Improved Means for Adapting Rifles and the like for use with Miniature Cartridges.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Adapting Rifles and the like for use with
Miniature Cartridges.
I, JOHN EWART, Captain Royal Artillery and Adjutant 1st Banff Artillery
Volunteers of Banff, in the County of Banff, North Britain, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to improved means for adapting rifles and the like for use
with miniature cartridges and full sized bullets so that rifle practice may be carried
out at ranges varying in length from say five yards to one hundred yards; the
practice being carried out on the same principle as with ordinary service
ammunition.
In carrying out my said invention I provide a strong metal or other cylinder of
the same diameter as an ordinary service cartridge and so as to fit the bore of the
rifle in the same way as an ordinary service cartridge, the said cylinder having
provision formed.in it or attached to it so as to retain in position a miniature
cartridge to the front end of which the bullet is secured by suitable means.
whole thus representing an ordinary cartridge.
The
I form the metal cylinder in two halves which are suitably hinged together so as
to permit of the miniature cartridge being placed in and taken out of said cylinder.
The cylinder is made the same shape as an ordinary service cartridge and provided
with a rim so as to enable it to be extracted from the rifle and reloaded as an
ordinary service cartridge,-also when intended to be used with miniature cartridges
having a rim the said cylinder is provided or formed with a recess.around its back
or lower end so as to retain the cartridge and so enable the striker to act upon the
сар. The bullet which as well as the cylinder may be made to fit any bore of
rifle, is preferably made hollow and connected to the cartridge by any suitable
means, such as by wood, paper or other material, in such a manner as to enable it
being fired in the usual manner. Or I may use an arrangement whereby miniature
cartridges having no rims may be used, I form the cylinder in one piece and provide
it with a rim also with a recess into which the back or lower end of the bullet fits;
the said bullet being provided or formed with slots or grooves which engage with
corresponding projections or studs in the cylinder after the manner of a bayonet
joint so as to retain the cartridge and so enable the striker to act on the cap.
In either of the foregoing arrangements it will be seen that when the cylinder,
cartridge and bullet are fitted together the whole represents an ordinary cartridge,
which may be extracted and reloaded in the usual manner. The said arrangement
enables rifle practice to be carried out on ranges of a much shorter distance than
hitherto.
By my invention the bullet being of the same size as the ordinary service bullet
takes the grooves of the rifle in the ordinary way. Also as the bullets being made
of lead when fired they simply flatten against the target without splashing and
thus preventing danger. There is also the economy of recovering the lead bullets.
The advantages of the foregoing are the means for adapting rifles and the like
for firing the ordinary sized bullet with a miniature cartridge and the great saving
of expense in ammunition,—also that rifle practice may be carried out either in drill
halls barrack yards or at the ordinary rifle targets in the open where class
firing could be carried out thus saving an immense expense in cases where troops
have to travel long distances for this purpose.
Dated this 10th dow of January 1893
J. Y. JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Adapting Rifles and the like for use with
Miniature Cartridges.
I, JOHN EWART, Captain of Royal Artillery and Adjutant 1st Banff Artillery
Volunteers of Banff, in the County of Banff, North Britain, 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 relates to improved means for adapting rifles and the like for use
with miniature cartridges and full sized bullets, so that rifle practice may be carried
out at ranges varying in length from say five yards to one hundred yards; the
practice being carried out on the same principle as with ordinary ammunition. In
carrying out my said invention I provide a strong metal or other cylinder of the
same diameter as an ordinary cartridge and so as to fit the bore of the rifle in the
same way as an ordinary cartridge, the said cylinder having provision formed in it
or attached to it so as to retain in position a miniature cartridge, to the front end
of which an ordinary or full sized bullet is secured by suitable means. The whole
thus representing an ordinary cartridge as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 is an end view of the cartridge and
cylinder.
Figure 3 is a plan of the cylinder when open; and Figure 4 is a plan of the
cartridge and bullet detached from the cylinder.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are modifications.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 I form the cylinder A in two halves which are
hinged together at a so as to permit of the miniature cartridge B being placed in
and taken out of said cylinder. The cylinder A is made the same shape as an
ordinary service cartridge and provided with the usual rim a' so as to enable it to
be extracted from the rifle and reloaded. Also when intended to be used with
miniature cartridges having a rim 6 (Figure 4) the said cylinder A is formed with
a recess a³ (Figure 3) around its back or lower end, so as to retain the cartridge B
and so enable the striker to act upon the cap 61, the bullet C which as well as the
cylinder A may be made to fit any bore of rifle is preferably made hollow and is
connected to the cartridge B by any suitable means, such as by wood, paper, or
other material or by the end of the cartridge case being indented over the end of
the bullet as shown at so as to enable the bullet to be fired in the usual manner.
Or I may use an arrangement as shown in Figures 5, 6, 7 whereby miniature
cartridges having no rims may be used. I form the cylinder in one piece A¹ and
provide it with a rim a' also with a recess a² into which the back or lower end of the
bullet C fits; the said bullet being provided with slots or grooves D which engage
with corresponding projections or studs D¹ in the cylinder A' after the manner of a
bayonet joint so as to retain the cartridge B and so enable the striker to act on the
cap. When placing the cartridge within the cylinder A' a motion of partial
rotation is given to the cartridge so as to cause the stud D' to be locked within the
transverse slot or groove after the manner of a bayonet joint. The bullet is torn
away by the firing and the cartridge is forced out.
In either of the foregoing arrangements it will be seen that when the cylinder,
cartridge and bullet are fitted together the whole represents an ordinary cartridge
which may be extracted and reloaded in the usual manner. The said arrangement
enables rifle practice to be carried out on ranges of a much shorter distance than
hitherto.
By my invention the bullet being of the same size as the ordinary service bullet,
it takes the grooves of the rifle in the ordinary way. Also, as the lead bullets
simply flatten against the target without splashing they thus prevent danger. There
is also the economy of recovering the lead.
.

page_text: The advantages of the foregoing are the means for adapting rifles and the like
for firing the ordinary sized bullet with a miniature cartridge and the great saving
of expense in ammunition. Also that by my invention rifle practice may be carried
out either in drill halls, barrack yards, or at the ordinary rifle targets in the open
where class and other firing can be carried out and thus save expense, especially in
cases where troops have to travel long distances for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved means for adapting rifles and the like for use with miniature
cartridges, substantially as herein before described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1893
J. Y. JOHNSON;
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agent.