Sight Mounting System, Sight, and Adapter Plate

The present disclosure relates to a sight mounting system, sight, and adapter plate, and more particularly to a sight mounting system for mounting a sight to a firearm, a sight for mounting to a sight mounting interface, and an adapter plate for mounting a sight to a firearm.

It is common to use detachably mounted aiming devices on firearms, such as hunting rifles. Recently, it has also become increasingly common to use detachably arranged aiming devices on smaller firearms, such as pistols and revolvers. The aiming devices may be optical sights, including both magnifying and non-magnifying sights.

Reflex sights, also known as red dot sights are popular non-magnifying sights. Due to the advantageous features, reflex sights are commonly used on firearms, such as hunting rifles, shotguns, automatic and semi-automatic rifles, and also on small firearms, such as handguns.

Regardless of which aiming device that is mounted on a firearm, both the aiming device and mount are exposed to different kind of stresses during use. Particularly, this applies to sights that are mounted on smaller arms, such as pistols. Firearms for hunting, police or military are used in different environments and weather conditions that expose both the sight and mounting assembly to different kind of stresses. This can be for example rain, snow, dirt, temperature variations, shocks or recoil when firing the firearm. Such conditions place great demands on both the sight device and associated mount.

Manufacture of large series can lead to variations in geometric tolerances of both the aiming device and assembly. In addition, the firearm, mount, and sight are commonly provided by different manufacturers. Such circumstances may adversely affect the conditions for the various parts to fit together, thereby preventing that the aiming device from being mounted on the weapon in a correct and robust way. Geometric variations that may occur during manufacture can lead to a gap between the sight and the various parts of the assembly. This, in turn, can make it more difficult to sighting in or that the sight will not keep it's zeroing, since the sight and the firearm cannot be aligned, that the sight is moved, or even comes loose as a result of repeated firing.

Usually, attempts are made to reduce these shortcomings by manual finishing of the sight and/or mount, so that the components should fit together at least reasonably.

This process is both time consuming and costly. In addition, it is not possible to move either sight or mount to another weapon without further manual processing to fit the sight and the mount to the specific firearm.

There are different previously known approaches and technical solutions for mounting sights on firearms. A number of solutions are based on the sight being attached to the firearm via a rail mounted on the firearm, for example Weaver rail, developed by W. R Weaver Co., or Picatinny rail, developed by the US military. Although both of these rails provide a robust mounting of the sight, they can cause problems with the center of the sight over the center of bore of the firearm. These two rails also provide high mounts, i.e forming a distance between the bore of the firearm and the line of sight through the sight, which may have a negative impact on the possibility to hit a target on different distances. Moreover, the rails are expensive to machine and are not suitable for mounting smaller sights on handguns.

One way to mount smaller sights on handguns is to use screw joints in combination with guide pins. This is an expensive and precision-demanding solution, which often leads to an undesirable movement between the sight and the firearm as a result of repeated firing, which in turn results in a changed shot grouping. This technology assumes that the screws are able to be mounted through a central part of the sight. A problem with that solution is that if the sight is a closed design instead of an open design, the screws cannot be mounted from above as they would have to go through the sealing walls of the sight. Consequently, this approach only works for mounting of sights of an open design.

Prior art mounting systems for mini red dot sights uses a combination of screw fastening and pins. US2021/0270572 describes a sight system comprising a fixed open sight configured with a sighting notch, and a reflex sight arranged for use as a rear sight system for a slide on a pistol. The reflex sight is an open reflex sight, which is attached to a slide using two screws, arranged laterally with one on each side of the longitudinal axis of the open reflex sight. Pins are used to stabilize the attachment of the reflex sight to the slide.

However, this is an expensive and precision-demanding solution, which, despite this, often leads to an undesirable movement between the sight and the weapon, which in turn results in a displacement of the shot grouping.

WO2021/145953 describes a slide assembly including a slide, front and rear iron sights for permitting a user to aim the firearm in a conventional fashion. The slide includes a bottom side and a top side provided at a proximal end with a mounting recess having one or more retaining holes for receiving an optic sight. The optic sight includes a viewfinder operable to project a reflexive or holographic bright dot and a base plate having two mounting holes, to receive respective screw fasteners for rigidly affixing optic sight to slide via threaded retaining holes in the mounting recess of the slide. When affixing an optic sight with a shorter length, a gap will form, for example, between the proximal end of mounting recess and the proximal end of a mounted optic sight. This gap may reduce support provided to the optic sight which, in turn, may lead to damage of the sight or sheering of fasteners resulting from extreme forces produced by reciprocation of slide. One or more keyed spacers may be positioned to fill the gap and provide additional support for the optic sight. The keyed spacers may also be provided with one or more cams having coupled screws, whereby tightening of the screws urges the cams against, the back of optic sight to further improve the grip between keyed spacers and optic sight.

