Gun Attachment

This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/586,304, titled “Gun Attachment” and filed Feb. 23, 2024, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,385,710, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/661,002, titled “Gun Attachment” and filed Apr. 27, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,913,744, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/180,581, titled “DYNAMIC GUN ATTACHMENT” and filed on Apr. 27, 2021, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

The teachings disclosed herein generally relate to guns, and more specifically to attachments for guns.

The term “gun” generally refers to a ranged weapon that uses a shooting tube (also referred to as a “barrel”) to launch solid projectiles, though some instead project pressurized liquid, gas, or even charged particles. These projectiles may be free flying (e.g., as with bullets), or these projectiles may be tethered to the gun (e.g., as with spearguns, harpoon guns, and electroshock weapons such as TASER® devices). The means of projectile propulsion vary according to the design (and thus, type of gun), but are traditionally effected pneumatically by a highly compressed gas contained within the barrel. This gas is normally produced through the rapid exothermic combustion of propellants (e.g., as with firearms) or mechanical compression (e.g., as with air guns). When introduced behind the projectile, the gas pushes and accelerates the projectile down the length of the barrel, imparting sufficient launch velocity to sustain it further towards a target after exiting the muzzle.

Most guns use compressed gas that is confined by the barrel to propel the projectile up to high speed, though the term “gun” may be used more broadly in relation to devices that operate in other ways. Accordingly, the term “gun” may not only cover handguns, shotguns, rifles, single-shot firearms, semi-automatic firearms, and automatic firearms, but also electroshock weapons, light-gas guns, plasma guns, and the like.

Significant energies have been spent developing safer ways to use, transport, store, and discard guns. Gun safety is an important aspect of avoiding unintentional injury due to mishaps like accidental discharges and malfunctions. Gun safety is also becoming an increasingly important aspect of designing and manufacturing guns. While there have been many attempts to make guns safer to use, transport, and store, those attempts have had little impact.

The systems, apparatuses, and techniques described herein support an attachment that can be fastened to a gun. The term “gun,” as used herein, may be used to refer to a lethal force weapon, such as a pistol, a rifle, a shotgun, a semi-automatic firearm, or an automatic firearm; a less-lethal weapon, such as a stun-gun or a projectile emitting device; or an assembly of components operable to selectively discharge matter or charged particles, such as a firing mechanism.

Generally, the described systems and techniques described herein provide an attachment that can be fastened to a gun. The attachment improves shooter accuracy and gun personalization by delivering stationary sights and a personalized platform. The attachment may include a top surface having a longitudinal axis and an aiming sight that is parallel with the longitudinal axis, a front surface having a latitudinal axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the front surface including a muzzle aperture, a left surface, a right surface, and a fastening system. The left surface and the right surface may extend from the front surface in a direction that is parallel with the longitudinal axis. The fastening system may include a first mounting aperture of the left surface, a second mounting aperture of the right surface, and a locking pin capable of being positioned in the first mounting aperture and in the second mounting aperture such that the locking pin fastens the attachment to the gun. Fastening the attachment to the gun may result in the longitudinal axis being parallel with a longitudinal bore axis of the gun, and the muzzle aperture may be centered around the longitudinal bore axis of the gun such that the gun can fire projectile through the bore and through the muzzle aperture.

Various features of the technology described herein will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the Detailed Description in conjunction with the drawings. Various embodiments are depicted in the drawings for the purpose of illustration. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative embodiments may be employed without departing from the principles of the technology. Accordingly, the technology is amenable to modifications that may not be reflected in the drawings.

Some conventional guns provide one or more aiming sights (or simply “sights”) that are mounted on top of the slide. The sights are used to aim the gun at a target, but since the sights are generally located on the slide, the sights will reciprocate every time the gun is fired. This reciprocation makes it challenging to deliver accurate shots in rapid succession, as the sights reciprocate out of the sight picture of the user firing the gun, so the user must wait for the slide to return to battery for the sights to reenter the sight picture before aligning the sights with the target for a follow up shot.

Additionally, personalizing a gun can be time consuming and prevent the gun from functioning as expected. For example, a user may personalize a gun by attaching peripheral components to the gun, such as a flashlight, a laser sight, an optical sight, a suppressor, a compensator, or the like. But attaching such peripheral components may prevent the gun from functioning as expected or impose significant loads onto the gun that can damage the gun. For example, attaching a flashlight to a pistol may prevent the pistol from fitting in a holster, and shooting a pistol with a suppressor may prevent the gun from ejecting spent cartridges or increase the wear on the recoil spring.

