US2056469A - Shotgun sight attachment - Google Patents

Description

DBHFCH [1001 x G. 1.. KING SHOTGUN siGHT ATTACHMENT Oct;

'Filjed Oct. 25, 1953 INVENTOR Gear *1. King ATTORNEYS tiiOtiiiRiC/u. lwt'iiiiiivmi z s.

Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES \N V beaten i100! PATENT OFFICE SHOTGUN SIGHT ATTACHMENT George L. King, St. Paul, Minn.

Application October 23, 1933, Serial No. 694,787

2 Claims. (01. 3351) The present invention relates to a shotgun sight attachment, and more particularly to a sight attachment for use in wing shooting to determine the range of a flying target and the amount of lead required to have the shot charge strike the target.

Many hunters who have done wing shooting for years have no accurate conception of the distance to lead a bird in order to hit it, and although in time they may reach a degree of proficiency which assures them of a fair percentage of hits, this stage is only reached by a trial and error process which wastes a great deal of ammunition and results in dissatisfaction onthe part of the hunter.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective gun sighting attachment for wing shooting.

In order to attain this object, there is provided, in accordance with one feature of the invention, a sight base mounted transversely of the barrel of a shotgun, near the muzzle, and having a plurality of pairs of sight elements mounted thereon, each pair of sight elements being spaced apart a distance which, with the focal point of a shooters eye in a normal shooting position, as the apex, will define an angle which, when extended, will intercept the front and rear, respectively, of a target of predetermined length, a predetermined distance forwardly of the muzzle of the gun. In one embodiment of the invention each pair of sight elements is laterally offset from the bore axis of the gun a sufficient distance to provide the proper amount of lead for a normal size duck flying at a known speed when the lines of vision extended from any pair of sight elements intercept the head and tail of said duck, respectively.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully brought out in the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a conventional type of shotgun with a sight embodying the present invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the barrel of a shotgun, similar to that shown in Figure 1, a plurality of ducks at various ranges being indicated in sighting position as they would appear to the shooter.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side view of the device shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 of a sight attachment for use on guns with a ramp front sight or full raised rib.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing a double-barreled shotgun with the sight attachment mounted thereon, the ends of the sight attachment being broken away.

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 6 showing the sight attachment and ramp front sight of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a view in perspective of a hunter using a gun with the sighting attachment shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the bore axis being projected by an alternate dash and dot line and the lines of vision being projected by dashed lines from the hunters eye past three pairs of sight elements to three ducks at different ranges.

Figure 9 is a view in perspective of a sighting attachment to be used as a range finder without the leading arrangement, the fore end of a barrel being indicated in dotted lines; and

Figure 10 is an end view of the sighting device shown in Figure 9, three ducks being indicated as they would appear at different ranges.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a shotgun A is of a conventional type of autoloading shotgun with stock I and barrel 2. A customary bead front sight 3 is provided at the muzzle end of the barrel 2.

A sighting attachment B comprises a flat, horizontally disposed member 4, preferably of spring steel, with upturned sighting elements arranged in pairs of one larger sighting element and one smaller sighting element each.

The inner pair of sighting elements 5 and 6 on each side has the larger sighting element 5 spaced inwardly from the smaller sighting element 6, these sighting elements being spaced apart a distance sufficient to define an angle between the focal center of a shooters eye and the head and tail, respectively, of a normal size duck when flying transversely to the bore axis of the gun at a distance, for example, of twenty yards, and are spaced laterally from the bore axis a distance sufiicient to properly lead a duck flying at a known speed toward the bore axis at said range of twenty yards.

The second pair of sighting elements on each side, numbered 1 and 8, respectively, are spaced apart a distance to define an angle which will intercept the head and tail of a duck, respectively, when flying, for example, at a distance of thirty yards, and are spaced laterally from the bore axis a distance sufficiently to lead the duck when the duck is flying toward the bore axis at a distance of thirty yards; while the outer pair of sighting elements 9 and I0, respectively, are spaced apart as above set forth and offset from the bore axis sufficiently to define and properly lead a duck flying at a range, for example, of forty yards from the shooter.

