Improvements in or Connected with Breech Loading Fire Arms.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in or Connected with Breech Loading Fire Arms.
"
I PAUL MAUSER of Oberndorf. on the Neckar in the Kingdom of Württemborg
and Empire of Germany, Manufacturer do hereby declare. the nature of my "said
invention and in what manner. the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
r
The object of the invention is a new loading device for breech loading fire arms
with cylinder bolt or so called bolt guns consisting principally in a detachable cartridge
magazine which is applied to the gun from below so that the cartridges enter the
cartridge rest through a slot at the bottom of the breech case and in some other
arrangements. The magazine is constructed in such manner that it can be supplied
or filled with cartridges prior to its attachment to the gun as well as after it is so
attached and that single cartridges can be inserted into the magazine while in the
latter position. If attached and when filled or empty the gun can be used as a common
single loader. A hand indicates automatically upon the dial of the magazine if any
and how many cartridges are contained in it at any moment. If the magazine is
detached from the gun the slot in the breech case is closed by a simple contrivance
against rain dust etc.
The loading device is intended especially for breech loading fire arms with cylinder
bolt in which the breech case opening is covered by the bolt guide, but it may be used
also in breech loading guns of other construction provided that the breech piece offers
sufficient room.for applying properly the cartridge magazine..
In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which the
same letters of reference indicate similar.parts.
: 1:
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the breech part of a gun with magazine
attached.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line z. z of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the magazine.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the magazine.
and with
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of a magazine for cartridges without a rim or
flange
a
Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the breech, the magazine being detached.

page_text: Figure 7 is a part cross section of the magazine drawn to'an cìilarged scale.
The breech case C is pierced at its bottom. by a slot through which a cartridge can
pass easily in a position parallel to the axis of the barrel. Upon the underside of the
stock A is let in a metal plate M which is united by two screws to the breech case C
and the stock A. This plate M. possesses also a slot through and into which the
cartridge magazine is inserted from below, the stock A being pierced accordingly and
the magazine now corresponds to the slot of the breech case C. As soon as the
magazine comes in its proper position its spring catch s snaps over the edge of the
plate M securing the magazine in position. For detaching the magazine the catch s
is released by pressing with a finger upon the thumb plates whereupon the magazine
can be removed downward.
If the gun, after the magazine is removed, is to be used as a single loader the slot
in the breech case ought to be obstructed in such manner that a cartridge laid in
the cartridge rest of the breech case C, cannot fall into or through the slot. For this
purpose there is hinged to the plate M alongside its slot a plate K operated by a
spring K in such way that the top edge of the plate K is pressed into the centre line
of the slot of the breech case suitable off-sets at the lower edge of the plate K
preventing it from being pressed too far out by the spring K. In this position of
the plate Kit supports properly any cartridge which is placed in the cartridge rest so
that the bolt head F hits the bottom or base of the cartridge if the bolt is moved
forward and pushes it into the barrel. During the back stroke of the bolt & the
extractor claw drags along the empty cartridge shell until abutting against the nose g¹
of the stop (Figure 6) it is ejected.
The slot of the plate M is covered by the slide M it being drawn back in guides of
the plate M so that dust, sand, rain or other foreign matter cannet enter into the lock
mechanism through said slot. At the moment the magazine P is attached, the plate K
is pressed by the magazine into a recess in the stock A and kept there inactively until
the magazine P is removed when it will again assume its obstructive position in the
slot of the breech case..
The magazine P forms a box of sheet metal of about trapeze shape as shown in
Figure 1 where it is represented, to receive nine cartridges of 8 millimetres calibre.
Its size must naturally be varied for a greater or lesser number of cartridges and
also for different calibre.
