IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1856

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by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd January
1856. A communication.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS, "a communication from Charles Albert Friedrich, of Stettin, Switzer-
land," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
of breech-loading fire-arms, whereby a greater rapidity of firing is obtained,
and the arm is fitted with all the appurtenances requisite for cleaning, oiling,
and dismounting the several parts. The barrel of the arm may be rifled, and
is fitted at the breech end with a tube, of a sufficiently large bore to contain
an inner tube, which is fitted with a handle to turn it by, for the purpose of
opening or closing the breech. A small flat spring is secured to the under
side of this inner tube, which is depressed by the trigger in discharging the
gun; in the interior of this tube works a spindle, fitted with a needle, and
acted upon by a helical spring, which causes the needle to advance and pierce
the cartridge, thereby exploding the same, the cartridge being furnished with
the necessary fulminating powder. On the back end of the spindle is an arm,
fitted with a small pin, which corresponds to a slot in the end of the inuer

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tube, when the arm is in a condition to be fired; but to prevent the arm from
accidentally firing, the spindle is turned slightly, so as to bring the pin out of
the same plane with the slot, thereby preventing the needle from entering the
cartridge. The cartridge in these arms is never torn or destroyed before firing,
so that should the gun require unloading without firing, the charge may be
removed and reserved for another time. The ramrod is constructed to serve
as a bayonette, and is formed with an oil
fitted with a screwed plug and small brush. The cleaner is made to screw on
to the ramrod, and is fitted with a screw-driver, and when detached from the
ramrod or bayonetto, is screwed on to the cap or cover of the muzzle of the
A slight modification in the breech may be effected when applied to
pistols, whereby the junction may be rendered tighter, and the action of loading
and discharging more simple and rapid. A tube is screwed to the breach end
of the barrel, and in this tube, which is of larger diameter than the barrel, is
fitted to work tightly, as herein-before described, an inner tube, containing the
spindle and needle for discharging the cartridge. In the arrangement herein-
before described, the inner tube was stopped in its movement by the handle
attached to it working in a suitable slot in the outer tube; but in this latter
arrangement, in addition to this stop, the end of the barrel is fitted with two
projections screwed externally, and into the spaces between these projections
fit two similar projections on the end of the inner tube. Thus when the inner
tube is advanced, after inserting the charge, the projections form both a nut
and screw, and by imparting a rotatory or circular motion to the tube, an
engagement or junction will be effected. The small flat spring is also dis-
pensed with, and the trigger is made to act directly upon the end of the spindle.
carrying the needle.