FIRE-ARMS 



379 



the touch-hole in the cap-nipple. This is screwed into the patent breech, and is per- 

 forated with a small hole. 



873 



The safety lock of Dr. Somerville is, in its essential feature, a slide stop or catch, 

 placed under the trigger, A, fig. 874. It is pulled forward into a notch in the trigger, 



874 ' 



by means of a spring B, upon the front of the guard, which is worked by a key c, 

 pressing upon the spring when the piece is discharged. In another safety plan there 

 is a small moveable curved piece of iron, A, which rises through an opening B, in the 

 lock-plate c, and prevents the cock from reaching the nipple, as represented in the 

 figure, until it is drawn back within the plate of the lock when the piece is fired. 



To fire this gun, two different points must be pressed at the same time. If by 

 accident the key which works the safety be touched, nothing happens, because the 

 trigger is not drawn ; and the trigger touched alone can produce no effect, because it 

 is locked. The pressure must be applied to the trigger and the key at the same 

 instant, otherwise the lock will not work. 



The old French musket is longer than the British, in the proportion of 44'72 inches 

 to 42 ; but the French bayonet is 15 inches, whereas the British is 17. 



Eng. Dimensions 



Diameter of the bore . ^ . .V 0'75 in. 

 Diameter of the ball . , V . 0*676 



Weight of the ball in oz 1-06 



Weight of the firelock and bayonet in Ibs. 12*25 



Length of the barrel and bayonet 



59-00 



Fr. Dimensions 

 0-69 in. 

 0-65 

 0-958 

 10-980 

 59-72 



Within these few years a great many contrivances for fire-arms have been brought 

 forward, and several have been patented. The first is that of Charles Random, 

 Baron de Berenger. Fig. 875 shows the lock and breech of a fowling-piece, with a 

 sliding protector on one of the improved plans ; a is the hammer, b the nipple of the 

 touch-hole, c a bent lever, turning upon a pin, fixed into the lock-plate at d. The 

 upper end of this bent lever stands partly under the nose of the hammer, and while jft 



