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A cartridge magazine includes a front wall, a rear wall, first and second side walls, a pair of cartridge retaining lips, and first and second nose-dive control springs. The magazine is adapted to contain two overlapping columns of cartridges in a staggered configuration. Each nose-drive control spr

A cartridge magazine includes a front wall, a rear wall, first and second side walls, a pair of cartridge retaining lips, and first and second nose-dive control springs. The magazine is adapted to contain two overlapping columns of cartridges in a staggered configuration. Each nose-drive control spring includes a resilient shank portion and a case-engageable end portion adapted and configured to engage with a case of a cartridge. The shank portion extends from one of the side walls to the case-engageable end portion. Each nose-dive control spring is adapted to prevent a cartridge from moving into a nose-dive orientation as a breech face of the firearm pushes the cartridge forward toward the inclined ramp of the firearm.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cartridge magazine for housing a plurality of stacked cartridges and successively dispensing and guiding an uppermost one of the stacked cartridges from the magazine forward toward an inclined ramp leading to a chamber of a barrel of a firearm, the magazine comprising: a housing portion compris

1. A cartridge magazine for housing a plurality of stacked cartridges and successively dispensing and guiding an uppermost one of the stacked cartridges from the magazine forward toward an inclined ramp leading to a chamber of a barrel of a firearm, the magazine comprising: a housing portion comprising a front wall, a rear wall, first and second side walls, and a pair of cartridge retaining lips, each of the first and second side walls being between the front wall and the rear wall, the front, rear and side walls defining a cartridge compartment extending along a housing axis, the cartridge compartment being adapted to contain a plurality of stacked cartridges, the cartridge compartment having a lower region and an upper region, the cartridge retaining lips being disposed along a respective upper edge margin of each of the first and second side walls, the cartridge compartment adapted and configured to contain two overlapping columns of cartridges in a staggered configuration;a magazine follower within the cartridge compartment, the magazine follower being adapted and configured to move within the cartridge compartment generally along the housing axis, the magazine follower having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and second portion running parallel to the first and second side walls, the second portion elevated above the first portion to facilitate stacking the cartridges in the staggered configuration;a follower urging spring within the cartridge compartment, the follower urging spring being adapted and configured to urge the magazine follower toward the upper region of the cartridge compartment;a first nose-dive control spring and a second nose-dive control spring, each said nose-drive control spring comprising a resilient shank portion and a case-engageable end portion adapted and configured to engage with a case of a cartridge, the shank portion extending from one of the side walls to the case-engageable end portion, each said nose-dive control spring being adapted and configured such that as a cartridge moves upwardly along the longitudinal housing axis, the case-engageable end portion is engaged by the case of the cartridge and forced outwardly until a part of the lower portion of the case moves upwardly beyond the case-engageable end portion and the shank portion subsequently resiliently urges the case-engageable end portion inwardly into the upper portion of the cartridge compartment and under a lower portion of the case thereby urging the cartridge into a retaining lips engaging position, the retaining lips engaging position being a position of the cartridge relative to the cartridge magazine in which the case of the cartridge engages the cartridge retaining lips while the respective first and second nose-dive control spring engages the case of the cartridge and at least a portion of the cartridge extends above at least a portion of the upper edge margin of the first side wall and a portion of the upper edge margin of the second side wall, each said nose-dive control spring being adapted and configured to prevent the cartridge from moving into a nose-dive orientation as a breech face of the firearm pushes the cartridge forward toward the inclined ramp of the firearm. 2. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shank portion and case-engageable end portion of one of the nose-dive control springs and at least one of the walls of the housing portion together constitute at least a portion of a unitary one-piece member, and wherein the shank portion of the first and second nose-dive control springs extend upwardly within a portion of the first sidewall, the shank portion terminating prior to the upper edge margin of the first sidewall. 3. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shank portion and case-engageable end portion of one of the nose-dive control springs, at least one of the walls of the housing portion, and at least one or more of the front wall and the rear wall together constitute at least a portion of a unitary one-piece member. 4. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the case-engageable end portion of each said nose-dive control spring curves inwardly into the cartridge compartment. 5. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the magazine follower is shaped and configured such that the magazine follower avoids contact with each said nose-dive control spring as the magazine follower moves upwardly along the housing axis to a position in which the magazine follower contacts the cartridge retaining lips. 6. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the magazine follower includes a first and a second cutout, the first cutout aligned with the first nose-dive control spring, the second cutout aligned with the second nose-dive control spring, the first and second cutouts in the first and second portions of magazine follower, the first and second cutouts adapted and configured to permit the magazine follower to pass the first and second nose-dive control springs within the cartridge compartment. 7. