IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE OR REPEATING FIREARMS
Year: 1888

page_text: I, WILLIAM REYNOLDS MILLER, of the City of Baltimore in the State of Maryland,
one of the United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE OR REPEATING FIREARMS," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in Letters Patent, No. 11406 granted
to me on the Seventh day of August, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty Eight,
for certain Improvements in Firearms, to which reference should be had.
In the invention described and shown in the said Letters Patent, I employ a stem
situated in a magazine and attach to the magazine spring or some device having a
movement in common therewith, which projects from the end of the magazine, and
by the length of the protruding portion, indicates the number of cartridges remaining
or contained in the magazine. In the preferred construction shown and described in
the said Letters Patent, I form the magazine spring in two parts or lengths, and
interpose between the two springs, a plate to which the inner end of the indicating
stem is attached. By this means, I am enabled to reduce the length of movement of
the stem at each discharge of a cartridge, to less than the length of a cartridge. In
other words, by the employment of two springs as described, the discharge of a
cartridge of, say, two and a quarter inches long, may be made to move the stem end-
wise only one tenth or one sixteenth of an inch.
The present invention is for the purpose of adapting the invention described in the said
Letters Patent to guns and rifles in which the magazine extends to the end of the
barrel, and where it would be objectionable, or inconvenient, to have an indicating stem
projecting beyond the end of the magazine. The invention consists, therefore, in
employing as an indicator, the plate which is interposed between the two parts of the
magazine spring, instead of the stem which is moved; and to admit of this
arrangement, the magazine is slotted so that the position of the said plate may be
ascertained.
The invention further consists in means whereby the slot in the magazine may be
concealed from view and the entrance of dust to the magazine prevented.

page_text: In the further description of the said invention which follows, reference is made to
the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, and in which,-
Figure 1 is an exterior side view of a repeating shot gun embodying my improve-
ments. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central section of a part of the magazine of the gun.
Fig. 3 is an exterior side view of a part of the barrel and magazine of the gun, also
enlarged. Fig. 4
Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. 3 taken on the dotted line, ---x.
Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in the construction of a part of the invention, as
hereinafter described, and Fig. 6 is an end view of a portion of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 illustrates
a further modification of the invention as hereinafter specified.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, A, B and C, are respectively, the stock, barrel
and magazine of the improved firearm.
D is the magazine spring whereby the cartridges or shells a, are fed from the
magazine to the barrel. The magazine spring, D, is in two parts or lengths, c and d,
the former being say, one fifth the length of the latter. E is a plate interposed between
the two parts of the spring, and its faces are preferably made concave to receive the
ends of the spring.
F is an indicating pin projecting from the edge of the plate, E, through a slot, e,
in the wall of the magazine. This slot is of such length as will allow the free move-
ment of the said pin, F, as the spring is compressed or extended.
To prevent entrance of dust to the magazine, I provide the pin, F, with a
plate, G, at its outer end which is long enough to keep the slot at all times
covered. The plate is held to the end of the pin by means of a screw, f.
When the magazine is filled with cartridges and the spring D, compressed, the
shield pate and pin are forced outward towards the outer end of the magazine, and as
each cartridge is discharged, the said pin and its plate move towards the stock of the
gun, a distance which bears the same proportion to the length of a cartridge as the
length of the short spring does to that of both springs.
In Fig. 3 the centre of the pin, F, is taken as the indicating point, and the outside
of the magazine is marked, but either end of the shield plate could be used as the
indicating point, if desired. It is evident that the shield plate can be attached directly
to the spring which in that case would be in one piece, but it is preferred to employ
the plate interposed between the two parts of the spring, as shown.
In Figs. 5 and 6, the shield plate is within the magazine, and consists of two hollow
cylindrical extensions of the plate E. A convenient method of marking the shield plate
when it is made in accordance with the design just described, consists in forming in
the centre of the plate or at some other part of the same, an annular groove, g, which
in connection with the marks on the outer surface of the magazine will indicate the
position of the plate, E, and the number of cartridges contained in the magazine.
Fig. 6 is an end view of the plate as constructed in Fig. 5.
In Fig. 7 the numerals are stamped on the shield plate which corresponds in
construction with the one shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the magazine is provided with
a small opening instead of a long slot, through which the figures may be read.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In a repeating firearm, the magazine thereof having an opening in the side of its
wall, combined with a pin which projects from the contained spring or an attachment
thereof, and through the said opening, and a shield plate secured to the said pin on
on the outside of the magazine, substantially as specified.
2. In a repeating firearin, the magazine thereof having an opening in the side of its
wall, combined with a magazine spring in two parts, a plate interposed between the two
parts of the said spring, a pin projecting from the said plate and through the said
opening in the magazine wall, and a shield plate fastened to the end of the said pin,
substantially as, and for the purpose specified.
3. In a repeating firearm, the magazine thereof having an opening in the side
of its wall, combined with a magazine spring in two parts with a plate interposed

page_text: .
between the approaching ends of the two parts of the spring, and an indicating pin
which projects from the side of the plate and into the said opening, substantially as,
and for the purpose specified.
4. In a repeating firearm, the magazine thereof having an opening in the side of
its wall, combined with a magazine spring in two parts, a plate interposed between
the two parts of the said spring, a pin projecting from the said plate and into
the said opening, and a shield plate adapted to cover said opening and at the same
time admit of the movement of the said pin, substantially as, and for the purpose
specified.
5. In a repeating firearm, the magazine thereof having an opening in the side of
its wall, combined with a magazine spring in two parts, a plate interposed between
the two parts of the said spring having an indicating point, and a shield adapted
to keep the said opening at all times closed, substantially as, and for the purpose.
specified.
Dated this 6th day of Novembar 188e