US20250327641A1

US20250327641A1 - Firearm accessory protector

Info

Publication number: US20250327641A1
Application number: US18/640,269
Authority: US
Inventors: Tony Ray Whitehead
Original assignee: Scope Secure LLC
Current assignee: Scope Secure LLC
Priority date: 2024-04-19
Filing date: 2024-04-19
Publication date: 2025-10-23

Abstract

A protector assembly for mounting a firearm accessory on a firearm includes a base having a rail opening for receiving an elongated rail on the firearm extending parallel to the barrel. The base of the protector assembly includes an accessory opening sized and shaped for receiving and attaching the firearm accessory, such as a sight, to the base. The protector assembly further comprises a shield attached to the base that is longer than the firearm accessory to at least partially envelope the firearm accessory without contacting the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base to protect the firearm accessory from damage due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Firearms frequently have a rail mount system for attaching firearm accessories to the firearm. These mount systems usually include an elongated rail fastened to the firearm such that a longitudinal axis of the rail extends parallel to a bore of the firearm. Corresponding firearm accessory mounts often include an elongated slot sized and shaped for receiving an outer portion of the rail. These mounts usually include a fastener (e.g., a screw) for fastening the mount in place on the rail. The mount and rail may also include indexing elements such as a pin selectively inserted through the slot and a corresponding lateral groove in the rail for repeatably locating the mount along the rail. These rail mount systems are used on firearms, particularly long guns and pistols, or similar weapons for holding firearm accessories, such as scopes or sights, including holographic sights, red dot sights, and reflex sights.
Rail mount systems are found on firearms used for hunting, law enforcement, military, personal defense, and recreational target shooting. Each of these uses requires the firearm to be transported to a location where it is used. Although protective cases are often used when the firearms are transported, once in use the firearms are carried to a shooting area and moved into position to align the firearm with a target. Regardless of the care taken when carrying and moving, contact occasionally occurs between the firearm or attached firearm accessories and other objects such as trees, doorframes, and posts. Contacting firearm accessories can damage the firearm accessory or mount. Some firearm accessories such as scopes can be expensive to repair or replace. Further, damaging firearm accessories and mounts can abruptly end an outing when the contact renders the firearm accessory unusable.
Although guards have been made for protecting firearm accessories and mounts, many of these prior guards offer inadequate protection because the guard leaves large portions of the firearm accessory exposed, the guard is easily dislocated during contact, or the guard is removed when using the firearm. Further, some of these prior guards are not specifically designed for use with rail mount systems. Moreover, some of these prior guards add substantial weight to the firearm that can fatigue a shooter. Thus, there remains a need for a lightweight firearm accessory protector adapted for use with common rail mount systems and offering protection during contact under common conditions.
In view of the numerous disadvantages and drawbacks present in current designs noted above, improvements to current designs are needed.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure includes a protector assembly for mounting a firearm accessory on a firearm. The firearm has an elongated barrel extending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end. The firearm comprises a rail mount including an elongated rail extending parallel to the barrel between a front end and a rear end. The protector assembly comprises a base having a rail opening sized and shaped for receiving at least an outer portion of the elongated rail. The base also has an accessory opening sized and shaped for receiving and attaching the firearm accessory to the base. The protector assembly also comprises a shield attached to the base. The shield is longer than the firearm accessory and is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the firearm accessory without contacting the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base. The shield protects the firearm accessory from damage due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm.
In another aspect, the present disclosure includes a sight assembly for mounting on a firearm. The firearm has an elongated barrel extending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end. The firearm comprises a rail mount including an elongated rail extending parallel to the barrel between a front end and a rear end. The sight assembly comprises a base having a rail opening sized and shaped for receiving at least an outer portion of the elongated rail. The base also has a sight opening. The sight assembly further comprises a sight sized and shaped for receipt within the sight opening of the base for attaching the sight to the base. The sight assembly also comprises a shield attached to the base. The shield is longer than the sight and is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the sight without contacting the sight when the sight is attached to the base. The shield protects the sight from damage due to contact between the sight and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent in view of the following description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This disclosure includes non-limiting examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a first example of a protector assembly to protect a firearm accessory mounted on a firearm;

FIG. 2 is a partially separated perspective of the protector assembly of the first example shown mounted on a fragmentary portion of the firearm;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the protector assembly of the first example;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the protector assembly of the first example shown with a portion of a rail;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the protector assembly of the first example shown in partial cross section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan of the protector assembly of the first example;

