An Improved Self-loading Small-arm capable of being used as an Automatic or as a Single-fire Weapon.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th 'Dec., 1898-Accepted, 25th Mar., '1899
An Improved Self-loading Small-arm capable of being used as an
Automatic or as a Single-fire Weapon.
1, PAUL MAUSER, of Oberndorf on the Neckar, in the German Empire, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement.-
The present invention relates to a small-arm in which for the purpose of
increasing the rate of fire at particularly cutical phases of an action, certain
contrivances are adopted, which enable a combatant, when it may be required
to use his weapon, either as a single small arm, or as an automatic self-loading
piece In connection therewith I have applied the principle of construction
according to which the ejecting of the empty cartridge case, the cocking of the
firing mechanism, the loading with a fresh cartridge and the adjusting of the
breach ready for firing is effected by the recoil causing the barrel to slide back-
wards in longitudinal direction upon the firing of a shot.
At the same time however, in constructing my new small-arm I have made
use of the experience gained by me in connection with my pistol, constructed
on the same pinciple, and so far as this was possible and (having regard to the
increased demands which a small-arm employed for military purposes must fulfil,
as compared with a pistol) capable of being carried out, have introduced into
my new construction the parts satisfactorily tried in the construction of my
pistol
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side view of the weapon as a whole
Fig 2 shows the locking and magazine contrivance as seen from the right side.
Fig. 3 the same as seen from the left side
Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the locking and magazine contri-
vance showing the breach closed and the weapon discharged.
Fig. 5 a horizontal longitudinal section of the locking and magazine contri-
vance showing the breech closed and the weapon discharged.
Fig 6 is a plan view of said parts
Fig. 7 a cross section drawn on the line I-I (Fig 4).
Fig. 8 a cross section drawn on the line II-II (Fig 4)
Fig 9 a vertical longitudinal section, like Fig 4, but showing the breech
open and the hammer cocked
Fig 10 a horizontal longitudinal section like Fig. 5, but showing the breech
open and the hammer cocked
Fig 11'shows partially in longitudinal section, according to Fig. 10 the weapon
adjusted for quick-firing, the breech bolt being seen in plan
Fig 12 is a cross section drawn on the line III-III (Fig. 9)
Fig. 13 shows the position of the safety lock in the case of single loading
Fig 14 the position of the same in rapid firing.
Fig. 15 the position of the same when the weapon is.at safety.

page_text: Fig. 16 shows the lock secured under tension by means of the hammer catch
Fig 17 the airangement of the hammer catch, in its connection with the
securing arrangement, seen from below
Figures 18 and 19 are details
The self loading operations of the weapon are caned out in a similar manner
to that of my recoil operated fire aim desenbed in the specification of British
Patent No 959 of the year 1896, 2 through the recoil following the fing of
a shot, the hammer is cocked by the sliding back of the barrel, whereupon, after
freeing the breech, the barrel being at the same time firmly placed in its back-
ward position, the breach alone moves back so far that, after ejection of the
discharged empty cartridge case a fresh cartridge, coming from the magazine,
can take up a position in front of the breech, hom which it is pushed into the
barrel by spring pressure, the barrel catch is then unlocked, the barrel begins
to move forwards, the fist phase, the locking of the breech to the banel, is
effected, so that the bicech is alieady closed before the banel has reached the
position for firing
The mechanism, which enables the small-arm to be used, as desired, eithei
as a self-loading rapid firing gun or as a single loader, and which forms the
object of the present invention, is based on the pinciple that an adjusting pawl
18 provided, which according to its adjustment at the time, either allows the breech
bolt to move forward again, after the firing of the shot and a fresh loading to be
effected (rapid fine) or keeps the same in its backward position. In the latter
case, the bicech must be set free by means of pressure applied to a disengaging
contrivance by a special movement of the hand whereupon the breech moves
forward and pushes a cartridge out of the magazine into the banel.
The diminution in the rate of hiring, which is experienced by reason of the
operations just mentioned, corresponds pretty nearly with the rate of firing with
single loading, and accordingly, in what immediately follows quick fire and
single fire will be dealt with
The aangement of details in the weapon illustrated in the accompanying
diawings is as follows.
