IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher George Bonehill, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, and William James Matthews, of
Birmingham aforesaid, Tool Maker, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher George Bonehill
and William James Matthews at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 12th May 1880.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturer, and WILLIAM JAMES MATTHEWS, of Birmingham aforesaid, Tool
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
Maker.
Our Invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind called drop
down guns, and our said Invention consists of the arrangements or combinations of
parts hereinafter described for cocking the internal or concealed hammers of the
said guns, and for bolting down the barrels of the said guns at the prolonged rib.
Our Invention further consists of the arrangement or combination of parts, herein-
after described, of safety and indicating mechanism, and also of an improved "fore
end" fastener.
We cock the internal hammers of the said guns by means of a cranked lever
turning on a pin or axis crossing the body of the gun, the said lever having motion
in a vertical plane. The arms of the said lever are nearly at right angles to one
another. The said lever is situated between the two hammers, and its horizontal
arm acts upon pins or projections on the sides of the hammers to cock them. The
vertical arm of the said lever passes upwards nearly to the underside of the tang of
the break off, and is acted upon by a top hand lever having a side or horizontal
motion in the following way-On the underside of the tang of the break off a
sliding piece or bolt works. On the underside and near the front end of this
sliding piece is a projection or short arm which engages with a fork at the top of
the vertical arm of the cocking lever described. The nose or extreme front end of
the said sliding piece constitutes a bolt for taking into the prolonged end of the rib
between the barrels for fastening down the said barrels. The lower end of the axis
of the top hand levér is formed with an excentric arm or tumbler having a stud
upon its end, which stud works in a cross slot in the sliding piece or bolt. The

page_text: axis of the hand lever passes through a longitudinal slot in the sliding piece or
bolt. A spring acting upon the axis of the hand lever gives the snapping action
to the sliding piece or bolt and the return motions to the parts connected with it.
When the hand lever is turned aside it operates through the excentric arm or
tumbler on its axis upon the sliding picce or bolt, and moves the latter back or
towards the butt end of the gun. By this back motion of the sliding piece or bolt
the bolting nose is withdrawn from the rib and the barrels are unfastened. At the
same time the sliding piece acting upon the vertical arm of the cocking lever turns
the latter on its axis and causes its horizontal arm to lift the bammers to full cock.
The sears of the lock mechanism engage in the ordinary way with the bents in the
said hammers and hold them at full cock. Internal hammers having curved noses
to act directly on the cartridges or hammers having flat noses to act upon strikers
may be used.
The safety and indicating mechanism is constructed as follows:-To the outer or
long arm of each of the sears we joint a link or rod. These links or rods pass
upwards, and their reduced upper ends work through holes in the tang and also
through slots in a safety slide working on the underside of the tang. The reduced
upper ends of the sear links or rods join the other parts by shoulders. When the
hammers are cocked and the barrels unbolted by the back motion of the sliding
piece or bolt, herein before described, the rear end of the said sliding piece acts
against and presses back the safety slide, and the latter engages with the shoulders
of the jointed sear links or rods. The upward motion of the said links or rods, and
through them the sears, is thereby prevented, and the said scars cannot be with-
drawn from the bents in the hammers to permit of the discharge of the gun.
Before the gun can be discharged the safety slide must be pushed forward by a
thumb plate on the tang, so as to withdraw the said slide from the shoulders of the
sear.links. The sears are now at liberty to rise when acted upon by the triggers, and
the gun may be discharged. The reduced upper ends of the sear links act as indicators
to indicate when the gun is cocked or has been discharged; that is to say, when
the hammers have been cocked the said reduced ends of the sear links are situated
below the level of the tang, but when the gun has been discharged the said reduced
ends protrude slightly above the level of the tang. A curved depression is made
on the underside of the top hand lever to permit it to pass over one of the
projecting indicators, when the said hand lever takes its normal position on
the tang.