Extending rearwardly from the flattened spring steel base 4 is a projecting portion ll having downwardly curved spring arms I2 and I3 adapted to resiliently grip the barrel of the gun to hold the sighting element in position thereon. An elongated, tapered slot M has an enlarged forward portion adapted to receive the bead sight 3 of the gun and having an inwardly tapered rear portion adapted to wedge against the sight and hold the member B against lateral displacement. Upon each firing of the gun the recoil of the gun will tend to force the sight 3 rearwardly in the opening [4 which will securely prevent dislodging of the member B during successive shooting operations.

The modified forms shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 are merely to show differences in the mounting structures to accommodate diiferent types of shotgun barrels.

In the form shown in Figure 5 the barrel 2-a has a well known type of ramp I5 on the forward end thereof with an ordinary bead sight 3a mounted thereon. In this type of mounting it is preferable to have spring arms I3-a and I3-a at the front and rear ends, respectively, of the ramp to securely hold the sight in position thereon, otherwise the general structure of this device is similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.

In the structure shown in Figure 6 the double barrel arrangement 2-1) is of a conventional form for double barreled shotguns 3, except that they are more widely separated to receive the double barrels 2-b. The device is secured to a customary bead sight 3b in the same manner as is shown in Figure 3.

The structure shown in Figure 7, being similar to that shown in Figure 5, the parts are similarly numbered.

In the modified form shown in Figures 9 and 10 the device comprises a strip of spring steel having a fiat central portion I6 with a slotted opening l'l similar to the opening I4 shown in Figure 3 to engage the front sight bead 3-0. The spring strip is bent upwardly as at I8 and IS in the form of steps, these steps being separated sufficiently so that the line of vision from the shooters eye past these steps will intercept the head and tail, respectively, of a duck at a distance of, for instance, forty yards. The strip is carried horizontally from these steps and is again bent up as at 2| and 22 to intercept the head and tail, respectively, of a duck 23 at a range of thirty yards, and a third pair of steps 24 and 25 are separated a distance to intercept the head and tail, respectively, of a duck 26 at a distance of, for instance, twenty yards. This sight, it is apparent, has no self-leading characteristics and acts merely as a range finder so that after the shooter has become proficient in properly leading a duck for different ranges, it will be necessary for him merely to know the range of a duck to be able to properly lead the same without artificial assistance, such as is provided in the sights shown in the other illustrations in Figures 9 and 10.

It is suggested, as a means for the user to become proficient in the art of wing shooting, that he first use a sight embodying the characteristics set forth in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, which combines the range finding properties with the self-leading properties previously set forth. After becoming proficient in properly leading the birds the shooter may remove the device shown in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, and substitute for it the range finding device shown in Figures 9 and 10. Thereafter, if the shooter should lose his sense of proper necessary lead acquired by the use of the device shown in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, he may again return to this device until his sense of judgment with respect to the proper lead has been restored to a point where he may substitute the more compact and less conspicuous device shown in Figures 9 and 10.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the structures illustrated and described may be readily devised, and it is, therefore, not desired to limit the invention to the specific structure herein shown except as set forth in the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sighting attachment for firearms comprising a basewelement mounted adjacent the muzzle...of...a firearm barrel, a plurality of pairs of fixed, spaced sighting elements carried by said base, said pairs of elements being spaced in decreasing progression outwardly away from the barrel, for the purpose set forth.

2. A sighting attachment for firearms, comprising in combination with the firearm barrel and front sight bead a base element mounted adjacent the muzzle of the firearm barrel and transversely thereof, said base element being formed with an elongated, tapered slot, said slot forming a receiving opening for a sight head, with the inwardly tapered rear portion of the slot wedging against said bead, a plurality of pairs of fixed, spaced sighting elements carried by said base, said pairs of elements being spaced in decreasing progression outwardly from the barrel, for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE L. KING.

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