Improvements in Guns and Projectiles to be Used therewith.
Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by ALFRED NOBEL, of 53, Avenue Malakoff, Paris, in
the Republic of France.]
Improvements in Guns and Projectiles to be Used therewith.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Breams Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto the bore of a gun has always been made of uniform diameter throughout
its length and evidently when projectiles are made of steel or cast iron they cannot be
squeezed inside the gun into a modified shape. But leaden projectiles are easily
moulded by the strong pressure which powder exercises and I take advantage of the
plasticity of the metal for making the bore of breech loading guns tapering or other-
wise changing its form muzzleward. The main advantages derived therefrom are
that the projectile when inserted in the breech may be very short and of a compara-
tively large diameter thus insuring that a large surface shall be presented to the gas
pressure for imparting to the metal a high velocity further, that the bullet when it
leaves the gun may be reduced to the smallest possible size consistent with needful
efficacy and also that the increased friction caused by squeezing the metal tends to
reduce the recoil of the gun.
The construction of a gun suited for the aforesaid purpose as well as the shape
of the projectile when it leaves the gun are made different according as it is intended
to impart or not to impart rotation to the projectile and to rifle or not to rifle the
gun. If rotation is to be obtained by means of rifling, then the diameter of the bore
at the muzzle must needs be such as to render the operation of rifling possible. But
in order to secure rotation with any size of projectile, however reduced I make the
bore first straight lined but tapering muzzleward and of a square or hexagon or
octogon form. I then twist the barrel throughout its length so much that it can
impart to the projectile the needed rotatory motion.
If on the other hand it is intended not to let the projectile rotate then I contrive
to let it be squeezed inside the gun from a cylindrical form at the breech into the shape
of a blade when it leaves the gun. The changing of the bore of a gun so that its
round shape gradually merges into bladeform is effected by squeezing the heated
barrel by hydraulic pressure or otherwise in a metallic mould so shaped as to give the
bore the requisite tapering form. If for instance the projectile as it is put into

page_text: the gun has a length of 5 millimeters and a diameter of 10 millimeters and if on
leaving the muzzle its bladeform shape is 8 millimeters broad and 1 millimeter
thick then it will be 5 centimeters long or about ten times the original length.
Such a projectile of lead will weigh only about 4.3 grammes. Since a weight of
20 to 25 grammes can be shot at high velocity from a rifle it is evident that with the
aforesaid form or any other form of equivalent weight for a given length a projectilo
having a length of 25 centimeters might be fired. I take advantage thereof for firing
several projectiles simultaneously having each a different specific gravity and conse-
quently also a different range and trajectory. This I realise in the following manner.
The cartridge is made to contain several cylinders of say 5 millimeters length and
separated from one another by a dise of paper or cardboard or any other suitable
material. The aforesaid cylinders or bullets are made, the top one say of lead and
the succeeding ones of compositions of lead and tin or other suitable alloy in such
manner that each has a specific gravity smaller than the proceeding one which of
course corresponds also to a shorter range. Thus the gun will discharge a series of
projectiles of which each has a different range whereby the useful trajectory will be
much increased. The aforesaid multiple projectile can of course be adopted to any
gun and any shape of bore provided no excessive weight of said multiple projectile
needs a powder charge which causes the recoil of the gun to become intolerable.
Dated this 20th day of January 1887.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 1, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 6 Breams Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Civil 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in what are known as choke-bore guns and
to the projectiles to be fired from such guns.
The main object of this invention is to use short bullets of comparatively large
diameter which will offer to the powder gas a large surface to act upon, and by the
act of firing, to ensure the elongation of the bullet and its reduction in diameter, to
any desired degree consonant with efficiency of action.
This contrivance, by providing for the exposure of a slight weight of lead to a
relatively large area of explosive pressure, secures a high initial velocity for the
bullot, besides which, the small weight of the projectile will permit of using a rela-
tively high powder charge without making the recoil too severe.
In the accompanying drawing, two constructions of choke-bore gun are shewn,
the same being suitable for elongating the projectiles which are fired therefrom.
Fig. 1 shews in longitudinal section the barrel of a choke-bore gun made conical
and rifled throughout, and Fig. 2 shows, in longitudinal section, the barrel of a
choke-bore gun, which is cylindrical at the breech, conical in the middle of its
length, and tapering to a line near the muzzle, where the bore again resumes
cylindrical form, but of a diminished diameter, and is rifled through this cylindrical
portion only.
a
The construction shewn in Fig. 2 is more easy of execution than that shewn
in Fig. 1, and on that account preferable, but at the place where the projectile enters
the rifled part, the deviation from the lines of the cone, and also the deviation of the
rifle grooves from a line parallel to the axis of the bore, should be made as
slight and gradual as convenient, to ease the entrance of the bullet into the rifled
portion of the bore, and thereby to avoid any severe shock, which might strain the
barrel.
A great advantage of the system herein described is, that the cartridge may be
made very short, and thus a proportionately increased number of cartridges can be
lodged in the magazine of a repeating rifle.
With respect to the weight of the bullet to be used in the choke-bore rifle, may
remark that if (for example) the muzzle has a diameter of 5 millimetres, and the
projectile, when it leaves the muzzle, a length of 20 millimetres, the weight of the
bullet will be approximately 4 grammes, to which a powder charge of 2 grammes
will impart a very high velocity.
The length of the cartridge and bullet will depend on the diameter of the bore
at the breech, and the intended weight of bullet, and charge of powder, but a part
from the reduction in length above mentioned, the cartridge case and bullet may be
formed like those in common use.

page_text: The slight weight of the projectile which can be fired from the aforesaid gun,
presents an important advantage, viz., that of throwing several projectiles simul-
taneously, having each a different
This is realized in the
and trajectory.
range
following manner.
The cartridge case is made to contain several projectiles of different specific gravity
or different length, so arranged that the heaviest bullet is in front, followed by a less
heavy one, the last one being the lightest. Fig. 3 shews in longitudinal section, on
an enlarged scale, a cartridge containing a series of bullets packed together according
to this part of the invention. The bullets, which are of an uniform diameter, are
made semi-spherical in front, and in rear they are made concave to fit the semi-
spherical heads of the rear bullets.
The bullets are separated from one another by a disc of cardboard or other suitable
material, and their difference in specific gravity above alluded to can be realized by
making the front bullet of lead and the succeeding ones of alloys of lead and tin,
adding more and more of the latter, and lighter, metal for each succeeding bullet.
By this arrangement, as the projectiles fired simultaneously will have each a different
range, the useful trajectory of their collective action will be very wide, without
necessitating a very high initial velocity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me from abroad,
I declare that what I claim is :-
1. Constructing rifle barrels with a choke-bore for reducing the diameter of the
projectiles as they are discharged therefrom, and thereby ensuring the advantages
above set forth.
2. The combination in a gun barrel of a conical choke-bore with a rifled bore of
uniform diameter, as described with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.
3. The combination of projectiles in a cartridge case, as and for the purpose herein
set forth.