IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Horsley of the City of York Cun Maker and
Charles Pryse of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Maker for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Horsley and
Charles Pryse at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August
1883.
THOMAS HORSLEY of the City of York Gun Maker and CHARLES PRYSE of
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH
LOADING SMALL ARMS
"
Our invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind commonly
called drop down guns that is guns in which the barrels turn on a joint the
breech ends of the barrels being opened for charging by the depression of the
muzzle ends and the consequent raising of the breech ends from the face of the
break off.
Our invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the said guns
in the manner hereinafter described whereby on the raising of the breech ends of
the barrels the stand sides of the main springs raise the hammers to full cock in
which position they are retained by the ordinary sear and bent mechanism until
the hammers are released by pressure on the triggers. On shutting down the
barrels after charging them the stand sides of the main springs are depressed so as
not to impede the descent of the hammers
In the
We construct and arrange the parts of the gun in the following manner.
body of the gun and underneath each barrel we make a longitudinal slot through
which projects the end of the long arm of a lever turning upon a centre on the
underside of the body. The fore end is provided with a short prolongation which
bears upon the projecting end of the said lever so that when tho fore end is raised
by the shutting down of the barrels the projection of the fore end depresses the
said long arm of the lever the short arm being consequently raised.
The stand side of the main spring is not fixed as usual but bears against the long
arm of a small lever situated above it and turning on a centre on the lock plate.

page_text: The short arm of the first described lever engages under the short arm of the small
lever. When the barrels are shut down for discharge the stand side of the main
spring is depressed by the action of the prolonged fore end on the lever and short
lever described and when the barrels are raised from the break off for charging the
gun the prolonged fore end no longer depresses the stand side of the mainspring
through the two levers and the said stand side of the main spring rises. Tho
extreme end of the stand side of the main spring being situated immediately under
the breast of the haminer the rising of the said stand side of the main spring raises
the hammer to full cock in which position it is retained in the ordinary way. On
shutting down the barrels after charging the gun the stand side of the main spring
is depressed by the prolonged fore end and levers the said stand side of the main
spring is thereby removed from the breast of the hammer and leaves it free to fall
when the trigger is pressed upon the tension of the main spring being at the same
time increased.
It will thus be seen that each time the breech end of the barrels are raised the
stand side of the main spring rises and cocks the hammer and that on shutting
down the breech ends of the barrels the said stand side of the main spring is
depressed removing it out of the way of the hammer when falling and at the same
time increasing the tension of the mainspring. The gun is hence self cocking.
Our invention is applicable to single and double barrel drop down guns and both
to bar and back work guns.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Horsley and Charles Pryse in the Patent Office on the
80th January 1884.
THOMAS HORSLEY of the City of York Gun Maker and CHARLES PRYSE of
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH
LOADING SMALL ARMS
"
Our invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind commonly
called drop down guns; that is, guns in which the barrels turn on a joint, tho
breech ends of the barrels being opened for charging by the depression of the
muzzle ends and the consequent raising of the breech ends from the face of
the break off.
Our invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the said guns
in the manner herein after described, whereby on the raising of the breech ends of
the barrels, the stand sides of the main springs raise the hammers to full cock in
which position they are retained by the ordinary sear and bent mechanism until
the hammers are released by pressure on the triggers. On shutting down the
barrels after charging them the stand sides of the main springs are depressed so as
not to impede the descent of the hammers.
We construct and arrango the parts of the gun in the following manner. In the
body of the gun and underneath each barrel we make a longitudinal slot through
which projects the end of the long arm of a lever turning upon a centre on the
underside of the body. The fore end may be provided with a short prolongation
which bears upon the projecting end of the said lever so that when the fore end is
raised by the shutting down of the barrels the projection of the fore end depresses
the said long arın of the lover, the short arm being consequently raised.
The stand side of the main spring is not fixed as usual but bears against the long
arm of a small lever situated above it and turning on a centre on the lock plato.
The short arm of the first described lever engages under the short arm of the small
lever. When the barrels are shut down for discharge, the stand side of the main
spring is depressed by the action of the lever and short lever described and when
the barrels are raised from the break-off for charging the gun the stand side of the
main spring being no longer acted on by the two levers the said stand side of the
main spring rises. The extreme end of the stand side of the main spring being
situated immediately under the breast of the hammer the rising of the said stand.
side of the main spring raises the hammer to full cock in which position it is
retained in the ordinary way. On shutting down the barrels after charging the
gun, the stand side of the mainspring is depressed by the levers, the said stand side
of the main spring is thereby removed from the breast of the hammer and leaves it
free to fall when the trigger is pressed upon, the tension of the main spring being
at the same time increased.
