AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR METHOD OF 'RIFLING,' APPLICABLE TO FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jeremiah Murphy, of Richmond, in the
County of the City of Cork, Ireland, for the Invention of
"AN
IMPROVED SYSTEM OR METHOD OF 'RIFLING,' APPLICABLE TO FIRE-ARMS
AND ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 2nd August 1872, and dated the 21st February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jeremiah
Murphy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st February 1872.
I, WILLIAM JEremiah MurpHY, of Richmond, in the County of the
City of Cork, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR METHOD OF 'RIPLING,' APPLICABLE TO FIRE-
ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a very simple and effective system or method
of rifling the barrels of fire-arms and the barrels or bores of ordnance
or such special fire-arms as are termed the "mitrailleuse" or the "Gatling

page_text: gun," resulting in a great reduction in the cost of rifling, and conse-
quently in manufacturing rifled fire-arms or ordnance; a more even
pitch and depth of rifling will be attained with more perfect form of
the same consequent chiefly on the small portion of the Darrel or bore
that will be rifled, and on the system or method (herein-after mentioned)
that will be employed of punching or forming the rifling in the process
of manufacture. Greatly increased initial velocity of the projectile will
be attained with consequent flatness of trajectory, also increased range
and penetration without loss of accuracy.
In addition to the above advantages the recoil will be greatly reduced
without reduction of charge or increased weight of the arm.
The Invention consists essentially in rifling the barrels of fire-arms or
the barrels or bores of ordnance with ribs or lands of a semicircular or
other form, which are raised out of or above the circumference of the
bore (which is cylindrical), and which raised ribs or lands are made so
as not to extend the entire length of the bore of the barrel. The ribs
or lands can have any particular pitch given to them, but such ribs or
the rifling will extend only along a portion of the bore and always to
the muzzle or point of exit of the projectile.
The ribs or rifling can be varied in shape, width, or height from the
muzzle or point of exit to where they run into or take the cylindrical
or smooth portion of the bore. This system of rifling will also be found
applicable to barrels or bores grooved or rifled from the breech with
straight grooves or ribs to a certain point according to the primitive
system of rifling, which straight grooves or ribs take at a certain point
the incline or curve in the bore.
In carrying out this Invention I prefer to employ the projecting rib
system of rifling as described in the Specification of the Letters Patent
granted to me on the 9th day of January 1867, No. 56, and also the
method and means of manufacturing the rifled barrels as described in
the Specification of certain other Letters Patent granted to me and to
John Bryan O'Hea on the 22nd day of September 1868, No. 2912, but.
it will be obvious that the main feature of my Invention, namely, rifling
the barrels with ribs or lands which do not extend the entire length of
the bore will be applicable to any other description of rifling or grooving
and whether the pitch of the rifling be from left to right or from right
to left.

page_text: The rifling or grooving to be employed to carry out this Invention
may be formed by punching or cutting any required length of the bore
of the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Jeremiah Murphy in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st August 1872..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JEREMIAH MURPHY, of Richmond, in the County of the City of Cork,
Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Jeremiah Murphy, Her special
licence, that I, the said William Jeremiah Murphy, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Jeremiahı
Murphy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR METHOD OF RIFLING,' APPLICABLE TO FIRE-ARMS
AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Jeremiah Murphy, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
$
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Jeremiah Murphy, 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-

