Reversible gun rest

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for storing guns of different shapes. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a case for storing guns. The case includes a housing and a gun rest. The housing has a longitudinal length, a lateral width, and a bottom section having a front and back wall. The bottom section surrounds an interior volume of the housing that is accessible through a top opening. A top section of the housing moves between opened and closed positions relative to the opening. One of the walls of the bottom section defines a groove that is open toward the interior volume. The gun rest is insertable into the groove and includes a cradle that is configured to receive a gun. Adjacent gun rests may connect to each other along a side or have cradles of different dimensions on each end.

1 . A case for storing a plurality of guns, the guns having different shapes, the case comprising: 
 a protective housing having a longitudinal length and a lateral width, the housing including a bottom section having a front wall and a back wall, the bottom section surrounding an interior volume of the housing that is accessible through a top opening, the protective housing having a top section that is movable between opened and closed positions of the top section relative to the top opening;    a groove defined by at least one of the front wall and the back wall and that is open toward the housing interior volume; and    a gun rest that is removably insertable into the groove, the gun rest including a cradle that is configured to receive a portion of a gun in the cradle.    
     
     
         2 . The case according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 the groove being a first groove, the gun case further including a second groove defined by at least one of the front wall and the back wall and that is open toward the interior volume, the second groove to be spaced longitudinally from the first groove.    
     
     
         3 . The case according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a second gun rest engaged with the second groove, the first gun rest being removably insertable into the first groove, enabling a gun to rest on the first and the second gun rests and be spaced apart from the bottom section.    
     
     
         4 . The case according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 the gun rest having at least a first piece and a second piece that are releasably connectable, the first piece having the cradle, the pieces each being engageable with the groove and including a proximal end and a distal end, one of the proximal end and the distal end being toward the top section when the piece is engaged with the groove, the pieces being coupleable to each other along an edge of each of the pieces, the edge of each piece being between the proximal end and the distal end of each piece.    
     
     
         5 . The case according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 the pieces each including a reversible connector along the edge, the reversible connectors being able to connect the pieces together in two different relative orientations of the pieces.    
     
     
         6 . The case according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 the pieces being generally flat and having a generally uniform cross section, the pieces each including at least one edge having an enlarged cross section and at least one edge having the generally uniform cross section.    
     
     
         7 . The case according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 the cradle being a first cradle and the gun rest including a second cradle having a different shape than the first cradle, the other of the proximal end and the distal end that includes the first cradle including the second cradle.    
     
     
         8 . The case according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a rubber pad lining the cradle, the gun to rest on the rubber pad.    
     
     
         9 . A gun rest for a gun case for storing a plurality of guns, the guns having different shapes, the gun rest comprising: 
 a proximal end;    a distal end opposed to the proximal end;    a cradle adapted and dimensioned to allow at least one of the guns to rest therein, one of the proximal end and the distal end including the cradle;    a side disposed between the ends and perpendicular thereto; and    one half of a connector on the side and adapted to connect with another one half of a connector on another gun rest.    
     
     
         10 . The gun rest according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 the cradle being a first cradle and the other of the proximal end and the distal end that includes the first cradle including a second cradle adapted and dimensioned to allow at least one of the guns to rest therein.    
     
     
         11 . The gun rest according to  claim 9 , further comprising; 
 a second side opposed to the first side and adapted to engage a groove defined by the gun case, whereby the groove supports the gun rest in a vertical orientation with one of the proximal end and the distal end being disposed generally above the other end.    
     
     
         12 . The gun rest according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 the one half of a connector is further adapted to connect with a second half of a connector of another gun rest in two different relative orientations of the gun rest and the another gun rest.    
     
     
         13 . A gun rest for a gun case for storing a plurality of guns, the guns having different shapes, the gun rest comprising: 
 a proximal end;    a distal end opposed to the proximal end;    a first cradle adapted and dimensioned to allow at least one of the guns to rest therein, the proximal end including the first cradle; and    a second cradle adapted and dimensioned to allow another of the at least one of the guns to rest therein, the distal end including the second cradle.    
     
     
         14 . The gun rest according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 the first and second gun cradles having different shapes.    
     
     
         15 . A method of storing guns that have different shapes, the method comprising: 
 selecting an orientation for a gun rest, the gun rest including a proximal end and a distal end, one of the proximal end and the distal end having a cradle, the selected orientation having one of the distal ends directed downwardly or the proximal end directed downwardly;    placing the gun rest in a gun case in the selected orientation; and    resting a gun in the cradle of the gun rest.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 reversing the selected orientation and placing the gun rest in the gun case in the reversed orientation.    
     
     
         17 . A method of storing guns that have different shapes, the method comprising: 
 connecting a pair of gun rests together along an edge of each gun rest, at least one of the gun rests having a cradle shaped and dimensioned to allow one of the guns to rest in the cradle, an end of the one gun rest including the cradle;    placing the connected pair of gun rests in a gun case; and    resting a gun in the cradle.    
     
     
         18 . A method of storing guns that have different shapes, the method comprising: 
 selecting a first position along a longitudinal axis of a gun case for a first gun rest;    placing the first gun rest in the gun case at the first position;    selecting a second position along the longitudinal axis of the gun case for a second gun rest;    placing the second gun rest in the gun case at the second position, each of the gun rests including an end having a cradle, each of the cradles being shaped to allow a gun to rest therein; and    resting a gun in the cradles of the gun rests.    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 selecting a different second position along the longitudinal axis of the gun case and placing the gun rest in the different second position.