FIG. 7 is a perspective of a base of the protector of the first example;

FIG. 8 is a perspective of the base of the first example shown mounted on a fragmentary portion of the firearm;

FIG. 9 is a partially separated perspective of the protector assembly of the first example and a scope mounted on a fragmentary portion of the firearm;

FIG. 10 is a perspective of a base of a second example of the protector assembly; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective of a base of a third example of the protector assembly.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a first example of a protector assembly designated in its entirety by the reference number 30. Although it is envisioned that the protector assembly may have other configurations such as a tripod-mounted sight protector, a targeting sight protector, a crossbow sight protector, or a telescope/binocular sight protector, the illustrated protector assembly 30 is a firearm accessory protector adapted for mounting upon a firearm to protect a firearm accessory from damage or misalignment due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm. Accordingly, inventive concepts and features disclosed herein are not intended to be limited to firearm accessory protectors.
The illustrated protector assembly 30 is adapted to mount a firearm accessory 32 on a firearm 34 having an elongated barrel 36 extending longitudinally between a forward end 38 having a muzzle 40 and a rearward end 42 opposite the forward end. The firearm 34 has a rail mount, generally indicated by 48 (see also FIGS. 2 and 4 ), including an elongated rail 50 extending parallel to the barrel 36 between a front end 54 and a rear end 56 (see FIG. 4 ). The protector assembly 30 includes a base 60 having a rail opening 62 (see FIGS. 3 and 5-7 ) sized and shaped to receive a portion of the elongated rail 50. It is envisioned that the opening may have other configurations but is sized and shaped to receive at least an outer portion of the rail 50 in most instances. Although other configurations for the elongated rail 50 and rail opening 62 may be used, the illustrated elongated rail 50 has a flattened hexagonal cross-sectional shape roughly corresponding to the flattened hexagonal rail opening. In particular, the elongated rail 50 is wider than a lowermost opening of the rail opening 62. Thus, when connecting the protector assembly 30 to the firearm 34, an end of the base 60 is aligned with an end of the elongated rail so the elongated rail may be inserted longitudinally into the rail opening of the base. Other mounting systems for mounting protector assemblies 30 on firearms 34 are contemplated, such as dovetail rails, picatinny rails, Zeiss rails, cantilever mounts, standard (STD) mounts, and Weaver rails, among others. The protector assembly 30 as described herein is adaptable to any mounting system for mounting a firearm accessory 32 to a firearm 34.
Turning to FIGS. 3 and 5 , the rail opening 62 in the base 60 includes a slot 66. Although the components of the base 60 may have other configurations, the illustrated base 60 further includes at least one threaded member 68 bridging the slot. The illustrated base 60 includes four threaded members 68, but more or fewer threaded members could be used in other examples. The slot 66 creates a cantilevered portion 70 of the base 60. The threaded member 68 passes through a hole 72 in the cantilevered portion 70 having a larger diameter than the threaded member. The threaded member 68 is threadably received in a threaded hole 74 in the base 60. Adjusting the threaded member 68 in the threaded hole 74 is configured to selectively deflect the cantilevered portion 70 inward toward the rail 50, thereby decreasing a width W of the slot 66 (FIG. 5 ) to clamp the base 60 to the rail. In other words, the width W of the slot 66 is selectively adjustable by turning the threaded member, or members 68, and the rail opening 62 size and shape changes as the slot width is adjusted to selectively clamp the base 60 to the elongated rail 50.
As shown in FIG. 3 , the base 60 also includes an indexing element, generally indicated by 80, selectively insertable into the base 60 to engage the rail 50 and repeatably locate the base relative to the rail. In the illustrated example, the indexing element 80 includes a pin or machine screw 82 selectively insertable through a hole 84 in the base 60 so the pin protrudes into the rail opening 62. The rail 50 is configured to include one or more transverse channels or notches to receive the pin 82 to locate the base 60 repeatably at a longitudinal position the rail 50. Although other configurations may be used, the pin 82 of the illustrated example has a threaded end 86 to engage a threaded hole 88 (see FIG. 7 ) in the base 60 opposite the hole 84 to retain the indexing element in position.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 , the base 60 has an accessory opening, generally indicated by 90, sized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessory 32 to the base. The base 60 extends longitudinally between a front 92 and a rear 94. In the illustrated example the accessory opening 90 consists of a rear accessory opening 96 located adjacent to the rear 94 of the base 60. The protector assembly 30 also has a front accessory opening 100 adjacent to the front 92 of the base 60 sized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessory 32 to the base. The rear accessory opening 96 and the front accessory opening 100 cooperate to receive and attach the firearm accessory 32 to the base 60. In the illustrated example, the accessory opening 90 is adapted to receive and attach a sight, such as a scope sight (e.g., a telescopic sight), laser sight, or a reflex sight to the base 60. The accessory opening 90 also includes a semicylindrical holder 96, 100 sized and shaped to receive the sight 32 and a retainer 102 (see FIGS. 3 and 5 ) selectively connectable, such as with a threaded screw 104, to the holder to retain the sight received in the holder. As used herein, the term semicylindrical can mean half of a circle (e.g., 180 degrees) or a smaller portion of a circle (i.e., less than 180 degrees).
