a clip, and a pin retainer.

With respect to, the left side safety leverhas a lever portionand a coupler portion. The lever portionhas a lever bodyto extend along a wallof the firearm(see). The lever portionmay include a user engagement portion or flangeextending outward of the lever portion. The flangeprovides an upper surfaceand a lower surfacethat the user may press against with their finger (e.g., left hand index finger) to pivot the lever portionupward or downward (e.g., to switch between the fire mode and safety mode). The upper surfaceof the flangemay be curved, having a convex shape. The lower surfaceof the flangemay be curved, having a concave shape. The curved flangeprovides an ergonomic shape to permit the user to engage the safety leverefficiently and safely.

The coupler portionextends from the lever portionto extend through the wallof the firearmto couple with the safety axleof the firearm. The coupler portionmay extend substantially perpendicularly to the lever portion. The lever portionmay be pivoted about the coupler portionto cause the coupler portionto rotate about an axisof the coupler portion. The coupler portionmay include a cylindrical bodyextending from the lever portionalong the axis.

With reference also to, the cylindrical bodymay have a recesssized to receive an end portionof the safety axleof the firearm. The recessmay include a cylindrical portion(see) to receive a cylindrical endof the safety axle. The recessmay also include a non-circular portion(see) to receive a non-circular portionof the safety axleto rotatably couple the coupler portionto the safety axle. Thus, when the coupler portionis rotated about the axis, the non-circular portionof the recesscontacts the non-circular portionof the safety axleto cause the safety axleto rotate with the coupler portionand switch the firearmbetween the safety mode and fire mode.

In the form shown, the non-circular portionis a slotextending perpendicularly through the cylindrical bodyto form flat opposing wallsto engage the non-circular portion(e.g., the rectangular cross-section portion) of the safety axle. When the coupler portionis rotated, the opposing wallscontact the non-circular portionof the safety levercausing the safety leverto rotate between the safety mode and fire mode. In other forms, the non-circular portioncan take other shapes and sizes. For example, the slotmay not extend all the way through the sides of the cylindrical body, but instead the cylindrical bodymay extend about and enclose the slot.

With respect to, the clipsecures the safety leverto the wallof the firearm, while permitting the safety leverto pivot relative to the wall. In the form shown, the clipis a retaining ring clip such as an E-clip. The clipis C-shaped having a central portionand arms,extending from the central portionto form a mouth. With reference also to, the cylindrical bodyof the coupler portion may include grooves,proximate to the lever bodyto receive the arms,of the clip. The grooves,may be spaced from the lever bodyby approximately the thickness of the wallof the firearm. The grooves,extend perpendicular to the axisof the cylindrical bodyand generally parallel with the lever body.

To secure the safety leverto the firearm, the mouthof the clipmay be positioned to face the cylindrical bodyof the coupler portionand the arms,of the clipaligned with the grooves,of the cylindrical body. The clipmay be urged toward the cylindrical bodyto insert the arms,into a respective groove,, with a portion of the cylindrical bodybeing received into the mouthof the clip. The clipmay have a dimension (e.g. a diameter or width) that is greater than an openingA in the wallof the firearminto which the coupler portionof the safety leveris inserted. As shown in, the clipis secured the coupler portionafter the grooves,have passed through the openingA of the firearminto an interior of the firearm. The clipthus inhibits the coupler portionfrom being withdrawn from the openingA of the firearmas the clipis sized such that it is not able to pass through the openingA. The clippermits the coupler portionto be rotated in the openingA of the firearm, for example, when the lever portionis pivoted about the axis.

With respect to, the pin retainersupports the pins,that secure the triggerand hammer of the firearm. The pin retaineris modified to accommodate the left side safety lever. For reference, a conventional pin retaineris shown in. The pin retainerincludes an armhaving a first segmentconnected to a second segmentby a transition segment. The transition segmentextends at an angle (e.g., an oblique angle) between the first segmentand second segmentto support the first segmentsubstantially parallel to the second segment, but in a different plane. The first segmentincludes a C-shaped recessat an end thereof sized and shaped to receive a portion of the cylindrical bodyof the coupler portionof the safety lever(see). Recessof the pin retainerlimits movement of the pin retainerrelative to the coupler portionwhen the safety leveris mounted to the firearm. The recessof the pin retainerpermits the coupler portionto rotate in the recess. The second segmentof the pin retainer includes a first notchto receive the trigger pinand a second notchto receive the hammer pin. With the pins,in the notches,, the pins,are not able to move substantially and are thus held in place by the pin retainer.

To attach the left side safety leverto the firearm, the coupler portionof the safety levermay be inserted into the openingA in the wallon the left side of the firearm. Where the firearmis a conventional firearm being modified to include the left side safety lever, the openingA may be drilled out to a size large enough to receive the cylindrical bodyof the coupler portion. The clipmay be snapped over the cylindrical bodyof the coupler portionto secure the safety leverto the wallof the firearm. For example, the arms,may be inserted along the grooves,of the coupler portionalong the inside of the wall. The pin retainermay be inserted into the firearmto position the hammer pinin the notch. The pin retainermay be pivoted downward about the hammer pinto position the trigger pinin the notchand the cylindrical bodyof the coupler portionin the recessof the pin retainer. The safety axlemay then be move axially to insert the end portionof the safety axleinto the recessof the coupler portionuntil the non-circular cross-sectional portionof the safety axleis at least partially received into the slotof the coupler portion. Rotation of either the left side safety leveror the right side safety leverthus rotates the safety axleto shift the firearmbetween the safety mode and the fire mode.

The left side safety leverpermits a user shooting left-handed to use their index finger to move the left side safety leverto switch between the fire and safety modes. The left side safety leveralso provide a firearmwith an ambidextrous safety system to provide users with options for engaging or disengaging the safety. For instance, a user has the option to use either the index finger or the thumb of their shooting hand to switch the firearmbetween the safety mode and the fire mode using either the left side safety leveror right side safety lever. For example, some users may desire to switch the firearmto the fire mode with their thumb and then switch the firearmto the safety mode with their index finger.

With respect to, a safety leverA is shown according to another embodiment similar to the embodiments discussed above such that the differences are highlighted. In the safety leverA, the cylindrical bodyA of the coupler portionA of the safety leverA has one annular grooveA, instead of the two grooves,, that extends circumferentially about the cylindrical bodyA to permit the clipto be attached in any orientation.

Uses of singular terms such as “a,” “an,” are intended to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms. It is intended that the phrase “at least one of” as used herein be interpreted in the disjunctive sense. For example, the phrase “at least one of A and B” is intended to encompass A, B, or both A and B.

While there have been illustrated and described particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended for the present invention to cover all those changes and modifications which fall within the scope of the appended claims.