The present invention is in the technical field of firearms. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of ammunition magazine base plates. More specifically, the present invention is in the field of ammunition magazine base plates that can attach and detach more than one magazine.
Since the inception of the guns, shooters have striven to improve the efficiency of re-loading. This was sensible for the hunter to avoid losing game, for the soldier to protect against his enemy, and for the farmer to defend his person and property. The revolver and repeating rifle improved upon the ball and black power by enabling the loading of multiple rounds, either in a rotating cylinder that could fire six bullets before re-loading was necessary, or into a captured enclosure in the rifle. The pistol improved upon the revolver by utilizing a magazine that can hold sometimes as many as 20 rounds, although 10 round magazines are by far the most common. For rifles one can find magazines that hold much larger numbers of rounds.
Today, many states have instituted laws that limit the maximum number of rounds in a magazine to ten, and in some cases less than ten. The present invention helps individuals in regulated states as well as in unregulated states by securely fixing two magazines together at the base of the magazine by means of the present invention. This doubles the amount of ammunition attached and carried in a weapon. For some individuals, including professional and amateur competitive shooters, individuals protecting their families and property, military and law enforcement, the number of rounds in a magazine, and magazine replacement speed, can be critical.
The present invention provides for the attachment of two magazines of any capacity to a single base plate. A typical magazine includes the magazine body, a follower, a spring, an insert or locking plate and a base plate. The locking plate mechanism fixes into the base plate to prevent the magazine from disassembling while in use. The locking mechanism on a typical base plate cannot be released without easy access to the bottom of the magazine. Because of this design it has not previously been possible to connect two magazines at the base plates. The present invention employs a locking mechanism that can be operated without requiring direct access to the bottom of the magazines, and allows a user of the invention to benefit from being able to use the bullets from two magazines in a manner significantly more efficient that having to find a second magazine and insert it.