Improvements in and connected with Magazine Repeating Fire-arms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Magazine Repeating
Fire-arms.
I, PAUL MAUSER, of Oberndorf on the Neckar, in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg
and Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the invention is a magazine repeating fire-arm with a movable
barrel, in which the recoil caused by the shot is used to unlock the bolt and open
the breech, to eject the empty cartridge case and to cock the firing mechanism as
well as to compress a number of springs arranged in such a manner as to effect the
loading of a fresh cartridge, the reclosing of the breech and locking of the bolt
and the advancing movement of the barrel.
Upon these principles, which are already partly known, I have devised a
magazine fire-arm in which all previous experiences in respect to this class of arm
have been carefully taken into consideration not only with regard to its ballistic
qualities but especially by the peculiar skilful construction of the component parts
and the manner of connecting them without the aid of screws; it may therefore be
considered that the improved fire-arm is in every way well adapted for military
purposes.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a
repeating pistol, but I would remark that it may be applied to other kinds of
automatic or semi-automatic small-arms.
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the fire-arm at the moment of
firing with the breech closed and the bolt locked.
.
Fig. 2 is a similar view with the breech opened and the hammer cocked.
Fig. 3 is a cross-section drawn on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a side-view of the barrel withdrawn from the lock case and showing a
longitudinal vertical section of the breech-case and the locked breech-bolt.
Fig. 5 is an underside view of the barrel and breech case.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section through the lock-case and the cartridge
magazine.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section through the lock.
Figures 9 and 10 are opposite side-views of the same.
Figures 11 to 19 are details.
The essential parts of the improved fire-arm are the following:
1. The barrel A, the rear-end of which serves as a breech case or receiver to
the breech-bolt and the bolt locking block.
2. The lock-case B, which serves at the same time as a cartridge-magazine B¹
and is provided at its upper edges with ribs to guide the movable barrel.
3. The lock C, which contains the firing and securing mechanism and is coupled
to the barrel by means of the locking block so as to bring the latter under the
influence of the main spring and thereby cause, by the rearward movement of the
barrel, the unlocking of the breech-bolt.
As previously stated the function of the improved fire-arm is based upon the
known principle of using the recoil to move the barrel; the mechanical action
performed by the rearward moving barrel is only a preliminary one and serves to
unlock the breech-bolt and to cock the gun but at the same time by the great

page_text: velocity of the rearward movement of the barrel and in spite of the relatively
small distance travelled by the same, such a momentum is given to the breech-
bolt as to enable the latter to overcome the resistance of the locking-spring and
to fully open the breech and eject the empty cartridge case. The loading of a
fresh cartridge, the closing and bolt locking of the breech, the forward movement
of the barrel and finally the firing are effected as above stated partly by the
locking-spring and partly by the main-spring which were both compressed by the
recoiling parts of the fire-arm at the moment of firing.
The arrangements forming the present invention and their operations with
respect to the purposes set forth will be explained by the following statement.
The barrel A is formed at its rear-part, see Figures 4 and 5, with the breech-
case a in which a sliding bolt of suitable cross-section is placed; the breech-
case is provided with means to receive the locking-block, serving to lock the
breech-bolt, and with grooves a' for the coupling of the barrel to the lock-case B,
and to enable the barrel to slide thereon.
The bolt is shown of square cross-section and has a central bore, see Figures 1,
2 and 4, to receive the firing pin & and the locking-spring ;, the forward part of
the bolt is provided with a cartridge case extractor 3, a notch or recess for the
locking-block e and a nose & serving to cock the gun when the breech-bolt is drawn
back by hand and to control the locking-block e to lock the breech-bolt.
As shown at Figures 1. 2 and 4 a hollow projection or pin a² fixed to the
breech-case projects into the interior of the breech-bult through an opening in
the side thereof and serves as an abutment for one end of the locking-spring 4, the
other end of which presses against the front end of the interior of the breech-bolt
thus holding the latter in a closed position by its pressure. The firing-pin & has
at its front-end two reductions in diameter and has a small spiral spring by which
it is held back behind the front plate or end of the breech-bolt b so as to touch
the cap of the cartridge only when it is pushed forward by means of the hammer D;
the rear end of the firing pin is provided with a collar, which abuts against a clasp
shaped handle bar 4, slidden over the rear end of the breech bolt thus closing the
latter at its rear end; the handle bar is held in its position by the rear end of the
firing pin projecting out of the breech bolt.
The locking block e which serves to lock the closed breech bolt is moveably
connected to the underside of the breech case so as to turn freely round one of
its ends by means of a small flattened cross bar slidden into claw shaped
projections a³ a³ and is secured against falling out by being turned down.
