No. 128. j 85 



6^^. Welches Rifle. 

 An arm of rough construction, merely shown to the board, t© 

 illustrate his method of loading at the breech and firing with a 

 magazine of percussion pills. 



The principle and arrangement of the mechanism do not, la 



the opinion of the Board, render it suitable for the service, and 



their objection to a magazine of percussion pills has already been 



stated. All of which is respectfully submitted, 



(Signed) R. L. BAKER, 



Major and BH Vt Col., PresH of Board. 



A. MORDECAI, 



Captain of Ordnance and Brevet Major. 



BENJAMIN HUGER, 



Captain and Brevet Colonel. 



W. A. THORNTON, 



Captain of Ordnance and Brevet Major. 



G. H. TALCOTT, 



CapVn of Ordnance and BH Vt Colonel. 

 J. L. Reno, 



Second Vt arid BH Captain, Recorder of Board. 



MAYNARD'S SELF PRIMING LOCK AND PRIMING. 



This method of priming is intended as a substitute for the per- 

 cussion cap. It consists in a coil of substance resembling thiek 

 paper, rather more than one-eighth of an inch in width, in 

 which, at proper intervals, spots of detonating powder are placed. 

 The whole apparatus is contained in a small chamber in the lock, 

 and the primer for each disci] arge is carried forward to its proper 

 position on the top of the cone each time the gun is cocked. The 

 advantages claimed for this lock and priming are various and 

 important, some of which we will state. It may be applied to 

 old arms by substituting new locks or by altering the old ones. 

 By the motion of the hammer from half cock to cock, the gun is 

 primed with mathematical accuracy, the state of the weather, 

 temperature, or position of the gun, having no influence. When 

 the hammer is down, or at half-cock, the gun is not primed, and 

 consequently cannot be fired by accident or carelesness. All the 

 manipulations required for other methods of priming, (among 



