IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Russ, Henry Hammond, and Edwin
Hammond, all of. Winchester, in the County of Hants, for the
Denn "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Russ, Henry
Hammond, and Edwin Hammond at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 6th October 1869.
We, EDWIN RUSS, HENRY HAMMOND, and EDWIN HAMMOND, all of
Winchester, in the County of Hants, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to
be as follows:-
Our improvements in breech-loading fire-arms consist,--
First. In forming a chamber or recess at the rear end of the barrel to
receive the breech block or blocks and mechanism connected therewith,
also to receive an arrangement for withdrawing the cartridges, all of
which are constructed and caused to act as more particularly hereafter
described. The breech block is made in two parts, both being mounted

page_text: and free to rotate on a pin or bolt passing through them, the lower
portions, base, or under side of the blocks are cut away to receive the
mechanism for working the same. The first block, which for the sake
of clearness we will call block No. 1, is provided with a pin taking into
a slotted notch formed on or in the second block, and which we will call
No. 2. The object of this pin and slot is to allow the second block No. 2
to move a short distance in a rotary direction without No. 1, in fact to
allow it to travel alone the length of the slot, but as soon as the end of
the slot touches the pin the two revolve together; or the arrangement
may be reversed, the pin on No. 2 and the slot in No. 1.'
The object of this motion is as follows:-The striker passes through
the two block pieces, and when the arm has been fired the point of the
striker is on the cap of the cartridge and the blocks could not revolve
to open the breech unless it was withdrawn therefrom. Now our object
in causing the one portion of the block, viz., No. 2, to revolve before
No. 1 is to cause the striker to be withdrawn from the cap, and to
accomplish this we cut or form on the surface or rim of the block No. 2
a template or curve, which is arranged so that as the block begins to
rptate it presses against the striker rod, draws the same back, which is
accomplished simultaneously with the block No. 1 being brought into :
action, the two then rotate together until the breech is open; by these
means we altogether dispense with the use of springs for withdrawing
the striker, A continuation of the same curve which withdraws the
striker from the cartridge also comes in contact with the hammer, and
during the rotation of the block to open the breech it first raises the
hammer to half and then to full cock. The ordinary hammer is used,
and the lock is of the usual construction. We communicate motion to
the breech blocks through a short lever which is formed with a hook or
catch and presses into a recess formed in the under side of No, 2 block,
the hook being used to bring the blocks back to close the breech; this
lever is worked by an ordinary hand lever outside the stock and fitting
as usual under the trigger guard.
The cartridge case is extracted in the following manner :-The block
No. 2 is formed with a recess or groove, which while the block is
rotating travels over the short arm of a lever centred and enclosed in the
side of the arm. The long arm of this lever takes into a notch or
projection formed on the end of the cartridge extractor rod, thus as
Don as the block No. 3 has rotated sufficiently far to open the brecch

page_text: end of the arm the termination of the recess before referred to thercin
throws up the short arm of the lever, which throws back the long arm
thereof, thus withdrawing the extractor and with it the cartridge. A
spring may be, and is by preference, placed against the extractor rod to
throw or push it back to its original position ready to allow another
cartridge to be inserted.
The second part of our improvements consists in the application to
those breech-loading fire-arms known as broken barrel, hinged or fall
down barrels, and generally used for sporting purposes, of a snap or
locking action constructed in the following manner:-We insert a
tumbler in the breech action which is commanded by a lever at the
side of the arm, but we lay no claim to such tumbler. In addition to
the tumbler and at the rear thereof we insert a slide, that portion acting
against the tumbler or against which the tumbler acts being forked, and
the other forming a flat plate with the ends bevilled off. A spring acts
against the end of the slide, whereby it always has a tendency to press
against the tumbler. When the barrel is open the tumbler lies flush
with the edge of the aperture through which the lump on the barrels
passes, which while falling presses against the slide, causing the spring at
its rear to yield and the slide to recede to allow the lump to enter into the
aperture; the spring then presses the slide back to its original position,
when it takes into a slot or notch formed on the lump to receive it, and
by further raising the lever the tumbler is caused to take into a hook
on the lump, and in this position the barrel or barrels are firmly
securod. To release the lump and open the breech the lever is depressed,
the tumbler makes a partial rotation, pushes back the slide and leaves
the aperture free for the passage of the lump. The arrangement just
described is applicable to all hinged barrel fire-arms as a secure and
reliable appliance for securing the barrels thereof.
We will now describe another arrangement, but which is only applicable
to central-fire fire-arms, and it is intended to withdraw the stricker or
strickers from the cartridge or cartridges and to half-cock the arni
simultaneously with the barrel or barrels being opened. We have before
said that one end of the slide lever referred to in the arrangement last
described is bevilled at its edges; now on these edges we place (supposing
the arm to be double barrelled) two bars each made with a bevil corrs-
sponding with that on the slide plate and set at such an angle in grooves
formed for that purpose as to come in contact with the stricker rods; in
the latter we form by preference slots, and the ends of the.bars are bevilled