The other end of the bolt locking block forms at its upper side a locking
nipple 'which projects through a suitable hole in the bottom of the breech case
and enters the recess 6 in the breech bolt b and thereby secures the latter whilst
the lower end of the locking block is provided with a tail piece which at the
forward movement of the barrel comes into contact with an inclined surface of the
lock case which causes it to move upwards and thus causes the nipple c¹ to enter
the recess before the barrel can be pushed forward into the firing position.
Upon this condition the proper functions of the arm depend as it is impossible on
the one hand to fire unless the barrel has been fully returned to its initial or firing
position and as on the other hand if the barrel had stopped behind after the firing
it could not make the before mentioned backward movement which is necessary to
put the arm iu a condition ready for firing. As the closing of the breech and the
forward movement of the barrel are caused by the action of two separately
operating springs, viz., the locking spring and the main spring d, it will be
necessary to make the functions of the latter spring dependent on the former
spring in such manner that the breech must be closed before the barrel can be
pushed forward. For this purpose a catch c³ is provided at the rear end of the
locking block e between the louking nipple el and the tail piece of which projecting
rearward is constantly under the pressure of a small spiral' spring and kept with its
nose against the underside of the breech-case a, thus preventing the upward
movement of the locking block until the breech bolt & at its advancing movement

page_text: caused by the locking spring abuts with its cocking nose against the pro-
jection of the catch 3 whereby the latter is pressed back into the locking-block c
80 as to release the nose c¹ from the breech case when only the upward movement
of the locking block as well as the advancing movement of the barrel can be
effected in proper order.
Having thus far explained the peculiar features of the improved fire-arm with
respect to the functions of the movable barrel and to the opening and closing and
the locking of the breech bolt, I will now proceed to describe the manner in
which the main spring d causes the advancing movement of the barrel as well as
the special arrangements of the lock in connection both with the whole mechanism
and with the mode of fixing the same within the lock case.
As shown by Figures 8, 9 and 10, the lock of the improved fire-arm consists of
a main body C, carrying with exception of the trigger all the parts necessary for
firing, for coupling the lock to the barrel that is to say the locking block c, and for
fixing the lock within the lock case B. The lock body C is provided with a
longitudinal oblique bore, within which the spiral main spring d acting on tw>
press bolts d' and d² is placed. The main spring presses at one end against the tail
portion e of the hammer D and at its other end against a hook d' of the coupling
device d³ carried by bearing pins d pivotted in suitable cuts or recesses in the side
walls of the lock. The coupling device serves through the power of the main-
spring to cause either the advancing movement of the barrel or the uncoupling of
the locking block, by its hook d' acting against a claw c of the locking block e thus
causing the latter either to turn downwards whereby the breech bolt b is unlocked;
or when this cannot be done by reason of the relative positions of the respective
parts, an advancing movement of the barrel will take place. It will be clearly
understood that, in consequence of the leverage of the mechanisms, the force
applied to the advancing movement of the barrel is by far greater than that
causing the unlocking of the locking block. In the rear portion of the lock C, is
pivotted the hammer D the axis do, of which has at one end a double spring,
see Fig. 10, the one arm f acting upon the trigger mechanism, the other ¹ serving
to keep down the lock holding device h. Besides being coupled to the main
spring d the hammer D is directly coupled with the trigger-barf and the safety
device g. The trigger barf under the influence of the above mentioned arm of
the double spring acts on a lever f2 so as to cause the trigger nose 3 of the
same to set against the trigger beak of the hammer thus holding the latter
cocked. The safety device y pivotted by means of a bayonet joint preferably
consisting of a pin 9 having a key shaped head which enters a similarly shaped eye
provided in the left side of the lock C, is held in both its extreme positions by
means of a nipple g³ which enters suitable recesses in the side of the lock and
slides when disengaged with its safety nose g³ in a groove of the hammer D, or
enters the notches e or e³, according as the hammer is to be secured in a cocked or
uncocked position. At the same time the nose 9 enters a notch a in the under
side of the breech case and thus prevents the opening of the breech by the fixing
of the barrel.
The setting of the safety device is effected by means of a knob g' projecting at
the rear end of the lock.
