IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECHI LOADING SMALL ARMS.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Mills, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Action Filer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECHI LOADING
SMALL ARMS.
"
Sealed the 20th May 1879, and dated the 5th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Mills at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1878.
SAMUEL MILLS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Action Filer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention has reference principally to breech loading small arms of the kind
described and represented in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me
bearing date the 19th day of March 1878, No. 1089. Part of my present Invention
has reference to breech loading small arms in which the rib between the barrels ter-
minates in a hook-like projection which takes into a corresponding recess in the
break off.
My improvements in breech loading small arms of the kind described in the
Specification herein before referred to are as follows:-Instead of arranging the top
and bottom bolts in the way described and represented in the said Specification, I
make a lug or projection on the underside of the rear end of the top bolt. This lug is
situated immediately over the projection at the rear of the bottom bolt, and by means
of a screw pin I rigidly connect the said lug on the top bolt to the projection on the
lower bolt. The two bolts are thus firmly connected, and virtually constitute one
compound bolt. The working of the top bolt effects the working of the lower bolt.
The top bolt with its lug is introduced into its place in the break off from the front,
a recess or groove being made in the break off to permit of the passage of the lug
on the under side of the bolt.
This method of connecting the top and bottom bolts, although specially suitable
for guns constructed according to the Specification of the Letters Patent herein
before referred to, is also applicable to breech loading drop down guns of other
kinds.

page_text: The mechanism described in the said Specification for working the external
hammers of breech loading small arms by the raising of the breech ends of the
barrels for charging I apply to the cocking of internal hammers. In order to effect
this adaptation I modify the mechanism in the following manner :-I make the lock
shorter and dispense with the projection on the crane of the tumbler, and I attach
the hammer to or make it in one piece with the crane of the tumbler. The hammer
is raised by the short arm of a lever actuated by the barrels.
That part of my Invention which has reference to breech loading small arms in
which a hook like termination on the rib between the barrels takes into a corre-
sponding recess in the break off consists of the following improvements in the
extractors of the said arms:-I dispense with the guide pins on each side of the
sliding pin of the extractor, and I make the head of the middle branch of the extractor
of a figure proper to engage in a groove or slot in the under side of the arm carrying
the hook-like termination of the rib. In putting the extractor in its place in the
gun its sliding pin is introduced into the hole between the barrels, and the extractor
is turned aside so as to permit the middle branch to pass the hook-like projection.
The extractor is then brought into its normal position, the top of the middle branch
engaging in the groove or slot described.
By the construction described the middle branch of the extractor is not shortened
as is necessary when the ordinary guide pins are used. The middle part of the
extractor has thus a longer and consequently a firmer hold on the rim of the
cartridge than extractors of small arms having the hook-like projection referred to
have as ordinarily constructed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th May
1879.
"
SAMUEL MILLS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Action Filer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention has reference principally to breech loading small arms of the kind
described and represented in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me
bearing date the 19th day of March 1878, No. 1089.
Part of my present Invention has reference to breech loading small arms in which
the rib between the barrels terminates in a hook like projection which takes into a
corresponding recess in the break off.
My improvements in breech loading small arms of the kind described in the
Specification herein before referred to are as follows:-Instead of arranging the top
and bottom bolts in the way described, and represented in the said Specification, I
make a lug or projection on the underside of the rear end of the top bolt. This lug
is situated immediately over the projection at the rear of the bottom bolt, and by
means of a screw pin I rigidly connect the said lug on the top bolt to the projection.
on the lower bolt. The two bolts are thus firmly connected, and virtually constitute
one compound bolt. The working of the top bolt effects the working of the lower
bolt. The top bolt with its lug is introduced into its place in the break off from
the front, a recess or groove being made in the break off to permit of the passage of
the lug on the underside of the bolt.
This method of connecting the top and bottom bolts, although specially suitable
for guns constructed according to the Specification of the Letters Patent herein-
before referred to, is also applicable to breech loading drop down guns of other
kinds.
The mechanism described in the said Specification for working the external
hammers of breech loading small arms by the raising of the breech ends of the
barrels for charging I apply to the cocking of internal hammers. In order to effect
this adaptation I modify the mechanism in the following manner :-I make the lock
shorter and dispense with the projection on the crane of the tumbler, and I attach
the hammer to or make it in one piece with the crane of the tumbler. The hammer
is raised by the short arm of a lever actuated by the barrels.
