IMPROVEMENTS IN RIFLES AND THEIR PROJECTILES
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Scott at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st January
1861.
I, Lieutenant JOHN SCOTT, 1st Duke's Own R.L.M., of 23, Michael's
Place, Brompton, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIFLES AND THEIR PROJECTILES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in rifles and their projectiles.
In constructing rifles according to my Invention, I make the barrel by
preference 86 inches in length, in no case longer than 39 inches, or shorter
than 38 inches. I make the rifle grooves of the form (in section) of a seg-
ment of a circle, and to turn more rapidly at the muzzle than at the breech
of the barrel, making by preference a quarter turn in the first twelve inches
from the breech, and a quarter turn in the last six inches at the muzzle; in no
case, however, do I make the turn at the breech more rapid than one quarter
in ten inches, or slower than one quarter in fourteen inches, and in no case do
I make the turn at the muzzle more rapid than one quarter in five inches, or
slower than one quarter in eight inches. I prefer that the twist of the grooves
should be in the opposite direction to that which is usual, that is to say, in
proceeding from the muzzle to the breach the twist is from right to left in
place of from left to right. The bore I prefer to be that used by the Govern-
ment, viz., 577 inches, but in no case do I make it larger than 65 or smaller

page_text: than 5. I prefer that the grooves should be four in number, but this may
be varied. I make the grooves by preference 3 inch deep, but in no case
deeper than inch, or shallower than inch.
It is in thus proportioning each of the parts of a rifle as above stated that
my Invention consists. None of the parts can be varied beyond the limits
given without greatly deteriorating the weapon. In short any rifle in which
any of these proportions are varied beyond the limits given, will not be con-
structed according to my Invention. The projectile I make of a cylindrical
form, and pointed at the end as is usual; it is not less than 1 diameter in
length, or greater than 2 diameter, the cylindrical part being somewhat greater
in length than the conical. I form on it projections to fit the rifle grooves;
these projections commence at the base of the projectile, and pass about a
quarter of an inch along it of such a size as to enter to the bottom of the
grooves, after which they taper off; thus the bearing parts of the projections
do not extend to the end of the cylindrical part of the projectile, and the
portion of the cylindrical part beyond the projections is made as large as it
can be made, to allow the projectile to enter the barrel conveniently, whilst
that part on which the projections are formed is made somewhat smaller, so
that the fit is at a point beyond the projections. At the base of the projec-
tile a hollow is formed, and it enters the projectile to such a depth as to
throw the centre of gravity of the projectile forward beyond the projections
which bear in the grooves and into the part where the fit takes place.