Technical Bulletin

August 26, 1999

Technical Bulletin 3: C. Milazzo Trigger Patent Issues

Purpose: To resolve questions concerning Milazzo trigger patents.

Mr. Charles Milazzo recently published a letter advising that he holds a patent that prevents the use of ArmaLite 2 stage triggers. His patent covers a relationship between the hammer and trigger that prevents the safety from being placed in the fire position when the hammer is forward. It also allows the user to open the action, place the hammer in a sort of half-cock position and engage the safety to prevent the action from being charged when the upper receiver is closed.  He also claims that the system prevents the hammer from falling if the upper sear surfaces break off.

The first issue is overcome by events: every AR-15/M-16 type trigger mechanism made during the past 40 years already used this feature.  Only the shape of Milazzo’s parts is changed.  The second feature explains an occasional complaint received at ArmaLite: that when a rifle malfunctions with the bolt carrier part way back, engaging the safety before clearing the rifle locks it up and makes clearing difficult.

While we don’t believe that the patent is valid, the latter problem has caused us to introduce the ArmaLite Gen III 2 stage trigger mechanism.   In it, we have introduced a sear surface similar to the 40-year-old design on the hammer.  The new system avoids Milazzo’s patent claims, eliminates the lockup, and provides a backup sear.  The Gen III design is the only one that has a sear backup that allows continued firing. 

Our last shipment of trigger kits proceeded the effective date of the Milazzo patent.  All shipments since have been of the Gen III model.  As a practical matter, previous purchasers cannot be stopped from continuing to use their devices, even if the patent were upheld.

MAW

© 1998 ArmaLite, Inc.