It will thus be seen that each time the breech ends of the barrels are raised
the stand side of the main spring rises and cocks the hammer and that on
shutting down the breech ends of the barrels the said stand side of the main
spring is depressed removing it out of the way of the hammer when falling and at
the same time increasing the tension of the main spring. The gun is hence self
cocking.
Our invention is applicable to single and double barrel drop down guns and both
to bar and back work guns.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represent side clevations of a portion of a double barrel drop
down gun, with the stock removed, containing self cocking mechanism constructed
according to our invention; Figure 3 represents the upper side and Figure 4 the
underside of the body of the guo; Figures 5 and 6 represent the two levers of tho
cocking mechanism.
In Figure 1 the barrels of the gun are represented shut down, the hammers
cocked and the main springs in a state of high tension and in Figure 2 the barrels
are represented raised from the break off and the hammers cocked by the liberation
and rising of the stand sides of the main springs.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of 1
the Drawing.
As the cocking mechanism at each side of the double gun is alike in construction
and action we will describe the mechanism at one side only; a is the barrel; b the
break off; c the body and d the fore end; e is the principal lever of the cocking
mechanism (shown separately in Figure 5) turning on the pin or centre e³ on the 1
side of the body of the gun and is tho smaller lever (shown separately in
Figure 6) turning on the pin or centre f" on the body of the gun. The short arms
of the two levers e, f are engaged together in the manner represented in Figures 1
and 2 so that when the long arm of the principal lever e descends the long arm of
the smaller lever falso descends and the reverse. The end or head of the principal 2
lever e works in a longitudinal slot g in the body of the gun and underneath the
barrel and the said head is curved or inclined to be acted upon by the descending
barrel a; h is the lock plate carrying tho hammer i and the usual parts-of-a gun
lock; is the main spring the stand side of which is moveable and bears against
the long arm of the small lever ƒ situated above-it.
The action of the parts is as follows:-
2
After the gun has been discharged the parts of the cocking mechanism occupy
the respective positions shown in Figure 1 the breast of the discharged hammer
lying over the extreme free end of the stand side of the main spring h. When the
breech ends of the barrels are raised for opening the breech the stand sido of the 3
main spring (which stand side has been compressed in the manner hereinafter
described) is released and rising acts upon the breast of the hammer i and raises it
to full cock in which position it is retained by the sear m in the usual way as
represented in Figuro 2. As the stand side of the main spring rises it acts upon
the lever which raises the long arm of the principal lever e the two levers now 3
occupying the respective positions shown in the said Figure 2, the head of the
principal lever e projecting from the face of the body of the gun. The hammer is
thus automatically cocked on the opening of the gun for recharging it.
On shutting down the barrel after the gun has been charged, the barrel acting
upon the head of the principal levere depressos the long arm of the said lever e 4
and through its short arm causes the descent of the longer arm of the lever f.
The said long arm of the lever acting upon the stand side of the main
spring m depresses the said stand side and thereby removes it from the breast of
the cocked hammer i and leaves the said hammer free to fall when the trigger is
pressed.
The depression of the stand side also increases the tension of the main spring k
as illustrated in Figure 1 and the gun is ready for discharge.
Thus, cach time the breech end of the barrel is raised the stand side of the
main spring rises and cocks the hammer i the two leverse and being permitted
to take the positions Figure 2 by the lifted barrel and on shutting down the breech &
end of the barrel the said stand side of the main spring is depressed removing it
out of the way of the cocked hammer and at the same time increasing the tension
of the main spring.
Having now described the nature of our invention and the nanner in which the
same is to be performed We wish it to be understood that we claim as our invention 5
of-Improvements in brecch loading small arms of the kind commonly called drop
down guns;

page_text: The construction and combination of parts hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing for cocking the hammers of the said guns on lifting
the breech ends of the barrels for loading and for increasing the tension of the
main springs and leaving the cocked hammers free to fall on closing the barrels
after charging; that is to say, the combination with a main spring of which the
stand side is moveable, of the two levers e and ƒ arranged with respect to ono
another and also with respect to the main spring and barrel and acting substantially
as and for the purposes described and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said Charles Pryse have hereunto set my hand and ·
seal this Twenty sixth-day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
Witness, RICHARD SKERRETT
87 Temple Street
Birmingham
CHARLES PRYSE (LS)