IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE GUNS OR REPEATING FIRE-ARMS.”
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Paul Mauser, of Oberndorf a/n, in the Kingdom of
Wurttemberg and Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE GUNS OR REPEATING FIRE-ARMS.”
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Paul Mauser at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th March 1881.
PAUL MAUSER, of Oberndorf a/n, in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg and Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE GUNS OR REPEATING
FIRE-ARMS."
The Invention relates to that class of guns which are closed by a cylindrical
breech-piece, and whose locking and firing mechanism are known under the name
"Mauser," and in which the cartridge holding magazine is situated beneath and
along the barrel.
The object of this Invention is to furnish a device by the application of which,
to guns of the above mentioned class, such guns may be used at will either as
repeating or as single-shot arms.
The main feature of the improved arm is a cartridge-carrier oscillating on its
rear end, which receives the cartridge from the magazine whilst in a downwardly
inclined position and delivers it to the barrel when raised into an upwardly
inclined position. This carrier is raised and depressed by the movements of the
lock, the front end of which serves as breech-block, and which contains and
operates the firing-bolt or pin. During the rising motion of the carrier the next
cartridge of the magazine is prevented advancing by a tail piece of the carrier.
As soon as the carrier occupies its lowest position this cartridge is impelled by the
driving spring of the magazine up into the hollowed bed of the carrier, the rear
sides of which are left standing so high that the cartridge is prevented from
dropping or jumping off the carrier. The following cartridge in the magazine is
stopped by the projection of a spring, which when the carrier is lifted liberates the
cartridge, allowing it to proceed to the tail piece which stops it again until the
next depression of the carrier. On the hind part of the carrier is attached a block
sliding up and down. When up the top portion of this sliding block is rocked to

page_text: and fro by projections provided on the lock itself or on the shell extractor which
moves with the lock. This rocking motion causes the front end of the carrier to
rise when the lock is opened, and to fall when the latter is closed. In new guns
I would prefer to move the carrier by means of projections or shoulders of the
extractor; in guns of older "Mauser" patterns I think it more convenient and
cheaper in manufacturing to have these stops provided on the lock itself.
It will be readily understood that when the sliding block is depressed so that
its top end is out of reach of the shoulders the carrier will not be moved at all, by
which means the repeater is converted into a single-shot gun. It is most con-
venient to stop the movements of the carrier when it is raised, as it forms in this
position a smooth botton to the breech-case best adapted to introduce into the
barrel a cartridge when loading by hand. To accomplish this object the sliding
block is depressed by a pin on the end of a bell crank lever, the longer end of
which protruding on the side of the breech-case is shifted into the required position
by hand. This is done at the moment the carrier is in its highest position when
the lock is open. The sliding block rests in its lowest position with its lower
back-edge against an offset provided on the inside of the breech-case, so as to fix
the carrier in its position, preventing its depression until the sliding block is again
raised, liberating the carrier and transforming the single-shot gun again into a
repeating arm.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Paul Mauser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd September
1881.
PAUL MAUSER, of Oberndorf a/n, in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg and Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE GUNS OR REPEATING
FIRE-ARMS."
The Invention relates to that class of guns which are closed by a cylindrical
breech piece, and whose locking and firing mechanism are known under the name
"Mauser," and in which the cartridge holding magazine is situated beneath and
along the barrel.
The object of this Invention is to furnish a device by the application of which,
to guns of the mentioned class, such guns may be used at will either as repeating
or as single-shot arms.
And in order that the said Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In the accompanying Drawings similar letters indicate corresponding parts;
Figures 1 to 12 represent a new gun constructed according to the present
Invention; Figures 13 and 14 show the application of the latter to an old gun of
the so called pattern of 1871.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the breech closed.
Figure 2 is partly a longitudinal section and partly a side view, showing the
breech opened.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section in the line A, B, C, D, E, of Figure 1.
Figures 4, 5, 6, are vertical cross sections respectively on the lines F, G, H, I,
K, L, of Figure 3.
Figure 7 is partly a section and partly a side view of the gun, similar to
Figure 3, but seen from the opposite direction.
Figure 8 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the extractor.
Figures 9, 10, 11, 12 show sections and views of some of the improved parts
constructed differently from similar parts in the previous Figures.
Figure 13 is a vertical longitudinal section of a gun of the pattern of 1871,
altered according to the present Invention and with the breech open.
Figure 14 is a vertical cross section in the line M, N, of Figure 13.
The main feature of the improved arm is a cartridge carrier b oscillating on its
rear end, and brought into action when required by the movements of the breech-
piece or lock f. This carrier b receives the cartridge a from the magazine arranged
beneath and along the barrel whilst in a downwardly inclined position, and delivers
it to the barrel when raised into an upwardly inclined position. This carrier b is
raised and depressed by the movements of the lock f, the front end of which serves as
a breech-block and which contains and operates the firing bolt or pin. During the
rising motion of the carrier, the next cartridge a of the magazine is prevented
advancing by a tail piece h of the carrier b. As soon as the carrier b occupies its lowest
position this cartridge is impelled by the driving spring of the magazine up into the
hollowed bed of the carrier b, the rear sides of which are left standing so high that
the cartridge is prevented from dropping or jumping off the carrier. The following
cartridge in the magazine is stopped by the projection d of a spring e, which when
the carrier b is raised presses back the spring e by acting upon the enlargement m

