Improvements in Magazines for Firearms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 13th Oct.,
1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazines for Firearms.
We, THOMAS ROBERT RANEY ASHTON, of Deniliquin, in the Colony of New
South Wales, Mechanical Engineer, and EDWARD JOHN KELLY, of Terang, in
the Colony of Victoria, Mechanical Engineer, 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, that is to say :-
Our invention relates to improved magazines for fire-arms.
In that class of magazines which are placed into position under the arm, there
are various disadvantages one of which is the need for spring mechanism to raise
each cartridge as needed out of the magazine to the proper level for pushing forward
into the breech.
Such underplaced magazines cannot be very readily refilled with cartridges;
nor can they be very easily removed and a new magazine substituted. Apart from
the expensiveness of new magazines, each having a platform for the cartridges and
a spring, the weight of any considerable number of them is an effectual barrier to
many such magazines being carried by soldiers and consequently the uniform custom
in European armies is to employ a permanent magazine or box which must be
refilled each time it is emptied, either with single cartridges or with a number of
cartridges held in a clip or charger.
It is however, not practicable to refill such magazines with comfort whilst the
gun is held to the shoulder and pointing at the enemy.
Our magazines possess the advantage of simplicity of construction. They may
be used permanently attached to the gun and be refilled as required, or in a modified
form, (in which the construction enables them to be turned out very cheaply which
is of course a necessity in such a case) they may be thrown off the arm when
emptied, and be replaced with a new and full magazine with great rapidity and
In the latter operation, the weapon need not be taken down from the
shoulder or the general aim be greatly disturbed.
ease.
Our magazines have no spring whatever; the cartridges in them enter the body
of the arm by gravity alone. In the underplaced magazines it is impossible for
the rifleman to see at any moment without opening the magazine how many unfired
cartridges are yet in the weapon, but in ours this information can be seen at a
glance because the magazine is placed above the weapon and plainly in sight.
As it is quite possible in many ways for a magazine to be destroyed, it is
important that a new one can be easily put in its place. This can be done with our
magazine, as it is practicable to furnish every rifleman, with a considerable stock
of spare magazines; but this is not found to be so practicable as is desirable with
other forms of magazines, and consequently guns having the latter may often
become unserviceable.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate our invention:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one form of our magazine with the lid
partly off; and Figure 2 shows a plan view of the same, the body being shown in
horizontal section.
Figure 3 shows the rear part in perspective of a modified form of our magazine,
provided with a door which is shown partly open.
Figure 4 shows the aforesaid door as seen from its inner side.
Figure 5 shows a horizontal section through the rear part of the modified
magazine, when the door is off.

page_text: Figures 6 and 7 shows the same as Figure 5 but with the door closed, and
partly opened, respectively.
Figure 8 shows in perspective the modified magazine inserted in its place on a
gun, with the door open as it appears after refilling with cartridges.
In all these figures the same letters of reference denote like parts. The
magazine itself is a light sheet steel box of two widths A and B for thick and thin
ends of cartridges respectively so that it is impossible to insert cartridges therein
wrong end first.
It is preferably U-shaped, in one piece, with outwardly projecting ribs CC
extending partly down the sides to give rigidity to the metal. These ribs can be
made by swaging with suitable dies.
Along the lower edge at each side, but not at back or front, there is a horizontal
lip E.
The lips serve two purposes viz. to keep the lid D in place when required, and
when the lid D is being removed they are adapted to enter corresponding grooves
in the chamber O above and at one side of the arm and thereby to hold the
magazine in place upon the arm, see Figure 8.
The chamber O is open at the front and above, its two sides and back forming
vertical supports of the magazine, and fitting closely to the sides and back of the
part A.
The ribs C on the part A should not therefore extend lower than the
height reached by the sides of O but on the part B they may extend almost to
the base.
To keep the lid D on when a full magazine A B is off the arm, any simple catch
may be employed such as raised rounded surfaces G G on the lips E E at the
outer end of B, over which corresponding raised rounded surfaces F F fit with
spring pressure when the lid D is closed, with just sufficient tightness to prevent
the lid coming off except when deliberately pushed with moderate force.
TT are slots or apertures which being arranged on the back and side of the
magazine show at a glance how many cartridges are left in the magazine.
The dotted line Y (Figure 1) shows an alternative form for the top of the
magazine to save space. The magazine may be vertical or may rake forward
which latter form we show.
Great stress is laid by authorities upon the fact that it is necessary to be able to
have in the magazine the greatest number of cartridges it is adapted for whenever
a "critical" moment arrives; whilst it is the case with some arms that when such
a moment is at hand, the rifleman may have only one cartridge left, and not being
aware of it may fail to reload or may go on snapping the trigger, even when all the
cartridges are exhausted. The aid afforded by the apertures T overcome this
drawback as whenever it is advisable to have a full magazine in readiness for a
critical moment no mistake can be made.
Referring now to the Figures 3 and 8 these show a modified magazine, in all
respects similar to that already described except that it has at the rear a door I
hinged at a corner L, so that it can be opened as shown in Figures 37 & 8 and
closed as in Figure 6. The lower rear part of A is bent over and secured as at H
firmly binding the sides together, and one side of the rear edge of A is bent to
form a vertically extending U-shaped recess Q into which one side of the door
passes when the door is closed.
The other side of A has an outwardly extending vertical lip X which is engaged
by a U-shaped edge N on the corresponding side of the said door when the latter
is closed. This arrangement is effective in preventing the door being forced off by
the shock of firing.
The rib J is made to project outwards sufficiently far to enable it to be easily
caught by the finger when the door is to be thrown open or closed.
A catch is arranged so as to keep the door I closed such as a projection M on A
over which a tongue K having a corresponding recess passes with spring pressure
with sufficient hold to prevent accident and displacement.
As will be readily understood the manner of using our magazines is very

page_text: convenient and simple. Assuming that a magazine as in Figure 8 (but empty) is
to be removed and replaced by another, the latter is taken in one hand, and the
hand is raised to the rear of the empty magazine, and the latter is pushed forward
with a firm pressure, which causes it to slide off and fall to the ground.
The hand is now drawn backward in such manner, that the rear of the lips EE
of the new and full magazine shall enter the slots in O and thus the new magazine
is drawn back, the lid being pushed off automatically by the arm and falling to the
ground.
Obvious modifications may be made in our magazines, or some features of them
as described may be dispensed with, whilst retaining some of the essential features
of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A magazine for fire-arms consisting of the body A B, provided with lips or
flanges E E at the base thereof, substantially as described.
2. A magazine for fire-armis consisting of the body A B, provided with
strengthening ribs in the sides and rear thereof substantially as described.
3. In combination in a magazine for fire-arms, a body, open at the bottom, and a
hinged door at the rear the said door being adapted, when closed, to resist strong
rearward pressure substantially as described.
4. A magazine for fire-arms comprising a body portion A B, having flanges E E,
and a rear door, the said body having a bent over part Q forming a recess to
receive the edge of the door and the said door having a like bent over part on its
outer edge to fit a flange on the body end, substantially as described.
5. A magazine for firearms constructed, and adapted to the firearm, substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of September 1894.
raquanders to fo
1001
T. R. R. ASHTON,
E. J. KELLY,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.