There still remains to mention the last part of the lock; viz. the lock holder,
which being pivotted by means of a pin at the underside of the lock body and
actuated by the arm ¹ of the double spring, serves to fix the lock and with it the
barrel within the lock case B when the arm is completely_mounted, as will be
clearly understood from an inspection of the drawings. For this purpose the
spring acts upon the inclined part 3 of the pivot pin so as to force down the
lock holder whereby the latter when the lock is in position abuts with its nose h
in the recess of the rear wall of the lock case and prevents the lock and the
barrel from accidentally sliding out of the lock case. The lock holder h is held
in its position by the tail portion e of the hammer D see Fig. 1.
In order to dismount the fire-arm, that is to say, to take off the barrel and to

page_text: remove the lock from the lock case, the hammer requires to be previously cocked
and the lock holder turned up by means of the lip , projecting through the rear
of the lock, far enough to enable the nose to leave the recess 6 at the rear part
of the lock case after which the barrel and the lock can be pulled out of the lock
case. Without having previously cocked the hammer, it is impossible to release
the nose from the recess whereby the barrel is secured against becoming
separated from the lock case through the firing of the arm. The rear end of the
lock body is provided at both sides with claw shaped projections which by
entering the recesses n and by clipping the sides of the lock case serve to prevent
the lock from moving up or down when in position within the lock case and at the
same time to hold together the walls of the lock case.
The front portion of the lock extends far enough upwards to serve as a butt to
the advancing barrel and as an ejector for the empty cartridge cases by a piece k
which projects into the way of the breech bolt so that the empty cartridge
case on the opening of the breech strikes against the piece k and is thereby
ejected.
The arrangements of the lock case for holding the barrel, the lock and the
firing mechanism as well as the arrangement of the magazine are very simple.
The front part of the lock case B forms the magazine B₁ the arrangements of
which are similar to those described in the Specification of Patent No. 15390 of the
year 1893, the cartridges being stored on a plate m in the interior of the magazine,
which plate being raised by a spring m' brings the cartridges within the way of the
breech bolt b; the magazine bottom is similarly closed by a plate m³ which is held
in its position by means of a spring actuated bolt m³, and cannot be removed till
the bolt m³ is pressed far enough back to permit the plate m³ to be slidden over it.
The plate m is provided at its rear end with a rib, which, when the magazine is
emptied, comes against the front side of the recoiled breech thus preventing the
advancing movement of the breech bolt. By this means the shooters attention is
called to the fact that the magazine is empty and to the necessity of refilling it,
which is effected in the well known manner by means of cartridge holders. These
holders containing a suitable number of cartridges, are introduced into corresponding
grooves of the breech case at the front end of the same, in such a manner that the
cartridges from the holder are caused to drop into the magazine; after which the
holder is withdrawn from the breech case when the breech bolt by being moved
forward pushes a cartridge into the barrel whereupon the fire arm is again ready
for firing. If a partially emptied magazine is to be filled up this may be done
either by withdrawing the breech bolt 6 by hand and supplying a cartridge holder
as before stated, or, if it is desired to fill in only a few single cartridges by with-
drawing the breech bolt and fixing the same by means of the uncocked hammer
which abutting against corresponding projecting pieces of the breech bolt holds the
latter opened till the magazine is refilled; if upon this the hammer is re-cocked,
the breech bolt is moved forward and pushes at the same time the uppermost
cartridge into the barrel in the manner before described.
Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings show the arrangements adopted for the lock case
for receiving and guiding the barrel, and for receiving and holding the lock in
position; the grooves a¹ at the upper edge of the lock-case serve to guide the
barrel, and the groove h, and cuts n at the rear end of the lock case serve to hold
or retain the whole of the upper mechanism within the same, the lock moreover
resting with its upper part against the barrel or rather against the breech case and
with its lower part against the trigger guard o fixes the latter in position. The
trigger guard piece o is secured in its proper position within the lock case by means
of projections or pins o² o³ entering suitable recesses in the lock case and consists of
a strong curved plate carrying the trigger p and the trigger spring 9; the latter is
double ended and is made to act on both the trigger and the bolt in which locks
the magazine bottom plate m² in position; and as shown at Figures 18 and 19 the
trigger spring is fixed to the upper side of the trigger guard piece by means of a
hook o' by passing the latter through the hole in the spring and turning the latter

page_text: through an angle of 90°. The functions of the trigger are well known, but the
peculiar construction of the improved fire-arm requires that the trigger-bar f and
with it the lever f2 and its nose 3 shall return immediately after firing to their
initial positions and retain the newly cocked hammer without having to release the
trigger p. For this purpose the. latter is pivotted to the trigger guard piece so
that its nose pl shall act upon the trigger bar f only to the extent required for the
release of the hammer; then by moving farther it becomes disengaged from the
trigger bar by pushing the latter off against the projection of on the trigger guard
piece o whereupon the trigger bar is caused by the spring f¹ to return to its initial
position and to hold the newly cocked hammer. In order that at the releasing of
the trigger the nose pl may be replaced beneath the trigger bar in readiness for the
next shot, said bar is movably linked to the lever, so as to give way to the
advancing trigger and enable the latter to pass by and directly afterwards through
the influence of the spring f' return against the nose pl. As already indicated the
dismounting and remounting of the parts of the fire arm is very simple owing.to
the improved construction and the absence of any screw; all parts are fixed to their
holding pieces by means of bayonet joints consisting preferably of pins having key
shaped heads entering corresponding eyes, or rest against each other in such a
manner as to permit of the dismounting and remounting of the fire arm without the
aid of tools.