Introduced here, therefore, is a gun attachment that delivers stationary aiming sights while providing a platform for easily and reliably personalizing the gun. The gun attachment (or simply “attachment”) described herein may be removably coupled with a gun. Note that the attachment may vary in its design and construction depending on the type of gun to which it is to be removably coupled. For the purpose of illustration, embodiments of the attachment may be shown (and therefore described) in the context of a semi-automatic pistol. Embodiments of the attachment could be similarly designed for other types of guns, however.

The attachment may include a front sight, and the attachment may be coupled with a gun such that the front sight is located above the barrel of the gun while the gun is held in an upright position, where the phrase “upright position” generally refers to a scenario in which the gun is oriented as if in a high ready position with the barrel roughly parallel to the ground. The attachment may be coupled with the gun such that the slide can move freely while the attachment remains stationary, thereby improving the degree to which the user operating the gun can keep the front sight in their sight picture.

The attachment also provides a platform for personalizing the appearance and behavior of the gun. For example, the attachment may include integrated peripheral components or attachment mechanisms for affixing peripheral components. The term “peripheral component” generally refers to a component that can function independently from a firing mechanism of the gun. The attachment may include an integrated peripheral component, such as a laser sight, a fiber optic sight, a light-emitting diode (LED) sight, or a flashlight. The attachment may additionally or alternatively be removably coupled with a peripheral component, such as a flashlight, a laser sight, a suppressor, or a compensator. The attachment may include an electrical interface that allows the attachment to be electronically coupled with a gun. For example, the attachment may include a universal serial bus (USB) interface that is mated with a corresponding USB interface of the gun as the attachment is affixed to the gun.

The attachment may be removably coupled with the gun. For example, a locking pin may be used to fasten the attachment to a frame or chassis of the gun, and the attachment may be removed from the gun based on removing the locking pin. The attachment may include guide rods that align the attachment with the gun such that the electrical interface of the attachment reliably mates with the electrical interface of the gun, such that the aiming sight is positioned in an appropriate location to facilitate accurate aiming, or such that an aperture of the attachment is aligned with a bore of the barrel of the gun. A gun may be personalized by removing a first attachment and affixing a second attachment to the gun. The first and second attachments may be different colors and/or include different peripheral components. The gun may also be personalized by affixing a peripheral component to the attachment, such as a flashlight, a suppressor, or a compensator. The attachments described herein may be capable of being used with multiple different guns. For example, an attachment mechanism may be designed for a style of gun or a model of gun, and the attachment may be used with multiple guns of a particular style or model.

In some examples, the attachment may include an alloy chassis at a front end of the attachment body. For example, the left and right sides of the attachment may include a synthetic polymer shroud, and the front of the attachment may include a heat resistive alloy chassis that aids in directing hot gas away from the gun. The chassis may include a hole that lines up with the bore of the barrel when the attachment is coupled with a gun. The chassis may include a flat surface that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the barrel as well as a recessed surface that extends from the flat surface and along the longitudinal axis of the barrel in a negative direction for at least 12 millimeters. The recessed surface may be a tapered cylinder that surrounds the barrel and promotes the egress of gas away from the barrel. In some examples, the length of the recessed surface is configured to be longer than the distance traveled by the barrel during recoil.

The attachment chassis may include threading that allows peripheral components to be connected to the attachment, such as suppressors or compressors. For example, the attachment may include a raised surface that extends from the flat surface along the longitudinal axis of the barrel in a positive direction. The positive direction of the longitudinal axis corresponds to the direction a projectile fired from the gun would travel, and the negative direction is the opposite direction. The raised surface may include threading that supports the coupling of a suppressor, a compensator, or an adapter mechanism. The attachment described herein allows a suppressor, compensator, or adapter mechanism to be coupled with the gun in a static fashion that, thereby reducing the load applied onto the barrel of the gun.

Embodiments may be described in the context of executable instructions for the purpose of illustration. For example, a processor housed in a gun may be described as being capable of executing instructions that manages the behavior of the attachment. As an example, the processor may transmit signals over a physical communication channel to cause an LED sight, a laser sight, or a flashlight to power on. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that aspects of the technology could be implemented via hardware, firmware, or software.

