That's good for S&W and TC!
This was a settlement that included a number of patent infringements that were alleged by TC including the QLA projectile alignment system and a removable breech plug. This is a victory for a U.S. company that had patent protection.
The patent infringements that TC claimed are mentioned here:
According to the complaint, the asserted patents “relate to a firing mechanism, barrel, and structural components used to close the rear of the barrel of long guns and pistols.” Specifically, the ‘781 patent “is directed to a muzzle-loading firearm having break-open action that allows access to the breech plug.” The ‘694 patent “is directed to a muzzle-loading firearm having a breech plug, a barrel with an initial portion, and a deformable seal in front of a threaded engagement.” The ‘138 patent “is directed to a firearm having a hammer and a spur” and “teaches using a removable fastener to allow the spur to [be] moveable among [a] plurality of positions.” The ‘311 patent “is directed to a lever-operated muzzle-loading firearm and a method of discharging a muzzle-loaded firearm having a barrel with a breech-end and incorporated therein a removable breech plug.” The ‘030 patent “is directed to a method for making an improved barrel for a muzzle-loading firearm” and “teaches using [a] tool to enlarge the muzzle end of the barrel to provide a smooth muzzle end that is slightly larger than the rifled section of the barrel.” The ‘981 patent “is directed to an improved barrel for [ ] muzzle-loading firearms.”
http://www.martindale.com/internatio...dt_1284038.htm
The claims were recently discussed in another thread:
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...raditions.html