Iм- PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Augustus Braendlin, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-Partly a communication from abroad by William
Montgomery Storm, of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd August 1865, and dated the 14th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Augustus
Braendlin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th March 1865.
I, FRANCIS AUGUSTUS BRAENDLIN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates, firstly, to such breech-loading fire-arms as have
charge chambers hinged to the top of the breech end of the barrel, the said
charge chambers being shut down after the introduction of the cartridge into
the breech end of the barrel for discharge, and raised from the breech end and
thrown back on to the top of the barrel for reloading. Breech-loading fire-
arms of this construction are commonly called "Mont Storm rifles."

page_text: This part of the said Invention consists of the improvements herein-after
described in the said rifles, the said improvements having for their object so to
construct the said rifles as to adapt them to fire self-ignition cartridges.
The upper part of the hammer of the rifle is bent or cranked nearly at right
angles to the other part, so as to bring the end of the said cranked part nearly
in a line with the axis of the barrel. To the end of the said cranked part of
the hammer a cylindrical bolt or striker is connected, the said bolt or striker
having a pin or point at its end. The said bolt or striker works through the
rear end of the breech chamber of the barrel, the said bolt or striker having a
rectilinear sliding motion given to it in one or other direction as the hammer
is raised or depressed. In the rear of the hinged charge chamber, and in the
axis thereof, a cylindrical hole is made, into which the end of the before-
mentioned bolt or striker can enter, and in front of the said cylindrical hole a
small hole communicating with the interior of the charge chamber is made,
the said small hole being of a size proper to admit the pin or point on the end
of the bolt or striker. When the cartridge is introduced into the charge
chamber the percussion cap or other means for the discharge of the cartridge
comes immediately opposite the last-mentioned hole in the charge chamber.
After a central-fire cartridge (preferably of the kind herein-after described,
and constituting the second part of the Invention) has been introduced into
the charge chamber the said chamber is turned down into the barrel; by
pulling the trigger of the rifle the hammer is depressed, and the bolt or striker
connected to it is driven through the end of the breech chamber into the
opening in the rear of the hinged charge chamber, the pin or point of
the said striker is thereby made to enter the breech chamber and explode the
-central-fire cartridge and discharge the rifle. In order to reload the rifle the
hammer is raised to half cock, so as to withdraw the end of the bolt or striker
from the charge chamber; the charge chamber can now be turned on its
binge and raised for the introduction of a fresh cartridge; after the depression
of the charge chamber into the barrel the hammer has only to be raised to
full cock to make the rifle ready for discharge. The rifle may be made to
discharge ordinary cartridges or central-fire cartridges at pleasure. In this
case a hammer of the ordinary construction is used with the addition of a
cranked arm for actuating the bolt or striker for discharging central-fire
cartridges. When ordinary cartridges are required to be discharged by
the rifle an ordinary nipple is screwed into the charge chamber, and a
percussion cap placed on the said nipple is discharged on the fall of the
hammer.
The said Invention consists. secondly, in constructing central-fire cartridges

page_text: for breech-loading fire-arms in the following manner: The projectile and
powder of the cartridge are made up in the same way as ordinary cartridges
without cases are made up, but at the rear end of the cartridge I place a
percussion cap, the said cap being kept central by means of a disc of paper or
card in a central perforation in which the said cap is fixed. Behind the said
cap and disc a small quantity of ordinary powder is placed, the said powder
being secured in its place by a thin paper or skin covering pasted over the end
of the cartridge. The cartridge is discharged by the action of the striker on
the percussion cap, the said striker passing through the stratum of powder to
reach the said cap. On the explosion of the cartridge the powder behind the
cap and disc is ignited, and the exploded cap and the disc driven from the rifle.
By constructing central-fire cartridges in the way described the remains of
the exploded cartridge are carried from the rifle, and a cartridge case extractor
is thereby rendered unnecessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Augustus Braendlin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
AUGUSTUS BRAENDLIN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Francis Augustus Braendlin, Her special licence that I, the said
Francis Augustus Braendlin, my executors, administrators, and' assigns, or
such others as I, the said Francis Augustus Braendlin, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARNS,
AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," the result partly of a com-
munication made to me from abroad by William' Montgomery Storm, of New
York, in the United States of America, and partly of Invention and discovery
made by me, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis
•

