CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN AUGUSTUS MANTON, formerly of Calcutta, in the East Indies,
lately residing with my brother at the Small Gun Office, in the Tower
of London, but now in Holles Street, Cavendish Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Gun Maker, send-greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of March, in the fourth year
of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said John Augustus
Manton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Augustus
Manton, my executors. administrators, and assigns, and such others as
1. the said John Augustus Manton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention
of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS" in which said Letters Patent

page_text: there is contained a proviso, that I, the said John Augustus Manton,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as,
reference being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that
the said John Augustus Manton, do
hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):
Figure 1, represents a patent breech of a fowling piece or other fire-
arm, into which is fitted by screwing a hardened steel cup A, having a
conical cavity within it; this cup A, is shewn separately in Figure 2,
and in section in Figure 3. Into the steel cup A, wooden cones, or
cones formed ont of any other fit and proper material or materials, are
fitted, one of which is shewn at B, in Figure 4, and in section at
Figure 5. These wooden or other cones B. are made with a cylindrical
hole in cach, as shewn in the section Figure 5, in order to receive an
iron cylindrical pin C, shewn separately in Figure 6. The upper end
of the cylindrical hole in the cone B, is widened a little, as shewn in
Figure 5 at the lower end of this cylindrical hole a detonating pellet
D. (shewn separately in section at Figure 7, and in plan at Figure 8.)
is securely fastened, with a waterproof varnish or other proper cement.
Figure 9, represents the cock or hammer of the gun lock, into the
front of which is screwed a hardened steel striking pin E, shewn
edgeways in Figure 10, and in plan at Figure 11, in the latter of
which Figures are also shewn the two gaps or notches F, F, for the
wrench or turns-screw to enter, by means of which the steel pin E, is
screwed into the cock. The effect of this arrangement will be, that
the iron pin C, in the centre of the wooden or other cone B, upon
being struck by the steel pin E, on the pulling off the lock, will
be instantaneously driven down upon the detonating pellet D, and
explode it, and thereby discharge the fire-arm. It should be observed
that the lower part of the conical cavity within the steel cup A, is

page_text: contracted into a smaller cone and terminated by a small cylindrical
hole, and as shewn in the section, Figure 3, and around the edges
of this small cylindrical hole the blow or effect of the iron pin C, in
striking upon these edges is received and explodes the detonating pellet.
In order to apply this improvement to a plain gun barrel, without a
patent breech, it will be necessary to have a piece of iron firmly
affixed, by brazing or otherways to the side of the barrel, in order to
receive the hardened steel cup A, and other parts, as shewn in Figure
1, and also to make the iron cylinders C, C, longer, or to project out
above the wooden or other cones B, B, for about a quarter of an inch,
in which case the cock or hammer of the gun lock need only be made
flat, similar to those employed in exploding the common copper caps,
and not to be provided with the steel pin E, as above mentioned.
Figure 12, represents another of my said improvements in fire-arms,
whereby a fowling-piece or other fire-arm may be rendered capable of
priming itself. G. is a small steel nipple, similar, but shorter, to those
commonly used in copper-cap guns, and which is fitted by screwing
into the patent breech of the gun. This nipple G, is shewn in section
in Figure 13. H, in Figure 12, is the lock plate; the lock being con-
structed on the back-action principle, and well known to gun makers,
need not be farther described here. I, is a lever, turning upon pivots
underneath the bridle J; K, is a bent spring acting against the shorter
end of the lever I; a friction roller L, is mounted on pivots into the
longer arm of the lever I, and which acting against a projecting part
M, of the vertical slider N, always tends to keep the slider up; O, is a
horizontal slider or striking pin, which is generally held back by the
action of the spring P. The vertical slider N, serves to raise up or
convey a metallic primer Q, received from the primer magazine R,
beneath the barrel of the gun to its station above, as shown in Figure
14, or opposite to the nipple G, shewn in Figure 12, and where it
remains ready to receive the blow from the cock of the gun, communi-
cated to it through the agency of the striking pin O, and thus, on
pulling the trigger, the primer Q, is rapidly driven or forced against
the nipple G, and the detonating prime contained within a cavity
formed to hold it at one end of the said metallic primer is exploded by
the percussion and fires the gun. This vertical slider N, is shewn