References in the present disclosure to “an embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that the feature, function, structure, or characteristic being described is included in at least one embodiment. Occurrences of such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor do they necessarily refer to alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusive of one another.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” and “comprised of” are to be construed in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense (i.e., in the sense of “including but not limited to”). The term “based on” is also to be construed in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense. For example, the phrase “A is based on B” does not imply that “A” is based solely on “B.” Thus, the term “based on” is intended to mean “based at least in part on” unless otherwise noted.

The terms “connected,” “coupled,” and variants thereof are intended to include any connection or coupling between two or more elements, either direct or indirect. The connection or coupling can be physical, electrical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, elements may be electrically or communicatively coupled with one another despite not sharing a physical connection. As one illustrative example, a first component is considered coupled with a second component when there is a conductive path between the first component and the second component. As another illustrative example, a first component is considered coupled with a second component when the first component and the second component are fastened, joined, attached, tethered, bonded, or otherwise linked.

The term “manager” may refer broadly to software, firmware, or hardware. Managers are typically functional components that generate one or more outputs based on one or more inputs. A computer program may include or utilize one or more managers. For example, a computer program may utilize multiple managers that are responsible for completing different tasks, or a computer program may utilize a single manager that is responsible for completing all tasks. As another example, a manager may include an electrical circuit that produces an output based on hardware components, such as transistors, logic gates, analog components, or digital components. Unless otherwise noted, the terms “manager” and “module” may be used interchangeably herein.

When used in reference to a list of multiple items, the term “or” is intended to cover all of the following interpretations: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of items in the list. For example, the list “A, B, or C” indicates the list “A” or “B” or “C” or “A and B” or “A and C” or “B and C” or “A and B and C.”

illustrates an example of a gunthat can be coupled with an attachment in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The gunincludes a trigger, a barrel, a magazine, and a magazine release. While these components are generally found in firearms, such as pistols, rifles, and shotguns, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technology described herein may be similarly applicable to other types of guns as discussed above. As an example, comparable components may be included in vehicle-mounted weapons that are not intended to be held or operated by hand. While not shown in, the gunmay also include a striker (e.g., a ratcheting striker or rotating striker) or a hammer that can be actuated in response to pulling the trigger. Pulling the triggermay result in the release of the striker or hammer, thereby causing the striker or hammer to contact a firing pin, percussion cap, or primer, so as to ignite a propellant and fire a projectile through the barrel. Embodiments of the gunmay also include a blowback system, a locked breech system, or any combination thereof. These systems are more commonly found in self-reloading firearms. The blowback system may be responsible for obtaining energy from the motion of the case of the projectile as it is pushed to the rear of the gunby expanding propellant, while the locked breech system may be responsible for slowing down the opening of the breech of a self-reloading firearm when fired. Accordingly, the gunmay support the semi-automatic firing of projectiles, the automatic firing of projectiles, or both.

The gunmay include one or more safeties that are meant to reduce the likelihood of an accidental discharge or an unauthorized use. The gunmay include one or more mechanical safeties, such as a trigger safety or a firing pin safety. The trigger safety may be incorporated in the triggerto prevent the triggerfrom moving in response to lateral forces placed on the triggeror dropping the gun. The term “lateral forces,” as used herein, may refer to a force that is substantially orthogonal to a central axisthat extends along the barrelfrom the front to the rear of the gun. The firing pin safety may block the displacement path of the firing pin until the triggeris pulled. Additionally or alternatively, the gunmay include one or more electronic safety components, such as an electronically actuated drop safety. In some cases, the gunmay include both mechanical and electronic safeties to reduce the potential for an accidental discharge and enhance the overall safety of the gun.

The gunmay include one or more sensors, such as a user presence sensorand a biometric sensor. In some cases, the gunmay include multiple user presence sensorswhose outputs can collectively be used to detect the presence of a user. For example, the gunmay include a time of flight (TOF) sensor, a photoelectric sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, a force sensor, a resistive sensor, or a mechanical switch. As another example, the gunmay include a proximity sensor that is configured to emit an electromagnetic field or electromagnetic radiation, like infrared, and looks for changes in the field or return signal. As another example, the gunmay include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to identify a presence event in response to measuring movement that matches a movement signature of a user picking up the gun. As another example, the gunmay include an audio input mechanism (e.g., a transducer implemented in a microphone) that is configured to generate a signal that is representative of nearby sounds, and the presence of the user can be detected based on an analysis of the signal.

