Lock, BREAK-OFF, AND TRIGGER, UPON A NEW AND IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR FOWLING PIECES, MUSKETS, RIFLES, PISTOLS, AND SMALL FIRE-ARMS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
BARTHOLOMEW REDFERN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by petition, represent to His most Excellent
Majesty King William the Fourth, that I had invented "A Lock,
BREAK-OFF, AND TRIGGER, UPON A NEW AND IMPROVED PRINCIPLE, FOR
FOWLING PIECES, MUSKETS, RIFLES, PISTOLS, AND SMALL FIRE-ARMS OF ALL
DESCRIPTIONS," and His said Majesty being willing to give encourage-
ment to all arts and inventions which might be for the public good,
was graciously pleased to issue His Letters Patent under the Great
Seal of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing
date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of December, in the first
year of His reign, whereby His said Majesty did, for Himself, His
heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Bartholomew
Redfern, his exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that 1, the said Bartholomew
Redfern, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Bartholomew Redfern, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, should at any
time agree with (and no others), from time to time and at all times

page_text: during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend (within that part of the United King-
doms of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and also in all His
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad) my said Invention; in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the
said Bartholomew Redfern, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two months next and immediately after the date of
the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (reference
being thereunto had) will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Bartholomew Redfern, do hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed, is described and ascertained in manner following, that is
'to say:
As to the lock upon my new and improved principle for fowling
pieces, muskets, rifles, pistols, and small fire-arms of all descriptions, a
small sliding punch is fitted into a hole or socket through the break off';
the head or upper end of the punch rises a little above the top surface
of the break off, the lower end of the punch bears upon the tail of an
additional sear, which is applied in the lock. The end of the thumb is
to be applied upon the head or top of the punch, so that by the pressure
of the thumb thereupon the punch may be forced down through its
socket in the break off, and thereby depress the tail of the additional
sear, and (the other end of that additional sear being connected by a
short link or swivel with the end of the common scar at the part
where the tail usually projects therefrom) the said act of pressing down
the punch by the thumb as aforesaid, and thereby depressing the tail of
the additional scar, will lift up the end of the common sear, and disen-
gage it from the bent of the tumbler, as must be done in order to fire
off and discharge the lock. Therefore, in lieu of firing off' or discharg
ing the lock by applying the fore-finger to draw what is commonly

page_text: called the trigger (at the underside of the stock), the lock upon my
new and improved principle is discharged by the pressure of the thumb
(in manner aforesaid) upon the aforesaid punich, whereof the upper
end projects a little above the top of the break off as aforesaid, and that
upper end is situated in a suitable position to be pressed down by the
thumb of that hand wherewith the stock of the piece is grasped when
the same is held and presented in a proper manner for firing. The
break off upon my new and improved principle for fowling pieces.
muskets. rifles, pistols, and small fire-arms of all descriptions is con-
structed with a suitable socket through it to receive the said sliding
punch, which acts as aforesaid on the tail of the additional sear, and a
sliding cover is applied to the top side of the break off to slide end
ways along the same, towards the butt end of the stock, in order to
cover over the head or upper end of the punch whereon the thumb is
to be pressed as aforesaid; when the lock is to be discharged that
cover effectually protects the top of the punch from any accidental or
unintentional pressure, which might otherwise occasion the lock to be
discharged when not intended to be discharged. The said sliding
cover has a constant tendency to slide backwards towards the butt end
of the piece, and cover over the top of the purich by the action of a
spring, which is situated beneath the break off, and when the sliding
cover has so slided back and covered over the upper end of the punch,
a small spring catch or sliding bolt, which is fitted into a socket
through the break off and urged upwards by a spring, holds the cover
fast to prevent it from being slided forwards (toward the muzzle of
the piece) by accident, so as to uncover and expose the top of the
punch. What is commonly called the trigger for fowling pieces,
muskets, rifles, pistols, and small fire-arms of all descriptions, has
(upon my new and improved principle) the same external appearance
as the trigger used in common locks, and it is in like manner situated
in a suitable position at the underside of the stock, to be drawn back,
by the end of the forefinger, and it is in like manner enclosed within
a guard to prevent it from being drawn by accident; but instead of
the said trigger acting to fire off or discharge the lock as usual it acts
thus; viz., when it is drawn back by the fore finger towards the butt

