Year: 1897

page_text: I, CARL VON WITZLEBEN of 29 Frobenstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a bolt shot for smooth bore guns and has for its object
to provide a shot for sporting guns which shall afford a certainty of aim far
beyond the distances of shot charges and which shall quickly and surely kill any
suitably hit animal.
The shot is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 shows a fully charged cartridge with the ordinary wad i. Under this
wad there is one of the usual cards which project into the powder space k.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the shot or bolt.
This shot or bolt consists of a bolt of wood or other light material in which
longitudinal grooves are cut. The core bolt g shown in horizontal section in
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings has a smaller diameter than the mouth
of the barrei, whilst the one shown in Figure 4, which is a cross section of
Figure 2, and is of a star pattern, has a larger diameter and may be so on account
of the thin ridges of the bolt on passing through the barrel being compressed and
easily yielding, owing.on the one hand to the suitable material of which they are
made, on the other hand because of the smaller diameter of the core bolt allowing
sufficient room. The lead part shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a somewhat smaller
diameter than the mouth of the gun barrel in question and may be perfectly
cylindrical in form because it is not cast on the bolt. The pin attached to this
lead part is coated with glue and then is tightly pressed into the suitably recessed
or bored star bolt. The lead part of the shot may also be made of harder metals
or may be made by inserting such in the lead part. The star bolt is in diameter
as large as an ordinary solid musket ball so that it has also to be forced into the
sheath.
With this improved shot it is entirely impossible for the same to remain stick-
ing in the barrel when unexploded cartridges are withdrawn, owing to the cir-
cumstances that the star bolt which must be slightly greased owing to its elasticity
can be compressed without great resistance. The well known irregularities of
gun barrels, the diameter of which vary in calibre of any size up to one milli-
metre, are entirely equalized in the whole longitudinal direction. The sharp
edges of the star bolt h bear firmly against the inner wall of the barrel.
The action is similar to straight bore guns, more particularly when the barrel
has become coated inside with powder slime by which the precision of the shot
is rather increased than diminished. Even in cleaving the air the star bolt is
guided with greater certainty than a smooth bolt, because the air cut by the flat
lead head imparts to the star bolt a so called 'air guidance' owing to the air
compressed through the grooves acting similarly to the barrel of a rifled gun.
In consequence of this advantage more particularly of the complete guiding even

page_text: in barrels which are not evenly bored, experiments have shown so good a diagram
of hits that this shot far exceeds all shots for smooth bore guns hitherto known.
Dated this 13th day of October 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in Projectiles for Smooth-bore Guns.
I, CARL VON WITZLEBEN of 29 Frobenstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Gentleman, 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 a projectile for smooth bore guns and has for its
object to provide a projectile for sporting guns which shall afford a certainty of
aim far beyond the distance of shot charges and which shall quickly and surely
kill any suitably hit animal.
The shot or projectile is shown in the drawings accompanying the provisional
specification, in which,
Figure 1 shows a fully charged cartridge with the ordinary wad i. Under
this wad there is one of the usual cards which projects into the powder space k.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the shot or projectile.
This shot or projectile consists of a bolt of wood or other light material in which
longitudinal grooves are out. The core bolt g shown in horizontal section in
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings has a smaller diameter than the mouth
of the barrel, whilst the one shown in Figure 4, which is a cross section of
Figure 2, and is of a star pattern has a larger diameter and may be so on
account of the thin ridges of the bolt or projectile on passing through the barrel
being compressed and easily yielding, owing on the one hand to the suitable
material of which they are made, on the other hand because of the smaller
diameter of the core bolt allowing sufficient room. The lead part shown in
Figures 1 and 2 has a somewhat smaller diameter than the mouth of the gun
barrel in question and may be perfectly cylindrical in form because it is not cast
on the bolt. The pin attached to this lead part is coated with glue and then is
tightly pressed into the suitably recessed or bored star bolt. The lead part of
the projectile may also be made of harder metals or may be made by
inserting such in the lead part. The star bolt is in diameter as large
as an ordinary solid musket ball so that it has also to be forced into the sheath."
With this improved projectile it is entirely impossible for the same to remain
sticking in the barrel when unexploded cartridges are withdrawn, owing to the
circumstance that the star bolt, which must be slightly greased, owing to its
elasticity can be compressed without great resistance. The well known irregu-
larities of gun barrels, the diameter of which vary in calibre of any size up to
one millimetre, are entirely equalized in the whole longitudinal direction. The
sharp edges of the star bolt h bear firmly against the inner wall of the barrel.
The action is similar to straight bore guns more particularly when the barrel
has become coated inside with powder slime by which the precision of the shot is
rather increased than diminished. Even in cleaving the air the star bolt is guided
with greater certainty than a smooth bolt because the air cut by the flat lead head
imparts to the star bolt a so called "air guidance" owing to the air compressed
through the grooves acting similarly to the barrel of a rifled gun. In con-
sequence of this advantage more particularly of the complete guiding, even in

page_text: barrels which are not evenly bored, experiments have shown so good a diagram
of hits that this projectile far exceeds all projectiles for smooth bore guns hitherto
I.nown.
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:-
A projectile for smooth bore guns which consists of a bolt of wood or other
light material provided with a head of lead or the like and having on its periphery
straight or spiral ridges which facilitate the passage of the projectile_through
the barrel even in unevenly bored guns, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.