1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to firearms. Particularly, the present invention relates to firearm grips.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand grips for firearms such as handguns and long rifles are well known in the prior art. Such hand grips are often formed of materials that are easy to grip to allow the user to better grasp the firearm handle. Some of the materials used are also compressible. Hand grips also come in many different styles, shapes and designs.
Some prior art hand grips have a removable rear gripping portion commonly called the “backstrap,” which is removably fixed onto a grip body. This allows a user to replace the backstrap with others of a different finishing, material, shape, and size in order to best suit the hand of the shooter. These types of hand grips provide various coupling or locking means between the backstrap and the grip body.
Examples of these types of hand grips are disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,907 (2004, Slobodkin) discloses an anatomical hand grip for a firearm. The hand grip provides a trigger finger support protrusion for the positioning of the mid-portion of the distal phalanx of the index trigger finger directly on the trigger. The grip includes two panels on each side of the handle, a grip side panel and a companion panel. The grip side panel includes a plurality of molded finger grooves within a lower grip portion and a substantially D-shaped (in thickness profile) trigger finger support protrusion with both greater thickness and greater extension towards the trigger than the upper part of its companion panel. The front part of the protrusion is significantly displaced forward towards the trigger so that the upper part of the grip panel is significantly wider than the corresponding part of its companion panel.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0096147 (2006, Beretta) discloses a firearm grip. The grip includes a body extending substantially in a development direction and a gripping portion removably mounted on the body in a rear area with reference to a trigger of the weapon. The gripping portion at least partially envelops and covers a rear surface and a tract of side surfaces of the body. Means for locking the gripping portion on the body operating in an inserting direction transversal to the development direction are arranged in at least one side portion of the body and the gripping portion. The means for locking includes first strikes associated with the gripping portion and offset in the development direction relative to second strikes associated with the body. Interference means are interposed between the first and second strikes for locking the gripping portion.
Other prior art hand grips do not attach to the “handle” of the firearm but provides or creates the firearm handle as a unitary grip or a modular grip that attaches to the firearm adjacent the trigger of the firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,205 (2005, Wikle et al.) discloses a grip having an internal, inwardly stepped, battery storage chamber. The grip includes a housing having a pull tab attached to the housing, which removably covers an internal cavity such as an internal battery storage chamber. The battery storage chamber includes two storage cavities. Each cavity includes a series of inwardly stepped battery compartments that extend from a lower portion of the firearm grip to an upper portion of the firearm grip.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0256347 (2007, Fitzpatrick et al.) discloses a modular hand grip. The hand grip includes a base with a locking dovetail rail on a first side and a second opposite side configured to receive a rail. Back strap additions are provided capable of receiving the rail on the body, which are customizable to a user's preferences while the fore straps are provided with rails in a similar manner. Also provided is a storage compartment inside the main body, accessible from a bottom of the grip.
Despite some of the prior art disclosing that the certain grips are anatomical hand grips or have ergonomic designs, none of the prior art grips are truly ergonomically designed to minimize or eliminate hand fatigue when the firearm is being held by a user. All of the prior art hand grips require the user to “grip” or “grab” the firearm handle, which leads to hand fatigue
Therefore, what is needed is a firearm hand grip that is ergonomically configured to minimize or eliminate hand fatigue for a user.