The gunmay also include one or more biometric sensorsas shown in. For example, the gunmay include a fingerprint sensor (also referred to as a “fingerprint scanner”), an image sensor, or an audio input mechanism. The fingerprint scanner may generate a digital image (or simply “image”) of the fingerprint pattern of the user, and the fingerprint pattern can be examined (e.g., on the gunor elsewhere) to determine whether the user should be verified. The image sensor may generate an image of an anatomical feature (e.g., the face or eye) of the user, and the image can be examined (e.g., on the gunor elsewhere) to determine whether the user should be verified. Normally, the image sensor is a charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor that is included in a camera module (or simply “camera”) able to generate color images. The image sensor need not necessarily generate images in color, however. In some embodiments, the image sensor is configured to generate ultraviolet, infrared, or near infrared images. Regardless of its nature, images generated by the image sensor can be used to authenticate the presence or identity of the user. As an example, an image generated by a camera may be used to perform facial recognition of the user. The audio input mechanism may generate a signal that is representative of audio containing the voice of the user, and the signal can be examined (e.g., on the gunor elsewhere) to determine whether the user should be verified. Thus, the signal generated by the audio input mechanism may be used to perform speaker recognition of the user. Including multiple biometric sensors in the gunmay support a robust authentication procedure that functions in the event of sensor failure, thereby improving gun reliability. Note, however, that each of the multiple biometric sensors may not provide the same degree or confidence of identity verification. As an example, the output produced by one biometric sensor (e.g., an audio input mechanism) may be used to determine whether a user is present while the output produced by another biometric sensor (e.g., a fingerprint scanner or image sensor) may be used to verify the identity of the user in response to a determination that the user is present.

The gunmay include one or more components that facilitate the collection and processing of token data. For example, the gunmay include an integrated circuit (also referred to as a “chip”) that facilitates wireless communication. The chip may be capable of receiving a digital identifier, such as a Bluetooth® token or a Near Field Communication (NFC) identifier. The term “authentication data” may be used to described data that is used to authenticate a user. For example, the gunmay collect authentication data from the user to determine that the user is authorized to operate the gun, and the gunmay be unlocked in based on determining that the user is authorized to operate the gun. Authentication data may include biometric data, token data, or both. Authentication data may be referred to as enrollment data when used to enroll a user, and authentication data may be referred to as query data when used to authenticate a user. In some examples, the gun may transform (e.g., encrypt, hash, transform, encode, etc.) enrollment data and store the transformed enrollment data in memory (e.g., non-volatile memory) of the gun, and the gun may discard or refrain from storing query data in the memory. Thus, the gunmay transform authentication data, so as to inhibit unauthenticated use even in the event of unauthorized access of the gun.

The gunmay support various types of aiming sights (or simply “sights”). At a high level, a sight is an aiming device that may be used to assist in visually aligning the gun(and, more specifically, its barrel) with a target. For example, the gunmay include iron sights that improve aim without the use of optics. Additionally or alternatively, the gunmay include telescopic sights, reflex sights, or laser sights. In, the gunincludes two sights-namely, a front sightand a rear sight. In some cases, the front sightor the rear sightmay be used to indicate gun state information. For example, the front sightmay include a single illuminant that is able to emit light of different colors to indicate different gun states. As another example, the front sightmay include multiple illuminants, each of which is able to emit light of a different color, that collectively are able to indicate different gun states. One example of an illuminant is an LED.

The gunmay fire projectiles, and the projectiles may be associated with lethal force or less-lethal force. For example, the gunmay fire projectiles containing lead, brass, copper, zinc, steel, plastic, rubber, synthetic polymers (e.g., nylon), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the gunis configured to fire lethal bullets containing lead, while in other cases the gunis configured to fire less-lethal bullets containing rubber. As mentioned above, the technology described herein may also be used in the context of a gun that fires prongs (also referred to as “darts”) which are intended to contact or puncture the skin of a target and then carry electric current into the body of the target. These guns are commonly referred to as “electronic control weapons” or “electroshock weapons.” One example of an electroshock weapon is a TASER device.