page_text: end of the piece, in the manner usually done to fire off and discharge
the lock, it does not so fire off and discharge the lock, but in lieu
thereof it disengages the said small spring catch and draws forward
the said sliding cover so as to expose the top of the punch, whereon
the thumb is to be placed in order to fire off and discharge the lock.
And for the full explanation of my Invention I have hereunto annexed
a Drawing, representing the lock, break off, and trigger, of the real
dimensions for a double-barrelled gun.
Figure 1, is a side view of the left hand lock, shewing a part of the
stock and of the left hand barrel; Figure 2, is a section of the same
parts corresponding to Figure 1; Figures 3, and 4, are views of the
inside works of the right hand lock when detached from the gun;
Figure 3, representing that lock after it has been discharged.; and
Figure 4, representing the lock standing on the full cock. Note.---
The Drawing represents a percussion lock, but my Invention is
equally applicable to flint locks. a, b, c, is the additional sear.
which is applied over and behind the common sear; it plays upon
a centre screw b, which is screwed fast into the lock plate; the end
a, is connected by a short link or swivel with the end A, of the com-
mon sear, the tail which usually projects out sideways from that end,
to be acted upon by the trigger being omitted, and in lieu thereof a
similar tail projects out sideways from the end c, of the additional sear.
in order to reach into the stock towards the centre thereof, or so far as
to come beneath the lower end d, of the sliding punch d, e, which is
fitted into a socket formed for its reception through the break off B, B.
The upper end c. of the said punch rises a little above the top of the
break off, and the thumb being pressed on that upper end will force
down the punch d, e, and the tail c, of the additional scar, whereby the
opposite end of the additional sear will be raised, and by its link or
swivel it will raise the end A, of the common sear, so as to discharge
the lock. Note. The common scar spring D, acting in the usual manner
on the common sear A, also tends to throw up the sliding punch d, e,
and to raise its upper end e, above the top of the break-off. Note.-All
the aforesaid parts are double for a double barrel gun, being one set for
the right hand lock and another set for the left hand lock. f. 9, is the

page_text: sliding. cover which is applied on the top of the break-off B, B, and
slided backwards and forwards along the middle thereof; it serves for
both locks. The end g, is excavated with two hollows in its underside,
sufficiently large to admit the upper ends e, of the two punches for the
two locks, which ends e, e, stand near together side by side, in the
manner shewn in the plan Figure 6; the sliding cover f, g, is guided
in its motion backwards and forwards along the break off by a narrow
tongue h, Figure 2, which projects downwards from the underside of
the sliding cover and passes through a long narrow slit which is cut
through the break off B, B; the lower end of the tongue h, is united
by a tennon to a sliding piece i, which applies close to the underside of
the break off B, B, so as to retain the sliding cover f, y, close down upon
the top of the break off'; a small prong projects downwards from the
end of the sliding piece i, to receive the end of a sliding bolt k, which
is fitted to slide endways into and out of a tube or hole bored within a
cock, which is fixed to the underside of the break off B, B; that tube
contains a spiral spring made of steel wire, curled up, which spring
always tends to push the bolt k, endways out of the tube, and the
bolt k, by acting against the projecting prong of the sliding piece i,
always urges the sliding cover f, g, to slide towards the butt end of the
stock. Note.-The sliding bolt k, has a head on that end of it which
is within the tube, and that head is fitted exactly into the interior bore
of the tube where the coiled spring is contained. Also a small collet,
which is cut on the outside with a screw, is screwed fast into the end of
the tube 7, like a stopper, and the bolt k, fits into the hole through the
collet or stopper; m, is a very small sliding bolt, which is fitted into a
socket perforated through the thickness of the break off' B, B, and is
urged upwards in that socket by a small wire spring; the upper end of
the bolt m, rises above the surface of the break off so as to catch into a
notch at the underside of the sliding cover f, g, (at the end g, thereof),
in order to detain the sliding cover from sliding forwards and uncovering
the punches e, c. Unless the bolt m, is first disengaged, the upper end of
the bolt m, is sloped away on the front side, in order to allow the sliding
cover fg, to slide backwards by the action of its curled spring and
bolt-k, within the tube l, and then the bolt m, catches in the notch at