The two narrow walls are shaped to the form of eccentric curves to allow the
cartridges closely packed one above the other, to rise easily and freely without
jamming:
,
Upon the narrow back wall is provided the spring catch s, mentioned above. At
the lower front corner of the magazine P is formed a bulge or enlargement serving as
a housing for the cross-shaft W of a light arm or lever D moving inside the magazine P
and for a wire spring D' encircling the shaft W which spring has a tendency to force
the free end of the arm D upward. Outside the magazine P a hand or lever
provided with a handle Q' is fastened to the shaft W so that said hand Q and the
lever D move simultaneously, and the hand Q shows always the exact position of the
lever D. The hand Q moving above a dial or index marked upon the flat side of
the magazine P, denotes therefore how many cartridges are still contained in the
magazine P. The cartridge on top is by the lever D brought within the reach of the
head F of the bolt % by which the cartridge is pushed into the barrel. The back
stroke of the bolt & forces the empty shell out of the barrel, draws it back and ejects
it as above described. The next cartridge which has been retained in an inactive
position by the bolt k sliding above it now rises within reach of the bolt and the
operations are repeated:
If the cartridges are not required to rise but are to remain beyond the reach of
the bolt the hand which is made capable of springing slightly, is pressed
downward by means of the handle Q₁so much that it snaps below the tapering
projection provided upon the flat side of the magazine P thereby becoming
immovable. As the lever D is at the same time pressed downward to a little below its
lowest working position, all the cartridges are also lowered for this same distance so that,

page_text: even if the magazine is filled entirely, the top cartridge cannot be acted upon by the
bolt k. When it is desired that the gun shall be loaded again from the magazine the
hand Q. is to be released from the nose Q3 by slightly lifting or drawing it
outwards when the lever D brings at once the uppermost cartridge into reach
of the bolt whether the magazine is filled entirely or contains even only one
cartridge.
To allow the cartridges to be brought easily into the magazino P but to hinder
their falling accidentally out of the upper opening in any position of the magazine P,
the upper edges of the flat sides of the latter are in the centre bent inward. By
two oblique cuts or incisions p¹ Figure 3 extending from the edge downward and
another shaped cut or incision p³ the flap p so formed is made elastic.
That
portion of the shaped cut or incision p² which is parallel with the upper edge
is formed in an oblique direction in such way that the upper outside edge of the cut
or incision overlaps the lower outside edge as represented in Figure 7 in enlarged
scale. The part p³ to which this lower outside edge belongs is stretched until the
two edges again meet each other.
It will be casily seen that the flaps p will yield at the moment when a cartridge
is pressed into the magazine from above, but that the sides of the magazine P offer,
against a pressure from outside, a resistance as great as if the cuts were not made
in them, the part 3 supporting the flap p.
The magazine P possesses, for the usual cartridges formed with a flange or outwardly
projecting bottom to the shell, guide grooves, which are pressed, or stamped, out of
the material of the magazine, and along which the bottom of the shell can slide,
so that the cartridges fed into the magazine P travel automatically into their proper
place. For cartridges without a projecting flange or bottom, but with an annular
groove for the extractor claw, the guidance is effected in the reversed way by ribs
projecting inwardly.
If the bolt & advances, it forces, (pressing against the bottom of the cartridge from
behind), the cartridge in an oblique direction upward, the elastic flaps yielding
outwardly until the cartridge is released from the magazine P and pushed home into
the barrel.
If the magazine P, attached to the gun, is to be fed with cartridges, the latter are
pushed with the projecting bottom into the guide groove and pressed into the
magazine, the flaps p yielding outwardly. During this manipulation the hand Q
may be arrested by the nose or remain in its working position, in which latter
case, the lever D is to be pressed down for the distance of one cartridge at a
time.
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 :-
In a loading device for breech-loading fire arms with cylinder bolt and detachable
cartridge magazine, which is attached from below:-
1. The device for raising the cartridges in the magazine P, consisting in a lever D
working inside the magazine by means of the spring D, the shaft W and the
hand fastened to the shaft W, and indicating upon a dial the number of
cartridges contained in the magazine, substantially as shown and described.
2. The arrangement for arresting and releasing the hand Q by means of the
projection Q3 or its equivalent for the purpose set forth.
3. The elastic flaps or springs p formed of the material of the magazine P, the
upper edges of which are bent inwardly constructed substantially as shown and
described and for the purpose set forth.
4. The hinged spring plate K obstructing the slot in the bottom of the breech
case when the magazine P is detached, and leaving the said slot free for the
passage of the cartridges when the magazine is attached to the gun, substantially
as shown and described and for the purpose explained.
5. The slide M¹ in combination with the plate M for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 6. The breech piece Cin combination with the detachable magazine P attached to
the gun from below and containing the spring lever D and the hand Q with the
slot in the bottom of the breech case and with the hinged spring plate K
arranged and constructed substantially as shown and described and for the purposes
set forth.