In the stock b, furnished with a removable wooden protecting piece b¹ lies
the barela which is movable in its longitudinal duection At the mouth of the
barrel, the foresight a' with ning 18 fixed by sciewing on The wooden protect-
ing piece is connected with the stock 6 by means of ings 66 as well as by
the cap, seated on the breech frame c, and which extends over and thus holds
the back m or end of the wooden protecting piece see Fig 4 At the back of
The
the barrel the breech blocks a³ a³ are arranged in specially hollowed out breech-
block beanings a³ which, when the breech is locked, assume the position shown
in Fig 5 and when the same is un-locked the position shown in Fig 10 In the
breech-bolt the firing pin is arranged, and on this latter, the fore part of
which is furnished with a screw-thread course, the sping is screwed
back end of the firing pin is furnished with a slot in which is placed a securing
piece such piece being under the influence of a sping During the loading
movements, the securing piece d' couples the hung pin with the breech bolt see
Fig. 9 and only releases the former when, in the forward movement of the barrel
with the breech, the oblique under surfaces * are pressed upwards by the sur-
faces and the nose is lifted over the nose de The locking of the breech
is effected by the locking spring 7, arranged on the locking spring holder d
On the right side of the breech case a, a slot is provided in which lies the
breech slide a³ The latter is furnished with a kneb o button a6 and a pressing
pin aanged within the same which is pressed outwards by the spring a Bеe
Figures 5 and 10 The inner end of the pressing pin a 18 coupled with the front
end of the adjustable pawl a¹0 which is pivoted on the pin a⁹ This pawl can be
so adjusted according as "single file' or "quick flie may be desired, that its
nose or projection a" comes either within or beyond the range of the nose de, of the
beech bolt, and that consequently, in the first case, the breech is intercepted after

page_text: each shot, and must first be released by pressure on the pin a8, whilst in the latter
the breech moves forward again at each shot after the recoil that follows and
a fresh loading 18 effected
case,
In order to effect the adjustment, just referred to, for single fire or for rapid
fire, the end plate f is furnished at the back end of the breech case.
This plate
18 held in grooves on the case a' and secured in its position by means of the lock
holder On the plate f 18 arranged a pin furnished with a screw thread
To this pin the safety locking contrivance 18 sciewed, the locking lever f of which
contrivance effects not only the actual locking but also the adjusting of the pawl a¹0
For the latter purpose a curved disc f is provided which is furnished with two
deep recesses of and a shallow recess between the two latter. If accordingly,
the locking lever be turned to the right see Fig. 13 the back end of the adjusting
pawl at falls with the additional piece a into the deep groove fo and the nose a
intercepts the breech d at each backward movement (single fire) On the other
hand if the lever f* be turned to the middle position (Fig. 14) the additional
piece a comes into the shallow recess f', the back end of the pawl al will thus
be pressed outwards, and the nose a" be brought beyond the range of the nosed of
the breech d, so that the last named will not be intercepted (quick file) If
finally the lever f* be turned fully to the left, see Fig 15, the additional piece a
snaps into the recess f³, but, at the same time the under additional piece of the
curved disc f³ presses against the oblique surface g¹ of the hammer catch g and
pushes the lutter forward against the action of the spring 9, so that the oblique
front surface g³ slides on the corresponding oblique surface of the hammer see
Fig. 16, the hammer being pressed back so far that the trigger bar is set free
this position Fig. 15, the lock, together with the whole firing apparatus, is "secured"
and the barrel held firmly and prevented from sliding back The whole movable
mechanism thus comes to a complete stand still
In
In order to retain the barrel in the backward position after the fining of a shot,
until the thrown back breech 18 again moved forward, and has pushed a cartridge
into the bariel, a barrel catch is made use of, which in the form of the invention
illustrated, consists of a plate m aanged on a pin m³ pivoted to the lock body h,
and which plate is constantly pressed outwards by the spring m³ The breech
case is furnished with an incision or recess, a", which when the weapon 18 in
position for fining assumes the position indicated in Fig 5, but after the firing of
the shot, that which is to be seen from Fig 11 and in which the bariel catch has
fallen into the recess a and is held in such position by the breech.
The lock together with the trigger wing mechanism is constructed as follows.
