IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE ARMS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lang, of Cockspur Street, Pall Mall, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lang at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th November 1881.
JAMES LANG, of Cockspur Street, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE ARMS."
The Invention has for its object improvements in that class of breech loading
fire arms known as hammerless guns, and in which the barrels are turned down on
a cross axis to expose the breech ends thereof for loading, and my Invention
relates,
Firstly. To improved means whereby the striker or striking lever is cocked by
the act of opening the breech ends of the barrels.
For this purpose I cause the lower portion of the fore end, or a projection on the
barrels to push a slide or bar end wise, which slide or bar at its other end is caused
to act upon the striker or striker lever to cock the same.
The slide or bar is also formed so that after having cocked the striker or striking
lever one of the lumps on the barrels is caused in the act of closing down the
barrels to withdraw the slide or bar from the striker or striking lever, and thereby
prevent the risk of a missfire by the said slide or bar interfering with the free
motion of the striker or striking lever.
The said slide or bar is also caused to act upon a safety catch or bolt to prevent
the accidental discharge of the gun.
My Invention relates, secondly, to improved means for automatically releasing
the safety catch or bolt.
For this purpose I pass through the butt a rod which at its fore end is caused to
act on the safety catch or bolt, and at its rear end projects through the heel of the
gun, and is provided with a knob or enlargement which is acted upon by the
shoulder when bringing the gun into position for firing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Lang in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th May
1882.
JAMES LANG, of Cockspur Street, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING FIRE ARMS."
The Invention has for its object improvements in that class of breech loading
fire arms known as hammerless guns, and in which the barrels are turned down
on a cross axis to expose the breech ends thereof for loading, and my Invention
relates, firstly, to improved means whereby the striker or striking lever is cocked
by the act of opening the breech ends of the barrels, and whereby the slide or bar
employed for such purpose is withdrawn from the striker or strikers by the act of
closing the breech.
For this purpose I cause the lower portion of the "fore end" or a projection on
the barrels to push a slide or bar endwise, which slide or bar at its other end is
caused to act upon the striker or striker lever to cock the same. Secondly. The
slide or bar is also formed so that after having cocked the striker or striking lever
one of the lumps on the barrels is caused in the act of closing down the barrels to
withdraw-the-slide-or-bar-from-the-striker-or-striking-lever,-and-thereby-prevent-
the risk of a missfire by the said slide or bar interfering with the free motion of
the striker or striking lever. Thirdly. The said slide or bar is also caused to act
upon a safety catch or bolt to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are sectional side views, and Figure 4 is a plan of parts of a
breech loading gun, with my improvements applied thereto; Figures 5, 6, and 7
are respectively a side view, an end view, and an underside view of the metal part
of the "fore-end;" Figures 8, 9, and 10 are respectively a side view, an end view,
and a plan of the slide or bar which acts on the striker levers, and Figures 11 and
12 are respectively a side view and a back view of the striker levers.
Figure 1 represents the parts in the position they would occupy at the moment
when the barrels have been turned down on their axis or hinge pin, and the striker
levers have thereby been cocked. Figure 2 represents the barrels and other parts
of the gun in position for firing excepting that the triggers are shown locked, the
dotted lines showing the triggers unlocked, and Figures 3 and 4 represent the parts
of the gun in the position they would occupy immediately after the gun has been
'fired.
८
a, a, represent the "barrels, bis the hinge pin, c is the "fore-end," d is the
body of the breech action, e is the locking lever, f, f, are the firing pins or strikers
g, g, are the striker levers, h, h, are the main springs, i, i, are the sears,,
triggers, and is a safety catch or bolt.
j, j, are the
Instead of as herefore causing the striker levers g, g, to be cocked on the
breaking down of the barrels by a backward projection of the "fore-end" acting
upon a forward projection on the striker lever, I according to my Invention cause
the bottom edge c₁ of the "fore-end" c (or it may be a projection on the barrels)
to push a slide or bar end wise, which slide or bar at its other end is caused to
act upon the strikers or striker levers g, g, to cock the same, for which purpose a

page_text: projection is formed on the slide or bar 1, which acts against side studs or
projections g', g', formed on or fixed to the striker lovers g, g, and I form a projection
on the slide or bar l, so that after having cocked the strikers or striker levers g, g,
the lump a' on the barrels a is caused in the act of closing down the barrels to
withdraw the slide or bar from the strikers or striker levers, and thereby
prevent the risk of a missfire by the said slide or bar interfering with the
free motion of the strikers or striker levers.
The said slide or bar is also caused by its projection to act upon the safety
catch or bolt to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun. The said safety
catch or bolt when pushed back comes over the triggers and locks them, and a
thumb piece is employed to enable the said safety catch or bolt & to be placed in
the locking and unlocking position by hand when desired, as is well understood.
I would here remark that since filing my Provisional Specification I have
discovered that the method therein described for automatically releasing the safety
catch or bolt does not possess such an amount of novelty or utility as to render it
advisable to give any further description of the same, and for this reason I desire
to disclaim, and I do hereby disclaim such arrangement.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
method of cocking the strikers or striker levers by a slide or bar acted upon by
the "fore-end" or by a projection on the barrels, said slide or bar being caused to
act upon a safety catch or bolt and being withdrawn from the strikers or striker
levers, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lang, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES LANG. (LS.)