C.

SEHARPS,
Revolver.
No. 22,753. Patented Jan. 25, 1859,

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 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
CHRISTIAN SHARPs, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,
IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH LOADING REPEATING FRE-ARMS.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22,753, dated January 25, 1859.

To all whom it may concern: a rear view of the revolving nipple, showing
Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN SHARPs, of the notches and retaining-pin; Fig. 14, a sec
the city and county of Philadelphia and State tional plan of the hammer with its revolving
of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new nipple on the line 12, Fig. 7; Fig. 15, an end
and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading view, showing the end of the barrel-block with
Repeating Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare its four cartridges, all having been discharged
the following to be a full, clear, and exact de except one; Fig. 16, a sectional view of the
scription of the same, reference being had to barrel through two of the bores and a part of
the accompanying drawings, and to the letters the breech; Fig. 17, an exterior view of the
of reference marked thereon. pistol, showing a lever arrangement for mov
My invention relates to improvements in ing the barrel in and out.
breech-loading fire-arms in which one particu Similar letters refer to similar parts through
lar description of ammunition only is used out the several views.
namely, a cartridge consisting of a case con A is the stock of the pistol, and B the bar
taining the powder, with a bullet attached to rel-block, which in this instance has two bores
one end of the case and an enlargement or in the width of the block and two in the depth,
projection at the opposite end for containing the bores at equal distances from a point, ac,
the detonating material. in the center of the block, as seen in Figs. 5
My improvements consist, first, in discharg and 15.
ing in succession a number of the above car. The under side of the barrel-block is made
tridges by means of a projection caused to re perfectly straight and true, so as to fit accu
volve by the movement of the hammer, the rately on the edges of the projecting portion
cartridges being so arranged in respect to the a of the stock, which has grooves adapted to
projection that the latter shall strike the edge
receive the lips of the projection b on the un
of each cartridge in succession; second, in a der side of the barrel-block, this projection
sliding barrel-block with two or more bores, inbeing of such a form as to retain the block in
combination with certain spring-clips attached close contact with the projection a of the stock
to the stock, and so arranged in respect to theand to allow the former to slide freely longi
cartridges that the latter may be withdrawn tudinally on the latter, but so that the one can
simultaneously from their respective bores on have no vertical or lateral motion independent
moving the barrel from the breech. of the other.
In order to enable others to make and use In the projecting portion at of the block, and
my invention, I will now proceed to describe between the grooves for receiving the lips of
its construction and operation. the projection. b, a chamber or recess, c, is
On reference to the accompanying drawings, formed, and within the same is hung a catch
which form a part of this specification, Figure
lever, d, having two arms, the end of one arm
1 is an exterior side view of my improved fitting into a notch on the under side of the
breech-loading repeating-pistol; Fig.2, alongi barrel-block, where it is retained by a spring,
tudinal section of the same with the hammer e, attached to the end of the opposite arm of
down; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the the lever and bearing against the under side
same with the hammer cocked and the barrel of the barrel-block. .
block slid out; Fig. 4, a plan view; Fig. 5, The arm of the lever to which the spring is
an end view looking in the direction of the attached projects so far through an opening
arrow 1, Fig. 1; Fig. 6, an end view looking in the end of the projection a of the stock as
in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 7,
to be easily elevated by applying the finger to
a detached view (drawn to an enlarged scale) it, thereby depressing the opposite arm and
of the hammer when down; Fig. 8, the same releasing the barrel-block, which can then be
view of the hammer when cocked; Fig. 9, a slid outward until its notch comes in contact
side view of the hammer the reverse of that with the point of the spring, as seen in Fig. 3.
illustrated in Fig. 7; Fig. 10, a front view of C is the hammer, D the trigger, and E the
the hammer; Fig. 11, a rear view of the ham mainspring, of the pistol, all being arranged
mer; Fig. 12, a front view of Fig. 8; Fig. 13, within a recess formed in the stock, the two
2 22,53

