316 Rev. Mr SornervihVs Methods of Preventing the 



Art. XXVI. — On the Methods of Preventing the Accidental 

 Discharge of Fire-Arms, Invented by the liev. J. Someu- 

 ville, Minister of Currie, Communicated by the Author. 



The principle of these methods of preventing accidental dis- 

 charge consists in calling in the aid of the left hand ; so that, 

 while the ordinary gun in common use can be fired off solely 

 by the action of the right hand, Mr Somerville's gun requires 

 Loth ; the left hand to undo the stop, slide, or catch, by which 

 the gun is locked, and the other to draw the trigger, the same 

 as in an ordinary gun ; the left hand being equally necessary 

 to work the gun in the field as the right. 



The principle now described may be varied to a great ex- 

 tent ; but the inventor confines himself at present to the de- 

 scription of the two following methods. 



The first method, shown in Plate IV. Fig. 7, prevents ac- 

 cidental discharge by means of a stop, slide, or catch, situate on 

 the surface of the trigger plate, and either lying on or bedded 

 into it, as the gunmaker or sportsman pleases. It is pressed for- 

 ward into a nick in the trigger by a spring situate behind them, 

 under the strap of the guard, and thereby prevents the trigger 

 from acting, or pressing by any accident on the seer of the 

 lock, by which the gun would be discharged. On the fore 

 part of the guard, where the left hand presses, is a moveable 

 part, called a key, which may be removed at pleasure, and 

 operates upon the stop in the act of discharging the gun. 

 When this key is removed, the gun cannot be used until it is 

 replaced. 



If the sportsman fires with the left hand forward on the 

 stock of the gun, instead of being on the guard, then the key 

 can be placed forward to any part of the fore-stock ; and in 

 that case, the end of the stop towards the left hand must run 

 forward to that part of the stock, and there receive the key. 

 This key, which may also be of any form or size, is also im- 

 moveable at pleasure. 



The second method (see Plate IV. Fig. 8.) prevents acci- 

 dental discharge by means of a peg screwed into the end of 

 the main-spring, next the swivel, or into the swivel itself. The 