These prior art sight mounting systems have the drawback that they are only configured for open optic sights, such as open mini red dot sights.

US2022034631 describes a mounting system for mounting a closed mini red dot sight (MRDS) to a firearm. The mounting system comprises accessory mounting structures including protuberances and threaded openings. The protuberances assist in aligning an accessory on the firearm, and the threaded openings engage screws. The mounting system comprises a number of elements including a dovetail connection component having an upper surface including two screw holes allowing the dovetail connection component to be secured to the firearm. The bottom surface of the closed MRDS includes a number of channels, which allow the mini red dot sight to slidingly connect with the dovetail connection component and also be compatible with the accessory mounting structures of the firearm. Moreover, a recessed portion extending along a length of the side of the MRDS is provided with screw holes arranged to secure a side plate. The side plate has a screw holes corresponding to the screw holes of the MRDS. Screws are tightened in the holes which clamps the side cover plate to the MRDS. This is an expensive and precision-demanding solution involving a number of elements requiring multiple mounting steps for fastening the MRDS to the firearm.

The present inventor has realized that there is room for improvements in this regard. Hence, the present inventor has identified both the need for and the benefits of a novel and inventive mounting system for mounting a sight to a firearm.

It is accordingly an object of the teachings of this application to solve, eliminate, mitigate or reduce obviate at least some of the problems and disadvantages referred to above.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, this is achieved by a a sight mounting system for mounting a sight. The sight mounting system comprises a sight mounting interface including a leaning back wall, a planar longitudinal mounting surface, and leaning front wall for receiving the sight;

In advantageous embodiments, the sight mounting interface is provided with a groove extending along at least a part of the longitudinal mounting surface and arranged to receive a longitudinal tenon proximally centered along a longitudinal direction of a bottom surface of the sight, wherein the length and depth of the groove are arranged to closely match the length and height of the tenon, wherein longitudinal inside surfaces of the groove are arranged to engage with longitudinal wall surfaces of the tenon.

In advantageous embodiments, the longitudinal inside surfaces of the groove lean inwards by angles in a direction to a bottom of the groove forming the center of the mounting surface of the sight mounting interface for receiving the longitudinal wall surfaces leaning inwards by angles in a direction to the center of the bottom surface the tenon.

In advantageous embodiments, the back wall leans backwards by an angle α with reference to a normal vector of the planar mounting surface, so as to fit the first long side of the oblong dovetail member, and the front wall leans backwards by an angle β with reference to the normal vector of the planar mounting surface, so as to fit the front surface of the sight.

In advantageous embodiments, the back wall comprises a vertical portion extending from the planar mounting surface to a leaning portion of the back wall, and the front wall comprises a first vertical portion extending from the planar mounting surface to a leaning portion extending to a second vertical portion of the front wall.

In advantageous embodiments, a leaning portion of the front face of the reflex sight engages the leaning portion of the front wall of the sight mounting interface, thereby forming a small gap between a first vertical portion of the front face of the reflex sight and the first vertical portion of the front wall.

In advantageous embodiments, a small gap exists between the planar lower surface of the oblong dovetail member and the mounting surface of the sight mounting interface, and a small gap exists between the bottom surface of the reflex sight and the mounting surface, when the sight mounting system is assembled.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a sight mounting system for mounting a sight to a firearm, comprising:

In advantageous embodiments the sight mounting interface is provided with a longitudinal tenon extending along at least a part of the longitudinal mounting surface arranged to engage with a corresponding longitudinal groove proximally centered along a longitudinal direction of a bottom surface of the sight, wherein the length and depth of the tenon is arranged to closely match the length and height of the groove, wherein longitudinal wall surfaces of the tenon are arranged to engage with longitudinal inside surfaces of the groove.

In advantageous embodiments, the longitudinal wall surfaces leaning inwards by angles in a direction to the center of the bottom surface of the tenon for engaging with the longitudinal inside surfaces of the groove leaning inwards by an angle in a direction to the center of a bottom surface of the sight.

In advantageous embodiments, the back wall leans forwards by an angle α in relation to a normal vector of the mounting surface, so as to fit the rear surface of the sight, and the front wall leans forwards by an angle β with reference to the normal vector if the planar mounting surface, so as to fit the second long side of the oblong dovetail member.

In advantageous embodiments, the back wall comprises a first vertical portion of the back wall extending from the planar mounting surface to a leaning portion connecting a second vertical portion of the back wall, and the front wall comprises a vertical portion of the front wall extending from the planar mounting surface to a leaning portion of the front wall.

In advantageous embodiments, a leaning portion of the rear face of the reflex sight engages a leaning portion of the back wall of the sight mounting interface, thereby forming a small gap between a first vertical portion of the rear face of the reflex sight and a first vertical portion of the back wall.

