IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE JEFFRIES of Norwich in the County of Norfolk, Gun Maker, do
bereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to means for ejecting the exploded cartridges from the
barrel or barrels of sporting guns or rifles the said improvements being applicable
to guns provided with an automatic self-cocking arrangement so that the hammers
are raised to full-cock before the gun is allowed to open.
In applying my invention to double-barrelled guns or rifles, I take a pair of
double barrels and make the flats on the underside of the breech-end of the barrels
about a quarter of an inch thick in the centre of the bore. The forward end of
the flats stand up about three-sixteenths of an inch higher than the barrels. The
strap of the fore-end is set up to fit up against the barrels. On each side of the
lump and throughout the entire length of the flat I cut a dovetail slot about three-
eighths of an inch wide. I then cut away the lower end of the breech-end of the
barrels half an inch wide to receive the extractor head. Into these dovetail slots
I fit extractors the heads of which enter the slots at the rear end of the barrel.
The said extractors are held in position by set screws and are allowed to work
rearward three-eighths of an inch or thereabouts. The forward ends of the
extractors are made inclined. Through the body at the back of the head of the
action a little below the bolt and on each side of the bolt I drill two holes
the entire length of the body passing out underneath the body-pin. Into these
holes I fit two loose pins. The rear ends of these pins project about a quarter of
an inch from the body and are held in any desired position by small strings fitted
for that purpose. Into the hollow of the fore-end joint I cut two slots in which
these projecting pins from the body work freely when the gun is opened. When
the hammer is fired down the tumbler pushes forward the said pins in the body
about three-eighths of an inch. Under the strap of the fore-end joint I fit two
strikers working through coiled springs, the forward ends of the strikers working
through two holes in a piece of metal attached to the fore-end for that purpose.
The rear ends of the strikers pass through two slots over the flat of the fore-end
and are held in position by recesses cut in the flat of the joint for that purpose.

page_text: Under the rear end of each striker and in the recess which receives the said striker
I pass through to the slot in which the pin of the body works a pin which projects
into the said slot when the rear end of the striker is in the recess. On the lower
end of each striker a stud is formed, the said studs passing into the slots in which
the pins in the body work.
When the gun is fired the tumbler forces forward the pin or pins working
through the body. When the gun is opened the barrels tip up, the fore-end joint
carries with it the pins which pass from the recess under the rear ends of the
strikers to the slots in which the pins in the body work until they come in contact
with the said pins in the body. The latter pins lift up the former pins, that is to
say the pins under the strikers, and release the strikers from the said recesses.
The said strikers then push rearward the extractors and eject the exploded
cartridges over the right arm. In closing the gun the projecting extractors are
forced against the face of the action the forward ends of the extractors push
against the rear ends of the strikers until they are nearly home, the incline on the
fore-end of the extractors then forces the rear ends of the said strikers into tho
recesses and they are locked ready for firing.
T. N. PALMER & Co.,
For the Applicant.
Improvements in Breech-loading Fire-arins.
"
I GEORGE JEFFRIES of Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Gun Maker do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be 2
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement reference
being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification
My improvements relate to means for ejecting the exploded cartridges from the
barrel or barrels of sporting guns or rifles, the said improvements being applicable
to guns provided with an automatic self-cocking arrangement whereby the hammers 3
are raised to full cock before the gun is allowed to open.

