Improvements in Breech-closure and Repeating Mechanism for Rifles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th June, 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-closure and Repeating Mechanism for
Rifles.
I, RUDOLF SCHMIDT, Colonel, and Director of the Swiss Manufactory of Arms at
Bern, Switzerland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements which have been made during the years 1881 to 1885 in the
ballistic qualities of small fire arms have been found inapplicable to actual magazine
arins.
I have made attempts to find out how these improvements could be applied
new mechanical system of the most perfect breech-closure and repeating
mechanism.
to a
As a technical engineer and a rifle-man I long since stated, that in reference to the
closure of breech loading rifles none of the actual mechanisms offers the desired
efficiency and that it was necessary to devise a simple bolt operating the closure by
means of a rectilinear motion, excluding circular or rotary motion.
This idea has been first realised by me in my rifle with single charge and false
breech block (sec R. Schimidt, Die Handfeuerwaffen. 1875, sheet 56, Fig. 1. 360–362.
Basil B. Schwabe).
The invention forming the object of this application consists of a sliding breech
closure having a rectilinear motion, combined with the most perfect repeating
system.
Owing to the system of breech-closure and repeating mechanism this rifle is a
rapidly firing fire arm with single charge, but when using the magazine it becomes a
magazine fire arın of the greatest firing rapidity; it may be employed at will con-
tinuously as a magazine rifle or alternately as a fire arm with single charge.
The several parts of the invention and the working of the mechanism are as
follows: :-
The breech-closure (see Figs. 1 and 2) is so constructed as to absolutely prevent any
premature discharge of the arm; it allows of the charged arm being easily and
securely placed at half cock and rendered ready again for firing. The rectilinear
motion for opening and closing is very simple and not tiring to use; it facilitates the
execution of the two exclusively horizontal charging motions without interfering with
the aiming, which is very important in repeating firing.
The dismounting, remounting and putting the breech-closure in its place can be
operated without any auxiliary implement, without effort and without requiring any
special attention.
The time necessary for removing and dismounting is 15 seconds, for remounting and
putting in place 24 seconds. The magazine 10 (see Fig. 4) is a box of sheet inetal
placed below the movable breech part; its dimensions are dependent upon the number
of cartridges to be held therein. This box can be easily removed from the rifle and
applied again thereto. The cartridges are introduced from above through the charging
orifice either consecutively or the contents of a package of cartridges can be introduced
at once; the discharged cartridges are replaced in the magazine by charged ones in
the same way.
The magazine placed between two bands is held in its position by the magazine-
lever 11 (see Fig. 1) screwed to the trigger plate.
By means of a simple pressure upon the lever the magazine can he raised (repeating
shooting) or it can be lowered (single shots). A thumb pressure upon the arc of
the magazine lever and directed simultaneously inwards and downwards is sufficient
for removing the magazine the cartridges of which are immediately led into the
cartridge box.

page_text: By this mode of emptying the magazine without executing any charging movement,
danger is obviated.
The cartridge bundle or package 12 (see Figs. 5; 6 and 7) made of board or of
papier maché has a low weight (of about 10 grammes) and it is of small value, so
that it can be afterwards thrown away, or it can be kept for further use in target
practice if desired.
The cartridges contained in the charger placed upon the charging orifice of the
arm, are kept back by the claws of a band of sheet metal and introduced into the
magazine by means of a simple thumb pressure.
The breech sight (sliding sight for a distance of from 310 to 2000 metres) is shewn
in Fig. 8. The sight is also of improved construction being provided with an eccentric.
lever shaft 14 allowing of the breech sights being fired at will forwards or backwards
at 300, 400 or 50 metres by means of a simple finger pressure without looking at
the back-sight and without removing the rifle from its aiming position.
Working of the mechanism. Single charge. The breech closing case. A (Fig. 1)
contains the movable breech part (Fig. 2) the forward and backward motion of which
is effected by means of the slide 9. This exclusively horizontal motion of the movable
breech part for opening and closing the gun necessitates the hereinafter described
working immediately after a shot has been discharged and the cartridge case is still in
the barrel..
In opening, the internal projection of the slide moves first in the straight part c
of the groove (Fig. 2) of the closing socket 2 and then in the helicoidal part d; at
this moment the closing socket 2 begins to turn in disengaging the cartridge case and
in causing the latter to come out about 2
In continuing to move the slide back the internal projection h sliding in the
helicoidal groove d of the closing socket 2 causes the latter to turn until the closure
tenons have left the abutments of the breech closing case A so that the movable
breech part can be withdrawn until it is stopped by the projection of the tuinbler
spring 1 of the movable breech part (Fig. 1).
