Improvements in Rifles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Rifles.
1, JAMES MACNAUGHTON, of 26, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, in the County
of Midlothian, Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to rifles, and more particularly to double-barreled rifles,
and it has mainly for its object to ensure greater accuracy in firing both barrels.
Double-barreled rifles as hitherto constructed have not been found as reliable
as single-barreled guns for target practice, the shooting being often wide of
the mark, owing to the parallelism of the barrels being affected by unequal
expansion caused by their being soldered to or connected with each other. This
objection I overcome by so securing the barrels that they are separated from and
independent of each other, and so that the heat of either barrel is not com-
municated to the other; and that each barrel may expand independently.
In carrying out the invention as applied to double-barreled rifles, I secure or
bind together the barrels at the breech and at the muzzle by means of twin
sleeves, or by blocks each formed with two eyes or sockets through which the
ends of the barrels pass, the barrels being thus held apart with an open air
space between them. The double sleeve at the breech is by preference formed
in a piece with the lamp, and the orifices for the reception of the barrels are
slightly tapered to correspond to the taper of the barrels, so that the latter
may be firmly secured by pressing them home through the sleeves, deterioration
of metal by brazing being avoided. The back sight is secured in an independent
rib which extends along the fore part of the breech between the barrels and
bears on both, being held against lateral movement by engagement with the
upper part of the lump, and at the forward end by a downward projection between
the barrels, whilst a key piece inserted between the barrels acts below as a
loop to which to fasten the forepart.
The double sleeve holding the barrels at the muzzle is also by preference
arranged to carry the foresight and for that purpose has formed thereon a block
projecting upwards between the barrels. As a means for protecting the fore-
sight, the latter is fitted to slide in a slot, groove or recess formed in the
slight block so that it may be made to disappear under the surface of the block
or be brought up above the latter to the normal position for use.
appearing sight may be actuated in various ways, but in one convenient arrange-
ment I form the under side of the sight with a screw-threaded stem which
enters a correspondingly screw-threaded nut or socket formed with a knurled
head below the sleeve or carried in a slot formed in the block.
The disappearing sight is also applicable to single barrel guns.
This dis-
A further improvement applicable to single-barreled as well as to double-
barreled rifles, when made with a vertical breech block, has reference to the
breech block and has for its object to obviate the liability to jamming the latter
by strips of copper from the cartridge cap being driven in around the plunger
or piston in firing. I form the breech block with a central plug which is screw.

page_text: threaded and is movable by rotation within the block, the firing piston being
fitted in said plug. The block and plug are so connected by a pin and helical
groove that on drawing down the block to eject the cartridge case, the screw-
threaded plug is first turned through part of a revolution, which has the effect
of retracting it within the block; and as it carries with it any stripped off portion
of the cartridge the breech block is free to slide vertically in the breech without
risk of jamming.
141
1000
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant
Improvements in mines.
1, JAMES MACNAUGHTON, of 26, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, in the County
of Midlothian, Gunmaker, 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:-
-
This invention relates to rifles, and more particularly to double-barreled rifles,
and it has mainly for its object to ensure greater accuracy in firing both barrels.
Double-barreled rifles as hitherto constructed have not been found as reliable
as single-barreled guns for target practice, the shooting being often wide of
the mark, owing to the parallelism of the barrels being affected by unequal
expansion caused by their being soldered to or connected with each other. This
objection I overcome by so securing the barrels that they are separated from and
independent of each other, and so that the heat of either barrel is not com-
municated to the other; and that each barrel may expand independently.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being an
elevation of a rifle barrel as constructed under my invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan
of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections of the block carrying the mov-
able fore-sight constituting part of my improvements in double-barreled rifles,
and shewing the fore sight in two different positions. Figs. 5 and 6 are respec-
tively a vertical longitudinal section and an end view of the fore sight, shewing
its construction and position on a single barreled rifle. Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical
sections of the rifle breech shewing the breech block in two different positions.
In carrying out the invention as applied to double-barreled rifles, and as illus-
trated at Figs. 1 and 2, I secure or bind together the barrels A at the breech
and at the muzzle by means of twin sleeves B, C, respectively, or by blocks each
formed with two eyes or sockets through which the ends of the barrels A pass,
the barrels being thus held apart with an open air space between them, or this
space may be covered over on its upper and under side and filled in preferably
with a non-conducting material. The double sleeve B at the breech is by pre-
ference formed in a piece with the lump E, and the orifices for the reception of
the barrels A are slightly tapered to correspond to the taper of the barrels, so that
the latter may be firmly secured by pressing them home through the sleeves,
deterioration of metal by brazing being avoided. The back sight is secured
in an independent rib G which extends along the fore part of the breech between
the barrels A and bears on both, being held against lateral movement by engage-
ment with the upper part of the lump E, and at the forward end by a downward