page_text: "
This Invention relates to an effective, perfect, and very simple system
or method of "rifling" the barrels or bores of fire-arms or ordnance, and
the barrels or tubes of such special fire-arms as are termed or known
as the "mitrailleur" or mitrailleuse," the "Gatling," or other similar
machine guns, resulting in a great reduction in the cost of rifling, and
consequently in manufacturing rifled fire-arms or ordnance, and in a
more even pitch and depth, with more perfect form of rifling, consequent
chiefly on the small portion of the barrel or bore rifled, and on the
system or method (hereafter mentioned) employed of punching, cutting,
or otherwise forming the rifling in or during the process of manufacture
of the barrel or bore.
Among further advantages attained may be mentioned a greatly
increased initial velocity of the projectile with consequent flatness of
trajectory, insuring increased range and penetrating power with increase
of vertical and without loss of lateral accuracy in the flight of the
projectile. The recoil will also be greatly reduced without reducing the
firing charge or without increasing the weight of the arm.
The Invention (which will be readily understood on reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings and to the following description or
explanation thereof) consists essentially in limiting the extent of the
inclined rifling of the barrel or bore to the muzzle portion thereof, or
in other words, from a distance in front of the seat of the bullet or shot
(when in its place) to or near to the muzzle or point of exit thereof, a
certain portion of the bore in advance of the shot not being rifled with
inclined rifling, but being smooth or cylindrical, or being rifled with
straight rifling so that when the shot is started by the explosion of the
powder or charge it moves forward in the bore without experiencing
the usual resistance of the inclined rifling, and so receives less resistance
to its forward motion, but in its progress up the bore in travelling along
the inclined rifling its velocity is somewhat decreased which enables the
propelling force of the charge to accumulate behind and drive it from
the muzzle with increased velocity, and so utilizes with greater effect
than hitherto the full force of the charge.
The Invention is applicable to all kinds, patterns, or descriptions of
rifling or grooving of the barrels or bores of fire-arms or ordnance.
On the accompanying Drawings, Figures 1 shew the Invention
applied to a barrel rifled with semicircular ribs 1, having their inner
ends chisel or wedge shaped (from 2 to 3), so that the bullet (whether

page_text: composed of soft material or coated therewith) when fairly started up
the barrel cuts on them and necessarily takes the rifling at the muzzle
portion, the leading side of the rifling (which is of the same height
throughout) remaining intact. Figures 2 show the same, but with the
rifling chisel or wedge shaped at a more acute angle (from 4 to 5), and
with the ribs at such chisel-shaped part diminishing in height until they
vanish into the bore (as at 5). Figures 3 show the same as at Figures 1
but with the part from 6 to 7 gradually narrowing from both sides.
Figures 4 show a combination of Figures 2 and 3, being double faced
from 8 to 9, as in the latter, and diminishing in height at that part as
in the former. Figures 5 shew the same semicircular at the muzzle, but
decreasing in height (but not in width), from 10 to 11 and 12, where
they meet the smooth bore. Figures 6 show another example of the
same, but with the rifling slightly narrowing and decreasing in depth
from the muzzle (14 to 13), and with the incline from 13 to 15 (where
it vanishes into the bore) more gradual.
Figures 7 shew the application of the Invention to a barrel rifled
with square grooves 1* sunk therein, and which gradually decrease in
depth from the muzzle to where they vanish into the bore at 16. If
these grooves are wide they may have a small angular guiding rib 17 in
each of their centres; Figures 8 shew the same, but with the grooves
slightly narrowing or becoming wedge shaped, as they increase in depth
towards the muzzle, and which may also have a small guiding rib in the
centre of each.
Figures 9 shew the application of the Invention to the bore of a gun
or piece of ordnance of any size or kind, from which a steel, chilled, or
other shot is to be fired. Straight ribs 18 being provided from the seat
of the shot, and reaching nearly up to the commencement of the inclined
rifling, acting merely as guides to ensure that the shot shall be de-
livered exactly or transferred accurately on to the separate and inclined
rifling 1** towards the muzzle, whatever the form or description of the
rifling or the pitch may be; and Figure 10 shews a similar application,
but without the guiding ribs, and with the ribs 1** wedge-shaped at
the point of entry.
I would here remark, however, that I prefer to employ the projecting
rib system of rifling as described in the Specification of the Letters
Patent granted to me on the Ninth day of January, in the year of our
Lord 1867, No. 56, and also the method and means of manufacturing

page_text: the rifled barrels as described in the Specification of certain other Letters
Patent granted to me and to John Bryan O'Hea on the 22nd day of
September, in the year of our Lord 1868, No. 2912; and I prefer using
in small arms the pitch of rifling the reverse to that ordinarily employed
therein.
The Invention is also equally applicable to existing fire-arms or
barrels which can be adapted thereto, with great facility by cutting
out the rifling from the breech end of the bore to a certain point, and
then forming it so as to ensure the bullet running on to it, and following
the incline in its passage up the bore.
•
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"An Improved System or Method of Rifling' applicable to Fire-arms
and Ordnance," together with the manner in which the same is to be or
may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the improved system or
method of rifling the barrels, bores, or tubes of fire-arms and ordnance,
substantially as and for the purposes above described and as illustrated on
the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof, whereby
the same results are or may be attained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jeremiah Murphy, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
WILLIAM JEREMIAH MURPHY. (L.s.)