page_text: and free to enter such slots, but we do not limit ourselves to the use of
slots, as shoulders on the rods would do, or one might be bevilled and the
other plain or both may be bevilled, our object simply being to bring
together the strickers and rods so that one acting on the other the
stricker may be raised.
The action is as follows:-Supposing the arm to have been fired as
the breech is opened, and for this purpose it is necessary as before
described to lower the side lever and so to push back the slide plate,
which while retiring presses against the bevil edges of the bars causes
the latter to rise and the opposite ends thereof to enter the slots in the
strickers, if slots are used, whereby the latter are drawn back clear of
the cartridge, and the hammers are raised to half-cock before the breech
can be raised from its bed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Russ, Henry Hammond, and Edwin
Hammond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
RUSS, HENRY HAMMOND, and EDWIN HAMMOND, all of Winchester, in
the County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Edwin Russ, Henry Hammond, and Edwin
Hammond, Her special licence that we, the said Edwin Russ, Henry
Hammond and Edwin Hammond, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said, Edwin Russ, Henry Hammond,
and Edwin Hammond, our executors, administrators, 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-ARMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Edwin Russ, Henry Hammond, and

page_text: Edwin Hammond, our or one of our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Edwin Russ, Henry Hammond,
and Edwin Hammond, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters of reference
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our improvements in breach-loading fire-arms will be best understood
by reference to the annexed Drawings.
Fig. 1 shews an outside view of a gun fitted with some of our improve.
ments. The breach is formed with a chamber or recess at the rear end
of the barrel to receive the breach block picces A and B, and the
mechanism in connection therewith. The breach block is shewn
separately in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, and both pieces are mounted and free
to rotate on a pin or bolt passing through the centre holo O, Fig. 6.
The lower portion, base, or under side of the block is cut away to receive
the mechanism for working it. The foremost block piece is provided
with a pin D, Fig. 5, taking into a slotted notch D', Fig. 4, formed on or
in the rear block piece, the object of this pin and slot being to allow the
rear block piece to rotate a short distance the length of the slot without
or independant of the foremost block piece; as soon as the pin arrives to
the end of the slot both picces rotate together.
The object of this motion is as follows:-The striker E, Fig. 6 and
Fig. 2, passes through the two block pieces, and when the gun has been
fired the point of the striker is on the cap of the cartridge and the block
picces could not revolvo to open the breach unless it was withdrawn
therefrom, but by letting one portion of the block, viz., the rear part,
revolve before the foro part tho striker is withdrawn, and to accomplish
this the block is formed with a curved cam F, F, F, Fig. 5, which is
arranged so that as the block begins to rotate it presses against the
striker rod, draws the same back, which is accomplished simultaneously
with the foremost block piece being brought into action, the two then
rotate together until the breach is open, by these means we altogether

page_text: dispense with the use of springs for withdrawing the striker. A modi-
fication of this arrangement will be described in the sequel. A con-
tinnation of the same curved cam which withdraws the striker from the
cartridge also comes in contact with the hammer, and during the rotation
of the block to open the breach it first raises the hammer to half and
then to full cock. The hammer may however be drawn into half and
full cock by another arrangement, viz., by the hook end of the lever
which turns the block pressing against a lever N on the extended fulcrum
pin o of the hammer, as shewn in Figure 14 and Fig. 14° and 14" (which
as well as the lock is of the ordinary construction), as will be hereafter
explained with reference to Figure 13. The breach block is moved on
its fulcrum through a short lever K, Fig. 8, which is formed with a hook
or catch and presses into a recess formed in the under side of the rear
block piece, the hook being used to bring the block back to close the
breach; this lever K is worked by an ordinary hand lever L outside the
stock and fitting as usual under the trigger guard. The rear block piece
is formed with a recess or groove G, Fig. 6, which while the block is
rotating travels over the short arm of a lever H, Fig. 8; the long arm of
this lever takes into a notch or projection formed on the end of the
cartridge extractor rod I, thus as soon as the rear block piece has rotated
sufficiently far to open the breach of the gun the termination of the
recess G throws up the short arm of the lever I which throws back the
long arm thereof, thus withdrawing the extractor and with it the cartridge
case. A spring may be and is by preference placed against the extractor
rod to throw or push it back to its original position ready to allow a
fresh cartridge to be inserted. The lever H may however be worked in
a different manner, viz., as shewn in Fig. 14, where the extreme end of
the hand lever L when the latter has been thrown almost down and the
breach opened simultaneously comes in contact with the projecting
piece H' on the side of the lever H, which is shewn separately in front
and side elevation in Fig. 15 and 16.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew our improved gun in which the several modi.
fications in the foregoing referred to are simultaneously carried out or
applied; Fig. 9 being an outside view of the gun with the breach closed,
and Fig. 10 with the breach open. As the striker is worked in a
different manner the block is made in one piece as shewn. Fig. 13
shews the striker E with the lever M, which on its lower end when the
breach is being opened coming in contact with a part of the back of the
breach causes the said lower part of the lever to be pushed forward,