The manipulation of the fire arm is also very simple and is limited to the
following operations:
1. Cocking of the hammer by withdrawing the breech-bolt.
2. Insertion of the cartridge holder.
3. Filling of the magazine by pushing down the cartridges from the holder.
4. Withdrawing of the cartridge holder.
5. Shooting till the store of cartridges is exhausted, after which only three
operations are required for getting the fire arm again ready for firing; viz.: insertion
of the cartridge holder, pushing down the cartridges and withdrawal of the cartridge
holder.
In a few words the advantages of the improved fire arm may be stated to
consist in
1. The small number and compact arrangement of the parts composing the
same.
2. The facility for dismounting and remounting the fire arm without the aid
of any tool.
3. The absence of screws of any description.
4. The applicability of the system to other kinds of firearms.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A recoil operated fire arm with a movable barrel and a breech bolt locking
device, in which the unlocking and opening of the breech bolt 6 after firing can
only be effected when the recoiled barrel A, after having cocked the hammer by
means of a nose a provided on an extension a at the rear end of the breech case a,
has arrived at the end of its rearward movement, whereupon simultaneously with
the unlocking of the breech bolt the barrel is locked and held in this position, till
the released breech bolt, after having ejected the empty cartridge case in its
rearward movement, owing to the inomentum given to it by the recoiling barrel,
re-advances under the influence of a locking spring 62 pushing a fresh cartridge
from the magazine into the barrel and becomes again locked in its forward position
through the upwardly moving block c, whereby at the same time the barrel is again
unlocked and pushed forward to its firing position when, only, the firing of another
shot can be effected substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In a fire arm of the character herein described a locking block c pivotted to
the breech case a and serving to alternately lock the breech bolt 6 in its firing

page_text: position and the barrel A. in its rearward position said block being actuated by the
main spring d in such a manner that the latter causes both the unlocking of the
breech bolt and the advancing movement of the barrel substantially as herein
shown and described.
3. In a fire arm of the character herein described the arrangement and
combination with the hammer D and the bolt locking block e of a main spring d in
such manner as to enable it to act upon the hammer as well as to effect the
unlocking of the breech bolt ò after the shot and the advancing movement of the
barrel substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In a fire arm of the character herein described, a trigger mechanism with a
trigger p arranged in a trigger guard piece o and a spring 9 acting upon the
trigger and also serving for fixing the magazine bottom plate, said trigger acting
with its nose pl on the trigger barf only till the gun is fired and pushing off said
bar against a shoulder of on the trigger guard piece o thus permitting the trigger
bar to re-cock the recoiled hammer substantially as herein shown and described.
5. In a fire arm of the character herein described a safety device g whereby
both the hammer in its cocked and uncocked position and at the same time the
barrel and the breech bolt can be secured substantially as herein shown and
described.
6. In a fire arm of the character herein described the combination of the
magazine B and a lock case B into one, the said magazine having a removable
bottom plate held in its closed position by means of a bolt m³ actuated by the
trigger spring 9 whilst the feeding plate m, on the magazine becoming empty, abuts
with its rear edge against the front side of the recoiled breech bolt 6 to prevent the
advancing movement of the breech bolt and thereby indicate that the store of
cartridges is exhausted substantially as herein shown and described.
g
7. In a fire arm of the character herein described the connection of the barrel A
and the lock C with each other and with the lock case B without the aid of screws
by pushing them from the rear into the lock case and fixing them by means of a
lock holder h pivotted at the rear end of the lock body C and caused by a spring h
to enter with its nose h³ a recess in the lock case whilst it is held in this position
by the tail piece e of the uncocked hammer D and cannot be released to take away
the barrel and the lock from the lock case until the hammer is cocked substantially
as herein shown and described.
8. In a fire-arm of the character herein described the novel combination and
arrangement of parts substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated January 14th 1896.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.