Improvements in Certain Kinds of Small Arms.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Certain Kinds of Small Arms.
We, CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL of Belmont Row in the City of
Birmingham, Gun Manufacturer and ARTHUR TUNSTALL, of 184 Dudley Road,
in the City of Birmingham aforesaid, Commercial Clerk, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has relation to small arms not having break-down barrels and
particularly to sporting rifles of varying types, such as the Martini, although
it must be understood that the invention is applicable to all stiff-barrelled small
arms.
The said invention has for its object, the making of the said armis extremely
portable by so providing or arranging the assembled parts that the same admit of
being readily dis-assembled or separated from one another without the aid of
special tools, which is a desideration to sportsmen and others, when in the field or
elsewhere, and when thus dis-assembled, the said component parts of a rifle admit
of being packed in a short and portable case, and further besides the said parts
when disconnected being extremely portable, they are readily accessible for cleaning
or examination.
In carrying out one form of the invention in connection with a sporting Martini-
Henry rifle, a hollow breech body part containing the lock mechanism, hinged
falling block and other cognate parts common to this class of arm is taken, whilst
the breech end of the barrel is outside screwed and shouldered, for the screw to
take into a corresponding screwed hele formed in the fore part of the breech body
and for the face to come up to and abut against the end of the body.
Working upon the fore part of the side of the body is a sliding bolt, with the
opposed face formed with a V lug or rib, which takes into a like-shaped sinking
made in the breech body. The bolt fore part extends beyond the end of the breech
and engages within a corresponding recess sunken within the opposed shoulder of
the barrel at its junction with the screw part.
The tail end of the bolt is made yielding or formed into a spring having a stud
upon its underside adapted to engage with or snap into one or other of a pair of
sinkings formed in the side of the breech body and adapted to retain the bolt in its
shot or withdrawn positions.
The underside of the barrel is fitted with an attachable and detachable fore end
of the Deeley and Edge or any other known spring or other type, which fore end
engages with a lump on the underside of the barrel, whilst the rear end may have
a boss or tenon extension taking into a like-shaped socket or recess formed in the
opposed face of the breech body.
In assembling the parts, lower the breech block, so as to take the extractor out
of the path of the screwed end of the barrel and then screw home the barrel
into position, with the recess upon its side coming lignable with the bolt, which,
on being pushed home locks the barrel in position by preventing it from rotating
upon the body. Now attach the fore end by first passing the rear part of it into
the socket in the end of the breech body and then pressing the fore end home,
thus effecting the assembling and affixing together of the whole of the parts.
Instead of employing a sliding bolt, a lifting spring stud may be used in lieu
thereof, which, when raised, is taken out of the path of the barrel to be unscrewed
but normally lies within lignable or coincident recessed parts formed in the barrel
and body.
Or a hinged lever carried by the breech body and having a turned over end

page_text: adapted to engage within a recess formed in the opposed shoulder of the barrel
may be employed for the same purpose, and instead of the end of a hinged lever
being used, the heel of a jointed spring lever may be employed for locking the
barrel.
A cam or other catch or fastener may be employed and instead of the locking
device being carried by the breech body it may be carried by the barrel.
In other types of rifles in which no breech body is employed the bolt may be
carried by the shoe or action framing or other equivalent part.
As a further form of locking device, the barrel may be secured to the breech
body or like part by a transversely-directed screw pin. with the end taking into
a sinking, hole or recess formed in the barrel to receive the said screwing or bolting
adjuncts.
Dated this 28th day of June 1895.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL,
ARTHUR TUNSTALL,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
Improvements in Certain Kinds of Small Arms.
We, CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL of Belmont Row, in the City of
Birmingham, Gun Manufacturer, and ARTHUR TUNSTALL of 184 Dudley Road,
in the City of Birmingham aforesaid, Commercial Clerk, 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. :-
This invention has relation to stiff-barrelled small arms, principally to sporting
rifles of the Martini and other types, and has for its object, the making of certain
parts of the said small arms casily attachable and detachable without the employ-
ment of special tools, and consequently extremely portable which is a great
advantage to sportsmen when in the field and elsewhere, and further, the arms,
besides being rendered readily accessible for cleaning and examination, admit of
being packed in a short and portable case for transit.