page_text: thereon and liberates the cartridge, allowing it to move to the tail piece h, which
stops it again until the next depression of the carrier b.
On the hind part of the carrier b is attached a block sliding up and down in
a dovetailed groove of the former. When the block i is in its highest position
the top portion of this block i entering the extractor groove 1 of the chamber c
is rocked to and fro by shoulders or projections p and q of the extractor. o, which
is fixed to the lock f and moves with it. This rocking motion causes the front
end of the carrier b to rise when the lock f is moved backward, or the breech
opened, and to fall when the lock fis moved forward or the breech closed.
It will be readily understood that when the sliding block i is depressed so that
its top k is out of reach of the shoulders p, q, the carrier 6 will not be moved at
all, by which means the repeater is converted into a single-shot gun. It is most
convenient to stop the movement of the carrier b just when it is raised, as it forms
in this position a smooth bottom to the chamber c, best adapted to introduce into
the barrel a cartridge when loading by hand.
To accomplish these objects the sliding block i is depressed by a pin v on the
end of the shorter arm of a bell-crank lever oscillating on the screw-pin g or t, on
which oscillates also the carrier b. The longer arms of the bell-crank lever
protrudes on the side of the chamber c, and is shifted into the required position by
hand, and by means of the thumb-piece u of the arm 8. The pin v works in a
horizontal slot in the slide-block i. The shifting of the lever s and the consequent
depressing of the block i are performed at the moment the carrier b is in its
highest position and when the lock is drawn back for loading. The sliding block i
rests in its lowest position with its lower back edge against an offset as provided
on the inside of the chamber or case c so as to fix the carrier b in its elevated
position, preventing its depression until the sliding block i is again raised,
liberating at once the carrier 6 and transforming the single-shot gun again into a
repeater.
To retain the carrier b in its highest as well as in its lowest position, when the
gun is used as a repeater, the spring e is furnished in addition to the enlargement m
at the front end, with a second and similar enlargement on the back end. The
latter exerts a uniform elastic pressure against the carrier b and its fulcrum g or t,
whilst the enlargement m performs a similar duty as soon as the front end of the
carrier 6 has left its lowest position. By this arrangement the movements of the
carrier bare made smooth and easy.
In order to show this arrangement and to illustrate one mode in which the
construction of the details can be varied without departing from the nature of the
Invention, a modification of those parts which control the movements of the carrier b
is shown at Figures 9 to 12. The slide block i is not guided by a dovetailed
groove of the carrier 6 but by a rectangular one, and it is moved up and down not
by a pin but by the shorter arm of the bell-crank lever. This arm works in
a suitably shaped recess in the block i, and oscillates together with the longer
arms of the said lever round the screw bolt t, by means of which and of the
coupled hubs g of the two levers v and 8 such levers are rigidly connected together.
The arm v works somewhat on the left hand side of the gun, whilst the arm s
protrudes on the right hand side, so that it can be moved to and fro by means of
its thumb piece u. In this way the slide block i is moved up and down,
presenting its top k to the shoulders p and q of the extractor o or bringing it out
of reach of them, as hereinbefore described. The carrier b oscillates not directly
around the screw t but round the hubs g of the levers and 8, which oscillate on
the screw t. The recess of the block is sufficiently large to clear the hubs g in
any position. By this construction the carrier b is rendered very strong, compact,
and convenient for the user of the arm.
As hereinbefore mentioned the Invention can also be applied to old guns of the
so called pattern of 1871, as represented in Figures 13 and 14.
The carrier 6 forms at its rear part a box shaped recess which contains the
sliding block i, the top k of which works when raised in the groove of the lock f

page_text: (in which also works the trigger catch) and engages partly with the projection of
the head of the lock f, partly with a cross-groove in the main-catch groove in the
centre of the lock f. The carrier b oscillates round the screw-bolt g, t, which forms
at the same time the fulcrum of the bell-crank-lever v, s. The pin of the short
arm works (passing by a slot in the side wall of the carrier b) in a groove in the
block i, which is allowed to rise or fall, the hole through which the screw g, t,
passes being elongated. The extractor o is not altered in its construction but is
that of the old gun.
I would here remark that I do not confine myself to any particular form of
the details of the repeating device, as the same may be modified particularly with
regard to the arrangement and mechanical construction and operation of the
sliding block i and its operating lever v, 8, without departing from my Invention,
as long as they are used for the purpose herein before described and shown.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in which
the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I am aware
that an oscillating rising and falling carrier, and that a magazine beneath and
along the barrel are well known devices and I do not therefore claim them, but
what I do claim is,-
First. The cartridge extractor o furnished with the shoulders p, q, and sliding
in the groove, in combination with the moveable sliding-block, having the
top-piece k for the purpose of actuating the carrier b of repeating fire-arms with
cylinder locks, substantially as shown and described.
Second. The sliding-block i with top piece k moved up and down by the motion
of the thumb piece u, of the lever arm 8, and by suitable connecting mechanism to
throw into or out of work the carrier 6 by means of the shoulders p, q, of the
extractor o, or of similar devices arranged for the same purpose on the head and
the body of the lock f, substantially as herein shown and described.
Third. The locking of the carrier b in its highest position by the slide piece i
being pressed down in front of the offset x.
Fourth. The spring e furnished with the enlargements m, n, and head d in
combination with the carrier b of a repeating fire arm, as herein shown and
described and for the purpose explained.
Fifth. The carrier 6 governed by the slide-block i, having the top piece / on
which act the shoulders p, q, of the extractor o, or the equivalent devices of the
lock f, in combination with the spring e with its enlargements m, n, and head d,
all working together as herein shown and described and for the purpose
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Paul Mauser, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
PAUL MAUSER. (L.S.)