page_text: Augustus Braendlin, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention; and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Augustus Braendlin, do bereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates, firstly, to such breech-loading fire-arms as have
charge chambers hinged to the top of the breech end of the barrel, the said.
charge chambers being shut down after the introduction of the cartridge into
the breech end of the barrel for discharge, and raised from the breech end and
thrown back on to the top or side of the barrel for reloading. Breech-loading
fire-arms of this construction are commonly called "Mont Storm rifles."
This part of the said Invention consists of the improvements herein-after
described in the said rifles, the said improvements having for their object so to
*construct the said rifles as to adapt them to fire self-ignition cartridges. The
upper part of the hammer of the rifle is bent or cranked nearly at right angles
to the other part, so as to bring the end of the said cranked part nearly in a
line with the axis of the barrel. To the end of the cranked part of the
.hammer a cylindrical bolt or striker is connected, the said bolt or striker
having a pin or point at its end. The said bolt or striker works through the
rear end of the breech chamber of the barrel, the said bolt or striker having a
-rectilinear sliding motion given to it in one or other direction as the hammer
is raised or depressed. In the rear of the hinged charge chamber, and in the
axis thereof, a cylindrical hole is made, into which the end of the before-
mentioned belt or striker can enter, and in front of the said cylindrical hole a
small hole-communicating with the interior of the charge chamber is made,
the said small hole being of a size proper to admit the pin or point on the end
of the bolt or striker. When the cartridge is introduced into the charge
chamber the percussion cap or other means for the discharge of the cartridge
-comes-immediately opposite the last-mentioned hole in the charge chamber
After a central-fire cartridge (preferably of the kind herein-after described, and
.constituting the second part of the Invention) has been introduced into the
charge chamber, the said chamber is turned down into the barrel. By pulling
the trigger of the rifle the hammer is depressed, and the bolt or striker con
nected to it is driven through the end of the breech chamber into the opening

