Lever-action firearm and kit for constructing the same

Abstract

A receiver system comprises upper and lower receiver bodies, a lower receiver body, a bolt carrier, and an action-control lever. The upper receiver body is a semi-automatic firearm upper receiver body. The lower receiver body includes a stock mounting flange having a stock receptacle that is matingly engageable with a receiver engaging portion of a stock. The bolt carrier is slidably disposed within a bolt carrier receiving bore of the upper receiver body. The action-control lever has a hand loop and a first attachment arm having a proximate end portion thereof attached to the hand loop. The first attachment arm is pivotably attached at a distal end thereof to the lower receiver body for being pivoted between a battery-ready position and a cartridge-ejecting position relative to the lower receiver body. The action-control lever is attached to the bolt carrier through an articulating coupling assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A receiver system for a lever-action firearm, comprising:
 a receiver body system including an upper receiver body and a lower receiver body matingly attached to the upper receiver body, wherein the upper receiver body is a semi-automatic firearm upper receiver body that was commercially-available prior to the year 2022 AD, wherein a rear end portion of the lower receiver body includes a stock mounting flange, and wherein the stock mounting flange includes a stock receptacle that is compatible for being matingly engaged with a receiver engaging portion of a stock directly mountable on a shotgun that was commercially-available prior to the year 2022 AD;   a bolt carrier slidably disposed within a bolt carrier receiving bore of the upper receiver body;   an action-control lever having a hand loop and a first attachment arm having a proximate end portion thereof attached to the hand loop, wherein a distal end portion of the first attachment arm is pivotably attached to the lower receiver body for enabling the hand loop to move between a battery-ready position and a cartridge-ejecting position relative to the lower receiver body, wherein the hand loop is coupled to the bolt carrier through a coupling assembly, and wherein the hand loop and the coupling assembly are jointly configured such that pivoting of the hand loop between the battery-ready position and the cartridge-ejecting position causes the bolt carrier to correspondingly slide within the bolt carrier receiving bore between a battery position and an ejection position.   
     
     
         2 . The receiver system of  claim 1  wherein the upper receiver body is an AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body. 
     
     
         3 . The receiver system of  claim 1  wherein the shotgun is one of a Remington brand shotgun, a Winchester brand shotgun and a Mossberg brand shotgun. 
     
     
         4 . The receiver system of  claim 3  wherein the upper receiver body is an AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body. 
     
     
         5 . The receiver system of  claim 1  wherein the action-control lever and the lower receiver body jointly define a fully-enclosed trigger finger window with the hand loop in the battery-ready position. 
     
     
         6 . The receiver system of  claim 5  wherein the distal end portion of the first attachment arm is pivotably attached to a portion of the lower receiver body that partially defines the fully-enclosed trigger finger window. 
     
     
         7 . The receiver system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stock securement body having spaced-apart engagement shoulders;   wherein the stock mounting flange includes opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles within a central passage thereof; and   wherein the spaced-apart engagement shoulders and the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles are jointly configured for permitting each of the spaced-apart engagement shoulders to be engaged within a respective one of the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles to inhibit unrestricted fore and aft movement of the stock securement body relative to the lower receiver body.   
     
     
         8 . The receiver system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a trigger assembly mounted on the lower receiver body;   wherein the upper receiver body is an AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body;   wherein the lower receiver body has engagement surfaces and at least a rear takedown pin bore enabling the lower receiver body to be matingly attached to the AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body; and   wherein the lower receiver includes a magazine well that defines a frontal end portion thereof.   
     
     
         9 . The receiver system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a linkage member having a first end portion pivotably attached to the bolt carrier;   wherein the action-control lever includes a second attachment arm having a proximate end portion thereof attached to the hand loop;   wherein the linkage member and the second attachment arm jointly define the coupling assembly;   wherein the second attachment arm extends through a stock mounting flange of the lower receiver body with the action-control lever in the battery-ready position; and   wherein a second end portion of the linkage member is pivotably attached to a distal end portion of the second attachment arm.   
     
     
         10 . The receiver system of  claim 9  wherein the action-control lever and the lower receiver body jointly define a fully-enclosed trigger finger window with the action-control lever in the battery-ready position. 
     
     
         11 . The receiver system of  claim 10  wherein the distal end portion of the first attachment arm is pivotably attached to a portion of the lower receiver body that partially defines the fully-enclosed trigger finger window. 
     
     
         12 . The receiver system of  claim 9  wherein:
 the stock mounting flange includes a stock receptacle; and 
 the second attachment arm of the action-control lever extends through a central area of the stock receptacle. 
 
     
     
         13 . The receiver system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a firing pin slidably disposed within a mating passage of a bolt carried by the bolt carrier;   wherein a central portion of the linkage member between the first and second end portions thereof has a hammer-receiving space therein; and   wherein a head of the firing pin is located below the hammer-receiving space.   
     
     
         14 . The receiver system of  claim 13  wherein the hammer-receiving space is one of a hammer-receiving channel within a lower surface of the linkage member and a hammer-receiving passage extending through upper and lower surfaces of the linkage member. 
     
     
         15 . The receiver system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a stock securement body having spaced-apart engagement shoulders;   wherein the stock mounting flange includes opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles within a central passage thereof; and   wherein the spaced-apart engagement shoulders and the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles are jointly configured for permitting each of the spaced-apart engagement shoulders to be engaged within a respective one of the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles to inhibit unrestricted fore and aft movement of the stock securement body relative to the lower receiver body.   
     
