Easy connect stock and forend system

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for substituting a different stock, and a forend assembly, in a long gun (e.g., a shotgun) without the use of tools by a user in the field. Applicants' preferred apparatus for substituting a stock comprises: a long gun (e.g., an illustrated shotgun) having a stock and a receiver assembly; and an adaptor which removably interconnects the stock to the receiver assembly, wherein the adaptor includes: an adaptor base bolted to the receiver assembly; and a tool-less stock release means slidably attached to the base, whereby the stock release can be lifted up by a user to release the stock from the adaptor. Upon a new stock being placed in the adaptor, the stock release means can be pushed down, back into the adaptor base, to lock the adaptor, whereupon the adaptor interconnects the substitute stock with the receiver assembly. Applicants' preferred forend assembly comprises: a modified forend carrier that is affixed to the long gun (e.g., the illustrated shotgun); and a forend which removably mounts onto the fixed carrier by a tool-less forend release means attached to the forend and carrier, wherein the tool-less forend release means comprises a tongue-and-groove arrangement and a releasable lock. This permits the forend to be swapped out.

1 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a. a long gun having a stock and a receiver assembly; and    b. an adaptor which removably interconnects the stock to the receiver assembly;    c. wherein the adaptor comprises: 
 i. an adaptor base; and  
 ii. a tool-less stock release means, slidably attached to the base, to unlock the adaptor and release the stock upon the stock release means being lifted up, at least partially out of the base, by a user.  
   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a. a long gun having a stock and a receiver assembly; and    b. an adaptor which removably interconnects the stock to the receiver assembly, wherein the adaptor includes: 
 i. an adaptor base; and  
 ii. a tool-less stock release slidably attached to the base, wherein the stock release can be lifted up at least partially out of the adaptor base, by a user, to release the stock from the adaptor.  
   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the adaptor base is bolted to the receiver assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the tool-less stock release has a finger grip and two spaced apart legs, extending downwardly from the finger grip, that straddle respective channels on opposite sides of the adaptor base.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the adaptor includes a substantially flat stock lock slidably housed within a substantially horizontal guide housing; the stock release has a tapered wedge extending downwardly from the finger grip, offset from and inclined toward the legs; and, the wedge is housed within an opening of the stock lock, whereby the stock lock is designed to slide between the guide housing between the guide housing and a generally horizontal slot, inside the stock, upon the tapered wedge being lifted up or pushed down with the rest of the stock release.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the wedge has at least one stop to prevent the stock release from being lifted out of the adaptor entirely.  
   
   
       9 . A method for substituting a stock in a long gun, comprising: 
 a. attaching an adaptor to a receiver assembly of a long gun;    b. removably attaching the stock to the adaptor to interconnect the stock to the receiver assembly;    c. lifting a stock release, without the use of tools, to unlock the adaptor;    d. removing the stock from the unlocked adaptor;    e. placing a substitute stock inside the adaptor; and    f. pressing down the stock release to lock the adaptor and thereby interconnect the substitute stock to the receiver assembly.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       11 . A method for substituting a stock in a long gun, comprising: 
 a. interconnecting the stock removably to a receiver assembly of the long gun via an adaptor between the stock and receiver assembly;    b. pulling a stock release at least partially out of the adaptor, without the use of tools, to unlock the adaptor;    c. removing the stock from the unlocked adaptor;    d. placing a substitute stock into the unlocked adaptor; and    e. locking the adaptor by pushing the stock release, without the use of tools, back into the adaptor to interconnect the substitute stock to the receiver assembly.    
   
   
       12 . A method for substituting a stock in a long gun, comprising: 
 a. interconnecting the stock removably to a receiver assembly of the long gun via an adaptor;    b. pulling a stock release, without the use of tools, to unlock the adaptor;    c. removing the stock from the unlocked adaptor;    d. placing a substitute stock into the unlocked adaptor; and    e. locking the adaptor by pushing down the stock release, without the use of tools, to interconnect the substitute stock to the receiver assembly.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a. a forend carrier attached to a long gun, wherein the carrier comprises: 
 i. a front end and a rear end;  
 ii. a pair of front protrusions on opposite sides of the carrier, adjacent the carrier's front end;  
 iii. a pair of rear protrusions adjacent the carrier's rear end;  
   b. a forend comprising: 
 i. a front end and a rear end;  
 ii. attachment means for removably attaching the forend to the forend carrier, wherein the attachment means comprises: (a) a pair of grooves, adjacent the forend's front end, adapted in size and shape to slip over the front protrusions on the carrier; and (b) a pair of slide bars, adjacent the forend's rear end, adapted in size and shape to slip onto the rear protrusions on the carrier.  
   
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a. a forend carrier attached to a long gun, wherein the carrier comprises: 
 i. a front end and a rear end;  
 ii. a pair of front protrusions on opposite sides of the carrier, adjacent the carrier's front end;  
 iii. at least one rear protrusion adjacent the carrier's rear end;  
   b. a forend comprising: 
 i. a front end and a rear end;  
 ii. a pair of grooves, adjacent the forend's front end, adapted in size and shape to slip over the front protrusions in the carrier; and  
 iii. a slide lock, adjacent the forend's rear end, adapted in size and shape to slip over the rear protrusion on the carrier.  
   
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       18 . A method for removably attaching a forend in a long gun comprising: 
 a. affixing a forend carrier to the long gun;    b. attaching a front end of the forend by a tongue-and-groove arrangement in the carrier and forend;    c. removably securing the forend in place to the carrier by a releasable lock located, at least in part, in the forend; and    d. wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed without the use of tools by a user in the field.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of removably securing the forend in place to the carrier by a releasable lock located, at least in part, in the forend further comprises the following sub-steps: 
 a. spring loading a pair of slide bars on opposite sides of the interior of the forend, adjacent a rear end of the forend; and    b. sliding those bars over respective protrusions on the carrier.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the step of removably attaching the forend by the tongue-and-groove arrangement further comprises the following sub-steps: 
 a. slipping grooves in a front end of the forend over respective protrusions in a front end of the carrier, while holding the forend in a downward tilt relative to the carrier; and    b. pivoting a rear end of the forend upwardly, towards the carrier, until a releasable lock in the forend snaps into place.    
   
   
       22 . A method comprising: 
 a. affixing a forend carrier to a long gun;    b. attaching a front end of a forend by a tongue-and-groove arrangement in the carrier and forend;    c. removably securing the forend in place to the carrier by a releasable lock located, at least in part, in the forend; and,    d. removing the forend from the carrier, without the use of tools, by releasing the lock and then pivoting the forend downwardly and forwards until the tongue-and-groove arrangement releases from the carrier.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       24 . A method for removably attaching a forend in a long gun comprising: 
 a. sliding a front leading end of the forend over front lock protrusions on opposite sides of the carrier;    b. continue pushing the forend forward until the front lock protrusions slip into respective L-shaped pockets in a leading end of the forend; and    c. pushing up the rear of the forend, until a releasable lock located in a rear portion of the forend snaps into position once the forend is level.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.  
   
   
       26 . An apparatus for removably attaching a forend in a long gun comprising: 
 a. a long gun having a fixed forend carrier;    b. a forend; and,    c. tool-less forend release means for removably attaching the forend onto the carrier and removing the forend off the carrier without the use of tools.    
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the long gun is a shotgun.