CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-ARMS AND THEIR LOCKS, AND ALSO IN THE APPARATUS FOR TRYING AND LOADING THEM
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
DURS EGG, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the
Third did, by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the fifty-second year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Durs Egg, my executors
administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privi-
lege and authority, that I, the said Durs Egg, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-ARMS AND THEIR LOCKS, AND ALSO IN
THE APPARATUS FOR TRYING AND LOADING THEM," within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, in such manner as to me, the
said Durs Egg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should in our
discretion seem meet; in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, that if I, the said Durs Egg, should not particularly describe

page_text: and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that when the said
Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, should uttrely cease, determine, and become void, as in and by
the said recited Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Durs Egg, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in manner following (that is to say):
My improvements are chiefly to prevent the disappointments by
breaking and accidents by carrying and loading fire-arms that those
nade in the common way are liable to. To prevent the lock going off
when at cock, I make them with a double catch bolt to act on a centre
on the tumbler and sear, and to act as a bolt to the scar, to prevent it
from moving, except in the shooting position, which catch bolt is placed
and fixed under the tumbler and sear, fastened to the lock plate on a
screw or pivot, to go in or through the plate with the screw head,
either on the inside or outside of the lock plate. The upper part of
the catch bolt piece will act and hang on against the stul formed under
the upper part of the tumbler, by which catch or fastener the cock
cannot go down, and the other part of the catch piece is formed as a
hook to go and hang over the nose of the sear, as a bolt to prevent the
sear from moving out of the bends, which also secures the cock from
going down; the back part with the balance goes with a small beam and
balance near the end of the plate which lies under the back part of the
sear and spring, and will be made to act as a sear bolt to the back part
of the sear, which will hinder it from moving. When the gun stands
perpendicular, or is held in any inclined direction except the shooting
position, the balance catch bolt will catch on the tumbler and sear and
bolt it, and prevent the cock going down. This balance catch bolt may
be made and placed different ways, either to act only on the tumbler

page_text: similar to the scar, or on the sear only, as may be required by gentle-
men; it may also be fastened to the bridle in the same manner, and the
upper part act over the tumbler and sear. Another preventive from
the locks going off, except in the shooting position, or being spoiled by
the triggers, may be made and secured with a balance catch which acts
in a joint, and is fixed behind the triggers on the inside of the trigger
plate, which will act and bolt them from moving except in the shooting
position. My method of preventing the lock from getting loose, and
the stock splitting, is by a better hook screw and a new bridle squares
in the form of a T, which is more easily made and fitted into the wood
of the stock, and will keep the lock firm from moving either way; and
it may also be more firmly secured, if found necessary, by an iron frame
fastened to the stock, to go over the bridle, and fix in, and also by a piece
left on the false breech, to go in and over the back plate behind the
fence. My improved axle hole on the bridle is by having a socket
turned round the axle hole on the bottom of the bridle which goes over
the small axle into the tumbler, as deep as the tumbler will admit,
which will take off the friction of the large axle on the tumbler, give
it a greater power, and cause it to act quicker. To prevent the stocks
breaking, springing, or not keeping to their pointed position, a long rib
of iron or other proper material may be fixed along the under part of
the stock, from the upper end to near the end of the butt, which is
made with a frame or stud to go over and behind the loop or loops of
the barrel, to keep it firm, and some of these ribs will form the nose
cap and escutcheons where the bolt goes through, and continue towards
and form the under part of the guard and trigger plate, with the two
studs on it at the fore part of the lock through the stock, to screw the
lock hook screws in firmer, and the triggers are fitted in a small frame,
which frame goes through the trigger plate, and is fixed to it, with the
hook forward to hook it, and the hind part kept in and fastened by the
guard which is screwed in the trigger plate, and by turning it a quarter
round the triggers and frame may be drawn out to clean, or do whatever
may be wanted to them. This frame may also be fixed the reverse
way, or fastened with screws, according to what sort of guard is to be
made to the gun, or with half the frame, meaning the fore part only,