The case of the discharged cartridge is withdrawn by the extractor 4 (Fig. 2) which,
moved backwards and projecting into the box, pushes the cartridge case out of the
concave front part of the cylinder and throws the same back.
In moving the slide back the percussion apparatus has been made ready as
follows:-
h
By means of the projection arranged in front of the socket e of the percussion
pillar 5 (Fig. 3) the latter and the striking pin 6, which are connected together by the
socket e, are pushed back, the main spring 7 surrounding the striking pin is bent and
maintained in this condition by the projection of the slide which hus penetrated into
the rest-notch of the helicoidal
groove d.
A cartridge is introduced into the charging compartment; when the magazine is
empty, the plate of the latter serves as a support for the cartridge; when the magazine
is filled, but disengaged the cartridge is supported by the uppermost of the cartridges
contained in the magazine.
In moving the movable breech part forward the front part of the cylinder catches
the bottom of the cartridge, and pushes the latter into the barrel shutting it up
therein.
During this movement, the closure socket 2 (Fig. 2) is first disengaged from the
projection owing to the inclined grooves of the breech case A in which slide the
tenons (Fig. 2); the trigger is then bound in front of the wing of the striking
pin 6 maintaining the percussion mechanism in its cocked condition.
h
m/
ш
When the movable breech part has been moved forward about 2" and the closure
is completed, the projection sliding in the helicoidal groove d of the socket 2 causes
the latter to turn whereby the tenous bare brought in front of the abutments of the
breech case A. At the last part of this motion the projection of the slide enters the
straight groove of the socket 2 and effectually prevents the latter from turning.
The cylinder striking with its circular collar against the socket 2 cannot move back
the closure is thus finished and assured. The claw of the extractor 4 (Fig. 2) has

page_text: gone beyond the bottom of the cartridge case and is in front of the notch of the latter
for extracting the cartridge case after the barrel has been discharged.
The rifle is now ready for shooting.
Repeated shooting. In addition to the above described actions the following also
take place
-
The magazine is filled with cartridges and remains in reserve; the cylinder 3 is not
in contact with the cartridges. It is therefore necessary to raise the magazine by
means of a pressure upon the magazine lever 11, whereupon the cartridges arriving
subsequently one after the other at the orifice of the magazine are operated upon by
the cylinder, introduced into the barrel, and shut up therein.
Uncocking. The ring of the striking pin is seized by the thumb of the right
hand and slowly moved forward while pressing upon the trigger.
Cocking anew. The striking pin is drawn back by its ring 9.
Safety. The striking pin is drawn back and turned to the left hand so as to enter
the horizontal passage arranged in the bottom of nut 8 (see Fig. 3).
The closing and percussion mechanism is thus prevented from acting..
Datel this day of Sentember 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-closure and Repeating Mechanism for
Rifles.
I, RUDOLF SCHMIDT, Colonel and Director of the Swiss Manufactory of Arms at
Bern, Switzerland, 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 :-
The improvements made during the years 1881 to 1885 in the ballistic qualities of
small fire arms have been found inapplicable to repeating fire arms in present use.
I have endeavoured to find out how these ballistic improvements could be combined
with mechanical improvements, that is to say, with the most perfect breech-closure and
repeating mechanism.
As a technical engineer and a rifle-man I long since recognised the fact that as
regards the closure of small breech loading fire arms none of the usual breech
closing mechanisms offered the desired efficiency and that it was necessary to devise
a simple arrangement of bolt for operating the breech closure by a horizontal recti-
linear movement without circular or rotary motion.
This idea was first realised by me in my rifle with single charge and falling breech
block (see R. Schmidt "Die Handfeuerwaffen" 1875, plate 56, Figs. 360-362
Basel B. Schwabe).
The invention forming the subject of the present application has reference to the
construction of an improved fire arm with a sliding breechi closure having a rectilinear
motion combined with the most perfect repeating system.
By the construction of breech closure and repeating mechanism employed, the
improved rifle constitutes a quick firing fire arm, into which the cartridges are intro-
duced one by one, but when using a magazine, as hereinafter described, it becomes a
magazine fire arm capable of very great rapidity of firing; thus it can be employed at
will either as a non-repeating rifle or as a magazine repeating rifle.