page_text: separately in Figure 15. Figure 16. is a section through the lock
plate H, taken at the dotted line S, S. in Figure 12, shewing the
vertical slider M. N, as having received one of the metallic primes. Q,
and raised it to its station above. There is a mortice T. T. male in
the inner edge of this vertical slider M, N, as shown in Figure 16, to
receive the point of a stop-serew U. and thus to limit its motion
upwards and downwards. Figure 17. represents another section of the
lock plate H, taken at the dotted line V, V, in Figure 12. and shewing
the back end of the horizontal striking pin 0, and its spring P. and also
the lever 1, and friction-roller L. and bridle J, the friction-roller being
seen in contact with the projecting part M, of the slider N. Figure 18,
is a separate view of the horizontal slider O, which has a solid ring W
formed upon it to act against the screwed socket X. shown in Figure
14, which is screwed into the lock plate II. after the slider is inserted,
and thus to prevent the slider from being withdrawn. The spring P
has a cap or notch made at its upper end, which receives the hook Y,
within it, and thus preserves the slider in a proper position. Figure
19. is a metal tube R, or magazine, to contain the metallic primers and
likewise a spiral spring; these are shown in the section of the tube
at Figure 1. The tube R. has a slit Z. Z. made along it part of its
length, as shown in Figure 19, and a notch or gap a. at one end of the
said slit. Into this gap a stop screw b, which is screwed in a metal
cylinder c, can be introduced, and which serves to confine the spiral
spring from acting whilst the magazine is being filled with the metallic
primers, and as shewn in Figure 14; when the magazine is filled the
stop screw must be removed from the gap a, but not until the magazine
is put into its place underneath the gun barrel, and as shewn by dotted
lines in Figure 12. d, in Figure 20, is an external view of one of my
metallic primings, and a section of which is shown in Figure 21; e, in
Figure 21, exhibits a small cavity, formed in one end of the primer, to
contain the detonating prime. The magazine R. has its open end
placed close to the vertical slide N, and when the latter is depressed
or slidden down by the action of the thumb of the sportsman, upon the
projecting part of it M, it will receive a primer into a semicircular gap
formed upon the end of the slider, and which, upon suffering the slider
to ascend, will be raised with it and lodged between it and another

page_text: semicircular gap made in the lock plate II, and will be retained there
by the action of the lever I, and its spring K, until it is driven rapidly
and forcibly against the nipple G, by the action of the main spring of
the gun lock, when, as aforesaid, the detonating prime will be exploded
and the gun discharged. The metallic priming thus exploded will
drop out through a side opening f, when the lock is at the half cock.
Another priming will, of course, be received upon the upper end of the
vertical slider N. every time it is depressed, until the whole contents of
the magazine are expended. The metal cylinder c, will then project
beyond the tube R, and prevent the vertical slider N, from rising. I
do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Invention any of the
individual parts herein shewn and described, but only their combinations
and applications to the above purposes, and particularly the application
of conical detonating primers directly to the breeches of fire-arms.
either in conical metal cups screwed into the breeches or formed in
the breeches themselves, and also the arrangement for discharging fire-
arms by means of small metallic detonating primers contained in a
magazine, and supplied one at a time, as required.
In witness whereof. I. the said John Augustus Manton. have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of Sep-
tember. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.
JOHN AUGUSTUS (L.S.) MANTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED. that on the Thirteenth day of Sep-
tember, in the Fifth year of the reign of His Majesty King William
the Fourth, the said John Augustus Manton came before our said
Lord the King, in His Chancery, and acknowledged the instrument
uforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the instrument. aforesaid was stamped