page_text: where the triggers are screwed on with a square or round socket to go
in and out of the plate. The long rib is fastened by seven screws, some
at the inside and some at the outside of the stock, and also, with a
stud or studs to go into the stock to keep it firm. As guns are
liable to hanging fire, flashing in the pan, or not going off at all,
to prevent these disappointments my improvement to the pan iš
such as to cause the charge to take fire with a greater certainty
and quicker, although the powder of the charge may not be in
contact with the priming, the touch-hole foul, or the wind high. The
pan is made with a chamber in the centre, or where required and
fancied, which chamber is made by a small tube formed in the pan
to contain part of the priming, and so formed and placed that the
flash will shoot direct into the touch-hole and set fire to the charge.
The chamber goes nearly or quite the length of the outside of the
pan, some long and some shorter, and some open with a small notch,
and also with a passage through to clean and screw up, as required.
This chamber in the pan is particularly required to the locks of my new
planned three and four barrelled guns, where one of the locks is fixed
under the other, the plates joining with the pan downways at the bottom
of the upper lock, and the chamber will be opened with a notch, half or
near the whole length of it, for the powder to come through gradually
and catch the fire. The gun is made similar to an under and over
double gun, and the locks will act like others with a trigger to each
separately or with two triggers only, and will act much quicker, and are
more convenient to use than any three or four barrelled guns heretofore
inade. The stick guns are. generally more complicated and difficult to
put together and take to pieces, and also clumsy to carry the stock and
lock and butt in the pocket, and the barrel as a stick. My improvement
is to make them more convenient to carry and more easily and quickly
put together and taken to pieces. The barrel is made with a small rib
for the ramrod (which is made of steel wire, with the head fixed on), to
go in and out, and the breech of the barrel with part of the rib goes
into and out of an iron socket, and forms the false breech, and the fore
part in the room of the stock, which is in one piece two or three inches
long, and the barrel is fixed with a spring that lies under it and a hook

page_text: which lies over the nob on the breech pin to keep the barrel fast, which
is relieved with the trigger and lever on it, and the lock is made and
placed behind the false breech similar to a back work pistol, but on an
improved principle; some are. made like the grip of. a pistol, the butt
fixed on with a hook into the nut, with an improved spring and catch
which hooks into the nut. The upper part of the spring catch touches
the hook of the breech, and supports the hook spring which keeps it
firmer than any made before. Another way is with a bolt across tlie
hook of the breech, to go into the nut, and a spring screwed under it on
the strap, to keep it in. My improved grip to pistols, to hold them firmer,
and cause them to shoot more accurately, is by a place formed on the
stock on the top of the pistol behind the breech for the thumb to fix in.
This thumb piece may be formed in the wood of the stock on each side
of the thumb, the hollow in the middle deep enough to look over the
thumb, or it may be fixed on and made of wood or other materials, and
in any shape that gentlemen may fancy. My improved powder Hask; to
prevent accidents in loading, by hindering the powder in the flask.from
taking fire, which all those hitherto made are liable to if the gun
should go off when loading. I prevent such accidents by an improved
top and charger constructed to open and shut the reverse way on the
outside on the top, with a lever and slide which goes over the hole
through which the powder passes, and opens and shuts with a spring
like other flasks. This slide being on the outside prevents the powder
in the flask from taking fire, which is also still further secured by the
force of the flash against it shutting it closer; it also has a vent or
opening opposite the slide, which lets the fuse out, and is fastened with a
screw to open and shut. The charger or top measure is screwed on in
a slanting position to pour the powder into the barrel, without bringing
the hand and flask over the gun, which prevents burning the hand if the
gun should go off' in loading, and the flask is more convenient to use. This
improved cover slide to prevent the powder taking fire can be made on
the same principle in different ways, (viz.) to open and shut similar to
a water cock, circular, with some of the under part cut away, but the
outside to slide over the hole through which the powder passes, and also

page_text: with only part of the upper circle to draw in and out, the same as the
other slide, as may be thought best, easiest to make, and most agreeable
to fancy. My improved shot charger, to save trouble and spilling shot
is made with a slide across the tube to cut the shot off, and keep them
in, and opens and shuts with a balance lever and spring, by which the
shot is let through to the spring charger, which fits and puts in and out
the same as a common spring charger, and when taken out no shot can
follow, except what are in the charger, and the tube may be formed to
answer without the spring charger being made to put in and out.
The above constructed charger may also be applied to powder flasks,
with a spring charger, to draw in and out, or without it, and made
suitable as a powder measure or charger, with a vent or opening, and
proof from the powder in the flask catching fire if the gun should go
off when loading. My improved method of trying gun barrels and fire-
arms more accurately than the common way is by a long bench in the
form of a frame of iron or other suitable materials about five feet long,
shorter or longer, as may be required or fancied. This frame is opened
in the middle, and has a groove on each side, and the fore part opened
for a frame of iron or other suitable materials to go in and slide along,
on which is a place for the fore part of the barrels or fire-arms to lay
in with a suitable provision, and screws to keep them fast; also another
frame of the same kind to slide along, and to support the back part of
the barrels or fire-arms in the same manner, and at the back part of the
frame is fixed a spring for the frame to go against, to ascertain the recoil,
the throw, and strength of shooting accurately. This last mentioned
effect may also be ascertained by a weight instead of the spring.
In witness whereof, I, the said Durs Egg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the fifty-
third year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third,
by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twelve.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of
November, in the fifty-third year of the reign of His Majesty King
George the Third, the said Durs Egg came before our said Lord the
King, in His Chancery, and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the instrument aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made in the forty-eighth year of His said
Majesty's reign.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and twelve.