Improvements in Sporting Small Arms.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sporting Small Arms.
We, HUGH ALEXANDER DOUGLAS, Lieutenant Colonel, late in the Royal
Artillery, and HENRY JOSEPH HUSSEY, Gun Maker, both of 18, Brook Street,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to small arms of the class commonly called "ball-and-
shot" guns-that is, to guns which are adapted for shooting either ball or shot.
In such guns as hitherto constructed the barrel has been partly cylindrical and
partly rifled. In firing with ball from a barrel so bored, two distinct recoils are.
felt, and it is moreover extremely difficult to get good shooting with both ball
and shot.
The object of this invention is to produce a gun which will deliver ball with great
accuracy and give a good pattern with shot, at the same time doing away with the
unpleasant double recoil.
To accomplish this, we take a barrel rifled from end to end, the rifling being
preferably of the kind known as "invisible," and we recess the barrel near the
muzzle; the recess cutting through the lands of the rifling and reaching nearly to
the bottoms of the grooves of the rifling. The recess may, however, reach to or
even below the bottoms of the grooves. This recess does not interfere with the
accuracy of the weapon when used as a rifle, but it enables any required pattern of
shot to be attained.
· Dated the 14th day of May 1892.
HUGH A. DOUGLAS.
HENRY JOSEPH HUSSEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sporting Small Arms.
We, HUGH ALEXANDER DOUGLAS, Lieutenant Colonel, late in the Royal
Artillery, and HENRY JOSEPH HUSSEY, Gun Maker, both of 18, Brook Street,
New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, 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 small arms of the class commonly called "ball-and-
shot" guns-that is, to guns which are adapted for shooting either ball or shot.
In such guns as hitherto constructed the barrel has been partly cylindrical and
partly rifled. In firing with ball from a barrel so bored, two distinct recoils are
felt, and it is moreover extremely difficult to get good shooting with both ball
and shot.
The object of this invention is to produce a gun which will deliver ball with
great accuracy and give a good pattern with shot, at the same time doing away
with the unpleasant double recoil.
To accomplish this, we take a barrel rifled from end to end, the rifling being
preferably of the kind known as "invisible," and we recess the barrel near the
muzzle; the recess cutting through the lands of the rifling and reaching nearly to
the bottoms of the grooves of the rifling. The recess may, however, reach to or
even below the bottoms of the grooves. This recess or enlargement of the bore
does not interfere with the accuracy of the weapon when used as a rifle, but it
enables any required pattern of shot to be attained.

page_text: Our invention is not confined to ball-and-shot guns having a barrel or barrels
containing one of the various kinds of "invisible" rifling, but weapons can be built
on our system with rifling of any suitable description, and three, five or other
number of lands.
In the accompanying diagram, which represents, partly in longitudinal section
and partly in side elevation, a rifled barrel recessed according to our invention
so as to fire either ball or shot, A B is the part containing the chamber for the
cartridge and the cone leading from that chamber to the bore, the part B C is
rifled, Č D contains the recess or enlargement, and E is the muzzle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would have it known that we.
do not claim the formation of a recess-choke in the unrifled barrel of a sporting
gun intended exclusively for use with shot, as it is not new for such small arms to
be recess-choked in order to increase the pattern of the shot, but what we do
claim is :-
1. In ball-and-shot guns having rifled barrels, forming a recess or enlargement
in the bore of the barrel in order to cause the shot to fly closer together without
materially affecting the accuracy of the weapon when used as a rifle, substantially
as herein described.
2. In ball-and-shot guns, rifling the barrels from end to end and forming a recess
or enlargement in the bore of the barrel for increasing the pattern of the shot,
substantially as herein described.
3. A ball-and-shot gun having a barrel containing "invisible" rifling for ensuring
an accurate flight of the ball, and a recess or enlargement in the bore for increasing
the pattern of the shot, substantially as herein described.
Dated the 13th day of February 1893.
HUGH ALEXANDER DOUGLAS.
HENRY JOSEPH HUSSEY.