page_text: in the rear of the hinged charge chamber. The pin or point of the said striker
s thereby made to enter the charge chamber and explode the central-fire
cartridge and discharge the rifle. In order to reload the rifle the hammer is
raised to half cock, so as to withdraw the end of the bolt or striker from the
charge chamber. The charge chamber can now be turned on its hinge and raised
for the introduction of a fresh cartridge. After the depression of the charge
chamber into the barrel the hammer has only to be raised to full cock to make
the rifle ready for discharge. The pin or point by which the cartridge is
discharged may be situated and work in the charge chamber, instead of being
connected with the sliding bolt. In this case the sliding bolt strikes against
a rod carrying the pin or point, and projects it into the cartridge.
When the last described arrangement is used the cartridge is introduced
into the breech end of the barrel, and when the hinged chamber is shut down
the rear end of the said cartridge occupies the open end of the said chamber.
The rifle may be made to discharge ordinary cartridges or central-fire cartridges
at pleasure. In this case a hammer of the ordinary construction is used, with
the addition of a cranked arm for actuating the bolt or striker for discharging
central-fire cartridges. When ordinary cartridges are required to be dis-
charged by the rifle an ordinary nipple is screwed into the charge chamber,
and a percussion cap placed on the said nipple is discharged on the fall of the
hammer.
The said Invention consists, secondly, in constructing central-fire cartridges for
breech-loading fire-arms in the following manner:-The projectile and powder
of the cartridge are made up in the same way as ordinary cartridges without
cases are made up, but at the rear end of the cartridge I place a percussion
cap, the said cap being kept central by means of a disc of paper or card in a
central perforation in which the said cap is fixed. Behind the said cap
and disc a small quantity of ordinary powder is placed, the said powder
being secured in its place by a thin paper or skin covering pasted over the
end of the cartridge. The cartridge is discharged by the action of the striker
on the percussion cap, the said striker passing through the stratum of powder
to reach the said cap. On the explosion of the cartridge the powder behind
the cap and disc is ignited, and the exploded cap'and the disc are driven from
the rifle. By constructing central-fire cartridges in the way described the
remains of the exploded cartridge are carried from the rifle, and a cartridge
case extractor is thereby rendered unnecessary.
Having explained the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which
the same is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in side elevation, and Figure 2 in longitudinal vertical
section a Mont Storm rifle adapted to fire self-ignition cartridges according to
the said Invention, the parts of the rifle being in the positions which they
respectively assume after the rifle has been discharged; Figure 3 represents
the rifle in plan, the charge chamber being raised from the breech end of the
barrel ready for the introduction of a cartridge; Figures 4 and 5 represent
parts of the same as herein-after explained. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
The shape of
Sliding in an
a is the barrel of the rifle, and 6 is the hinged breech or charge chamber;
d is the hammer of the rifle, the upper part d' of which is bent or cranked
nearly at right angles to the other part, so as to bring the end of the said
cranked part nearly into a line with the axis of the barrel a.
the said hammer d, d, is best seen in the plan, Figure 3.
opening e in the break off or rear c of the breech end of the barrel, into which
the hinged chamber 6 shuts down, is a bolt or striker f, having a pin or point g
at its end. The said bolt or strikerf is connected to the cranked part d³ of
the hammer d by means of a forked plate d³ on the said hammer working in
a groove made in the end of the bolt or striker f. The shape of the said
parts d³ and h will be best understood by an examination of Figures 4 and 5.
In the rear of the hinged chamber 6, and in the axis thereof, is a cylindrical
hole of a size proper to receive the end of the bolt or striker f, and in front
of the said hole 6 is a small hole 6 which communicates with the interior of
the charge chamber b, the said small hole being of a size proper to admit of
the passage through it of the pin or point g. The central-fire cartridge having
been introduced into the charge chamber 6 when it is in the position
represented in Figure 3, the percussion cap or other means for discharging
the cartridge is brought immediately opposite the hole 68 in the charge
chamber. On shutting down the charge chamber 6 into the breech end of
the barrel a, and by raising the hammer d to full cock the rifle is ready for
discharge. The charge chamber 6 is kept closed by a spring fastening at 65.
On pulling the trigger of the rifle the hammer d is depressed, and the bolt or
strikerfis driven through the opening e in the end c of the breech of the
barrel into the opening in the charge chamber b, and thus securely fastens
or holds down the charge chamber during the discharge of the rifle. The pin
or point g on the end of the bolt f passes through the hole b³, and enters the
charge chamber b, as illustrated in Figure 2, and by acting upon the cartridge
which has been placed therein discharges the rifle. After discharge, to reload
the rifle the hammer d is raised to half cock, the end of the bolt or striker f
and the pin or point g are thereby withdrawn from the charge chamber b and

