IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hanson, of High Street, Lincoln, Gun
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hanson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th August 1868.
I, JOHN HANSON, of High Street, Lincoln, Gun Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading
fire-arms.
In constructing central-fire breech-loading fire-arms, I construct the
plungers or strikers which fire the cartridges each with a projection
at its hinder end extending outwards from it and entering a slot formed
in the inner side of the hammer. The slot is so shaped that when
the hammer falls it by acting on the projection of the striker throws

page_text: it forward so as to explode the cartridge. By this arrangement a
direct-acting striker can be actuated by an external hammer without
its being necessary to cut away the head of the stock as is requisite
when the striker has no lateral projection and is struck by the head of
the hammer.
Also in central-fire breech-loading fire-arms, I arrange in connection
with each barrel a small pin to slide in a hole formed for it in the
rib between the barrels. The rear end or head of this pin is caused
by a spring to project from the end of the barrel into the annular
groove or recess formed at the end of the barrel to receive the cartridge
flange. When there is a cartridge in the barrel and the breech is
closed the flange of the cartridge displaces the pin, pushing it forward
against the resistance of the spring, and in order that this change in
the position of the pin may indicate the presence of a cartridge there
is a hole passing from the exterior into the passage in which the pin
works, so that a small portion of the stem of the pin is exposed, and
this portion is plainly marked or lettered so that its change of position
is readily observable.
Also in breech-loading fire-arms when the barrels turn on a transverse
horizontal axis beneath them I arrange the locking bolt in the breech
plate which locks the barrels in position for firing to be actuated by
the fore part of the trigger guard. This part of the trigger guard is
arranged to slide forward a short distance longitudinally, and in so doing
it acts on one end of a lever, which at its other end is connected with
the locking bolt, and the bolt is thus drawn back against the resistance
of its spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hanson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN 30
HANSON, of High Street, Lincoln, Gun Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the thirty-second.

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Hanson, Her special licence that I,.
the said John Hanson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Hanson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Hanson, 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 the 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 John Hanson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-
arms.
In constructing central-fire breech-loading fire-arms I construct the
plungers or strikers which fire the cartridges each with a projection at
its hinder end extending outwards from it and entering a slot formed
in the inner side of the hammer. The slot is so shaped that when the
hammer falls, it by acting on the projection of the striker throws it
forward so as to explode the cartridge. By this arrangement a direct.
acting striker can be actuated by an external hammer without its being
necessary to cut away the head of the stock as is requisite when the
striker has no lateral projection and is struck by the head of the
hammer.
Figures 1 and 2 show a plan and side view of a plunger or striker
constructed as above described with a projection a at its hinder end to
enter a slot 6 in the side of the hammer; a side view of this hammer
shewing the slot 6 formed in it is shewn at Figure 3. The projection a
on the striker is passed through a slot c in the lock plate as is shown

page_text: at Figure 4, which shows a side view of so much of the breech end of
a gun as is necessary to illustrate this part of my Invention; the breech
block and a portion of the barrels on this Figure are shown in red lines.
The portion of the projection a, which projects out beyond the lock
plate and which enters the slot 6 in the hammer is formed into a
circular pin, so that the plunger or striker may, when the hammer falls,
be forced forward with but little friction. The slot c in the lock plate
supports the rear end of the plunger or striker, and guides it truly in
its to-an-fro movement.
Also in central-fire breech-loading fire-arms I arrange in connection
with each barrel a small pin to slide in a hole formed for it in the
rib between the barrels. The rear end or head of this pin is caused
by a spring to project from the end of the barrel into the annular
groove or recess formed at the end of the barrel to receive the cartridge
flange. When there is a cartridge in the barrel, and the breech is
closed, the flange of the cartridge displaces the pin, pushing it
forward against the resistance of the spring, and in order that this
change in the position of the pin may indicate the presence of a
cartridge there is a hole passing from the exterior into the passage in
which the pin works, so that a small portion of the stem of the pin is
exposed, and this portion is plainly marked or lettered, so that its change
of position is readily observable.
Figure 5 shows an end view, and Figure 6 a plan view of the breech
ends of the barrels of a double-barrelled fire-arm fitted in the manner
above described with an instrument for indicating when the barrels are
loaded.
In these Figures a, a, are the barrels with the rib 6 between them as
is usual, into the end of this rib two holes are drilled, into each of which
is fitted a pin c, so that the pin can slide freely to and fro; in rear of the
pin is placed a small spiral spring which bears against the rear end of
the hole drilled into the rib, and presses forward the pin c, until it is
stopped by the head of the screw stop d.
Separate views of one of the pins c and spiral springs are shewn at
Figures 7 and 8. Each pin c, as is there shewn, is at its forward end
bent or cranked, and from the extremity of this cranked portion is a
projection c', against which the flange of a cartridge strikes when the
cartridge is placed into the end of the barrel, and the slide c is thereby

page_text: pushed back into the hole bored in the rib. The cranked portion at
the end of the pin c is received in a slot at the rear end of the barrel,
so that the projection c¹ upon it is always held in a position to be thus
struck by the flange of a cartridge when the cartridge is being placed
into the barrel. A gold plate let into the pin c is, when the pin is thus
pushed back, brought below a slot e which is formed through the top
of the rib into the hole in which the pin c slides, and the fact of the
barrel being loaded is thus indicated. The word loaded is by preference
marked on the gold or other metal plate let into the pin c, so that any
one can readily see what is indicated by it.
Also in breech-loading fire-arms when the barrels turn on a transverse
horizontal axis beneath them I arrange the locking bolt in the breech
plate which locks the barrels in position for firing to be actuated by
the fore part of the trigger guard. This part of the trigger guard is
arranged to slide forward a short distance longitudinally, and in so
doing it acts on one end of a lever which at its other end is connected
with the locking bolt, and the bolt is thus drawn back against the
resistance of its spring.
Figure 9 shews a longitudinal section of the breech end of a fire-arm
so arranged with the locking bolt which locks the barrels in position
for firing actuated by the fore part of the trigger guard; Figure 10
shows a similar longitudinal section of the breech end of the gun with
the trigger guard moved forward and the locking bolt withdrawn to
set free the breech ends of the barrels.
a is the fore part of the trigger guard capable of sliding a distance
to and fro longitudinally of the gun. The upper portion of this part a
of the trigger guard embraces the sides of the metal tang b, which
is fixed to the under side of the breech block c as is usual. The sides of
this tang which are embraced by the fore part of the trigger guard are
made dovetailed so that they form a guide for the fore part of the trigger
guard to slide along. The lower end of the fore part of the trigger
guard has pins d projecting from it which enter recesses in the other
or fixed part of the trigger guard. In the upper part of the sliding
portion a of the trigger guard is a slot a' in which is received the end
of a lever e which lies in a slot in the breech block and turns on a pin
carried by it. The upper end of the lever e enters a recess in the rear
end of the locking bolt f, so that if the fore part a of the trigger guard
is pushed forward the locking bolt is drawn back. is a spring acting

page_text: against the rear end of the bolt fto push it forward, so that when the
fore part of the trigger guard is not held forward the locking bolt is
pressed forward and the trigger guard is closed together in the manner
shown at Figure 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hanson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.