In advantageous embodiments, a small gap exists between the planar lower surface of the oblong dovetail member and the mounting surface, and a small gap exists between the bottom surface of the reflex sight and the mounting surface, when the sight mounting system is assembled.

In some embodiments, the sight mounting interface is arranged on a slide for a firearm, or on a another sight to be mounted on a firearm, lightweight artillery system or man-portable launcher.

In some embodiments, the oblong dovetail member is provided with an auxiliary open sight, which forms

According to a third aspect, there is provided asight for mounting to a sight mounting interface, wherein the sight comprises a housing having a base with a bottom surface provided with a longitudinal tenon, wherein the longitudinal tenon has longitudinal wall surfaces leaning inwards by angles in a direction to the center of the bottom surface for engaging corresponding leaning longitudinal inside surfaces of a groove of the sight mounting interface, the front face leans backwards to engage a front wall of said sight mounting interface, and the rear face leans forwards to engage an oblong dovetail member forming a removable attachment element for securing the sight to the sight mounting interface.

According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a sight for mounting to a sight mounting interface, wherein the sight comprises a housing having a base with a bottom surface provided with a longitudinal groove, wherein the longitudinal groove has longitudinal inside surfaces leaning inwards by angles in a direction to the center of the bottom surface for engaging corresponding leaning longitudinal wall surfaces of a tenon of the sight mounting interface, the front face leans backwards to engage a front wall of said sight mounting interface, and the rear face leans forwards to engage an oblong dovetail member forming a removable attachment element for securing the sight to the sight mounting interface.

In advantageous embodiments, the rear face of the sight forms at least two portions including a vertical portion extending upwardly from the bottom surface to a leaning portion.

In advantageous embodiments, the front face of the sight forms at least three portions including a first vertical portion extending upwardly from the bottom surface to a leaning portion connecting a second vertical portion.

In advantageous embodiments, the sight is a closed reflex sight having optical elements completely encased by the housing.

In some embodiments, the sight is a red dot sight.

According to a fifth aspect, there is provided an adapter plate for mounting a sight to a firearm, wherein the adapter plate has a base with a top surface for attachment to the sight and a bottom surface provided with a longitudinal tenon, wherein the longitudinal tenon has longitudinal wall surfaces leaning inwards by angles in a direction to the center of the bottom surface for engaging corresponding leaning longitudinal inside surfaces of a groove of the sight mounting interface, the front face leans backwards to engage a front wall of said sight mounting interface, and the rear face leans forwards to engage an oblong dovetail member forming a removable attachment element for securing the adapter plate to the sight mounting interface.

According to a fifth aspect, there is provided an adapter plate for mounting a sight to a firearm, the adapter plate has a base with a top surface for attachment to the sight and a bottom surface provided with a longitudinal groove, wherein the longitudinal tenon has longitudinal wall surfaces leaning inwards by angles in a direction to the center of the bottom surface for engaging corresponding leaning longitudinal inside surfaces of a groove of the sight mounting interface, the rear face leans forwards to engage a back wall of said sight mounting interface, and the front face leans backwards to engage an oblong dovetail member forming a removable attachment element for securing the adapter plate to the sight mounting interface.

An advantage of some embodiments of the present disclosure is that a closed reflex sight may be mounted to a firearm without play. Moreover, the mounting system minimize or eliminate play by utilizing the exterior geometry of the sight housing thereby creating a clamping joint without additional machining of the sight housing.

Another advantage of some embodiments of the present disclosure is that the mounting system is recoil proof and resistant to reciprocation of a slide. A further advantage of some embodiments of the present disclosure is that differences in geometric tolerances in the different parts of the mounting system and sight may vary without a play occurring in the assembly including the sight and mount.

Moreover, the large force arising on the mounting system when a shot is fired can be absorbed without the target point being moved when the firearm is fired repeatedly.

Still another advantage of some embodiments of the present disclosure is that the mounting interface is easy to process and therefore cheap to manufacture in large volumes.

Other aspects and features of the invention and its embodiments are defined by the appended patent claims and are further explained, together with problems solved and advantages obtained, in the detailed description section as well as in the drawings.

It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.

All terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the element, device, component, means, etc are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, means, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to, which all illustrate schematically example arrangements according to some embodiments of the invention. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to appended claims are covered by the claims.

Reference will now be made to the figures to describe the embodiments in detail. The same reference signs are used for corresponding features in different figures.

Reference is made to, which illustrates a slidefor a firearm, for example but not limited to, a handgun or a pistol, having a sight mounting interfacein accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure. The slideis configured to be arranged on a firearm frame or receiver integrating other components forming a complete firearm.