As depicted in FIGS. 2-6 , the illustrated protector assembly 30 includes a shield, generally indicated by 110, attached to the base 60. The shield 110 is longer than the firearm accessory 32, and in the illustrated example is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the firearm accessory without contacting the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base 60. It is envisioned that this configuration helps protect the firearm accessory 32 from damage due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm 34. For example, when transporting the firearm 34 from a home or storage to the field for use, the protector assembly 30 is configured to shield the firearm accessory 32 from damage. Moreover, when carrying a firearm 34 in the field, such as for hunting, it is desirable to protect the firearm accessory 32 from damage by not allowing it to contact trees, rocks, or other objects that may damage the firearm accessory. In another aspect, the illustrated shield 110 extends farther forward than the firearm accessory 32 when the firearm accessory is attached to the base 60. In yet another aspect, the illustrated shield 110 extends farther rearward than the firearm accessory 32 when the firearm accessory is attached to the base 60. The illustrated shield 110 includes a semicylindrical shell 112 partially surrounding the firearm accessory 32 when the firearm accessory is attached to the base 60 to protect the firearm accessory from damage. The semicylindrical shell 112 has a plurality of apertures 114 to reduce material used in the shield 110, as well as reducing weight of the assembly 30. It should be understood that the apertures 114 shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6 may be positioned in different locations and may have different sizes and shapes. Further, different numbers and spacings of apertures are contemplated. In addition, the semicylindrical shell 112 includes tool orifices 116 aligned along an axis of each threaded screw 104. These tool orifices 116 allow a tool, such as a screwdriver, to be inserted into the orifice to engage with and adjust the threaded screw 104, thereby allowing the retainers 102 to be secured, adjusted, or removed without needing to remove the shield 110.
In addition, the shield 110 includes a sighting element, generally indicated by 118 (FIGS. 3-5 ), allowing the firearm 34 to be roughly aligned with a target using the sighting element before using a sight. The sighting element 118 includes a rearward sighting element 118′ positioned on the shield 110, and the shield also includes a forward sighting element 118″ positioned farther forward on the shield than the rearward sighting element. The rearward sighting element 118′ and the forward sighting element 118″ are used in combination to align with one another when aligning the firearm 34 with a target. Each sighting element 118′,118″ includes an upper portion 120 extending slightly above the profile of the shield 110 and a lower portion 122 extending slightly below the profile of the shield (see FIG. 5 ). When viewed from the forward end or rearward end of the protector assembly 30, the upper portion 120 and lower portion 122 of each sighting element 118′,118″ cooperate to create a complete sight in the shape of a ring (see FIG. 5 ). The illustrated sighting elements 118′,118′ include an upper portion 120 and a lower portion 122 that are each substantially semicylindrical, but other shapes could be used in other examples. For example, the lower portion 122 may be formed as a “V” while the upper portion may be formed as a lambda “A”. In this example, the V-shaped upper portion 120 and A-shaped lower portion 122 of each sighting element 118′,118″ cooperate to create a complete sight in the shape of a diamond (not shown).
In these examples, aligning the rearward and forward sighting elements 118′,118″ with one another roughly aligns the firearm 34 with the target, thereby allowing the operator to readily switch to the sight positioned in the accessory opening 90 without having to search for the target with the sight. In this manner, the sighting element 118 facilitates rough alignment with the target, thereby reducing the need to hunt for the intended target within a field of view of a highly magnified firearm accessory 32, such as a scope. The size of each sighting element 118′,118″ may be different to facilitate alignment and cooperation between the sighting elements. For example, a rearward sighting element 118′ sized smaller than the forward sighting element 118″ will make the sighting elements appear to be nearer the same size to the user, facilitating alignment of the sighting elements with the target and proper alignment of the firearm 34.
The illustrated example also includes a rearward ball sight 124 and a forward ball sight 126 threadably received in the shield 110 (FIGS. 3-5 ). The ball sights 124,126 are movable inward or outward with respect to the shield 110 by rotatably threading the ball sights into or out of the shield. In this manner, the position of the ball sights 124,126 are adjustable to align the protector assembly 30 with the firearm, providing rough alignment of the firearm with the target, thereby reducing the need to hunt for the intended target to bring it within a field of view of a highly magnified firearm accessory 32, such as a scope.