The construction and operation of the several parts of a fire arm according to this
invention are as follows, reference being had to the drawings filed with my provisional
specification, and in which,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of part of a rifle constructed with breech closing and repeating
mechanism according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the breech closing mechanism detached,

page_text: Fig. 3 is an elevation, parily in section, showing the firing pin, striker rod and
adjacent parts detached from the breech closing mechanism.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a cartridge magazine.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively side and end views of a cartridge container, with
cartridges.
Fig. 7 is a view of the lower open side of the container.
The breech closing mechanism (Figs. 1 and 2) is so constructed as to absolutely.
prevent premature discharge of the arm; it allows of the loaded arm being easily and
securely placed at half cock and of being again rendered ready for firing.
The rectilinear motion necessary for opening and. closing is easily effected, is not
tiring and facilitates the execution of the two exclusively horizontal charging move-
ments without interfering with the aiming, which is very important in repeating
firing. The breech closing mechanism may be taken apart, put together again and
replaced in position without any auxiliary implement, without special effort, and with-
out requiring any special attention. The time necessary for removing the mechanism
and taking it apart is 15 seconds, and for putting together again and replacing it in
position is 24 seconds.
The magazine 10 (Fig. 4) consists of a box of sheet metal placed below the movable
breech part; its dimensions are dependent upon the number of cartridges. to be carried
therein. This magazine can be easily removed from the rifle and again applied thereto.
The magazine carries on its front side (see Fig. 4) a quadrangular metal plate soldered
thereto and provided in its central position with a notch into which engages a pivot
fixed to an arm of the magazine lever 11; when the latter is turned the magazine
moves up and down. When the arm 11 of the said lever is put into its lowest position
(see Fig. 1) the above mentioned pivot leaves the notch of the quadrangular plate at
the left side and the magazine can be removed. The cartridges are introduced from
above through a charging orifice, it may be one at a time or the contents of a packet
of cartridges can be introduced at once; the spent cartridges are replaced in the
magazine by live or loaded ones in the same way.
The magazine is passed through the orifice of a band adapted to the lower side of
the gun-stock. The said band, which is counter-sunk in the wood of the stock, and
cannot therefore be seen in the drawing, is made in one piece with the trigger-plate.
The magazine is held in position by a magazine lever 11 (Fig. 1) screwed to the
trigger plate. By means of a simple pressure upon the said lever, the magazine can
be raised to enable the fire arm to be used as a repeating one, or the magazine can be
lowered when the firmarin is to be used as a non-repeater. The pressure of the thumb
upon the are of the magazine lever, directed simultaneously inwards and downwards
is sufficient for removing the magazine when the cartridges therein can be returned
immediately into a cartridge box or pouch. By this mole of removing and emptying
the magazine without executing any charging movement, all danger is obviated.
The container 12 for forming a packet or bundle of cartridges (Figs. 5, 6, and 7) is.
made of paper board or of papier maché and is of small weight (about 10 grammes)
and value, so that it can after use be thrown away; or it can be kept for further and
frequent use in target practice if desired.
When the container is arranged upon the loading chamber of the fire arm, the
cartridges within it are retained by the claws of a band of sheet metal but in such
a manner that they can be pushed down into the magazine by simple pressure of the
thumb.
These claws which are clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7, consist of small bands of
sheet metal bent inward. Without these claws the cartridges would fall out of the
container.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a back stepped sight of improved construction. It
is adapted to slide and is suitable for ranges of from 300 to 2000 metres.
This sight
is provided with an eccentric lever spindle 14 by which it can be set at will, forwards
or backwards, for ranges of 300, or 400 metres or other desired range up to
2000 metres by means of simple pressure of the finger without looking at the
back sight and without removing the rifle from its fixing position. The

page_text: adjustment of the back sight is effected by turning the lever 14* (Fig. 8) with
the thumb of the right hand downward or horizontally or upward the rifle man feels
with his hand the position of the said lever and knows by this if the sight is placed for
the distance required say 300, 400 or 500 metres.
The operation of the mechanism when the rifle is to be used as a non-repeating rifle
is as follows:-
The breech casing A (Fig. 1) contains the movable breech piece shown in Fig. 2,
the forward and backward movements of which are effected by means of a sliding
bolt g. The exclusively horizontal movements of the movable breech piece for opening
and closing the breech of the rifle barrel produces the following operations, commencing
from the time immediately after a shot has been fired and whilst the spent cartridge is
still within the rifle barrel. On moving the sliding bolt backward to open the breech,
the projection on the inner side of the bolt moves first in the straight portion e of the
groove of the closing sleeve 2 (Fig. 2) and then in the inclined portion d when the
closing sleeve 2 will begin to rotate thereby loosening the empty cartridge case and
causing the same to move back about 2 millimetres.
