Improvement in Magazine Lee-Metford Rifle and other Bolt System Rifles and Guns.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Magazine Lee-Metford Rifle and other Bolt System
Rifles and Guns.
I, ROBERT HENRY WHITCOMBE, the younger, M.A., of No. 31, Load Street,
Bewdley, in the County of Worcester, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
In the magazine Lee-Metford rifle and other bolt system rifles and guns, where
the breech is closed by a bolt worked backwards and forwards in the body by
a lever on the right side of its rear end, the bolt is secured when home by simply
turning down the lever, but no catch or other device is attached by which the
bolt is retained in its proper position, that is, with the bolt rotated to the right
as far as it will go, and the knob of the bolt turned down to its full extent.
And whereas without such catch or device if after loading, in bringing the
rifle to the present, the knob of the bolt be accidentally touched, even very lightly,
with the hand or forefinger, the knob of the bolt is thereby slightly raised, and
the bolt is slightly rotated to the left, and the consequence is that the stud on
the cocking piece either causes the breech to close automatically by striking
against the rounded corner of the stud in the cam groove of the bolt, thus causing
the bolt to turn down and the breech to close, but at the same time also fre-
quently causing what appears to be a "hang fire," which has a tendency to deflect
the bullet from the object aimed at; or else the stud on the cocking piece strikes
full against the stud in the cam groove and prevents the striker flying forward,
and the charge is not ignited.
My invention is an improvement in the magazine Lee-Metford rifle and all
other bolt system rifles and guns, where the breech is closed as above mentioned,
and consists of the attachment to the under side of the lever of the bolt of a small
stud, pin, projection, spring, catch or clip, which, when the knob of the bolt is
turned down to its full extent, fits into a prepared cavity or recess (either with or
without a spring) in the metal band, where such exists, as in the case of the
magazine Lee-Metford rifle, or in that part of the stock, in rifles and guns where
such metal band does not exist, with which the lever of the bolt comes in contact
when turned down, which devise or attachment and improvement acts as a catch
and retains the bolt in its proper position while the rifle or gun is being brought
to the present and the act of firing is being performed, but does not otherwise
alter or interfere with the mechanism or construction of the rifle or gun, and no
perceptible additional force or effort is required to release such catch when the
knob of the bolt is raised to open the breech.

page_text: Improvement in Magazine Lee-Metford Rifle and other Bolt-System
Rifles and Guns.
I, ROBERT HENRY WHITCOMBE, the younger, M.A., of No. 31, Load Street,
Bewdley, in the County of Worcester, Solicitor, 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:-
In the magazine Lec-Metford rifle and other bolt system rifles and guns, where
the breech is closed by a bolt worked backwards and forwards in the body by
a lever on the right side of its rear end, the bolt is secured when home by simply
turning down the lever, but no catch or other device is attached by which the
bolt is retained in its proper position, that is, with the bolt rotated to the right
as far as it will go, and the knob of the bolt turned down to its full extent.
And whereas without such catch or device, if, after loading, in bringing the
rifle to the present, the knob of the bolt be accidentally touched, even very lightly,
with the hand or forefinger, the knob of the bolt is thereby slightly raised, and
the bolt is slightly rotated to the left, and the consequence is that the stud on
the cocking piece either causes the breech to close automatically by striking
against the rounded corner of the stud in the cam groove of the bolt, thus causing
the bolt to turn down and the breech to close, but at the same time also fre-
quently causing what appears to be a "hang fire," which has a tendency to deflect
the bullet from the object aimed at; or else the stud on the cocking piece strikes
full against the stud in the cam groove and prevents the striker flying forward,
and the charge is not ignited.
My invention is an improvement in the magazine Lee-Metford rifle and all
other bolt system rifles and guns where the breech is closed as above mentioned,
and consists of the attachment to the under side of the lever of the bolt of a small
stud, pin, projection, spring, catch or clip, which, when the knob of the bolt is
turned down to its full extent, fits into a prepared cavity or recess (either with or
without a spring) in the metal band, where such exists, as in the case of the
magazine Lee-Metford rifle, or in that part of the stock, in rifles and guns where
such metal band does not exist, with which the lever of the bolt comes in contact
when turned down, which devise or attachment and improvement acts as a catch
and retains the bolt in its proper position while the rifle or gun is being brought
to the present and the act of firing is being performed, but does not otherwise
alter or interfere with the mechanism or construction of the rifle or gun, and no
perceptible additional force or effort is required to release such catch when the
knob of the bolt is raised to open the breech.
The said device or attachment consists preferably of a small stud or pin of
metal, for choice steel, either in one piece, (Fig. 1, P,) or split longitudinally
(Fig. 2, P,) with a rounded knob or head. The stud or pin is screwed into, or
otherwise fixed to, the under side of the lever of the bolt. A cavity or recess
(Fig. 3, C, Fig. 4, C,) to admit the rounded knob or head of the stud or pin is
prepared at the spot in the metal band, (the rear end of the body), where such
exists, as in the case of the magazine Lee-Metford rifle, or in that part of the
stock in rifles and guns where such metal band does not exist (Fig. 5, C,), with
which the lever of the bolt comes in contact when turned down. The cavity or
recess is preferably fitted with a V-shaped or a U-shaped spring, (Fig. 3, S,),
which engages with the rounded knob or head of the stud or pin, and acts as
a catch, when the knob of the bolt is turned down to its full extent.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improvement in the magazine Lee-Metford rifle and other bolt system
rifles and guns consisting essentially of a such like catch, which retains the bolt
in its proper position while the rifle or gun is being brought to the present and
the act of firing is being performed, but does not otherwise alter or interfere with
the mechanism or construction of the rifle or gun, and which requires no per-
ceptible additional force or effort to be released when the knob of the bolt is
raised to open the breech, substantially as herein set forth and shewn.
Dated this 8th day of April 1899.
R. H. WHITCOMBE, JUNR.