In carrying out my invention in connection with a sporting Martini-Henry rifle,
I take ordinary breech body and lock mechanism, and a barrel with the breech end
outside screw to take into a like screwed and corresponding hole formed in the
fore part of the breech body. Fitted to the side of the breech body, adjacent
to the breech end of the barrel is a sliding bolt, which, when shot, crosses
the joint between the barrel and breech body and takes into a corresponding sinking
made to receive it in the said barrel end. The bolts tail end is of a spring form
and has a stud upon its inner side taking into either one or other of two sinkings
for keeping the bolt in its shot or withdrawn positions.
The arm is also fitted with a detachable fore end of the Deeley and Edge or
other well known type, and with a tenon at its back part taking into a recess in
the opposed end of the breech body.
In assembling the parts, lower the breech block, so as to take the extractor out
of the path of the screwed end of the barrel and then screw home the barrel into
position, with the recess upon its side coming lignable with the bolt, which, on being
pushed home locks the barrel in position by preventing it from rotating upon the
body. Now attach the fore end by first passing the rear part of it into the
socket in the end of the breech body and then pressing the fore end home,
tbus effecting the assembling and affixing together of the whole of the parts.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a Martini Henry sporting
rifle provided with improvements in accordance with our invention.

page_text: Figure 2 represents a like view as Figure 1, but with the bolt which secures the
barrel to the breech hody shot back so as to admit of the dis-assembling of the
component parts of the arm.
Figure 3 represents the screwed and breech end of the barrel.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the back end of the barrel Figure .
Figure 5 is a part horizontal section upon the dotted lineæ Figure 1, and a part
plan of the rifle, and
Figure 6 is a part vertical section and a part elevation of the said rifle.
Figure 7 represents a plan and an edge view of the sliding bolt separately and
Figure 8 is a cross section of the fore part of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
a is the breech hody, having upon one side of it, an attachably connected sliding
bolt b, working within a recess or sinking al, and with the fore end 6', taking into
a like-shaped recess or sinking ', formed in the shouldered rear end c³, of the
barrel c, whose extreme breech part is screwed at c³, and takes into a like inside
screwed fore end part of the breech body a, which has working within it, a hinged
falling block d, raised and lowered and secured in position by a lever f, at the back
of the neck g', of the stock 7. The slide or bolt has a spring-formed back, tail or
plate 62, and is affixed in position and limited in its motion by a screw pin b³, taking
through the slot 6, and into the breech body. The inner face of the said tail
end has a stud 6, which engages in one or other of the sinkings a³, a³, forined'
in the breech body underneath the bolt.
The screwed breech end of the barrel is gapped upon the opposite sides at c
wherein the extractor heads ', of the arms 2, of the extractor h, which is jointed
at 3, lie when the falling block d, is up and form an auxiliary additional means
for preventing the shifting of the barrel from its screwed up position should the
primary locking bolt be accidentally withdrawn.
i is the fore end with a tenon, at the back end of the same engaging with a
like shaped recess a', in the front part of the breech body.
Instead of employing a bolt we may use a hinged or other catch or a lifting
spring catch or other equivalent of a bolt and instead of the bolt or the said
equivalents being carried by the breech body it may be carried on the breech end
of the barrel, the corresponding recess for the reception of its nose end being
formed in said body.
In other types of rifles in which no breech body is employed, the bolt or its
equivalent may be carried by the shoe or action framing or other like part.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In sporting rifles and like small arms, securing screwed-on barrels in
position and to the breech body or shoe or equivalent part by a bolt or catch
carried on the one part crossing the joint between barrel and breech body and
taking into a sinking or recess in or coming upon the plain face of, the other
part, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. The means herein described for securing together the assembled
parts of sporting rifles aud like small arms, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described and set forth.
Dated this 27th day of March 1896.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL,
ARTHUR TUNSTALL,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.