t
Our improved "fore end" fastener is constructed as follows:-We connect to the
bar of the fore end by a swivelling joint a bolt, so as to make it capable of a
partial rotation. The said bolt has at its inner end a locking collar with a radial
opening of the same width as the loop on the underside of the barrels. The rear
end of the loop has a cross opening made in it, in which opening the locking collar
of the rotating bolt may engage. When the bolt is turned, so that the opening in
its collar is opposite the loop, the fore end" may be passed to its seat on the
-barrels, and by turning the bolt through a quadrant an uncut away part of its
locking collar enters the opening in the loop, and thereby fastens the fore end in its
place. To unfasten the fore end the locking bolt is turned back until the opening
in its collar coincides with the end of the loop, when the fore end may be lifted
from the loop. A stop on the locking collar strikes against the loop when the
opening in it coincides with the loop, and thereby prevents the further motion of
the bolt. The locking bolt is turned and fixed in its fastening position by a
thumb plate jointed to the outer end of the bolt. This thumb plate has a vertical
motion, and may either be raised from or turned down into a slot in a case or box
fixed to the wooden part of the fore end. When the thumb plate is turned down
into its slot the bolt is locked, and when raised from the slot the bolt is released,
and may be turned for engaging its locking collar with or disengaging it from the
opening in the loop.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Christopher George Bonehill and William James Matthews in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th November 1880.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturer, and WILLIAM JAMES MATTHEWS, of Birmingham aforesaid, Tool
Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
Our Invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind called drop
down guns, and our said Invention consists of the arrangements or combinations of
parts herein after described for cocking the internal or concealed hammers of the
said guns, and for bolting down the barrels of the said guns at the prolonged rib.
Our Invention further consists of the arrangement or combination of parts herein
after described of safety and indicating mechanism, and also of an improved "fore-
end" fastener.
We cock the internal hammers of the said guns by means of a cranked lever
turning on a pin or axis crossing the body of the gun, the said lever having motion
in a vertical plane. The arms of the said lever are nearly at right angles to one
another. The said lever is situated between the two hammers, and its horizontal
arm acts upon pins or projections on the sides of the hammers to cock them. The
vertical arm of the said lever passes upwards nearly to the underside of the tang
of the break off, and is acted upon by a top hand lever having a side or horizontal
motion in the following way-On the underside of the tang of the break off a
sliding piece or bolt works. On the underside and near the front end of this
sliding piece is a projection or short arm, which engages with a fork at the top of
the vertical arm of the cocking lever described. The nose or extreme front end of
the said sliding piece constitutes a bolt for taking into the prolonged end of the rib
between the barrels for fastening down the said barrels. The lower end of the axis
of the top hand lever is formed with an excentric arm or tumbler having a stud
upon its end, which stud works in a cross slot in the sliding piece or bolt.
The axis of the hand lever passes through a longitudinal slot in the sliding piece
or bolt. A spring acting upon the cocking lever gives the snapping action to the
sliding piece or bolt and the return motions to the parts connected with it. When
the band lever is turned aside it operates through the excentric arm or tumbler on
its axis upon the sliding piece or bolt and moves the latter back or towards the
butt end of the gun. By this back motion of the sliding piece or bolt the bolting
nose is withdrawn from the rib and the barrels are unfastened. At the same time
the sliding piece acting upon the vertical arm of the cocking lever turns the latter
on its axis and causes its horizontal arm to lift the hammers to full cock. The
sears of the lock mechanism engage in the ordinary way with the bents in the said
hammers and hold them at full cock.
Internal hammers having curved noses to act directly on the cartridges, or
hammers having flat noses to act upon strikers may be used.
The safety and indicating mechanism is constructed as follows:-To the outer or
long arm of each of the sears we joint a link or rod. These links or rods pass
upwards, and their reduced upper ends work through holes in the tang, and also
through slots in a safety slide working on the underside of the tang. The reduced
upper ends of the sear links or rods join the other parts by shoulders. When the
hammers are cocked and the barrels unbolted by the back motion of the sliding
piece or bolt herein before described, the rear end of the said sliding piece' acts
against and presses back the safety slide, and the latter engages with the shoulders

page_text: of the jointed sear links or rods. The upward motion of the said links, and
through them the scars, is thereby prevented, and the said sears cannot be with-
drawn from the bents in the hammers to permit of the discharge of the gun.
Before the gun can be discharged the safety slide must be pushed forward by a
thumb plate on the tang so as to withdraw the said slide from the shoulders of
the sear links. The sears are now at liberty to rise when acted upon by the
triggers, and the gun may be discharged. The reduced upper ends of the sear links
act as indicators to indicate when the gun is cocked or has been discharged; that
is to say, when the hammers have been cocked the said reduced ends of the sear
links are situated below the level of the tang, but when the gun has been discharged
the said reduced ends protrude slightly above the level of the tang. A curved
depression is made on the underside of the top hand lever to permit it to pass over
one of the projecting indicators when the said hand lever takes its normal position
on the tang.
