A HAMMER, ON AN IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR THE LOCKS OF ALL KINDS OF FIRE-ARMS, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED BREECH FOR ALL KINDS OF DOUBLE AND SINGLE BARRELLED GUNS AND PISTOLS
Year: 1792

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
JOSEPHI MANTON, of Davies Street, Berkeley Square, in the Parish of
Saint George, Hanover Square, and County of Middlesex, Gun Maker,
sends greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty, by His Royal Letters Patent bear-
ing date on or about the Eighteenth day of April now last past, in the
thirty-second year of His reign, was graciously pleased to grant to me,
the said Joseph Manton, my executors. administrators, and assigns, the
sole making and vending "A HAMMER, ON AN IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR THE
LOCKS OF ALL KINDS OF FIRE-ARMS, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED BREECH FOR
ALL KINDS OF DOUBLE AND SINGLE BARRELLED GUNS AND PISTOLS," within
that part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the
term of fourteen years; in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso for me, the said Joseph Manton, to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery

page_text: within one calendar month next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had,
may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with and performance of the
said proviso, I, the said Joseph Manton, do hereby describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, in manner following, that is to say:
Take iron and steel, or any other metal fit for the purpose, and work
the same into such form as is described in and by the Drawings or
Figures drawn in the margin hereof respectively, enlarging or diminish-
ing the size as the locks or barrels may respectively require. Figure
the 1st is a perspective view of the hammer above-mentioned for the
locks of all kinds of fire arms the face whereof is concave, which may
be varied in proportion to the size of the lock, the, utility whereof is,
that the flint is prevented from shifting to the right or left, and the fire
is more directly thrown into the pan. Figure the 2 is a perspective
view of the breech for a single barrel'd gun. a, a, is the screw to fit the
barrell b, b, b, b, is the outside circumference, which may be made into
any convenient shape; I, I, is the jointing part, which is filed out of
the breech to admit the lock nearer the centre of the barrell. Figure
the 3 is a section of the breech; C, is the center hole or chamber,
which may be made either small or large, in proportion to the size of
the barrel; T, is the touchole, which is countersunk or cupped out
to admit a larger quantity of powder across the joint of the lock, and
thereby the fire from the pan has a more instantaneous communication
to the centre or chamber. Figure the 4th is a perspective view of the
breeches for a double barrelled gun, which forms a circular joint where
the spike points, and which are made on the same principle as the
above-mentioned breeches for single barrel'd guns. This improved
breeching may be applied to all kinds of double and single barrel'd
guns and pistols, the utility whereof chiefly consists that the locks o
guns are brought nearer the centre of the barrels, the cocking the lef
lock of a double barrel'd gun is rendered much less difficult, and the fire
from the pan has a quicker communication to the centre or chamber o
the barrell. And the said Joseph Manton doth hereby declare and affirm

page_text: that the particulars above set forth do contain a full, true, and perfect
description of the nature of the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Manton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-two.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of May,
in the year of our Lord 1792, the aforesaid Joseph Manton came before
our said Lord the King, in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid
was stampt according to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and ninety-two.