In the lock body h illustrated in Figures 18 and 19 in detail, and in a special
chamber of which is seated the hammer spring h³, which on the one hand, acts
through the piston h on the hammer hand on the other hand by means of the
piston 5, on the pusher h, which by pressure on the tappets g brings back the
banel to the firing position after each shot Underneath the hammer spring h³
the sear sping is attached This spring presses against the pawl 8, which 18
seated in a hollow of the trigger bai h. The tigger bar has two guiding ribs,
which engage in guiding grooves on the lock body see Fig. 19 Beyond this
two pieces see Fig 19 are attached to the lock body, these pieces serving as
support (or lodgment) for the additional pieces h¹³ of the tuggei catch 78 The
trigger is seated on the tugger guard and its nose or projection is pressed
upwards by the trigger spring, which is firmly held by the supports ', so that
the same, as indicated in Fig 9 lies behind the tugger catch h. The spring
serves besides as a spring beating for the bolt for the bottom plate of the
magazine so that the bottom plate, guided in side grooves of the magazine can be
secured by means of the bolt engaging in an opening of this plate, in the manner
described in my said former patent. A further novel feature of the magazine illus-
trated is that the supply or feed spring which is bent in a zig-zag line, 18 80 short
that it takes up only the back part of the space of the magazine, whilst, in the
ordinary way, the two ends of this spring lie between the supports ¹, on the

page_text: front part of the bottom plate and of the feed or supply plate . In this
manner, the cartridges are raised higher at the back end than at the front, which is
of especial value for the certain feed of the cartridges in automatic fire arms, as
only in this manner is there the assurance that the breech moving forward during
the loading movement can meet with the bottom of the cartridge to be brought
forward, in the proper position
T
The action of the previously described small-aim 18 as follows
The weapon is first un-secured" or unlocked and the securing lever f¹ brought
for example into the middle position, that is to the firing position, the additional
piece a of the pawl a thereby lying in the shallow groove f³. The breech
button or knob a is then drawn back, whereby the additional piece a lies behind
the nose, and takes the breech with it, which, hereupon, is locked by the
locking-piece of the supply plate in the known manner, the breech button
01 knob as is then pushed forward again into its starting position. Upon the
breech being diawn back, the hammer his cocked, at the same time, by means of
the additional piece 18 of the breech case, and, in part, also, by means of the back
edge or boidei of the breech. A cartridge holder is then placed on the
magazine and 6-10 or more cartridges pushed down into the magazine When
the empty holder or flame is diawn out, the breech moves quickly forward, pushes
a cartridge out of the magazine into the barrel, and, further, the movements by
means of which the weapon is prepared for fung, and particulars of which are
now about to be given, are effected If now for the purpose of firing a shot, the
trigger be pulled, the nose pushes the trigger catch and the tigger bar he
forwards, so that the hammer his released and, by stinking on the firing pin d',
gives rise to the ignition of the means of impulsion.
By the then following recoil, the barrel with the breech case and the breech,
which is still locked to the former, are driven backwards and, in fact, so fai that
the banel and the case take the position illustrated in Figures 9 to 11. During
this movement the barrel catch m has entered the recess a", and, further, the
breech blocks a³ are turned outwards by means of the oblique parts a sliding on
the oblique surfaces c⁰ see Fig. 10, so that they unlock the breech, which now,
by the impulse given thereto, against the action of the sping d', is thrown back
into the farthest backward position see l'ig 10 and throws out the empty cartridge
case, Herewith the breech lies, as indicated in Fig 12, before the barrel catch m
so that the barrel with the gun frame is fumly held. Further by the backward
movement of the gun fiame, the hammer h has been cocked by means of the
additional piece a¹s and in part also by means of the back rim or end of the
breech and in the same manner the "pusher" h is also turned to the right If
now the breech which, upon the locking lever taking the middle position, 18 not
interrupted by the nose a moves forward under the action of the locking spring 7,
it pushes, in the known manner, a cartridge out of the magazine into the barrel
As soon as the breech has passed over the barrel catch m, the pusher 46 comes
into play, as under the action of the spring h³, it presses the breech case and
barrel forwards wherewith the back surface of the recess al presses against the
back oblique end of the banel catch m, and pushes the latter inwards, so that the
barrel is now set free and pushed completely into the fing position by means of
the pusher In order that, upon the breech moving forward, there may not be
any premature ignition, owing to the actual momentum of the firing pin, this
latter is secured by the locking piece 4, which takes hold behind the nose (16,
and 18 only released when the breech with breech case and barrel 18 moved so far
forwards that the under sui face of is raised by the rim or edge e, whereby
the parts and are put out of engagement see Fig 4
After the breech has advanced so fai forward as to set free the barrel catch,
and the pusher is able to push the barrel, the oblique surfaces as of the breech
blocks a slide inwards on the edges c, the breech blocks are thus swung into the
ande recesses behind the breech head and the locking 18 thereby effected. Firing

page_text: can now at once be resumed again, and be continued until the magazine is
exhausted; the rate of the firing depends entirely upon the skill of the combatants,
as the automatic movements effected by means of the recoil proceed with such
rapidity that the weapon is constantly made ready for renewed firing before the
shooter can draw the trigger again after the discharge of a shot.
If single fire instead of quick fire be desired, the looking lever f is turned
completely to the left, so that the additional piece or rib a falls into the recess f*,
the pawl ao thus taking the position shown in Fig. 5
Upon firing taking place, the movements brought about through the recoil are
effected in the same way as in the previous case, nevertheless with the exception,
that now,
the breech dis retained in its back position (Fig 10) by the fact of
the nose of the pawl 10 lying in front of the additional piece d of the breech.
