The present invention relates to a device for storing and for subsequent charging of rounds of ammunition into service magazines of a Steyr individual weapon, a M16 rifle and a Minimi light weapon. Such a device is described herein as a charger clip.

It is common practice to store rounds of ammunition in disposable charger clips that can readily be stacked in boxes and transported. The charger clip for a given weapon holds a predetermined number of rounds of ammunition for that weapon. Each charger clip for a given weapon has an open end through which the rounds of ammunition are loaded into the charger clip and subsequently are fed from the charger clip into the service magazine of that weapon. In order to load a given weapon the open end of a charger clip for that weapon is positioned in alignment with the opening in the service

magazine and the rounds of ammunition are then fed through the open end into the service magazine.

Each charger clip for a given weapon has mounting elements that can be positioned to contact the end profile of the service magazine of that weapon to enable the charger clip to be positioned in alignment with the service magazine.

The end profiles of the service magazines of the M16 rifle and the Minimi weapon are substantially the same, whereas the end profile of the service magazine of the Steyr weapon is different to that of both the Ml6 rifle and the Minimi weapon. As a consequence, whilst the same charger clip can be used for the Ml6 rifle and the Minimi weapon, the charger clip for the M16 rifle and the Minimi weapon cannot be used with the Steyr weapon, and vice versa. This incompatibility in the design of the service magazines results in inconvenience and increased expense for armed forces that use both types of ^" weapons.

Further, in order to permit a user to feed rounds of ammunition into the service magazine for a Steyr weapon the closed end of the charger clip is formed so that there is a gap between the end wall and the closest round of ammunition to allow a user to insert his/her thumb into the gap and to slide the thumb towards the service magazine thereby to feed the rounds of ammunition through the open end into the service magazine. There are several disadvantages with such an arrangement. First, in some situations the gap is not sufficiently large to permit convenient insertion of the thumb. Second, in order to form the gap the length of the charger clip is extended beyond that which would otherwise be required, and, as a consequence, fewer rounds of ammunition can be stored in a given storage space. This is a particularly serious disadvantage when soldiers are in an operational situation and must carry all of the supplies required for a given

period of time.

An object of the present invention is to alleviate the disadvantages described in the preceding paragraphs.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for storing and for subsequent charging of rounds of ammunition into a service magazine of the weapons described herein, the device comprising:

(a) a frame for receiving and storing the rounds of ammunition, the frame having an open end and a closed end, and

(b) a mounting means at the open end to selectively position the open end in alignment with the opening of the service magazine of each of the weapons described herein to allow the rounds of ammunition to be fed into the service magazine.

The term "weapons" is herein understood to mean a Steyr individual weapon, a Minimi light support weapon and a M16 rifle.

It can readily be appreciated that the charger clip of the invention, as described above, is interchangeable in that it can be used to store and to subsequently charge rounds of ammunition into the service magazines of each of the weapons described herein.

It is preferred that the mounting means comprises a first mounting element having a first arcuate part to contact one of the corners of the service magazine of the Ml6 rifle and the Minimi weapon and an integrally formed second arcuate part to contact the corresponding one of the corners of the service magazine of the Steyr rifle.

It is preferred that the mounting means comprises a second mounting element to contact the other corner on one side of each service magazine. With such an arrangement it is preferred that the mounting means comprises a third mounting element to contact the one side of each service magazine that is opposite the one side of each service

magazine that extends between the adjacent corners.

It is preferred that the frame comprises a pair of parallel inwardly directed spaced apart channel members arranged to receive the nose and the rear end of each of the rounds of ammunition. The channel members thereby define guides for the rounds of ammunition.

It is preferred that the closed end of the frame is defined by an end wall that interconnects the channel members and has a reduced thickness compared with that of the channel members to allow a person loading the weapon to position a thumb or a finger against the round of ammunition closest to the end wall and to feed the rounds of ammunition into the service magazine by sliding movement of the thumb or the finger past the end wall towards the open end of the frame.

With such an arrangement it is preferred that the frame is formed to allow the round of ammunition nearest the end wall to be positioned closely adjacent the end wall. It can readily be appreciated that with such an arrangement it is not necessary to form the charger clip to include a gap between the end wall and the nearest round of ammunition as is required in the charger clip for the Steyr weapon.