By the continued rearward movement of the sliding bolt, the projection h sliding in
the inclined grooved of the closing sleeve 2, causes the sleeve to rotate until the
closure projections are free from corresponding abutments in the breech casing A so
that the movable breech piece can then he withdrawn rearwards until it is stopped by
the projecting part of the tumbler spring 1 of the movable breech piece (Fig. 1)
coming in contact with a stop. The empty cartridgo case is withdrawn by the
extractor 4 in any suitable manner such as usually employed in breech loading
rifles.
During moving back of the sliding bolt the percussion apparatus is cocked in the
following manner.
By means of the projection arranged in front of the socket e of the striking pin 5
(Fig. 3), the latter and the striker rod 6, which are connected together by the socket e,
are pushed back, so that the main spring 7 surrounding the striker rod is com-
pressed and maintained in a state of compression by the projection of the sliding
bolt, which after moving through the inclined portion d of the groove, enters a
rest-notch at the end of the inclined groove d.
A cartridge is now inserted into the loading chamber. The cartridges in the
magazine are raised by means of a spring arranged at the bottoms of the magazine and
pressing against a movable plate supporting the cartridges. When the magazine iș
empty the movable plate has been raised to the upper edge of the magazine and
it serves in this position as a support to the cartridge lying in the loading chamber.
When the magazine is empty, its plate serves as a support for the cartridge; when
the magazine is filled, but placed out of operation, the cartridge inserted is supported
by the uppermost of the cartridges contained in the magazine.
When moving the movable breech piece forward the front part of the cylinder 3
acts against the base or rear end of the cartridge, and pushes the same into the barrel,
shutting it up therein.
During this forward movement, the closing sleeve 2 (Fig. 2) is first disengaged
from the projection h by means of the inclined grooves of the breech casing A in which
slide the projections (Fig. 2). The trigger then projects in front of the wing of
the striker rod 6, so as to maintain the percussion niechanism in its cocked condition.
When the movable breech piece bas been further moved forward about 2 millimetres
the closure is completed, the projection sliding in the inclined groove d of the
sleeve 2, causing the latter to rotate whereby the projections bare brought in front of
the abutments within the breech casing A and thereby locked. During the last part
of this movement the projection h on the sliding bolt enters the straight groovec of the
sleeve 2 and effectually prevents the latter from rotating. The cylinder 3 bearing
with its circular collar m against the sleeve 2 cannot move back; the closure is thus
complete and secure. The claw of the extractor 4 (Fig. 2) will then be beyond and
in front of the rim at the base of the cartridge case ready for extracting the latter
after the fire arm has been discharged. The firearm is now ready for firing.

page_text: When the rifle is used as a repeating fire arm the following operations take place in
addition to those above described.
The magazine is filled with cartridges, the front end of the cylinder 3.being out of
contact with these cartridges. To feed a cartridge to the barrel, it, is therefore
necessary to raise the magazine which is effected by pressing upon the magazine
lever 11, whereupon the cartridges are brought in a consecutive manner owing to the
action of the magazine spring into the loading chamber and are then acted upon one at
a time by the cylinder 3 and introduced into the barrel, and shut up therein.
To uncock the rifle the ring g of the striker rod and pin is held by the thumb of the
right band and allowed to move slowly forward, while pressing upon the trigger. To
recock the rifle, the striker rod and pin are drawn back by means of the ring 9.
To place the rifle at safety cock, the striker rod 6 is drawn back and rotated to the
left hand so that the wing enters the horizontal passage provided in the bottom of
the sleeve 8 (see Fig. 3). Thus the operation of uncocking, cocking and the placing
at safety cock can be effected without operating the breech closing mechanism and
without causing the firing pin to fire a cartridge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. For a rifle, breech closure mechanism having rectilinear opening and closing
movements and comprising a closing cylinder 3 surrounded by a sleeve 2 capable of
partial rotary motion, and operated by a projection h arranged to work in an inclined
groove in the sleeve and connected to a sliding bolt g substantially as herein described
for the purposes specified.
2. For a rifle, the improved breech closure mechanism, firing mechanism, and
cartridge extractor the whole arranged and operating substantially as described and
shown.
3. In a rifle constructed with breech closure mechanism of the kind referred to in
claim 1, a removable cartridge magazine 10 provided with a lever 11, whereby
the magazine can be raised or lowered substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
4. For a rifle, the improved adjustable backsight herein described with reference to
and shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 19th day of June 1890.
RUDOLF SCHMIDT,
By L. W., per F. B.