former being hung to pins passing transverse class It should be understood that one particular
ly through the stock, and the spring bearing with of cartridges only is used in connection
with its point in an angular recess formed in consistmyof improved pistol. These cartridges
a capsule or casing of thin metal con
the hammer.
H is the revolving nipple, the pillf of which taining powder, a portion of the bullet being
(see IFig. 14) fits snugly, but so as to turn site inserted and secured to one end, and the oppo
end being enlarged so as to form a collar
freely, in an orifice in the hammer C, to which or projection
it is confined on one side by a collar, h, which entering too far for preventing the cartridge from
forms a part of the nipple, and on the Oppo for containing the into the bore of the barrel and
site side by a nut, i, which fits into a recess in In the breech in detonatingfour
material.
circular recesses are
the rear of the hammer, and which screws formed, coinciding with the four bores, and into
onto or is otherwise secured to the end of the
pinf. these recesses fit the enlarged ends of the car
On the inside of the collar h of the revolv tridges when the barrel-block is brought home
ing nipple, and where it bears against the thus to the breech. The rear of each cartridge is
hammer, are cut four radial notches, (see Fig. portion covered by the breech, excepting a small
of the edge, which is exposed at the
13,) at equal distances apart, and inclined on central opening,
one side and abrupt on the other. n, as best observed on refer
A pin, j, Figs. 9 and 13, passes freely through ence to Fig. 15.
an orifice in the hammer, and is caused by catch, On each side of the stock is secured a spring
means of a spring, k, to bear with its point as to project t, the ends of the catches being bent so
against the inside of the collar h of the re slight incisioninward in front of the breech, a
on each side of the barrel-block
volving nipple, where it rests at the deepest
point of one of the radial notches of the col preventing the latter, when moved toward the
breech, from interfering with the points of said
lar, and thus serves to retain the revolving catches, which are so constructed and situated
nipple EI in a given position prior to its being
moved therefrom by the cocking of the ham that when the barrel, with its cartridges, is
brought up to the breech the bent end of one
mer, as hereinafter described.
To a pin secured to the stock is hung a catch catch shall pass between the enlarged ends of
the upper and lower cartridges and the barrel
or “hand,” I, the point of which is adapted on
to the radial notches on the collar H, in gear theone side and between the enlarged ends of
upper and lower cartridges and the barrel
with one or other of which it is maintained by on the
a spring, J, secured to the back of the ham points ofopposite side, as seen in Fig. 15, the
the clips assuming this position with
mer. This hand is so arranged in respect to
the notches that it rests, when the hammer is out any other aid than the pressure of the en
down, on a projection on the stock, the point larged
when the
ends of the cartridges against them
barrel is brought home to the breech.
being then clear of the said notches. When The barrel-block being slid forward to the
the hammer, however, is in the act of being position shown in Fig. 3, the hammer being
drawn back, the rear of the collarh is brought
in contact with the hand, the point of the lat cocked, and the cartridges being inserted into
ting into one of the radial notches and turn their respective bores, the block is pushed up
ing the rotating nipple, so that when the ham to the breech, the clips t t catch under the en
mer has reached the position of full-cock the larged ends of the cartridges, the catch-lever
nipple will have been turned one-quarter of d assumes its position in the notch on the uin
its circumference round, and in this position der side of the barrel-block, when the pistol is
it is retained by the pini during the descent ready for firing.
of the hammer, when the hand I, by the ac onWhen the trigger is drawn the projections
the face of the hammer will strike on the
tion of the spring J, recovers its former sta edge of the enlarged portion of one cartridge
tionary position on the stock until the ham
mer is again cocked, when the rotating nip only and cause the same to be discharged.
ple will be moved another quarter of its cir When the hammer is again cocked, prior to a
cumference round, as before. second discharge, the nipple must have turned,
In the breech n, which projects from and and as hereinbefore described, one quarter round,
forms a part of the stock, is a circular open the projections, on account of its eccen
ing, n, for the free admission of the end g of tricity with the center of rotation of the nipple,
the revolving nipple H when the hammer is must consequently have been turned away
down, the center of the opening in coinciding and from the cartridge upon which it acted last,
have assumed a position ready to act upon
with that of the nipple, and the centers of both a second
coinciding with the central point, a, Figs. 5 projectioncartridge,
S changes
and this position of the
every time the hammer is
and 15, of the barrel-block.
On the face of the end of the rotating nipple thrown back, each cartridge being acted upon
is a projection, S, radiating from the center of in succession until the whole are discharged.
the nipple and terminating at the edge of the The end of the catch-lever d which projects
face. This projection is the immediate cause through the end of the stock is then elevated
of the ignition of the detonating substance con and the barrel released and pushed forward.
tained in the enlarged end of the cartridge. In doing this the catches t t maintain their
 22,753 3

hold on the enlarged ends of the spent car carried into effect, I wish it to be understood
tridges, the latter being withdrawn from their that I do not desire to confine myself to the
respective bores and dropping to the ground. use of a barrel-block with four bores or to the
The pistol is now in a condition to receive a precise devices herein described for altering
second supply of cartridges. the position of the projection s, inasmuch as
In adapting my improvements to the larger a barrel-block with more or less than four bores
class of pistols it will facilitate the operation may be used in connection with my improve
of loading to apply an extra power in sliding ment, and as different devices may be used for
the barrel-block in and out. This is effected changing the position of the said projection;
by the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 17. A but
lever, M, of which the trigger-guard at forms a I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat
part, is hung to a pin in the projecting por ent
tion a of the stock, and to this lever is hinged 1. Exploding in succession a number of car
one end of the rod N, the opposite end of tridges of the class herein described by means
which is hinged to a projection on the under of a projection caused to revolve by the move
side of the barrel-block B. An angular pro ment of the hammer when the said cartridges
jection is formed on the lever M, and this pro are so arranged in respect to the said project
jection is adapted to a notch in the under side tion that the latter shall strike the edge only
of the barrel-block and near the rear of the of each cartridge in succession, as herein set
same. When the latter is slid out from the forth.
breach the above-named parts will assume the 2. The catchest t, so arranged on the stock
position illustrated in the figure. When the in respect to the bores of the barrel-block
barrel has to be brought up to the breech the that on moving the latter from the breech they
operator draws the lever M to the position may be the means of withdrawing the whole
shown in dotted lines, when the projection V of the cartridges simultaneously from their re
is fitted into the notch of the barrel and the spective bores, as herein set forth.
bent portion of the lever assumes the character In testimony whereof I have signed my name
and duty of an ordinary trigger-guard. to this specification in the presence of two sub
It will thus be seen that by the above-de scribing witnesses.
scribed arrangement two duties are per
formed-the sliding in and out of the barrel CHRISTIAN SEARPS.
block and theretention and release of the same. Witnesses:
Baving now described the nature of my in HENRY Howson,
vention and the manner in which the same is HORACE SEE.