A preferred embodiment of the charger clip of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment; Figure 2 is a partially cut away side view of the charger clip shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the charger clip shown in

Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 in Figure 2

when the charger clip is positioned on a service magazine for a Ml6 rifle; Figure 5 is a section along the line 4-4 in Figure 2 when the charger clip is positioned on a service magazine for a Steyr or a Minimi weapon; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of two of the charger clips shown in Figures 1 to 5 stacked together. The preferred embodiment of the charger clip shown in the figures comprises a frame, generally identified by the numeral 3, for receiving and for storing rounds of ammunition, and three mounting elements 5 to enable the charger clip to be positioned in alignment with the opening 7 in a service magazine 9 of a weapon (not shown) to allow the rounds of ammunition to be fed into the service magazine 9.

The frame 3 comprises a pair of parallel ^" inwardly directed spaced apart channel members 11 interconnected at one end by a wall 13. The end wall 13 defines the closed end of the frame 3. The other end 14 of the channel members 11 defines the open end of the frame 3.

The dimensions and spacing of the channel members 11 are selected to define a guide for rounds of ammunition loaded into the frame 3. As can best be seen in Figure 1, one of the channel members 11 has inturned shoulders 15 which define a gap G therebetween to snuggly receive and guide a section of the nose of each round of ammunition inserted through the open end into the frame 3.

The end wall 13 and the channel members 11 are formed to allow the first round of ammunition loaded into the frame 3 to be positioned closely adjacent the end wall 13 so that there is substantially no gap therebetween. The end wall 13 is of reduced thickness Ti compared with the thickness T2 of the channel members 11 to allow a

person loading the weapon to position a thumb or a finger against the round of ammunition closest to the end wall 13 and to feed the rounds of ammunition in the frame 3 into the service magazine 9 by sliding movement of the thumb or the finger past the end wall 13 in a direction towards the open end of the frame 3.

The mounting elements 5 extend from the open end of the frame 3. The spacing and the configuration of the mounting elements 5 is selected so that in use the charger clip can be positioned so that the mounting elements 5 (which extend from the corners of the frame 3) contact two adjacent corners 25 and the mounting element 5 (which extends from the side of the frame 3) contacts the opposite side 26 (see Figures 4 and 5) of the service magazine of a weapon thereby to correctly align the charger clip and the weapon to allow the service magazine to be loaded.

The mounting elements 5 are formed so that the charger clip is interchangeable in the sense that it can be used to load the service magazines of the Steyr and the Minimi weapons and the Ml6 rifle.

The end profile 21 of the service magazines 9 of the Ml6 rifle and the Steyr weapon is shown in Figure 4 and the end profile 21 of the Steyr weapon is shown in Figure 5. It will be noted from the figures that, whilst the left, front and rear sides (as viewed in the figures) of the end profiles are substantially the same, there is a significant difference in the configuration of the right side (as viewed in the figures) of the end profiles. Specifically, it will be noted that the right side (as viewed in the figures) of the end profile 21 of service magazines 9 of the M16 rifle and the Minimi weapon is generally rectilinear and the right side (as viewed in the figures) of the end profile 21 of the service magazine 9 of the Steyr weapon is tapered.

In order to compensate for the above difference in the end profiles the mounting elements 5 are formed to

allow selective engagement with the service magazines of the Steyr and Minimi weapons and the M16 rifle. In this regard, the mounting element 5 that in use contacts the corner 25 on the right side (as viewed in the figures) of the end profiles 21 is divided by a ridge 31 into two arcuate parts 29a, 29b. The arcuate parts 29a, 29b are formed so that, in use, the arcuate part 29a contacts the corner of the service magazine of the M16 rifle and the Minimi weapon, as can best be seen in Figure 4, and the arcuate part 29b contacts the corner of the service magazine of the Steyr weapon, as can best be seen in Figure 5.

The charger clip described above has a number of advantages over the conventional charger clips. For example, the charger clip can be used in connection with the service magazines of each of the Ml6 rifle and the Steyr and Minimi weapons. As a consequence, there is a significant saving in manufacturing costs for armies that use at least the Steyr weapon and one of the Ml6 rifle and the Minimi weapon. Another advantage is that the configuration of the end wall of the charger clip enables quick and convenient loading of the service magazines of the weapons. In addition, the smaller size of the charger clip compared with that of the conventional charger clip for the Steyr weapon allows approximately 50% extra rounds of ammunition to be stored in a given storage space.

A further advantage of the charger clip described above is illustrated in Figure 6 which shows two of the charger clips nested together. This is accomplished by forming the mounting elements 5 so that the spacing between the two corner mounting elements 5 is greater than the length of the side mounting element 5. The nestable characteristic of the charger clip is an advantage since it maximises the number of rounds of ammunition that can be stored in charger clips in a given packing volume.

Many modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.