     
         16 . The receiver system of  claim 9  wherein:
 the second attachment arm includes an arcuate segment between the distal end portion thereof and the hand loop; 
 the arcuate segment extends along an arcuate axis; and 
 all points along the arcuate axis are equidistant from a pivot axis about which the action-control lever pivots between the battery-ready position and the cartridge-ejecting position. 
 
     
     
         17 . The receiver system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a stock securement body attached to the stock mounting flange;   wherein the stock securement body includes a channel in a lower portion thereof; and   wherein a portion of the arcuate segment of the second attachment arm is located within the channel when the hand lever is in the battery-ready position.   
     
     
         18 . The receiver system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a trigger assembly mounted on the lower receiver body;   wherein the upper receiver body is an AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body;   wherein the lower receiver body has engagement surfaces and at least a rear takedown pin bore enabling the lower receiver body to be matingly attached to the AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body; and   wherein the lower receiver includes a magazine well that defines a frontal end portion thereof.   
     
     
         19 . A receiver system for a lever-action firearm, comprising:
 a receiver body system including an upper receiver body and a lower receiver body matingly attached to the upper receiver body, wherein the upper receiver body is a semi-automatic firearm upper receiver body, wherein a rear end portion of the lower receiver body includes a stock mounting flange, and wherein the stock mounting flange includes a stock receptacle that is compatible for being matingly engaged with a receiver engaging portion of a stock directly mountable on a shotgun;   a bolt carrier slidably disposed within a bolt carrier receiving bore of the upper receiver body;   an action-control lever having a first attachment arm having a distal end portion thereof pivotably attached to the lower receiver body for enabling the action-control lever to move between a battery-ready position relative to the lower receiver body and a cartridge-ejecting position relative to the lower receiver body, wherein the action-control lever is coupled to the bolt carrier through a coupling assembly, and wherein the action-control lever and the coupling assembly are jointly configured such that pivoting of the action-control lever between the battery-ready position and the cartridge-ejecting position causes the bolt carrier to correspondingly slide within the bolt carrier receiving bore between a battery position and an ejection position.   
     
     
         20 . The receiver system of  claim 19  wherein the upper receiver body is an AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body. 
     
     
         21 . The receiver system of  claim 19  wherein the shotgun is one of a Remington brand shotgun, a Winchester brand shotgun and a Mossberg brand shotgun. 
     
     
         22 . The receiver system of  claim 19  wherein:
 the action-control lever and the lower receiver body jointly define a fully-enclosed trigger finger window with the action-control lever in the battery-ready position; and 
 the distal end portion of the first attachment arm is pivotably attached to a portion of the lower receiver body that partially defines the fully-enclosed trigger finger window. 
 
     
     
         23 . The receiver system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a stock securement body having spaced-apart engagement shoulders;   wherein the stock mounting flange includes opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles within a central passage thereof; and   wherein the spaced-apart engagement shoulders and the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles are jointly configured for permitting each of the spaced-apart engagement shoulders to be engaged within a respective one of the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles to inhibit unrestricted fore and aft movement of the stock securement body relative to the lower receiver body.   
     
     
         24 . The receiver system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a trigger assembly mounted on the lower receiver body;   wherein the upper receiver body is an AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body;   wherein the lower receiver body has engagement surfaces and at least a rear takedown pin bore enabling the lower receiver body to be matingly attached to the AR-15 platform compatible upper receiver body; and   wherein the lower receiver includes a magazine well that defines a frontal end portion thereof.   
     
     
         25 . The receiver system of  claim 19  wherein:
 the second attachment arm extends through the accessory mounting flange with the action-control lever in the battery-ready position; 
 the second attachment arm includes an arcuate segment; 
 the arcuate segment extends along an arcuate axis; and 
 a plurality of points along the arcuate axis are equidistant from a pivot axis about which the action-control lever pivots between the battery-ready position and the cartridge-ejecting position. 
 
     
     
         26 . The receiver system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a stock securement body having spaced-apart engagement shoulders;   wherein the stock mounting flange includes opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles within a central passage thereof; and   wherein the spaced-apart engagement shoulders and the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles are jointly configured for permitting each of the spaced-apart engagement shoulders to be engaged within a respective one of the opposing shoulder-receiving receptacles to inhibit unrestricted fore and aft movement of the stock securement body relative to the lower receiver body.   
     
     
         27 . The receiver system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a linkage member having a first end portion pivotably attached to the bolt carrier;   wherein the action-control lever includes a second attachment arm having a proximate end portion thereof attached to a proximate end portion of the first attachment arm;   wherein the linkage member and the second attachment arm jointly define the coupling assembly;   wherein the second attachment arm extends through a stock mounting flange of the lower receiver body with the action-control lever in the battery-ready position; and   wherein a second end portion of the linkage member is pivotably attached to a distal end portion of the second attachment arm.   
     
     
         28 . The receiver system of  claim 27  wherein:
 the second attachment arm extends through the accessory mounting flange with the action-control lever in the battery-ready position; 
 the second attachment arm includes an arcuate segment; 
 the arcuate segment extends along an arcuate axis; and 
 a plurality of points along the arcuate axis are equidistant from a pivot axis about which the action-control lever pivots between the battery-ready position and the cartridge-ejecting position. 
 
     
     
         29 . The receiver system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a firing pin slidably disposed within a mating passage of a bolt carried by the bolt carrier;   wherein a central portion of the linkage member between the first and second end portions thereof has a hammer-receiving space therein; and   wherein a head of the firing pin is located below the hammer-receiving space.   
     
     
         30 . The receiver system of  claim 29  wherein the hammer-receiving space is one of a hammer-receiving channel within a lower surface of the linkage member and a hammer-receiving passage extending through upper and lower surfaces of the linkage member.