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan of the underside of the breech-end of the barrels showing the
flats, one extractor being in position, and the other removed.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the breech-end of the barrels.
Figures 4 and 5 are a side elevation and plan of one of the extractors.
Figure 6 is a plan of the underside of the fore-end with the cover removed.
Figure 7 is a plan of the upper side of the fore-end.
Figure 7 shows a portion of the same with the strikers removed.
Figure 8 is an elevation of the fore-end joint, the lower edge being uppermost.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of one of the strikers and its spring.
Figure 10 shows one of the pins or rods which pass through the body.
Figure 11 shows one of the springs for the said pins.
Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
The drawings illustrate the application of my invention to a double-barrelled gun
or rifle. a are the barrels and b are the flats on the underside of the breech-end of
the said barrels. The said flats are about a quarter of an inch thick measured
from the centre of the bottom of the bore and the forward ends bt of the flats b
stand up about three-sixteenths of an inch from the barrels. On each side of the
lump and throughout the entire length of the flat is cut a dovetail slot c about
three-eighths of an inch in width and the lower end of the breech-end of each
barrel is cut away or recessed about half an inch wide and a quarter of an inch
deep as shown at d to receive the extractor head. Figures 4 and 5 show one of
the extractors e. The stem e' of the said extractor is formed to fit the dovetail
slot in such a manner as to work freely therein, and the head e¹ of the said
extractor snugly fits the space d cut in the breech-end of the barrel. The forward
end of the extractor is bevelled or inclined as shown at e figures 1, 2 and 4.
extent of the rearward movement of the extractor is determined by a set screw f
working in a recess 9 in the stem e¹ of the extractor. In figures 2 and 3 one.
extractor is shown in its dovetail slot, and the other extractor removed.
The
Through the body, from the back of the head of the action, and a little below
the bolt, two holes are drilled, one on each side of the said bolt, the said boles
extending through the entire length of the body and passing out underneath the
body-pin. Into these holes are fitted pins or rods i. When the parts are in
position for firing these pins or rods project about a quarter of an inch from the
rear end of the body and the said pins are retained in this position by springs j
having projections which fit into nicks in the pins or rods i. These springs
are fitted into grooves k formed in the holes in which the pins or rods i work, and
the said springs are secured through their heads j by screws l to the back of the
body. A recess i³ is formed in the pin or rod i and in the said recess the end of a
screw in the side of the body works, thus preventing the pin from being pushed
too far in either direction.
The strap of the fore-end is set up to fit against the barrels. In the hollow of
the fore-end joint are cut two slots m in which the pins ȧ work freely when the
gun is opened. Under the strap of the fore-end joint are fitted two strikers n.
The said strikers are actuated by the coiled springs o through which the stems n¹
of the said strikers work or the said strikers may be actuated in any other suitable
manner. The forward ends of the strikers n work through holes formed in a piece
of metal p formed on or attached to the fore-end for the purpose of affording
bearings for the said strikers. The rear ends n² of the strikers are made incline or
bevelled as shown at n³ figures 1, 7 and 9 and pass through slots q over the flat of
the fore-end. Before the gun is fired the rear ends n of the strikers are held
in recesses (shown more clearly in figure 74) which are cut in the flat of the
joint for that purpose. In figures 6 and 7 one of the strikers is shown in position
before the gun is opened its rear end n being in the recess r. The other striker is
shown in the position which it assumes when the cartridge has been ejected, that
is to say with its rear end n² released from the recess and thrown rearward by the
spring o. In each of the recesses is drilled a hole r', the said holes extending

page_text: •
from the recesses into the slots m. In cach of the said holes is a short pin s
having a head on its upper end, the hole 1 being countersunk to receive the said
head. The lower ends of the said pins s project into the slots m when the rear
ends n of the strikers are in the recesses r. On the lower end of the head of each
striker and projecting horizontally therefrom in line with the rear end n² of the
said striker is a stud n. When the striker is released from the recess r the said
stud enters the slot m and forces back the pin i.
The action of my improvements is as follows:-On the gun being fired the
projection t formed on the tumbler forces the pin or rod i forward, its forward
end is entering the slot m formed in the fore-end joint. When the gun is opened
the barrels tip up, and the pins s come in contact with the forward ends of the
pins. The pins 8 are forced upward by the pins i and the strikers n are forced
out of the recesses r. The said strikers are then propelled rearward by the
springs o, the bevelled ends n³ of the said strikers act upon the bevelled ends e² of
the extractors e and the said extractors are forced rearward ejecting the exploded
cartridges from the barrels. At the same time as the strikers propel the extractors
rearward the studs n' on the strikers come in contact with the ends 2 of the pins i,
and force the said pins rearward to their original position. In closing the gun
the heads of the projecting extractors come in contact with the face of the action
and the said extractors are thus forced forward. A small wheel or roller
pivotted in the lower edge of the extractor head to prevent friction between the
extractor head and the face of the action. As the extractors are forced forward by
the closing of the gun, their forward ends e come in contact with the ends n³ of
the strikers, forcing the said strikers into the recesses and they are thus locked
and the gun is again ready to be discharged.
is
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of the extractor e, striker n
actuated by spring o or equivalent, pin or rod i with spring j, pin 8, fore-end
having slot m recess and hole or perforation r, and tumbler having projection t,
constructed, arranged and operating substantially as set forth.
Second. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of the striker n actuated
by spring o or its equivalent, with the fore-end having slot m, recess 7, hole.or
perforation, and pin 8, constructed, arranged and operating substantially as set
fortb.
Third. The extractor e, constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The striker n actuated by spring o or its equivalent, substantially as
set forth.
473 100E