Moreover, the shield 110 includes a rib 128 (FIGS. 3-5 ) extending the length of the shield to provide additional rigidity. The rib 128 of the illustrated protector assembly 30 is oriented longitudinally along the shield 110. Although the number of ribs 128 included with the shield 110 may be greater or lesser than two, the illustrated shield includes two ribs, one on each lateral side of the shield. The additional rigidity of the shield 110 provides better protection for the firearm accessory 32, such as if the firearm is dropped. The addition of ribs 128 also allows the shield 110 to be manufactured from a thinner material, as the inclusion of the ribs provides additional structural rigidity at less cost and weight than using a thicker material throughout the shield.
Turning to FIGS. 6-8 , the illustrated protector assembly 30 includes an extension 130 extending laterally from the base 60. As shown, the shield 110 attaches to an end 132 of the extension 130 opposite the base. More specifically, the extension 130 is a first extension, and the protector assembly 30 also includes a second extension 134 extending laterally from the base 60 opposite the first extension. The shield 110 is attached to an end 136 of the second extension 134 opposite the base 60 and extends from the first extension 130 to the second extension 134. The illustrated protector assembly 30 has a plurality of extensions extending from the base 60. In particular, the first extension 130 of the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the rear 94 of the base 60. The second extension 134 of the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the rear 94 of the base 60 opposite the first extension 130. A third extension 140 of the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the front 92 of the base 60. A fourth extension 142 of the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the front 92 of the base 60 opposite the third extension 140. The shield 110 is attached to an end of the first extension 130, an end of the second extension 134 opposite the first extension, an end of the third extension 140, and an end of the fourth extension 142 opposite the third extension. Although the plurality of extensions 130, 134, 140, 142 and the shield 110 described above may be joined using other methods, the illustrated extensions and shield are joined by threaded fasteners 150 received in holes 152 in the shield and threaded holes 154 in the extensions as depicted in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7 .
The protector assembly may be formed from a number of materials, including metals, such as cast, milled, or sheet aluminum. The protector assembly components may optionally include a surface treatment to enhance durability and appearance. Examples of such surface treatments include paint, clear coats, powder coats, PVC dipping, and anodized finishes.
FIG. 9 illustrates a first example of a sight assembly, generally indicated by 230, for mounting on a firearm 234. As with the protector assembly 30 discussed above, the firearm 234 has an elongated barrel 236 extending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end. The firearm has a rail mount, generally indicated by 248, including an elongated rail 250 extending parallel to the barrel 236 between a front end and a rear end.
The sight assembly 230 includes a base 260 having a rail opening 262 sized and shaped to receive at least an outer portion of the elongated rail 250 and a sight opening 290. The sight assembly 230 also includes a sight 232 sized and shaped for receipt within the sight opening 290 of the base 260 to attach the sight to the base. The sight assembly 230 includes a shield, generally indicated by 210, attached to the base 260. The shield 210 is longer than the sight 232 and is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the sight without contacting the sight when the sight is attached to the base 260 to protect the sight from damage due to contact between the sight and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm. When assembled with a sight 232, the shield 210 extends farther forward and farther rearward than the sight. The shield 210 also includes a sighting element 222 allowing the firearm 234 to be roughly aligned with a target by sighting along the element and aligning the element with the target.
FIG. 10 illustrates a second example of a base 360 of a protector assembly. The base 360 includes a rail opening 362 sized and shaped to receive a portion of the elongated rail 50, much as described above with respect to the first example. The base 360 includes a movable beam 364 oriented along the length of the base 360. The movable beam 364 includes two unthreaded openings (not shown) that receive two bolts 366 to secure the movable beam to the base 360 by threading the bolts into the base. The movable beam 364 is configured to slide laterally toward or away from the base 360 along the bolts 366, thereby selectively decreasing or increasing the width of the rail opening 362 by turning the bolts. In this manner, adjusting the bolts 366 is configured to selectively move the beam 364 inward toward the rail 50, thereby clamping the rail and holding the base 360 on the rail. In other words, the position of the movable beam 364 is selectively adjustable by turning the bolts 366, and the size and shape of the rail opening 362 changes as the slot width is adjusted to selectively clamp the base 360 to the elongated rail 50.
