British 2030
(This Invention received Provisional Protection only.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas William Webley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th August 1865.
I, Thomas William Webley, of the Firm of Philip Webley and Sons, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “ Improvements nr Breech-loading Fire-arms, and nr Revolving Fire-arms, and nr Cartridges,” to be as follows:—
My improvements in breech-loading fire-arms consist in making fire-arms of the kind commonly called drop-down guns capable of discharging both ordinary pin cartridges and central fire cartridges. The said improvements consist in making the head of the hammer of the ordinary form for discharging pin cartridges, and making a projection on that part of the hammer called the breast, which projection on the fall of the hammer strikes against a striker passing obliquely through the face of the break off. When the gun is charged with a central fire cartridge the said striker discharges it. Or instead of making the breast of the hammer strike upon the striker for discharging the central fire cartridge, the breast of the tumbler of the lock may be made to act on the said striker.
My improvements in revolving fire-arms consist in making the said firearms capable of discharging central fire cartridges. For this purpose I shorten the hammer and cause it to strike against the centre of the cartridge, instead of on the edge or top of the cartridge as usual.
My improvements in cartridges consist in making central fire cartridges with a pin, which I call a dummy pin, having the position of the pin in the ordinary pin cartridge. The said dummy pin has no connection with the percussion powder in the cartridge, and is in no way concerned in the discharge of the cartridge, but serves as the means of withdrawing the discharged cartridge case, and also indicates when the gun is charged ready for firing.