Our improved "fore end" fastener is constructed as follows:-We connect to the
bar of the fore end by a swivelling joint a bolt so as to make it capable of a partial
rotation. The said bolt has at its inner end a locking collar with a radial opening
of the same width as the loop on the underside of the barrels. The rear end of
the loop has a cross opening made in it, in which opening the locking collar of the
rotating bolt may engage.
When the bolt is turned so that the opening in its collar is opposite the loop the
"fore end" may be passed to its seat on the barrels, and by turning the bolt
through a quadrant an uncut away part of the locking collar enters the opening in
the loop and thereby fastens the fore end in its place. To unfasten the fore end the
locking bolt is turned back until the opening in its collar coincides with the end of
the loop, when the fore end may be lifted from the loop. A stop on the locking collar
strikes against the loop when the opening in it coincides with the loop, and thereby
prevents the further motion of the bolt. The locking collar is turned and fixed in
its fastening position by a thumb plate jointed to the outer end of the bolt. This
thumb plate has a vertical motion, and may either be raised from or turned into a
slot in a case or box fixed to the wooden part of the fore end. When the thumb
plate is turned into its slot the bolt is locked, and when raised from the slot the
bolt is released and may be turned for engaging its locking collar with or
disengaging it from the opening in the loop.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal sections of the breech end of a double
barrel drop down gun constructed according to our Invention, the said sections
being taken through the cocking lever situated between the two internal hammers;
Figure 3 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of the gun without the
stock and "fore end," the said section being taken through the lock mechanism.
In Figures 1 and 3 the internal hammers are represented in their discharged
position and the cocking lever in its normal position. In Figure 2 the internal
hammers are represented cocked, the hand lever on the tang being turned aside
and the cocking lever raised to the position in which it fully cocks the hammers.
Figures 4 and 5 represent side elevations of the breech end of the gun; Figure 4
exhibiting the position which the indicators take when the hammers are cocked,
and Figure 5 the position which the indicators take when the hammers have been
discharged; Figure 6 represents a plan of the underside of the body; Figure 7
represents in side elevation and plan the cocking lever detached; Figure 8
represents one of the hammers.detached; Figure 9 represents a plan of upperside
of the safety slide and sliding piece or bolt, which latter is operated upon by the
hand lever and its tumbler, indicated in dotted lines; Figure 10 represents the
sliding piece or bolt separately, and the tumbler of the hand lever.
The other Figures represent portions of the fore end fastener and safety and
indicating mechanism, as herein after described.

page_text: The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a, a, are the internal hammers of the gun, turning freely on the cross pin or
axis b, and having curved noses which act directly on the cartridges; and a², a³,
are the studs or projections on the sides of the hammers by which they are cocked;
c, c, are the main springs of the hammers fitted in recesses in the body of the gun
(see Figure 6); d, d², is the cocking lever turning on the fixed pin or axis c
crossing the body of the gun, the said lever having motion in a vertical plane.
The cocking lever is situated between the two hammers a, a, the arms d, d², of the
said lever being nearly at right angles to one another. The end of the horizontal
arm d² of the said cocking lever is forked, the branches d³, ds, of the fork acting
upon the pins or projections a³, a², on the sides of the hammers to cock them (sec
Figure 7). The vertical arm d of the cocking lever passes upwards nearly to the
underside of the gun, and has a fork or slot in its top; f is the sliding piece or bolt
working on the underside of the tang of the break off. This sliding piece serves to
actuate the cocking lever and safety slide, and its nose f2 engages with the
prolonged rib g between the barrels for locking down the barrels at the rib. On
the underside of the said sliding piece f is a short arm h, which engages with the
fork or slot in the top of the vertical arm d of the cocking lover; i is the hand
lever on the tang through which the cocking and bolting of the gun are effected.
The axis of the hand lever passes through and works in the longitudinal slot 7 in
the sliding piece or bolt f, and the said axis k carries an eccentric arm or
tumbler m, the stud non which works in the cross slot p in the sliding piece or
bolt (sec Figures 9 and 10); q is the underlocking slot which takes into the
lump on the underside of the barrels. The vertical arm d of the cocking lever
passos through the rear end of the bolt q, and is worked by the motion of the said
cocking lever (see Figures 1 and 2). By means of the spring r acting upon the
horizontal arm of the cocking lever, the return motions of the said cocking lever,
the bolt 9, the sliding piece or bolt f, f³, tumbler m, and hand lever i are effected.