The gunmay be coupled with an attachment, and the attachmentmay include the front sight. As an example, the front sightmay be an example of an electronic sight that includes an LED that is coupled with a communication channel terminating at a physical interface, and the physical interface may be configured to be coupled with a corresponding interface of the gun. For example, the attachmentmay include a male USB-C interface and the gunmay include a female USB-C interface.

The attachmentmay include a top surface having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough, the top surface including the front sightthat is parallel with the longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis may be parallel with the lengthwise axis of the barrel. The attachmentmay include a front surface having a latitudinal axis defined therethrough that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the front surface comprising a muzzle aperture with a diameter of at least 5 millimeters. The latitudinal axis may be parallel with a transverse axis of the barrel. In other words, the front surface of the attachmentmay be oriented on the same plane as the muzzle edge of the barrelsuch that an aperture in the attachmentwould allow a projectile to be projected through the barreland through the aperture without contacting the front surface (or any surface) of the attachment.

The attachment may include a left surface comprising a first mounting aperture, the left surface extending from the front surface and parallel to the longitudinal axis, a right surface comprising a second mounting aperture that is aligned with the first mounting aperture of the left surface, the right surface extending from the front surface and parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a locking pin capable affixing the attachmentto the gun. The locking pin may be capable of being positioned inside the first mounting aperture of the left surface and inside the second mounting aperture of the right surface such that the locking pin contacts an interior edge of the first mounting aperture of the left surface and an interior edge of the second mounting aperture of the right surface, wherein fastening the attachment with the gunby placing the locking pin in the first mounting aperture of the left surface and in the second mounting aperture of the right surface results in the longitudinal axis being parallel with a longitudinal axis defined through a bore of the barrelof the gun.

illustrates an example of a gunand an example of an attachmentfor the gun. The gunmay be an example of the gunas described with reference to.

The attachmentincludes a sight, which may be an example of an iron sight an electronic sight. For example, the sightmay include a light pipe that is parallel with the central axisas a result of the attachmentbeing fastened with the gun. The attachmentmay be fastened to the gunby placing a locking pin(e.g., a takedown lever, a friction pin, etc.) in the apertureand the aperture. The locking pinmay be used to fasten the attachmentto the gunby placing the locking pintransversely across the central axis. The central axisis an example of a longitudinal axis defined through the bore of the barrel of the gun.

The embodiment shown inthe locking pinan example of a fastening mechanism (also called a “locking mechanism” or a “securement mechanism”), but it should be understood that an additional or alternative fastening mechanism may be used to couple an attachment with a gun. For example, an attachment may be coupled with a gun based on a fastening mechanism such as a magnet, an adhesive, or a mechanism feature (e.g., a detent, a notch, a bolt, a rivet, a clasp, etc.).

illustrates an example of an attachmentand an example of an attachmentthat can be coupled with a gun. The attachmentprovides a front-angled perspective of an attachment and the attachmentprovides a rear-angled perspective of an attachment.

The attachmentincludes a top surfacewith a longitudinal axisand a front surfacewith a latitudinal axis. The latitudinal axismay be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axismay be parallel with a lengthwise axis of the sight, and the longitudinal axismay be configured to be parallel with a lengthwise axis of a bore of a gun barrel when the attachmentis fastened to the gun. The latitudinal axismay be parallel with a cross sectional axis of the aperture, and the latitudinal axismay be configured to be parallel with a cross sectional axis of a muzzle of the gun barrel when the attachmentis fastened to the gun.

The attachmentincludes a windowfor an ambient light sensor that may be integrated into the attachment. The ambient light sensor may measure light, and the brightness of the sightmay be adjusted in response to the light measured by the ambient light sensor. The aperture(e.g., a muzzle aperture or an aperture of the front surface) may be designed to be aligned with a muzzle of the gun barrel when the attachmentis fastened to the gun. In other words, the aperturemay envelope the bore of the barrel of the gun when the attachmentis fastened to the gun. The aperturemay be considered to envelope the bore of the barrel when the center of the apertureis oriented about the center of the bore or when the apertureis located such that a projectile is capable of being propelling through the bore and out through the aperture.