page_text: projection between the barrels A, whilst a key piece H inserted between the
barrels acts below as a loop to which to fasten the forepart.
The double sleeve U holding the barrels at the muzzle is also by preference
arranged to carry the foresight I and for that purpose has formed thereon a
block projecting upwards between the barrels A. As a means for profecting
the foresight I the latter is fitted to slide in a slot, groove or recess formed
in the sight block so that it may be made to disappear under the surface of
the block C, as shewn at Fig. 3, or be brought up above the latter to the normal
position for use. The foresight block may be provided with a scale in order
that the sight may be raised to suit any desired range, thus dispensing with an
elevating back sight, as shewn at Fig. 4. This disappearing sight I may be
actuated in various ways, but in one convenient arrangement I form the under
side of the sight I with a screw-threaded stem I' which enters a correspondingly
screw-threaded nut or socket 12 formed with a knurled head H¹ below the sleeve C
or carried in a slot formed in the block. A spring bolt J is carried in the block C¹
and a projection J on this bolt normally engages with a recess in the nut I² to
lock it, and in order to raise or lower the sight I, it is first necessary to press
in this spring bolt J until the projection J₁ is clear of the nut 12 so that said nut
may be rotated to effect the purpose above stated.
The disappearing sight I is also applicable to single barrel guns, and as shewn
at Figs. 5 and 6, consists of a screw-threaded stem I' entering a screw-threaded
nut in this instance situated in a horizontal slot in the block C, the nut
being of such diameter as to project beyond the sides of the block, as shewn at
Fig. 6, in order that it may be turned by the fingers.
A further improvement, illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8, and applicable to single-
barreled as well as to double-barreled rifles, when made with a vertical breech
block has reference to the breech block and has for its object to obviate the
liability to jamming the latter by strips of copper from the cartridge cap being
driven in around the plunger or piston in firing. I form the breech block K
with a central plug L which is screw-threaded at one end and enters a similarly
threaded orifice in the block K, the plug L being movable by rotation within the
block K, and the firing piston M being fitted in said plug. The block is raised
and lowered in the usual manner by the lever N, the pin N of which acts in the
usual groove K' to effect this, and the plug L and lever N are so connected by
a pin or projection N upon the lever N and a helical groove L' that on drawing
down the block K to eject the cartridge case, the screw-threaded plug K is first
turned through part of a revolution, which has the effect of retracting it within
the block, from the position shewn at Fig. 7 to that shewn at Fig. 8; and as it
carries with it any stripped off portion of the cartridge the breech block is free
under the action of the lever N, to slide vertically in the breech, from the posi-
tion shewn at Fig. 7 to that shewn at Fig. 8, without risk of jamming.
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
1. A double-barreled rifle the parts of which are constructed, combined and
arranged to be operated, substantially as described.
2. A double-barreled rifle having its barrels separated from each other and
bound together by double eye blocks or sleeves fitted over the barrels at the
breech and muzzle, so as to leave an open air or other space between the barrels,
substantially as described.
3. In double or single barreled rifles, a movable fore sight sliding in a block
situated over the barrels and capable of being withdrawn into said block in order
to protect said sight from damage, substantially as described.
4. In double and single barreled rifles having vertically moving breech blocks,
the combination with each block of a central plug having near one of its ends
a helical groove adapted to be acted upon by a pin or projection on the usual

page_text: ejecting lever and rotated thereby, and having its other end, which is screw
threaded, entered in a screw-threaded portion of the breech block in order that
during rotation it may be retracted within the block, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of March 1900.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
2, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.