page_text: the underside of the sliding-cover-fgby-the-action-of-its-spring in-
order to hold the sliding cover f, g; from moving forwards. Note.-
The sliding bolt m, has a head or enlargement near the upper end of.it,
which head is fitted into the socket. through the break off B, B; the
wire spring is curled around the small part of the bolt. m, beneath the
said. head and the spring is retained in the socket by a small collet
screwed fast into the lower part of the socket, like a stopper, and the
lower end of the bolt m, is fitted into the hole through the collet or
stopper; the upper end of the bolt m, passes through a small hole at
the top of the socket in the break off. B, B; n, is a small lever which
plays on a centre pin at the underside of the break off, near to the
middle of the length of the lever n; it has a notch cut in its hinder
end to admit. a small neck at the lower end of the sliding bolt m, and
the foremost end reaches close to the descending prong of the sliding
piece ; in order that the upper end of the trigger blade p, may (when
the trigger F, is drawn backwards by the forefinger) lift up the foremost
end of the lever n, so as to draw down the sliding bolt m, which is
connected with the hinder end of the lever n, in order to release the
sliding cover.f, g, and leave it at liberty to be slided forwards, which
sliding forwards is then effected by continuing to draw the trigger with
the forefinger, whereby the end of the trigger blade is brought in contact
with the hinder side of the descending prong of the sliding piece i, and
begins to press the same forwards as soon as the trigger blade has
released the bolt m, in the manner aforesaid. The external part of the
trigger F, is constructed as usual, and the whole trigger plays about a
centre pin in the usual manner, but the internal and upper end p, of
the trigger blade (instead of acting as usual beneath the tail of the
common sear A, to lift the same up,) rises higher up in a suitable
manner to reach beneath the foremost end of the lever n, and behind
the descending prong of the sliding piece i, which is united to the sliding
cover f, g. The manner of using fire arms, with their locks, break offs,
and triggers, upon my new and improved principle, is in every respect
the same as usual until the time of presenting the piece in preparation
for firing off the same. In the act of presenting the piece the trigger
must be drawn back by the forefinger, in order to slide forwards the

page_text: sliding cover, and the trigger must be held back to retain that cover,
and leave the top ends of the two punches exposed, so that the thumb
may be placed upon the top end of one or other of the punches (viz,
upon the punch of the lock belonging to that barrel which it is desired
to fire off) in readiness to discharge the lock at the proper instant,
which is done, when required, by pressing down the top end of the punch
with the thumb, and that action, by depressing the tail of the additional
sear, disengages the common sear and discbarges the lock, in the
manner hereinbefore described; when the forefinger is cased to release
the trigger the spring and sliding bolt k, within the cock 7, will carry
back the sliding cover f, g, over the tops of the punches to cover
up and secure them, and then the small sliding bolt m, catches and
holds the sliding cover f, g, fast, so that it cannot be slided forwards (by
accidental pressure) to uncover and expose the punches, unless the
trigger is drawn, for by that means alone can the sliding bolt m, be
disengaged.
Figures 5, and 6, represent a break off 13, B, with the sliding cover
fy, nearly the same as before described, but the sliding cover is
intended to be pressed forwards by the thumb previously to placing the
same upon the top end e, of the punch, in preparation for discharging the
lock, and the trigger F, Figure 1, at the underside of the stock may be
entirely omitted, together with its guard, which will be adviseable for
small pistols. The sliding cover f, g, is constructed as before described,
and also its sliding bolt, m, which catches and holds the sliding cover
fast when it is slided backwards, and covers over the ends of the two
punches e, e; but instead of a curled wire spring around the sliding
bolt m, to throw it upwards, a flat steel spring 9, Figure 5, is fastened
by a screw to the underside of the break off B, B, and the foremost end
thereof presses upwards beneath the lower end of the sliding bolt m,
which is inserted into a small hole perforated through the break off
The sliding piece 7, is
B, B, and into which hole the bolt fits exactly.
fixed fast to the tongue, which descends from the sliding cover f, g, and
passes through the long slit in the break off, in the manner before
described, but the piece i, is made with a double inclined plane at the
under side of it, and a small rollers, (carried by the end of a spring ", which