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cartridge compartment and the magazine follower are adapted and configured to receive cartridges of varying configurations, each cartridge having a neck, a shoulder, and a body, wherein all of the cartridges of varying configurations have at least a portion of the body in common, and wherein each said nose-dive control spring is adapted and configured to engage with the case of the cartridges of varying configurations at the portion of the body in common between the cartridges of varying configurations. 8. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing axis is substantially linear. 9. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing axis is substantially curved. 10. A cartridge magazine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shank portion of each said nose-dive control spring is generally flush with one of the first side wall and the second side wall when the respective first and second nose-dive control spring is in an unflexed state. 11. A combination comprising at least two cartridges and a cartridge magazine, the cartridge magazine housing the at least two cartridges, the cartridge magazine being adapted and configured to successively dispense and guide one of the two cartridges from the magazine forward toward an inclined ramp leading to a chamber of a barrel of a firearm, the magazine comprising a housing portion, a magazine follower, a follower urging spring, and a first and second nose-dive control spring, each cartridge having a case and a bullet; the housing portion comprising a front wall, a rear wall, first and second side walls, and a pair of cartridge retaining lips, each of the first and second side walls being between the front wall and the rear wall, the front, rear and side walls defining a cartridge compartment extending along a housing axis, the cartridge compartment containing the two cartridges, the cartridge compartment having a lower region and an upper region, the cartridge retaining lips being disposed along a respective upper edge margin of each of the first and second side walls;the magazine follower being within the cartridge compartment, the magazine follower being adapted and configured to move within the cartridge compartment generally along the housing axis;the follower urging spring being within the cartridge compartment, the follower urging spring being adapted and configured to urge the magazine follower toward the upper region of the cartridge compartment;each of the first and second nose-dive control springs comprising a resilient shank portion and a case-engageable end portion adapted and configured to engage with a case of a cartridge, the shank portion extending from one of the side walls to the case-engageable end portion, each said nose-dive control spring being adapted and configured such that as one of the cartridges moves upwardly along the longitudinal housing axis into a retaining lips engaging position in which the cartridge retaining lips engage the case of the cartridge, the case-engageable end portion of at least one of the nose-dive control springs is engaged by the case of the cartridge and forced outwardly until a part of a lower portion of the cartridge moves upwardly beyond the case-engageable end portion and the shank portion subsequently resiliently urges the case-engageable end portion inwardly into the upper portion of the cartridge compartment and under a lower portion of the case; anda first of the two cartridges being within the housing and in the retaining lips engaging position and a second of the two cartridges being within the housing not in the retaining lips engaging position. 12. A combination in accordance with claim 11, wherein each said nose-dive control spring is adapted and configured to prevent one of the two cartridges from moving into a nose-dive orientation as a breech face of the firearm pushes the cartridge forward toward the inclined ramp of the firearm. 13. A combination in accordance with claim 12, wherein each said nose-dive control spring is adapted and configured such that with a first of the two cartridges in the retaining lips engaging position the first nose-dive control spring is in contact with a lower portion of the case of the first cartridge such that the first nose-dive control spring prevents the first cartridge from moving into a nose-dive orientation and the second nose-dive control spring is in contact with the second cartridge such that the case-engageable end portion is engaged by the case of the cartridge and forced outwardly. 14. A combination in accordance with claim 11, wherein the second of the two cartridges is offset from the first cartridge in a direction running between the first and second side walls. 15. A combination in accordance with claim 11, wherein the shank portion and case-engageable end portion of one of the nose-dive control springs, at least one of the walls of the housing portion, and at least one or more of the front wall and the rear wall together constitute at least a portion of a unitary one-piece member. 16. A combination in accordance with claim 11, wherein the case-engageable end portion of each said nose-dive control spring curves inwardly into the cartridge compartment. 17. A combination in accordance with claim 11, wherein the magazine follower is shaped and configured such that the magazine follower avoids contact with each said nose-dive control spring as the magazine follower moves upwardly along the housing axis to a position in which the magazine follower contacts the cartridge retaining lips. 18. A combination in accordance with claim 17, wherein the magazine follower includes a first and a second cutout, the first cutout aligned with the first nose-dive control spring, the second cutout aligned with the second nose-dive control spring, the first and second cutouts in the first and second portions of magazine follower, the first and second cutouts adapted and configured to permit the magazine follower to pass the first and second nose-dive control springs within the cartridge compartment. 19. A combination in accordance with claim 11, wherein the cartridge compartment and the magazine follower are adapted and configured to receive cartridges of varying configurations, each cartridge having a neck, a shoulder, and a body, wherein all of the cartridges of varying configurations have at least a portion of the body in common, and wherein each said nose-dive control spring is adapted and configured to engage with the case of the cartridges of varying configurations at the portion of the body in common between the cartridges of varying configurations. 20. A combination in accordance with claim 11, wherein the shank portion of each said nose-dive control spring is generally flush with one of the first side wall and the second side wall when the nose-dive control spring is in an unflexed state.