IMPROVE- MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS FOR LOADING THEM WITH THE LEFT HAND
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Armand Trinquier, of No. 60, Boulevart
de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic of France; Commander in
the 122d Regiment of Infantry, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS FOR LOADING THEM WITH THE LEFT
HAND."
Scaled the 21st December 1874, and dated the 1st July 1874.

page_text: The action of loading, independently of the motion of preparing arms,
is composed of three motions, which are as follows:-
1st motion, opening the exploding chamber.
2nd, placing the cartridge in the gun.
3rd, shutting the exploding chamber.
My Invention has for effect to reduce to a single movement the three
motions composing the actual mode of loading. By my system the left.
hand, instead of remaining motionless during the action of loading, acts
jointly to perform the said action by opening and shutting the exploding
chamber without the help of the right hand, which has nothing else to
do but to take the artridge and place it in the gun. My system there-
forc permits a quicker loading, since it reduces three motions to a single
one; it consists specially in placing under the breech, forward of the
trigger guard, the lever which actuates the sliding piece or obturator,
opening and shutting the exploding chamber; instead of having the said
lever on the right hand, it is then directly in the very center of gravity,
so that the left hand supports the arm without quitting the lever; whilst
the right hand is fetching the cartridge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Auguste Armand Trinquier in the Great Seal 2
Patent Office on the 31st December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
ARMAND TRINQUIER, of No. 60, Boulevart de Strasbourg, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Commander in the 122d Regiment of Infantry,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Auguste Armand Trinquier,
Her special licence that I, the said Auguste Armand Trinquier, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Auguste Armand Trinquier, my executors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: This refers to modern improved fire-arms, the old ones having 4, 5, 6,
or more movements.
In order to perform in a single movement the three movements com-
posing the real loading action, and do away with the two other
movements, I have invented a system of fire-arms in which the left
hand, instead of remaining motionless under the stock while the gun is
being loaded, acts jointly to perform the said loading by opening and
shutting the exploding chamber without the aid of the right hand, which
has nothing else to do but to take hold of the cartridge and to put it

page_text: in the gun. This system is unquestionably the one giving the most
rapid loading, since it reduces it from three to a single motion or time
("temps").
The following table showing the several movements for loading in both
systems will easily prove the truth of the above assertion :—

page_text: As the movement of the left hand opening and closing the exploding
chamber may be executed without loss of time at the same time that
the right hand executes the other movements, the result is, that the
loading is reduced from three movements to one. This system of fire-
arms has the further advantage of causing the shifting of the left hand
during the loading, and of lessening the fatigue resulting from its
otherwise invariable position under the stock.
There are some fowling pieces with moveable barrel, in which the
movement of opening the exploding chamber is executed with the left
hand, which moves the trigger guard, but it will be observed that this
movement can only be executed with the co-operation of the right hand,
which must be at the handle, the result being that the movements or
times of the loading remain the same, whereas in the system of this In-
vention the lever is in front of the trigger guard and placed in the
centre of gravity, so that the left hand supports the arm without
quitting the lever while the right hand fetches the cartridge. This
novel system of fire-arms is therefore characterized beyond the con-
struction of its details,―

page_text: Supplementary Sight for Military Fire-arms, sec Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9.
-In order to join the greatest possible range to the rapidity of firing
of the arms loading with the left hand I place upon the ordinary sight
of the arm a supplementary sight which will permit firing to a range of
2000 mètres. This sight is carried upon a pin, and is placed upon the
fire-arm at the moment of using it. It is composed of a sliding catch
fixed to the upper part of the slot of the sight. This catch, in which
slides a graduated plate, carries a ring into which takes a swivel when
the sight is carried at the button hole. When it is desired to place it
upon the fire-arm the swivel is removed and the tenon of the catch is
placed at the top of the slot of the sight. The cursor or slider of the
sight is then removed and the catch is fixed by means of a cursor. The
graduated plate is then raised or lowered successively according to the
distance.

page_text: The graduations of the plate are given by the form of the trajectory,
from 1200 to 2000 mètres. This plate has two notches, the lowest for
sighting from 1200 to 1650 mètres, the highest for from 1650 to 2000
mètres. There is a graduation for each notch, that for the lowest notch
is in front, that for the highest at the back.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Armand Trinquier, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
A. TRINQUIER. (L.S.)
ALFRED NOUETTE DELORME.