Firearm support assemblies with stacking geometries and associated methods of use and manufacture

Abstract

Firearm support and rest assemblies having nested stacking geometries are disclosed herein. One embodiment of the disclosure, for example, is directed to a firearm rest assembly for supporting a firearm having a first section spaced apart from a second section. The firearm rest assembly includes a base having a lower surface spaced apart from an upper surface, and an intermediate surface positioned between and generally parallel to the lower and upper surfaces. The firearm rest assembly further includes first and second supports coupled to the base in a configuration selected from a stored arrangement and a support arrangement. The stored arrangement includes the first and second supports positioned between the lower surface and the intermediate surface, and the support arrangement includes the first support extending from the base beyond the upper surface to support the first section of the firearm, and the second support extending from the base beyond the upper surface to support the second section of the firearm.

1 . A firearm rest assembly for supporting a firearm having a first section spaced apart from a second section, the firearm rest assembly comprising:
 a base having a lower surface spaced apart from an upper surface, and an intermediate surface positioned between and generally parallel to the lower and upper surfaces;   first and second supports coupled with the base in a configuration selected from a stored arrangement and a support arrangement, wherein—
 the stored arrangement includes the first and second supports positioned between the lower surface and the intermediate surface; and 
 the support arrangement includes the first support extending from the base beyond the upper surface to support the first section of the firearm, and the second support extending from the base beyond the upper surface to support the second section of the firearm. 
   
   
   
       2 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein the firearm rest assembly is a first firearm rest assembly, and wherein the base includes a storage cavity that is configured to at least partially receive a second firearm rest assembly in a nested configuration, wherein the second firearm rest assembly is generally similar to the first firearm rest assembly, and wherein the nested first and second firearm rest assemblies have a combined nested height that is less than the sum of the individual heights of the first and second firearm rest assemblies. 
   
   
       3 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising a packaging material at least partially covering the base of the first firearm rest assembly, wherein the packaging material does not interfere with the nested configuration of the first firearm rest assembly and the second firearm rest assembly. 
   
   
       4 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein the base further comprises a support cavity configured to receive the first and second support members in the stored arrangement, and wherein the firearm rest assembly further includes a packaging material at least partially covering the base, wherein the packaging material generally conforms to the shape of the support cavity and at least partially retains the first and second supports in the support cavity in the support arrangement. 
   
   
       5 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 4  wherein the packaging material includes a paper-based material having a series of bends conforming to the shape of the support cavity. 
   
   
       6 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 4  wherein the packaging material includes vacuum-wrapped plastic generally conforming to the shape of the support cavity. 
   
   
       7 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein:
 each of the first and second supports includes a tapered end portion; and   the base further includes a first opening configured to removably retain the tapered end portion of the first support in the support arrangement, and a second opening configured to removably retain the tapered end portion of the second support in the support arrangement.   
   
   
       8 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein in the stored arrangement the first and second supports are positioned generally parallel to the lower and intermediate surfaces, and in the support arrangement the first and second supports extend from the base in a direction generally perpendicular to the upper surface. 
   
   
       9 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle operably coupled to the base, wherein the handle is movable between a stored position between the lower surface and the intermediate surface and a carrying position extending from the base beyond the intermediate surface. 
   
   
       10 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein the intermediate surface is spaced apart from the lower surface by a distance approximately equal to a thickness of the first support member. 
   
   
       11 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein the base further comprises:
 a support cavity configured to receive the first and second support members in the stored arrangement;   a first retaining member carried by a sidewall portion of the support cavity, wherein the first retaining member at least partially retains the first support in the stored arrangement; and   a second retaining member carried by the sidewall portion of the support cavity, wherein the second retaining member at least partially retains the second support in the stored arrangement.   
   
   
       12 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 11  wherein each of the first and second supports includes a plurality of protrusions extending laterally from an edge portion of each support, and wherein the protrusions are generally aligned with the retaining members when the first and second supports are in the stored arrangement. 
   
   
       13 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first support is coupled to the base with a first hinge, and the second support is coupled to the base with a second hinge, and wherein the first and second supports pivot between the stored arrangement and the support arrangement. 
   
   
       14 . The firearm rest assembly of  claim 1  wherein in the support arrangement each support has an adjustable height extending from the base. 
   
   
       15 . A stacked assembly of individual shooting rests, the stacked assembly comprising:
 a first packaged shooting rest comprising:
 a base having a storage cavity; 
 first and second supports coupled to the base in a configuration selected from a first arrangement and a second arrangement; 
 a handle coupled to the base in the configuration selected from the first and second arrangements; 
 packaging material covering at least a portion of the base, wherein the packaging material at least partially conforms to the shape of the storage cavity, wherein—
 in the first arrangement the first support, the second support, and the handle are each positioned in the storage cavity; and 
 in the second arrangement the first support, the second support, and the handle extend from the base; and 
 
   a second packaged shooting rest generally similar to the first packaged shooting rest, wherein the second packaged shooting rest is at least partially received in the storage cavity of the first packaged shooting rest in a nested configuration, and wherein the combined height of the nested first and second packaged shooting rests is less than the sum of the heights of the individual first and second packaged shooting rests.   
   
   
       16 . The stacked assembly of  claim 1  wherein:
 the base further includes a lower surface spaced apart from an upper surface, and an intermediate portion having an intermediate surface positioned between the lower and upper surfaces;   the storage cavity includes a support cavity separated from a handle cavity by the intermediate portion;   in the first arrangement the first and second supports are positioned in the support cavity between the first surface and the intermediate surface, and the handle is positioned in the handle cavity between the first surface and the intermediate surface; and   in the second arrangement the first and second supports extend from the base beyond the upper surface, and the handle extends from the intermediate portion beyond the intermediate surface.   
   
   
       17 . The stacked assembly of  claim 15  wherein each of the first and second packaged shooting rests includes means for retaining the corresponding first and second supports in the support cavity in the first arrangement. 
   
   
       18 . The stacked assembly of  claim 17  wherein the means for retaining the first and second supports in the support cavity include a plurality of retaining members in the support cavity that engage protrusions extending from each of the first and second supports. 
   
   
       19 . A method of packaging shooting rest assemblies that are used for supporting a firearm having a first section spaced apart from a second section, the method comprising:
 providing a first shooting rest assembly having a first base with a storage cavity, a first support configured to project from the first base to support the first section of the firearm, and a second support configured to project from the first base to support the second section of the firearm;   placing the first and second supports in the storage cavity of the first base;   providing a second shooting rest assembly that is generally similar to the first shooting rest assembly, wherein the second shooting rest assembly includes a second base; and   positioning at least a portion of the second base in the support cavity of the first base in a nested configuration.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein positioning at least a portion of the second base in the support cavity of the first base includes stacking the first and second firearm rest assemblies to have a combined height in the nested configuration that is less than the sum of the individual heights of the first and second firearm rest assemblies. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising individually packaging the first firearm rest assembly with a packaging material when the first and second supports are in the storage cavity, wherein the packaging material generally conforms to the shape of the storage cavity of each of the first and second bases. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein placing the first and second supports in the storage cavity of the first base comprises engaging each of the first and second supports with retaining members carried by a sidewall portion of the first base, wherein the retaining members at least partially retain the first and second supports in the storage cavity.