Britain 5266
A.D. 1879, 24th December. № 5266.
Revolving Cylinder Fire-arms.
(This Invention received Provisional Protection only.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Willian Robert Lake at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th December 1879. A communication from abroad by Owen Jones, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Willian Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. “Improvements in Revolving Cylinder Fire-arms.” A communication from abroad by Owen Jones, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
The said Invention relates to fire arms of that class in which a revolving cylinder is arranged at the rear of the barrel, and is more especially applicable to to those pistols o1dinarily termed revolvers In fire arms of this class as heretofore constructed, whether with a plain or rifled barrel, the cylinder has been bored plain or smooth, that is to say, the chambers therein for the reception of the cartridges have not been rifled or grooved. The consequence of this combination of the plain or ungrooved chamber with the grooved or rifled barrel have been very dis-advantageous fur the following reasons, vis.:— When the explosion of the cartridge in the cylinder chamber takes place, the smooth bore of the said chamber offers but slight resistance to the projectile as the same is driven forward by the explosion. Therefore the said projectile strikes violently against the edges of the rifling in the barrel, and is checked in its movement; and as the cartridge does not fit perfectly tight in the said chamber, there will be an escape of gas at the joint between the cylinder and the barrel, and therefore the effect of the projectile will be considerably impaired.
But my Invention is designed to obviate these disadvantages as follows, that is to say:— I combine with the barrel of a revolving cylinder fire arm a cylinder whose chambers are rifled or grooved partially or entirely through the same; the rifling of these chambers forms the commencement of the entire rifle portion of the arm, so that there will be no interruption or check to the movement of the projectile after the cartridge in the chamber is fired, and the escape of gas at the joint between the cylinder and barrel, and consequent loss of effect of the discharge, will be practically obviated. The “kicking” of the arm will also be lessened. Any form or system of rifling may be adopted in my improved fire-arms.