The Shot- Gun. 



called bents. One of these, 

 into which the sear, 5, falls 

 when the hammer is at 

 half-cock, is so deep and 

 of such form that a pull on 

 the trigger cannot force 

 the sear out of it. The 

 other is shallower, and so 

 shaped that a pull on 

 the trigger — generally of 

 about four pounds — will 

 disengage the sear and 

 cause the hammer to strike 

 on the striking or firing 

 pins. The tumbler and sear 

 work between the lock- 

 plate, 1, and the bridle, 4, 

 which is screwed to the lock- 

 plate. The sear-spring, 6, 

 constantly presses the end 

 of the sear against the tum- 

 bler. The tumbler has a 

 journal which goes through 

 the lock-plate, and to a 

 square shoulder on this 

 journal is secured the hammer by a screw, 7. 



An improvement was made in the above lock in 1869 by Mr. 

 Stanton, of Wolverhampton, England. His lock is known as the 

 rebounding lock, the peculiarity of which is that after the hammer 

 has struck the striking-pin it flies back to half-cock. This is accom- 

 plished by having the upper leg of the mainspring free, and extend- 

 ing it so that it reaches under a projection on the tumbler. This 

 projection falls on the upper leg of the mainspring just before the 

 hammer strikes the firing-pin, and the projection of the tumbler thus 

 forces the upper leg of the spring downward so far that the hammer 

 reaches and strikes the firing-pin; but the next instant this portion 

 of the spring throws up the projection on the tumbler, and thus brings 

 the hammer to about one-eighth of an inch above the cap or firing-pin. 