That part of my Invention which has reference to breech loading small arms
in which a hook like termination on the rib between the barrels takes into a
corresponding recess in the break off consists of the following improvements in
the extractors of the said arms:-I dispense with the guide pins on each side
of the sliding pin of the extractor, and I make the head of the middle branch
of the extractor of a figure proper to engage in a groove or slot in the under-
side of the arm carrying the hook like termination of the rib. In putting the
extractor in its place in the gun its sliding pin is introduced into the hole
between the barrels, and the extractor is turned aside so as to permit the
middle branch to pass the hook like projection. The extractor is then brought
into its normal position, the top of the middle branch engaging in the groove
or slot described.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section the breech end of a drop.
down gun, the stock, locks, and other parts being omitted, the bolting down
mechanism of the said gun being constructed and arranged according to my present
Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a cross section of the body
taken in front of the break off; Figure 4 represents in section, elevation, and plan
of underside, the top bolt detached; Figure 5 represents in side elevation and plan

page_text: the under bolt detached; and Figure 6 represents a plan of underside of the top
lever by which the two bolts are worked.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6.
it.
a is the top bolt sliding in the break off b, and taking into a recess in the head
of the prolonged rib c between the barrels; d is the under sliding bolt taking into
recesses in the lumps e, e, on the underside on the barrels. On the underside of the
rear end of the top bolt a is a lug a², which is screwed as represented, and on the
head of the vertical bar d² of the bottom bolt d is a projection d³ having a hole in
When the top bolt a is put in its place in the break off b its screwed lug a²
comes immediately opposite the hole in the projection d³ of the underbolt, and by
passing a screw pin from the back of the break off through the hole in the
projection d³ and screwing it into the screwed lug a², the top bolt a is rigidly
connected to the bottom bolt d, the said bolts a and d virtually constituting a
single compound bolt as best seen in Figure 1. The top bolt a with its lug a² is
introduced into its place in the break off from the front thereof by means of the
recess or groove g (see Figure 3) in the said break off. This recess is deep enough
to permit of the passage through it both of the bolt and its lug, the bolt a entering
the wide upper part of the recess, and the lug a² the narrow lower part of the said
recess. On passing the top bolt a into the recess g from the front of the break off
its lug a² slides on to the head of the under bolt d, and takes its proper position
ready to be fixed by the screw pin f to the said underbolt d. Between the head of
the bottom bolt and the underside of the lug a² of the top bolt a is a thin steel
plate working in a dovetail groove in the break off b. This steel plate is
connected to the two bolts by the screw. pin f passing through it, and the said
plate moves with the compound bolt, and prevents the entrance of wet into the
body of the gun. The top and bottom bolts a, d, are simultaneously withdrawn by
the top lever on the tang, substantially in the way described in the Specification
of the Patent before referred to, but the parts are slightly modified to adapt them
to the new construction of top bolt a; the hand lever is centred at 2, and on the
underside of its rear end is a pin i which takes into a cross slot k in the rear of the
bolt a.
The spring rod 7 by means of which the back or return motion of the two
bolts a, d, is effected and the hand lever h maintained in its normal position on the
tang is connected by the pin m to the hand lever h, the screwed lug of the said
spring rod working in the oblique slot n in the tang of the break off. By turning
aside the hand lever h the two bolts a and d are simultaneously withdrawn from
the rib and lumps respectively, and the spring of the rod is compressed, the
said rod sliding in its bearing as described in Specification of the Patent before
referred to.
The arrangement represented for constructing and connecting together the top
and under bolts of drop down guns may be applied to drop down guns generally.
Figures 7 and 8 represent longitudinal sections of a drop down gun, the
mechanism for cocking the internal hammers of the said gun being modified and
arranged according to my present Invention, Figure 7 representing the barrels
locked down and the hammers discharged, and Figure 8 the barrels lifted for
charging and the hammers cocked; Figure 9 represents the gun with a portion of
the cocking mechanism removed; Figure 10 represents a plan of one of the lock
plates and the cocking lever; and Figure 11 represents the said cocking lever
detached; Figure 12 represents a plan of upper side of the trigger plate and slide
for throwing the cocking mechanism into and out of action.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,
and 12.
As the lock mechanism of each hammer is of the same construction I will only
describe that in connection with one of the said hammers.