page_text: whereby its upper part which takes into the striker E causes the latter to
be drawn back or raised again. The hammer is raised simultaneously
by the hook end of the lever L pressing against and lifting the
lever N, as shewn in Fig. 14.
The second part of our improvement consists in the application to those
breach-loading fire-arms known as broken barrel, hinged, or fall down
barrels, and generally used for sporting purposes, of a snap or locking.
action constructed in the following manner, which is shewn in Figs 17,
18, 19, 20-We insert a tumbler a, Fig. 18, in the breach action; the
tumbler is actuated by a lever b at the side of the gun, but we lay no
claim to such tumbler by itself. In addition to the tumbler and at the rear
thercof we inscrt a slide c, Figs. 18 and 19, which are longitudinal sections
through the breach, that portion of said slide against which the tumbler
acts is forked and the other forms a flat plate with the ends bevilled off,
as shewn in Fig. 19, a spring acts against the end of the slido c causing
it to press against the tumbler. When the barrel is open the tumbler
lics flush with the edge of the aperture through which the lump & on
the barrels passes, which presses against the slide, causing it to recede to
allow the lump to enter; the spring then causes the slide to go out
again and take into the corresponding notch on the lump, and by
further raising the lever 6 the tumbler a takes into a hook on the lump
and thereby firmly secures the barrels. To release the lump and
open the
breach the lover bis depressed, the tumbler makes a partial rotation, pusles
back the slide, and leaves the aperture free for the passage of the lump.
The arrangement just described is applicable to all hinged barrel fire-
arms as a secure and reliable appliance for securing the barrels thereof.
We will now describe another arrangement which is only appli-
cable to central fire-arms, whereby the lever b and slide c have the
additional function of withdrawing the striker and simultaneously half
cocking the hammer. This may be done, as will be observed from
Figs. 17, 18, 19, and 20, by two bars e (in the case of a double-barrelled
gun, as shewn here), against which the end of the slide works, forcing
the same against the strikers in such a way as to withdraw and raise
them, and thereby also the hammers, which when raised sufficiently are
caught and held by the usual half bent arrangement into half-cock
position. The bars c work in grooves, as will be seen in Fig. 20. The
strikerf may be formed with a shoulder (as shewn here) or a slot for the
bars to take into. The action is as follows:-Supposing the arm to have
been fired, as the breach is opened, which requires the lever 6 to be

page_text: pushed down, the latter pushes back the slide c, which again on receding
presses the bars e up, causing their upper end to withdraw the strikers
clear of the cartridge, and at the same time the strikers in rising lift the
hammers into half-cock position.
And having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, we desire to claim as our
Invention,―
Firstly. The arrangement of a revolving breach block worked by a
band lever under the trigger guard as described, the rotation of the
block in opening causing the withdrawal of the striker in the direct
or indirect manner described, whereby the use of springs for that purpose
is obviated.
Secondly. The general application to breech-loading fire-arms of
arrangement for causing the hammer to be raised to half and full cock
by the rotation of the block either by the said block pushing the
hammer back or by the lever which causes the rotation of the block
acting upon a lever on the extended fulcrum pin of hammer and
tumbler.
Thirdly. The mode or modes of working the cartridgo extractor, sub-
stantially as described.
Fourthly. In hinged or fall down guns for sporting purposes the
arrangement of side lever, tumbler slide, and bar or bars for the purposes
and in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Russ, for myself and on
behalf of Henry Hammond and Edwin Hammond, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
EDWD. GRIFFITH BREWER,
89, Chancery Lane,
London.
EDWIN RUSS. (L.S.)