The Shot-Gun. 775 



removed. The operations of the various parts are as follows : When 

 the gun is opened to load, the pushing lever, Q, is forced by the cam- 

 shaped surface, P, in fore-end, against the hammer-carrier, E, pushing 

 it backward against the hammer, G, and bringing it to full-cock, where 

 it is held by the interlocking of the hooks on the hammer-carrier, E, and 

 sear, H. By pulling the trigger, the sear is pressed upward, thereby- 

 releasing the hammer-carrier, E, which is driven forward by the main- 

 spring, taking with it the hammer, G, and exploding the cartridge. 



To set the gun at safety, press forward the button, D, on the end 

 of lever, which, pushing the bolt, F, against arm of the sear, causes a 

 rigid interlocking of the two hooks. This is a positive locking, and 

 prevents all danger of the gun jarring off, which is possible if the 

 safety-bolt only presses against the triggers. On the hammer- 

 carrier, E, is a nut, I, for regulating the tension of the mainspring, K. 

 To let the hammers down from full-cock, open the gun and hold 

 back both triggers while closing. 



The slot in hammer-carrier, E, is shaped in such a way that when 

 the hammer is forced down upon the strikers to explode the charge 

 there is room left behind the shoulder of the hammer to allow it to 

 go back again from the striker, relieving the same instantly from 

 contact with the cartridge, thus making a rebounding hammer at 

 once simple and effective. Although, from the secure and positive 

 locking of the hammer-carrier, E, and the sear, H, there is no danger 

 of jarring off, even when the safety-bolt is not in place, yet the lock 

 is provided with an extra catch, 2, which will assist the fall of the 

 hammer before striking the firing-pin, if by any means the jarring off 

 of the hammer should occur. 



At 1, in the figure, is seen a gas-chamber which communicates with 

 the holes of the firing-pins. If any gas should blow back it will go 

 into this gas-chamber, and thence escape by vent-holes in the stand- 

 ing-breech, and not go into the locks. This action of the gases 

 on the locks has been one of the objections to hammerless guns. 



The cut on page 776 shows Sneider's double-grip top-lever gun, 

 with all its parts, cut in half, and the gun ready for insertion of cartridge. 



The top-grip, B, inserted from above, is held from below by nut, 

 E; the lower grip, C, inserted from below, rests against the solid 

 breech, the square hole in C receiving the square shank of B, so that 

 when B is turned, C must turn also. The interlocking of the upper- 