The action of the parts is as follows:-When the gun has been discharged, the
several parts occupy the respective positions represented in Figures 1 and 3. In
order to unbolt the gun, and at the same time cock the hammers, the top hand
lever i is turned aside into the position represented in Figure 2. By this side
motion of the hand lever, it operates, through the excentric arm or tumbler m and
its stud n upon the sliding piece or bolt f, and moves the latter back or towards
the butt end of the gun, and thereby withdraws the nose f2 of the said sliding piece
or bolt from the rib g, and unfastens the barrels at the said rib. By the back
motion of the sliding piece or bolt f, the arm h of the said sliding piece, acting upon
the vertical arm d of the cocking lever, turns the latter on its axis e, and causes
the forked end d³, ds, of its horizontal arm & to act upon the studs a³, a², of the
hammers, and lift the said hammers to full cock, the hammers being held in their
cocked position by the sears 8, 8, engaging with the bents in the said hammers in
the usual way. During the cocking of the hammers the vertical arm d of the
cocking lever withdraws the underlocking bolt q from the lump on the underside
of the barrels. Thus, the turning aside of the top hand lever i withdraws the
upper and under locking bolts f and q, and at the same time cocks the hammers
through the operation of the sliding piece f and cocking lever d, d, the several
parts occupying the respective positions represented in Figure 2.
On loosing the top hand lever i, the said hand lever, the cocking lever d, d³, and
the top and under bolts f, q, take the normal positions represented in Figures 1
and 3, by the action of the spring r, leaving the hammers in the cocked positions
represented in Figure 2. The gun is discharged by pressure on the triggers in the
ordinary way.
The cocked and discharged positions of the internal hammers a, a, are indicated
in the following manner-On the outside of the body t of the gun, and turning
freely on the axis of the hammers as a centre, is a pointer or indicating finger u

page_text: (see Figures 4, 5, and 6,) which is fixed to the hammer a by the screw pin v
passed through and working in a curved slot w in the body t. The said pointer
or indicating finger is thereby made to partake of the motion of the hammer, and
when the said hammer is cocked the pointer or indicating finger is situated
horizontally on the body, as reprosented in Figure 5; but when the said hammer
has been discharged the pointer or indicating finger has the inclined position
represented in Figure 4. Each of the hammers has attached to it a pointer or
indicating finger of the kind described and represented.
For the purpose of locking the triggers by the act of cocking the gun and
thereby putting the gun into a position of safety, we employ a safety slide 2
working on the underside of the tang, the fore end of the said slide carrying a
hanging rod y which is situated over the two triggers of the gun, the said triggers
being provided with shoulders or raised parts y2 (see Figures 1 and 2.) The said
safety slide x is slightly elastic, and is held in its acting and withdrawn positions
by means of the fixed stud x² on the tang taking into a depression in the upper
side of the safety slide, as seen in Figure 2, or bearing against a shoulder on the
said safety slide, as seen in Figure 1. The safety slide x is withdrawn out of
action by means of the thumb plate z situated on the top of the tang. When the
hammers are cocked and the barrels unbolted by the back motion of the sliding
piece or bolt f, the rear end of the said sliding piece bears against and presses back.
the safety slide, and the depending rod y of the said slide is brought over the
shoulders or projections y2 on the two triggers, and the said triggers are locked,
and the gun cannot be discharged by pressure on the' said triggers, as represented
in Figure 2. Before the gun can be discharged the safety slide x must be pushed
forward into the position represented in Figure 1, by acting upon the thumb
plate z. By the forward notion of the slide the rod y is withdrawn from over
the shoulders y of the triggers, which are thus unbolted, and may now be lifted for
discharging the gun in the ordinary way.
Instead of locking the triggers by the act of unbolting and cocking the gun, the
sears may be locked by the same motion and the positions of the hammers
indicated. This part of our Invention is represented in the side elevations of the
gun in Figures 11 and 12, and in the separate view of the safety slide in Figure 13,
and the sear and sear link or rod in Figure 14.
To the outer or long arm of each of the sears s a link or rod 2 is jointed at 2ª.
These links or rods pass upwards, and their reduced upper ends 3 work through
holes in the tang, and also work in the side slots or recesses x², x², in the safety
slide a (see Figure 13); 4 is a shoulder near the upper end of the sear link or
rod 2. When the hammers a, a, are cocked and the barrels unbolted by the action
of the sliding piece or bolt f, as herein before described, the said sliding piece f
presses back the safety slide x and the latter engages with the shoulders 4 of the
jointed sear links 2, as represented in Figure 12. The upward motion of the said
sear links 2, and through them the sears, is thereby prevented, and the sears cannot
be withdrawn from the bents in the hammers to permit of the discharge of the
gun. Before the gun can be discharged the safety slide x must be pushed forward
by its thumb plate into the position represented in Figure 11. The slide x is
thereby withdrawn from the shoulders 4 of the sear links or rods 2, and the scars
are now at liberty to rise when pressed by the triggers to discharge the gun.