The size of the aperturemay be designed based on the type of gun the attachmentis intended to be fastened to. In some examples, the diameter of the aperturemay be at least as large as a first threshold (e.g., a bottom threshold or a minimum threshold) and smaller than a second threshold (e.g., a top threshold or a maximum threshold). The first threshold may be 4 millimeters (mms), 8 mms, or anywhere in between, and the second threshold may be 9 mms, 19 mms, or anywhere in between. The aperturemay, in some examples, be rectangular in shape, and the size of the rectangular shaped aperturemay be designed to accommodate projectiles with a diameter that is smaller than the second threshold. In some examples, the aperturemay be a circular aperture with a diameter that is larger than the caliber of gun the attachmentis intended to fastened to, and the diameter of the aperturemay be larger than the caliber of the gun by a fixed amount or a proportional amount. As an illustrative example, the attachmentmay be configured to be fastened to 9 mm pistols, and the aperturemay be a circular aperture with a diameter of 9 mm*1.1, 9 mm*1.2, 9 mm*1.3, 9 mm*1.4, 9 mm*1.5, or anywhere in between. As another example, the attachmentmay be configured to be fastened to .22 long rifle (LR) pistols, and the aperturemay be a circular aperture with a diameter of 0.22 inches+0.05 inches, 0.22 inches+0.1 inches, 0.22 inches+0.2 inches, or anywhere in between. In some examples, the size of the aperturemay be configured to accommodate the largest caliber bullet the attachment is intended to be used with.

The attachmentincludes a left sideand a right side. The left sideand/or the right sidemay include one or more fastening mechanisms. For example, the left sidemay include a protruding dovetail joint configured to be inserted into a complementary recessed dovetail joint of the gun. The right sidemay additionally or alternatively include a protruding dovetail joint configured to be inserted into a complementary recessed dovetail joint of the gun. Including one or more dovetail joints in the attachmentinhibits splaying of the attachment and facilitates a secure coupling between the attachmentand the gun.

The attachmentincludes a guide rod-(e.g., a first guide rod), a guide rod-(e.g., a second guide rod), and an electrical interface. The attachmentmay be fastened to a gun based on aligning the guide rod-with a first cavity of the gun and aligning the guide rod-with a second cavity of the gun. The guide rod-and the guide rod-are examples of fastening mechanisms that support fastening the attachmentto a gun. The electrical interfacemay mate with a corresponding electrical interface of the gun. In some examples, the electrical interfacemay mate with the corresponding electrical interface of the gun based on the guide rod-and the guide rod-guiding the electrical interfaceinto the corresponding electrical interface of the gun. The electrical interfacemay provide power to a peripheral component mounting mechanism, such as a picatinny rail. As such, the electrical interfacemay provide power to components integrated into the attachmentand/or components that are removably coupled with the attachment.

The attachmentincludes a protruding rail-(e.g., a first protruding rail or a protruding rail of the left side of the attachment) and a protruding rail-(e.g., a second protruding rail or a protruding rail of the right side of the attachment). A dovetail joint is an example of a protruding rail, and a dovetail joint may be referred to simply as a “dovetail.” The pair of protruding rails (e.g., the protruding rail-and the protruding rail-) may be inserted into complementary recesses of the gun to fasten the attachmentto the gun. In some examples, the pair of protruding rails may actually be a pair of recessed rails, and the attachmentmay be fasted to the gun based on protruding rails of the gun being inserted into the pair of recessed rails.

The attachmentincludes an aperture-(e.g., a first aperture of the attachmentor an aperture of the left side of the attachment) and an aperture-(e.g., a second aperture of the attachmentor an aperture of the right side of the attachment). The pair of apertures (e.g., the aperture-and the aperture-) may be used to fasten the attachmentto a gun. For example, a locking pin (e.g., a takedown lever, a ball-and-socket locking pin, a lynchpin, etc.) may be inserted through the aperture-, through the gun, and through the aperture-to fasten the attachmentto the gun. The locking pin may be inserted through the aperture-, through an aperture of a left side of a frame of the gun, through an aperture of a right side of the frame of the gun, and through the aperture-. The locking pin may be positioned transversally across a bore axis of the gun to fasten the attachmentto the gun, and the locking pin may be rotated to lock the attachmentto the gun. For example, the locking pin may lock the attachmentto the gun based on a flat surface of the locking pin contacting a locking block of the gun. The bore axis is generally described as the axis that runs down the center of the barrel. The locking pin is an example of a fastening mechanism (also referred to as a “locking mechanism”) for fastening the attachmentto a gun, and the pair of apertures is an example of a fastening mechanism (also referred to as a “locking mechanism”) for fastening the attachmentto a gun, but it should be understood that other fastening mechanisms may be used to fasten the attachmentto the gun. Bolts, screws, anchors, rivets, clamps, buckles, clasps, clips, adhesive, magnets, cotter pins, and linchpins are examples of additional or alternative fastening mechanisms that may be used to fasten the attachmentto a gun.

