Ammunition magazine and resilient member

Abstract

A magazine for storing and feeding ammunition cartridges to a small arms weapon which comprises a casing, a floor plate, a follower, and a magazine spring inside the casing. The magazine spring may comprise a first end connected to the follower, a second end connected to the floor plate, and a plurality of coils. Each of the plurality of coils may include a first segment having a first radius, a second segment having a first length adjoining the first segment, a third segment having a second radius adjoining the second segment, the second radius being greater than the first radius, and a fourth segment having a second length adjoining the third segment, the second length being approximately equal to the first length.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A magazine spring for an ammunition magazine for a small arms weapon comprising:
 a wire which comprises a plurality of coils, each of the plurality of coils including
 a first segment having a first radius, 
 a second segment having a first length adjoining the first segment, 
 a third segment having a second radius adjoining the second segment, the second radius being greater than the first radius, and 
 a fourth segment having a second length adjoining the third segment, the second length being approximately equal to the first length, 
   wherein the second radius divided by the first radius defines a coil ratio, and the coil ratio is at least about 1.05.   
     
     
         22 . The magazine spring of  claim 21 , wherein the coil ratio is less than 3. 
     
     
         23 . The magazine spring of  claim 22 , wherein the coil ratio ranges from approximately 1.10 to approximately 1.50. 
     
     
         24 . The magazine spring of  claim 23 , wherein the coil ratio ranges from approximately 1.20 to approximately 1.35. 
     
     
         25 . The magazine spring of  claim 24 , wherein the coil ratio is approximately 1.25. 
     
     
         26 . The magazine spring of  claim 24 , wherein the coil ratio is approximately 1.32. 
     
     
         27 . The spring of  claim 24 , wherein the wire has a preloaded force of approximately 15 N for a reference length that ranges from approximately 75 mm to approximately 180 mm. 
     
     
         28 . The spring of  claim 24 , wherein the second radius is between approximately 7.8 mm and 8.4 mm. 
     
     
         29 . The spring of  claim 24 , wherein the first radius is between approximately 5.8 mm and approximately 6.4 mm. 
     
     
         30 . The spring of  claim 24 , wherein the first radius is between approximately 6.2 mm and approximately 6.4 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The spring of  claim 24 , wherein each of the plurality of coils has a maximum outer dimension between approximately 49.2 mm and approximately 49.8 mm. 
     
     
         32 . The spring of  claim 23 , wherein the wire is a round wire. 
     
     
         33 . The spring of  claim 23 , wherein the wire is stranded wire. 
     
     
         34 . The spring of  claim 23 , wherein the wire is shaped wire. 
     
     
         35 . The spring of  claim 34 , wherein the shaped wire is selected from the group consisting of square, rectangular, keystone, oval, elliptical, half round, or D-shaped. 
     
     
         36 . The spring of  claim 23 , wherein the wire is carbon steel. 
     
     
         37 . The spring of  claim 36 , wherein the wire is music wire. 
     
     
         38 . The spring of  claim 23 , wherein the wire is alloy steel. 
     
     
         39 . The spring of  claim 38 , wherein the wire is chrome silicon. 
     
     
         40 . A magazine for storing and feeding ammunition cartridges to a small arms weapon comprising:
 a casing which comprises an upper end and a lower end;   a floor plate situated near the lower end;   a follower adjacent the floor plate; and   a magazine spring of  claim 21  inside the casing.