280 VARIETIES OF SHOT-GUNS, ETC. 



in order to be understood. They are given in fig. 53, which 

 is a front view of the face of the breech ; 1 1 are the sunken 



Fig- 

 >e 



SIDE VIEW OF NEEDLE. 

 (FULL SIZE.) 



FACE OF FALSE BREECH. (HALF SIZE.) 



parts for the reception of the rear of the cartridges ; m m 

 represent the points of the needles (shown separately in side 

 view, at fig. 54), which work in holes formed in the centre of 

 the sunken surfaces. These points are formed in a piece with 

 the slides (fig. 54: f), which are free to move to and fro in 

 recesses or slots formed for their reception. They are moved 

 forward by the action of the hammers and explode the 

 cartridges by means of the points which, upon the hammers 

 being raised, are pushed back by the capsules of the freshly- 

 inserted cartridges, ready to be again driven forward, as 

 before explained. From this arrangement it will be ap- 

 parent that there is no chance of breaking the needle, which 

 projects so slightly from the face of the breech as to render 

 such an accident impossible; while the escape of gas into 

 the lock is out of the question ; firstly, from the copper capsule 

 being left intact after explosion and secondly, from the fact 

 that the needle is acted on by the hammer outside the lock 

 (see fig. 50). The chief defect, in my opinion, is to be 

 found in the chance of a missfire, which, from the capsule not 

 being perforated by the blow of the needle, is greater than 

 in the plan of Mr. Needham; but this accident, I am in- 

 formed by those who have constantly used the cartridge, 

 rarely happens. To show how cautious we ought to be in 

 coming to conclusions in such matters, I may mention that 

 in the gun trial of 1858, one of these cartridges loaded by 

 the exhibitor missed fire, and I put it by for examination as 

 to the cause. From inadvertency, however, I forgot all 



