IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING EXPRESS RIFLES AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Hargrave Grey and William Harris, both
of 43, Old Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Makers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING EXPRESS RIFLES
AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Hargrave
Grey and William Harris at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 16th June 1873.
WC, FREDERICK HARGRAVE GREY and WILLIAM HARRIS, of No. 43,
Old Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING EXPRESS RIFLES AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The construction of parts of mechanism herein-after described for
fastening down the barrels to the breech piece of double and single
breech-loading guns and rifles called "hinge joint guns," the barrels of
which are turned down for loading at the breech.

page_text: One portion of our improvements consists of a contrivance for
working a "lever grip," in addition to and simultaneous with the "double
or single grip" now used. The bolt of this grip is worked in the same
part of the false breech as in former plans (modifications of which
have been Patented by John Thomas and H. Walker).
Secondly. An improved method of hanging this bolt on a perfect axle
made by cutting a recess in the upper end of the bolt in which the axle
frame fits. The axle frame and bolt being thus hinged together can be
cmbedded in the false breech, level with the under surface of the same,
so as not to require the wood of the stock of the gun to be cut away as
in former plans; or the bolt may be made to work in a horizontal slot.
The working motion of this bolt is given by the same lover that is used for
the double or single grip when used in conjunction with either of them,
thus giving additional security and endurance for " express rifles," or
any guns for heavy charges, and being worked at the same time and
with the same lever gives advantages hitherto unattained. This addi-
tional lever grip may also be used in a similar manner without being
used in conjunction with the ordinary grip, and is more simple and
serviceable for the ordinary breech-loading shot guns used for sporting
purposes, in which case it can be worked by a lever in front of, or over
the trigger guard, or by a lever on the top of the false breech, or by any
of the ordinary levers, upper, lower, or lateral. When this additional
lever grip is worked in connection with the usual grip H, H, (see
Drawing, Figure 1), the bolt B is hung on the improved axle frame A
and is continued downward, projecting through the trigger plate, forming
a stud C and working in a slot D, D, in the body and trigger plate. The
heel of the ordinary grip lever being provided with an oblique slot D
corresponding to the action of the projecting end of the bolt B, so that
the lever in completing its motion to the guard takes the end of the
bolt B into the oblique slot D and carries it forward, with leverage
power, into its recess D, D, and over that portion of the steel barrel
lump E projecting at the end of the barrels. Or the end of the bolt
may be linked to the boss or axle of the usual grip and worked by its
usual or ordinary movement, either inside or outside the trigger plate or
frame of the gun, by these means giving the most perfect security
against any vibration of the closing parts of the gun under the ex-
plosion of heavy charges.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Hargrave Grey and William Harris in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FREDERICK
HARGRAVE GREY and WILLIAM HARRIS, both of No. 43, Old Bond
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the of
year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Frederick Hargrave Grey and William
Harris, Her special licence that we, the said Frederick Hargrave Grey
and William Harris, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Frederick Hargrave Grey and William
Harris, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING EXPRESS RIFLES AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Frederick Hargrave
Grey and William Harris, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Frederick Hargrave Grey and
William Harris, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is
to say :-
6
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading
express rifles," fowling pieces, and other small fire-arms, in which the
barrels turn down and present the breech ends open upwards for loading as
in breech-loading fowling pieces of the ordinary construction, in order to

page_text: more securely lock the barrels in position for firing. We employ a swing-
ing or sliding bolt working in the upright portion of the breech piece,
and a contrivance for working it, in addition to and simultaneous with
the usual double or single lever grip, the bolt of this grip is worked in
the same portion of the false breech as in former plans, but our improve-
ments enable us to work it with the same lever as the usual double or
single grip at the same time and in addition thereto, constituting
together so firm a combination of gripping power hitherto unattained,
and presenting such resistance to the vibration of the parts and such
endurance as the explosion of heavy charges in express rifles and other
arms require.
The second portion of our Invention consists of a method of hanging
the vertical lever bolt on a perfect axle which is made by cutting a
circular recess in the side of the upper end of the bolt into which the
axle frame fits; the axle frame and bolt being thus hinged together
they can be embedded in the tang of the false breech level with the
under surface of the same, so as not to require the wood of the gun
stock to be cut away as in former plans. Or the bolt may be made to
work in a horizontal slot. The working motion of this bolt is given by
the same lever that is used for the double or single grip when used in
conjunction with either of them, or may be so worked by itself, and is
more simple and serviceable for the ordinary breech-loading shot guns
used for sporting purposes, in which case it can be worked by a lever or
spring. The lever may be in front of or over the trigger guard or on the
top of the false breech, or it may be worked by any of the ordinary
levers, upper, lower, or lateral. When this additional bolt is worked in
connection with the usual grip H, H, (see Drawing, Figure 1), and hung
in our improved axle frame A, it is continued downwards through the
trigger plate or under frame of the gun, forming a stud C and working
in a slot D, D, in the body and trigger plate. The heel of the ordinary
grip lever being provided with an oblique slot I, I, corresponding to the
action of the projecting stud C formed on the lower end of the bolt B,
so that on completing the closing motion of the lever to the guard in
closing the gun the slot I, I, in the heel of the lever G engages the
stud C in the slot I, I, carrying the bolt B forward with leverage
power over that portion of the steel barrel lump E projecting at the
end of the barrels, lump E thus forcing back bolt B and falling into
recess F, lever G standing to right of open and in a line of closed

page_text: gun. Or the end of the bolt may be linked to the boss or axle of
the usual grip H, H, (Figure 1), and worked by its ordinary movement,
the link may work either inside or outside the trigger plate or frame
of the gun, by these means giving the most perfect security against
vibration of the closing parts of the gun under the explosion of heavy
charges.
Figure 2 shews the working surface of the lever with the oblique slot
or channel I, I.
In witness whereof, we, the said Frederick Hargrave Grey and
William Harris, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Second
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.