page_text: made to occupy the positions represented in Figure 3. The chamber 6 can
now be turned on its hinge and raised by the knob or handle 6 from the
breech end of the barrel, as represented in Figure 3, ready for the introduction
of a fresh cartridge. When the charge chamber has been depressed into the
breech end of the barrel, the hammer d has only to be raised to full cock to
make the rifle ready for use.
The rifle, Figures 1, 2, and 3, may be made to discharge ordinary
cartridges or central-fire cartridges at pleasure. In this case an ordinary
hammer is employed, with the addition of the cranked arm d' for actuating
the bolt or striker f. When ordinary cartridges are to be discharged by the
rifle an ordinary nipple is screwed into the chamber b, and a percussion cap
placed on the said nipple is discharged by the fall of the hammer.
Figure 6 represents in longitudinal vertical section a modification of the
rifle last described in which the pin or point is contained in the hinged
chamber instead of being connected to the bolt or striker; f is the bolt or
striker, connected to the cranked arm of the hammer d in the manner herein-
before described, the said bolt being somewhat longer than that represented.in
Figures 1, 2, and 3. In the hinged chamber 6 is a rod i, having a head i³ at
one end, and a pin or point at the other end. The chamber b is closed just
in advance of its front end by a screw block k, through a hole in which the
pin or point passes. A coiled spring l around the rod i, bearing at one end
against the screw block k and at the other end against the shoulder of the
rodi, gives the return motion to the pin or point after it has been made to
discharge the cartridge.
In order to discharge a rifle constructed in the manner represented in
Figure 6 the hammer d is raised to half cock, and the hinged chamber b raised
from the breech end of the barrel a. The central-fire cartridge w is now in-
troduced into the barrel of the rifle. On shutting down the hinged chamber b
the end of the cartridge w occupies the open end of the said chamber b, and the
percussion cap or other means for discharging the cartridge is brought im-
mediately behind the pin or point; as illustrated in the Drawing. By raising
the hammer d to full cock, and pulling the trigger of the rifle, the bolt or
striker enters the opening m in the chamber b, and securely fastens down
the said chamber, and striking against the head of the rod i drives the said
rod inwards and forces the pin or point into the cartridge w and discharges
the rifle. On raising the hammer d to half cock the rod or strikerf is with-
drawn from the chamber 6, and the rod i and pin or point is made to occupy
the positions represented by the pressure of the compressed spring 1. On the

page_text: withdrawal of the bolt f the hinged chamber 6 can be raised and a fresh
cartridge introduced into the barrel.
Figure 7 represents in section a central-fire cartridge for breech-loading
fire-arms constructed according to the said Invention. n is the powder, and
o the projectile, the said powder and projectile being covered by a skin or thin
paper covering p. At the end of the cartridge is a percussion cap q, kept
central by means of a disé of card or paper r. The percussion cap q and disc r
are shown separately on a larger scale in Figure 8, and the disc r is shown
separately on á larger scale in Figure 9. The percussion cap q is fixed in the
diser by being passed through a central perforations therein, the wings of
the cap being turned back upon the disc in the manner represented in Figure 8.
I prefer to make the percussion cap q of the metal magnesium or copper, but
I do not limit myself to any particular metal. Behind the cap q and disc » a
small quantity of ordinary powder t is placed, the said powder being secured
in its place by a thin paper or skin covering pasted over the end of the
cartridge. The cartridge is discharged by the pin or point of the rifle passing
through the stratum of powders and striking the percussion cap q. On the
explosion of the cartridge the said stratum of powder & is ignited and the
exploded cap and the disc r carrying it are driven from the rifle. The
remains of the exploded cartridge are thus carried from the rifle, and a
cartridge extractor is rendered unnecessary:
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details berein described and illustrated in the
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of the
said Invention; but I claim as the said Invention,―
Firstly, the improvements in breech-loading fire-arms herein-before
described and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say, the arrangement or combination of the parts
described and represented for adapting such breech-loading fire-arms as have
hinged charge chambers (and which fire-arms are commonly called Mont
Storm rifles) to fire self-ignition cartridges, or to fire either self-ignition
cartridges or ordinary cartridges at pleasure, the locking down of the charge
chamber and the discharge of the self-ignition cartridge being effected by one
bolt or striker.
Secondly, the improvements in breech-loading fire-arms herein-before
described and illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say, the arrangement or combination of the parts described and represented

page_text: for adapting such breech-loading fire-arms as have binged chambers to fire
self-ignition cartridges, the locking down of the hinged chamber and the
advance of the pin or point for discharging the cartridge being effected by one
bolt or striker.
Thirdly, the arrangement or combination of the parts of central-fire
cartridges herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, and 9 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Augustus Braendlin, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
year of
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
FRANCIS AUGUSTUS BRAENDLIN. (L.B.)