The attachmentincludes a gasket, which may be used to seal a cavity of the gun. For example, the gasketmay be an example of a silicon gasket or a rubber gasket, and the gasketmay be used to seal a cavity of the gun, such as a battery pack cavity. The gasketmay inhibit contaminates from damaging aspects of the gun, such as a battery pack, an electrical interface, an electrical contact, or the like. The attachmentincludes a compressible material, which may be used to retain a battery pack of the gun. For example, the compressible materialmay include dense foam that presses against a battery pack of the gun to retain the battery pack in the battery pack cavity. The gasketmay seal the battery pack cavity to prevent contaminates from entering the battery pack cavity and potentially damaging the battery pack. The compressible materialmay be coupled with an alloy chassis of the attachment.

illustrates an example of a shroudand an example of a chassis, which may be aspects of an attachment described herein. The shroudand the chassismay be coupled together. For example, the chassismay be inserted into a chassis cavity of the shroudsuch that the shroudand the chassiscan be removably coupled to one another. As another example, the chassismay be fused with, or glued to, the shroud. As another example, the chassismay molded into the shroudsuch that the shroudand the chassisare aspects of the attachment. To manufacture an attachment, the chassismay be placed in a mold and a synthetic polymer may be injected into the mold to form the attachment. In other words, the shroudmay be injection molded around the chassisto form an attachment for a gun.

The shroudmay be joined with or otherwise include the chassisto form an attachment for a gun. The shroudmay be constructed of a synthetic polymer, such as a nylon-based polymer. The synthetic polymer may include, for example, polyamide with glass fiber. The glass fiber may form 1-5 percent of the polymer by weight, 1-10 percent of the polymer by weight, 5-10 percent of the polymer by weight, 5-15 percent of the polymer by weight, 10-15 percent of the polymer by weight, 10-20 percent of the polymer by weight, or the like. Including the glass fiber in the polymer can be used to increase the weight and strength of the attachment. The shroudmay undergo a procedure to improve the corrosion resistance, such as a ferritic nitrocarburizing procedure. Performing the procedure to improve the corrosion resistance (e.g., a corrosion protection procedure) can improve the durability of the shroud.

The shroudcan include an aperture(e.g., a muzzle aperture), a sight, and an internal structure. The aperturemay be configured to allow projectiles to pass through, the sightmay be configured to assist in aiming the attachment (and the gun the attachment is fastened to), and the internal structuremay enhance the strength of the attachment. The internal structure may include multiple arcuate components contacting an interior edge of the left side of the shroud, an interior edge of the top side of the shroud, and an interior edge of the right side of the shroud. The arcuate components may include a synthetic polymer, and the multiple arcuate components may enhance the strength of the shroud. The arcuate component may be created through an injection molding procedure.

The chassismay be an aspect of an attachment described herein. For example, the chassismay be joined with or otherwise integrated into the shroudto form an attachment. In some examples, the chassismay be constructed of an alloy material, such as an iron alloy, an aluminum alloy, or a titanium alloy. For example, the chassismay be constructed of steel, manganese steel, nickel steel, chromium steel, vanadium steel, or molybdenum steel. In some other examples, the chassismay be constructed of a synthetic material, such as carbon fiber.

The chassisincludes an aperture(e.g., a muzzle aperture), and the apertureincludes an interior surface-and an exterior surface-. The interior surface-or the exterior surface-may include threads and be referred to as a mounting surface. The apertureof the chassismay be located inside the apertureof the shroud. The mounting surface of the chassismay be configured to mount a suppressor, a compensator, a thread protector, or an adapter mechanism.

The chassisincludes a circuit boardand a communication channel. The circuit boardmay be used to power control peripheral components of the attachment. For example, the communication channelmay be electronically coupled with the circuit board, a peripheral component of the attachment (e.g., the sight, an LED, a laser sight, a flashlight, an ambient light sensor, a button, etc.), an electrical interface of the attachment. A light source is an example of a peripheral component, and examples of a light source include a flashlight, a laser sight, and an LED. The electrical interface may be configured to electronically couple the attachment with a gun, such as an electromechanical gun.