FIG. 11 illustrates a third example of a base 460 of a protector assembly. The base 460 includes a rail opening 462 sized and shaped to receive a portion of the elongated rail 50, much as described above with respect to the first example. The rail opening 462 in the base 460 includes a slot 466. Although the components of the base may have other configurations, the illustrated base 460 also includes at least one threaded member or screw fastener 468 bridging the slot 466. The illustrated base 460 includes three screw fasteners 468, but other numbers of screw fasteners could be used in other examples. The slot 466 creates a cantilevered portion 470 of the base 460. The screw fastener 468 passes through a hole in the cantilevered portion 470 having a larger diameter than the screw fastener. The screw fastener 468 is threadably received in a threaded hole in the base 460. Adjusting the screw fastener 468 in the threaded hole is configured to selectively deflect the cantilevered portion 470 inward toward the rail 50, thereby decreasing a width of the slot 466 to squeeze the rail and hold the base 460 on the rail. The base 460 has an accessory opening, generally indicated by 490, sized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessory 32 to the base. The base 460 extends longitudinally and has a front 492 and a rear 494. The accessory opening 490 consists of a rear accessory opening 496 located adjacent to the rear 494 of the base 460. The protector assembly also has a front accessory opening 500 adjacent to the front 492 of the base 460 sized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessory 32 to the base. The rear accessory opening 496 and the front accessory opening 500 cooperate to receive and attach the firearm accessory 32 to the base 460.
In addition, the base 460 includes a third extension 440 and a fourth extension 442, providing additional mounting locations to mount additional objects on the base. The third extension 440 and fourth extension 442 extend laterally from the front 492 of the base 460 opposite each other. The fourth extension 442 includes a threaded hole 502 oriented along an axis aligned with the sighting element 222 of the shield 210. The threaded hole 502 is configured to threadably receive an additional piece of equipment, such as a flashlight, having a threaded end. This threaded hole 502 allows the threaded end of the equipment to be quickly and securely mounted to the base 460 while also providing an appropriate alignment of the equipment for use with the protector assembly.
Similarly, the third extension 440 includes an opening 506 to receive an additional piece of equipment, such as a flashlight. The third extension 440 includes a cradle 508 sized and shaped to form the opening 506 and a gap 510 between the cradle and the cantilevered portion 470. The illustrated third extension 440 also includes at least one screw fastener 512 bridging the gap 510. The screw fastener 512 passes through a hole (not shown) in the cradle 508 having a larger diameter than the screw fastener. The screw fastener 512 is threadably received in a threaded hole (not shown) in the cantilevered portion 470. Adjusting the screw fastener 512 is configured to selectively deflect the cradle 508 inward toward the cantilevered portion 470, thereby decreasing the gap 510 to clamp the equipment and securely hold the equipment within the opening 506. As with the previous example, the opening 506 allows the end of the equipment to be quickly and securely mounted to the base 460 while also providing an appropriate alignment of the equipment for use with the protector assembly. The illustrated opening 506 is cylindrical, but other shapes are envisioned.
Although not illustrated in an additional figure, one skilled in the art would readily understand that aspects of the different examples included herein may be combined. For example, the movable beam 364 of the second example of FIG. 10 is configured to be combined with the threaded hole 502, cradle 508, and opening 506 of the third example of FIG. 11 . To facilitate combination, the forward end of the movable beam 364 would be shortened adjacent the third extension 440 to create clearance for the cradle 508 and opening 506.
The sight assembly may be formed from a number of materials, including metals, such as cast, milled, or sheet aluminum. The sight assembly components may optionally include a surface treatment to enhance durability and appearance. Examples of such surface treatments include paint, clear coats, powder coats, PVC dipping, and anodized finishes.
The protector assembly and sight assembly described above have several advantages. The assemblies envelop the firearm accessory, sight, or scope, thereby leaving little or no portion of the firearm accessory, sight, or scope vulnerable to damage. The assemblies are usable with almost any rail mounting system. The assemblies are protective but lightweight, thereby not adding substantial weight to the firearm that can fatigue a shooter. The assemblies also include a sighting element to quickly align the firearm to a target before refining the aim with the firearm accessory, sight, or scope. And lastly, the assemblies may remain in place while using the firearm, thereby eliminating the need to remove a protective device before using the firearm accessory, sight, or scope at risk, which reduces the time needed to aim and use the firearm and eliminates the need to have the firearm accessory, sight, or scope without protection for any length of time.
When introducing elements in this description and the claims, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to indicate one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are intended to be inclusive and indicate there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
As those skilled in the art could make various changes to the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the intended scope of the description, all matter in the above description and the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, and can include other constructions and methods that would occur to those skilled in the art. Such other constructions are intended to be within the scope of the claims if the structural elements of the constructions do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if the constructions include equivalent structural elements having insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
To the extent that the specification, including the claims and accompanying drawings, discloses any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the disclosures are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional disclosures is reserved.