a is the internal hammer centered to the lock plate b, the said lock plate carrying
the sear cand the other parts of the lock mechanism as usual. The internal hammer
a and its crane are made in one piece; d is the short arm of the cocking mechanism

page_text: having a hook like termination, the said arm being jointed to the front of the lump
e on the underside of the barrels and pressed outwards or towards the face of the
break off by a spring as represented; f, f, is the cocking lever turning on the
centre or pin f³ carried by bearings on the body of the gun. The said lever f, f, is
cranked, its. nearly horizontal arm or part f having a cross pin f* at its end, with
which the hook like termination d of the arm d on the lump e can be engaged as
represented in Figures 7 and 8. The nearly vertical part 2 of the cocking lever
ff, carries a cross bar f5, the ends of which bar are situated in front of the heads
of the hammers a at opposite sides of the gun. When the breech ends of the barrels
are lifted from the break off for recharging the gun, the arm d jointed to the lump
e is also lifted and with it the nearly horizontal arm f of the cocking lever f, f², and
the said lever f, f2, is turned on its centre f³. The vertical arm or part f2 of the
said lever is thereby depressed and the end of its cross bar f³ made to bear against
the head of the hammer a and cock the said hammer, the said hammer being retained
in its cocked position by the sear c engaging with the bent in the tumbler of the
hammer in the usual way, the several parts occupying the respective positions repre-
sented in Figure 8. On depressing the barrels after charging them the short arm &
and cocking lever f, f2, take the positions represented in Figure 7, leaving the
hammer a in the cocked position represented in Figure 8 ready to discharge the gun
when the trigger is pulled in the ordinary way. Figure 7 represents the hammer
in its discharged position and the cocking arm d and lever f, f2, in their normal
positions. The mechanism represented for throwing the cocking arm and lever into
and out of action differs somewhat in construction from that described in the Speci-
fication of the Patent before referred to. The present arrangement consists of a spring
slide h working on the upper side of the trigger plate, a button or stud h² on the
underside of the said trigger plate being used for moving the said spring slide. The
said slide h carries near its front end lugs i, i, having shoulders as represented.
When it is wished to throw the cocking mechanism out of action the stud or
button is pushed towards the muzzle end of the barrels. The inner end of the
slide h is thereby made to press the hooked end d² of the arm d towards the lump e
so as to disengage the said arm from the cross pin f* of the cocking lever f, as repre-
sented in Figure 9. By the motion of the spring slide / its end passes under the
cross pin f and the shoulders of the lugs i, i, pass over the said pin f*. The arm f.
of the cocking lever is thereby held firmly down and the motion of the breech ends
of the barrels does not effect the cocking mechanism of the gun. By returning the
slide h to its normal position, Figure 8, the shoulders of the lugs i, i, are removed.
from the cross pin f, and the end of the slide removed from the hooked end d² of
the arm & when the said arm d, by the pressure of its spring, is re-engaged with the
cross pin f of the lever f, as represented in Figures 7 and 8, and the lifting of the
breech ends of the barrels now effects the cocking of the gun as before described.
Figure 13 represents in longitudinal section, Figure 14 in plan, and Figures 15
and 16 in cross section, my improvements in the extractors of drop down guns in
which a hook like termination between the barrels is used. The section Figures 15
and 16 are taken on the line k, k, Figures 13, the section Figure 15 showing the
extractor in its place, and Figure 16 the same in the act of being put in its place.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 13, 14, 15,
and 16.
is the extractor without the usual side guide pins, and m is the middle guide
pin taking into a hole between the barrels as usual. The head of the middle branch
of the extractor is made of an inverted V shape, and a corresponding groove n is
made in the underside of the rib p, carrying the hook like projection q for the said
head of the extractor to slide in. Near the junction of the rib p with the hook like
projection q is a cross slot the base of which is inclined as seen in the cross sections
Figures 15 and 16. This cross slot is of a width proper for receiving the head of
the extractor. l.
In putting the extractor 7 in its place in the gun its sliding pin m is introduced
into the hole between the barrels and the extractor is turned aside as illustrated in

page_text: Figure 16, so as to permit the middle branch to pass the hook like projection q.
The extractor having passed the said projection q is turned so as to cause the head
of the middle branch to pass through the cross slot r and take the position repre-
sented in Figure 15. Its V shaped head is now opposite the V shaped longitudinal
groove n on the underside, of the rib p and the extractor can be pushed into its
place at the breech ends of the barrels in the usual way.
By the construction described the middle branch of the extractor is not shortened
as is necessary when the ordinary guide pins are used. The middle part of the
extractor has thus a longer and consequently a firmer hold on the rim of the car-
tridge than extractors of small arms having the hook like projection referred to have
as ordinarily constructed.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention of improvements in breech loading small arms of the kind called drop
down guns,
First. The arrangement or combination of parts substantially as herein-before
described, and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings,
for rigidly connecting together the top and bottom bolts of the said guns.
Secondly. The modification or arrangement of the parts substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the accom-
panying Drawings, for cocking the internal hammers of such drop down guns as are
cocked by the lifting of the breech ends of the barrels for loading; also the modifi-
cation described and illustrated of the slide for throwing the cocking mechanism
into and out of action.
Thirdly. The improvements in the extractors of such breech loading drop down
guns as are furnished with a hook like termination on the rib for taking into a
corresponding recess in the break off herein-before described, and illustrated in
Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making
the said extractors in the manner described and illustrated, and providing the
underside of the prolonged rib with a cross slot in combination with an angular
longitudinal groove for permitting of the extractor after it has passed the hook like
projection to be turned into the required position at the breech ends of the barrels,
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Mills, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRET,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
SAMUEL MILLS. (L.S.)