The parts of the weapon thus remain for the time in the position illustrated in
Figures 9 to 12. In order to put the weapon ready for firing, the combatant must
press on the pressing pin a8, whereby the back end of the pawl a" is forced out-
wards and the breech d set free The breech again moves forward and pushes a
cartridge out of the magazine into the barrel, whereupon, the bringing forward
of the barrel and the locking as above described, are effected By the inter-
cepting of the breech bolt in the back position a diminution in the rate of firing
is determined, which is of considerable importance in a tactical sense, under
certain circumstances
When blank cartridges are employed, the backward motion of the breech must
be effected by hand
With regard to the composition of the small-arm it should be observed in con-
clusion that the lock and magazine case are connected with the stock by means
of a connecting screw with nut, as also by a bolt with accompanying nut
After the barrel, with the parts connected therewith, has been placed in the night
position, the lock body his introduced and, in such a manner that the latter
engages (with its additional piece e) over the middle wall of the frame c
tugger guard is then inserted so that its nose lies behind the projection c³ of the
fiame the whole being finally secured by inserting the bottom plate, which
engages (by its lower end) under the trigger guard
The
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim 18.
1 A recoil operated small-arm having an intercepting contrivance, which
according to its adjustment, either allows free play to the bolt, which in conse-
quence of the recoil, is moving backwards rapidly or holds the same, after each
shot, in the most backward position, and only sets it free, after the operating of
a disengaging apparatus, for the purpose of rendering single fungo quick
firing possible at will, substantially as set forth
2 In a recoil operated small-arm in which the breech bolt may have free play
or in which it may be retained in its most backward position after each shot the
combination of an adjustable pawl a, capable of being put out of engagement
by means of a spring pressure pin 8, and serving as an intercepting contrivance
for the breech bolt and a curved disc f³ connected with the securing lever fi and
furnished with recesses foffs, which disc can be so adjusted that it either allows
the nose a of the adjustable pawl to sping within the range of the additional
piece of the breech bolt das in the single firing position or presses the same
outwards as in the quick fing position substantially as set forth
3 In a recoil operated small-aim in which the breech bolt may have fice play
for quick firing or in which it may be retuned in its most backward position after
each shot for single fining the combination of two breech blocks aanged in
bearings a on the breech case and furnished with oblique surfaces and a23,
which are operated by corresponding oblique surfaces 10 or on the cap e¹, in

page_text: such a manner that, when the bariel recedes, an automatic outward turning of
the breech blocks is efferted, and, on the contrary, a swinging inward thereof
when the bariel moves forwards, a bauel catch for locking the barrel with the
breech case, in the backward position, consisting of a locking plate m pivoted
to the lock body which upon the barrel moving backwards, falls into a recess a¹?
on the breech case, and 19 held therein by the breech which, during the time it
is in the back position, lies against the locking plate from the inside, a hammer
securing contrivance, consisting of a securing pin g furnished with an oblique
surface g and having a spring seating and which pin upon the turning down
of the safety level f' is pushed so far forward by the surface thereof that the
oblique part 3 of the securing lever presses down the hammer until the trigger
bai is set fice and then holds it fast, a tugger on firing apparatus consisting of
the tugger bar seated in guiding grooves and of the trigger catch 8 seated
in the bar, this catch being under the influence of the seat-sping and lung
on both sides, with its additional pieces or extensions against the guiding
pieces on the lock body, a contrivance for receiving the firing pin consisting
of a locking or securing piece d, passed through a vertical slot of the pin, which
piece is constantly pressed downward by the ejecting spring, so that during the
time the breech is in the backward position, the nose of the locking piece lies
in front of the edge o rim of the fung pin, whereas, when the breech moves
forwards the locking or securing piece is raised by the surface e of the lock
body and the firing pin is freed, a spring serving to hold back the firing pin,
the head of the firing pin being furnished with a kind of screw thread into which
the back end of the spring is screwed, a supply or feed spring for the magazine
of zig-zag form the bendings of said sping extending but a short distance beyond
the back half of the space of the magazine, for the purpose of exercising an
increased pressure on the back part of the cartridge to be brought within the
range of the breech substantially as herein set forth
4 In a recoil operated small-arm in which the breech bolt may have free play
for quick firing or in which it may be retained in its most backward position
after each shot for single firing, the combination of the barrel, lock and trigger
or firing apparatus, in such a manner that after the barrel has been pushed in
between the stock and the wooden protecting piece b¹, the lock pushed in from
below into the breech frame or casing e engages by means of its extension e
over the middle wall of the casing the trigger graid being then introduced
and secured in the known manner by the bottom plate of the magazine, serves
by the engaging of its nose behind the extension for holding the lock, sub-
stantially as set forth
...
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1000
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