page_text: is fixed by a screw to the underside of the break off) bears upwards
beneath that double inclined plane in order to give the sliding cover f, g,
a tendency to rest steady when it is slided forwards, to expose the
punches in preparation for discharging the lock, and also the action of
the said double inclined plane i, spring, and roller s, assists to retain
the sliding cover f, g, in its position when it is slided backwards to
cover the top ends e. c, of the punches, but the catching of the sliding
bolt mi, effectually detains the sliding cover when in that position, and
in order to release that bolt a small button t, is provided on the top of
the sliding cover f, y, to receive the pressure of the thumb when the
sliding cover is to be pushed forwards. The shank or stem of the
button t, is fitted through a hole or socket in the hinder end g, of the
sliding cover, and at the lower end of that perforation is the cavity
which receives the upper end of the sliding bolt m, when it catches (as
before described) in order to hold the sliding cover f, g, fast), but by
pressing with the thumb upon the button t, the lower end of its shank
presses down the catching end of the sliding bolt m, so much as to
disengage it from its hold of the sliding cover, which being done, the
the thumb (without removing it from the button t,) can push forwards
the sliding cover f, g, so as to expose the ends c, of the punches, and
there it will remain by the action of the double inclined plane i, spring
r, and the rollers, as before stated, leaving the thumb at liberty to be
placed upon the top end e, of the punch, in preparation for discharging
the lock, in the manner herein-before stated. Note.-Although the said
lock, break off, and trigger are represented in the Drawing as applied
to a double barrel gun, they are equally applicable to guns and small
fire arms of every description with single barrels.
Having now described the full and entire construction of a lock,
break off, and trigger, upon my new and improved principle, for fowling
pieces, muskets, rifles, pistols, and small fire arms of all descriptions, I
do hereby declare that what I claim as my Invention is, the application
and adaptation (to a lock, break off, and trigger, for fowling pieces.
muskets, rifles, pistols, and small fire arms of all descriptions) of those
parts herein-before described (and represented in the Drawing), which
are therein distinguished by small letters of the alphabet for reference

page_text: in the foregoing description, and which parts so distinguished by small
letters of the alphabet as aforesaid, as applied to the said lock, break
off, and trigger respectively are new, and by which application and
adaptation, as in that behalf aforesaid, I produce a lock, break off, and
trigger upon a new and improved principle, whereby the lock is fired
off or discharged by the pressure of the thumb upon the top of a sliding
punch in manner above described. and the drawing back of the
trigger is made to remove the sliding cover on the break off, which
cover secures the punch or punches from being pressed accidentally,
that drawing back of the trigger being done in the act of presenting
the piece previously to firing off or discharging the same by the pressure
of the thumb on the punch as aforesaid provided always, and I
hereby declare that those parts which are marked with capital letters
in the Drawing are in common use and form no part of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bartholomew Redfern, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of
February, in year of our Lord One thousand eight bundred
and thirty-one.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of
February. in the year of our Lord 1831, the aforesaid Bartholomew
Redfern came before our said Lord the King, in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing
therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the
Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.