Claims

1. A protector assembly for mounting a firearm accessory on a firearm having an elongated barrel extending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end and a rail mount including an elongated rail extending parallel to the barrel between a front end and a rear end, the protector assembly comprising:

a base having a rail opening sized and shaped for receiving at least an outer portion of the elongated rail and an accessory opening sized and shaped for receiving and attaching the firearm accessory to the base; and

a shield attached to the base, said shield being longer than the firearm accessory and being sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the firearm accessory without contacting the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base to protect the firearm accessory from damage due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm.

2. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shield extends farther forward than the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base.

3. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the shield extends farther rearward than the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base.

4. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shield extends farther rearward than the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base.

5. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the accessory opening is adapted to attach a sight to the base.

6. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the accessory opening comprises a semicylindrical holder sized and shaped for receiving the sight and a retainer selectively connectable to the holder for retaining the sight received in the holder.

7. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an extension extending laterally from the base, and wherein the shield is attached to an end of the extension opposite the base.

8. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said extension is a first extension;

the protector assembly further comprises a second extension extending laterally from the base opposite said first extension; and

the shield is attached to an end of the second extension opposite the base and extends from said first extension to said second extension.

9. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said base extends longitudinally and has a front and a rear;

said accessory opening is a rear accessory opening located adjacent to the rear of the base; and

the protector assembly further comprises a front accessory opening adjacent to the front of the base sized and shaped for receiving and attaching the firearm accessory to the base.

10. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a plurality of extensions extending from the base, wherein:

a first extension of said plurality of extensions extends laterally from the rear of the base;

a second extension of said plurality of extensions extends laterally from the rear of the base opposite said first extension;

a third extension of said plurality of extensions extends laterally from the front of the base;

a fourth extension of said plurality of extensions extends laterally from the front of the base opposite said third extension; and

the shield is attached to each of the first extension opposite the rear of the base, the second extension opposite the rear of the base, the third extension opposite the front of the base, and the fourth extension opposite the front of the base.

11. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shield comprises a semicylindrical shell partially surrounding the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base to protect the firearm accessory from damage.

12. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein said semicylindrical shell has a plurality of apertures for reducing material used in the shield.

13. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shield includes a sighting element allowing the firearm to be roughly aligned with a target.

14. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said sighting element is a rearward sighting element and the shield further includes a forward sighting element positioned farther forward on the shield than the rearward sighting element; and

the rearward sighting element and the forward sighting element are used in combination when aligning the firearm with a target.

15. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the rail opening in the base includes a slot;

the base includes a threaded member bridging the slot;

a width of the slot is selectively adjustable by turning the threaded member; and

the rail opening size and shape changes as the slot width is selectively adjusted to selectively clamp the base to the elongated rail.

16. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base includes an indexing element selectively insertable into the base to engage the rail and repeatably locate the base relative to the rail.

17. A protector assembly as set forth in claim 16, wherein the indexing element comprises a pin selectively insertable through a hole in the base to enter the rail opening.

18. A sight assembly for mounting on a firearm having an elongated barrel extending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end and a rail mount including an elongated rail extending parallel to the barrel between a front end and a rear end, the sight assembly comprising:

a base having a rail opening sized and shaped for receiving at least an outer portion of the elongated rail and a sight opening;

a sight sized and shaped for receipt within the sight opening of the base for attaching the sight to the base; and

a shield attached to the base, said shield being longer than the sight and being sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the sight without contacting the sight when the sight is attached to the base to protect the sight from damage due to contact between the sight and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm.

19. A sight assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein the shield extends farther forward and farther rearward than the sight when the sight is attached to the base.

20. A sight assembly as set forth in claim 18, wherein the shield includes a sighting element allowing the firearm to be roughly aligned with a target.