The reduced upper ends 3 of the sear links 2 act as indicators to indicate when the
gun is cocked or has been discharged. When the hammers a, a, have been cocked,
as shown in Figure 12, the reduced ends 3 of the sear links 2 are situated below
the level of the tang, and when the gun has been discharged the said reduced ends
protrude above the said tang, as shown in Figure 11. A curved depression on the
underside of the top hand lever i permits the said hand lever to pass over one of
the projecting indicators 3, when the said hand lever takes its normal position on
the tang.

page_text: Our improved "fore end" fastenor is represented in connection with the gun
in Figures 1 and 2, and detached from the gun in Figures 15, 16, and 17.
Figures 15 and 16 represent plans of the upper or inner sides of the fore end
containing our improved fastener, and Figure 17 represents the fastener separately
in section and plan; 5 is the bolt of the fastener turning or swivelling on the pin
or centre 6, secured to the bar of the fore end; 50 is the locking collar at the inner
end of the bolt 5, the said collar having in it a radial opening 5b of the same width
as the loop 7 on the underside of the barrels. In the said loop 7 is an opening
in which the locking collar 5ª of the bolt 5 may engage (see Figures 1 and 2).
Jointed to the bolt 5 is a thumb plate 8, for turning it and locking it in its
fastened position. This thumb plate 8 can either be turned into a slot in the
metal case or box 10 of the fastener fixed to the wooden part of the fore end, as
illustrated in Figure 1, or be raised out of the said case or box, as represented in
Figure 2, and indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. When the thumb plate 8 is
turned out of the case or box 10, the locking collar 5ª of the bolt 5 can be turned
through a quadrant so as to make its opening 5b coincide with or remove its opening
from the loop 7 on the barrels. When the bolt 5 is turned so that the opening 5b
in its collar 58 is opposite the loop 7, as seen in Figure 16, the "fore end" may be
passed to its seat on the barrels, as seen in Figure 2, and by now turning the bolt
through a quadrant by its thumb plate 8 an uncut away part of the locking
collar 5 enters the opening in the loop 7, and thereby fastens the fore end in its
place, as represented in Figures 1 and 16. The thumb plate 8 is now turned into
its place in the box or case 10, and fixed in that position by the spring snap
fastening 11 (see Figure 17) at its free end engaging with a shoulder at the end
of the said box or case. To unfasten the "fore end" the thumb plate 8 is turned
out of its case 10 by prizing its free end, and is then turned through a quadrant
into the position represented in Figure 2. The opening 5b in the locking collar is
thereby made to coincide with the loop 7, as illustrated in Figure 16; the fore end
is thereby unfastened and may be lifted from the loop. A stop or portion of
greater radius marked 5e, on the locking collar 5ª, strikes against the solid part of
the loop 7 when the opening in the said collar coincides with the loop, and thereby
prevents the further motion of the bolt, as seen in Figure 16.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention of improvements in breech loading small arms of the kind called drop
down guns,
First. The arrangement or combination of parts, herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, for cocking the internal hammers of the
said drop down guns by the turning aside of a top hand lever, that is to say, the
combination of the cranked lever d, d², sliding piece f, h, and excentric arm or
tumbler m, n, of the top hand lever i, the said parts being arranged and operating
substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. Making the nose or extreme front end f2 of the sliding piece f, through
which the cocking lever is operated, serve as a bolt for taking into the prolonged
end of the rib of double barrel guns for fastening down the barrels at the rib, as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination or arrangement, herein before described and illustrated
in Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the accompanying Drawings, of the parts of safety
mechanism for locking the sears of drop down guns on unbolting and cocking the
said guns, and for indicating the positions of the internal hammers of the said
guns.
Lastly. The construction and combination of the parts of fore end fasteners for
drop down guns, herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 15, 16,
and 17 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, a fore end fastener consisting
essentially of the rotating bolt 5, locking collar 5ª, 5b, 5º, and jointed thumb

page_text: plate 8, the said parts being constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Christopher George Bonehill and William
James Matthews, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL. (L.S.)
WILLIAM JAMES MATTHEWS.
L.S.)
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37, Temple Street,
Birmingham.