88 



RECREA TWN. 



THE BLAKE RIFLE. 



A new rifle has recently been constructed and 

 submitted to a series of severe tests by the in- 

 ventor, Mr. John H. Blake, who now announces 

 his readiness to build them to order. Of this 

 rifle he says : 



It is designed for a high grade sporting rifle for 

 practical use in the fields or the mountains ; the first 

 consideration being a solid breech action, one that will 

 "hold up" under the enormous chamber pressure 

 developed by smokeless rifle powder in projecting the 

 bullet at the high muzzle velocity now required to 

 give the flattest possible trajectory. 



To accomplish this the general idea of the famous 

 Sharps action has been followed, that of supporting 

 the strain of the chamber pressure, developed by the 

 explosion of the charge, immediately in rear of the 



A distinctive feature of the system is that the car- 

 tridges may be carried in the belt or pockets, in a re- 

 volving cylindrical packet, holding generally seven 

 cartridges; the small cut (Fig. 2) showing an empty 

 packet, seven cartridges, and a filled packet. These 

 packets are charged into the magazine, which lies. 

 under the receiver and just forward of the trigger 

 guard, in one movement and " en bloc," as if the 

 packet were a single cartridge. The cartridges are 

 fed into the chamber by a positive movement, dis- 

 pensing with the magazine spring. When the car- 

 tridge packet is empty, the magazine door at the side 

 of the receiver is opened, the empty packet drops out, 

 and a full packet is recharged. An empty packet may 

 be refilled with cartridges many times, if desired ; the 

 packet weighs less than two ounces, and can be fur- 

 nished for a few cents. 



The rifle holds eight cartridges : one in the chamber, 

 and seven in the magazine. Two more packets may be 

 carried in a vest pocket, which would give a supply of 



base of the cartridge. In the Sharps, which was a 

 single shot action, the vertical sliding wedge was used, 

 but in the Blake action, to conform to the requirements 

 of a repeater, the bolt action with double locking lugs 

 at the extreme front end, is employed. These lugs are 

 symmetrically placed on opposite sides of the bolt, are 

 theoretically and mechanically correct, and constitute 

 the most solid locking device ever put into a repeater. 



The next feature considered is the extraction of the 

 empty shell after the charge is fired. To accomplish 

 this two extractors are employed,' one a powerful 

 spring extractor, the other a positive device which 

 surely starts the shell for the first eighth of an inch, 

 although both pull at the start. The empty shell is 

 thrown to the right and away from the operator. 



Simplicity is next considered, the number of parts 

 being elemental, and when the bolt action is removed 



22 cartridges. If it be thought desirable to carry more 

 cartridges, more packets may be carried in the pockets, 

 or in loops on the cartridge belt, as those now in use, 

 the loops merely being larger. A belt would hold 49. 

 cartridges in packets, and 30 in single loops. 



Positive feed of cartridges in magazine is employed, 

 avoiding the use of a magazine spring for the purpose. 

 This is a great convenience in loading, and reduces lia- 

 bility of disablement. The positive feed enables the full 

 strength of the operator to be used in feeding the 

 cartridges in front of bolt, ready on its forward move- 

 ment to be pushed into the chamber of the barrel, and 

 avoids the dependence on a weak spring. Barrel and 

 receiver may be removed from the stock in three 

 minutes by the use of a screw-driver, and the arm may 

 be packed in an ordinary trunk. It may be mounted 

 in the same time. 



Single cartridges may be charged into the packet 

 or magazine at any time, or the charged packet may 

 be instantly removed. It is claimed that the bolt action, 

 with handle at the side, as employed in this rifle, aside 

 from its simplicity, strength, and lightness, is superior 

 to a finger lever in rapidity, and in power to put in and 

 take out cartridges from the chamber. It certainly 

 takes up less room, leaves the grip perfectly clear of 

 any obstructions, and can be worked in a more confined 

 space. The seven shots in magazine can be fired with- 

 out taking the arm from the shoulder. A Lyman 

 sight is fitted to the cocking piece. 



from the receiver, which can be done almost instantly, 

 the breech is open, so that the bore and grooves of the 

 barrel can be readily examined and cleaned. The 

 breech mechanism can be taken apart and a new main 

 spring and extractor, or firing pin, substituted and 

 replaced in 40 seconds. 



Next in order I have considered a magazine system 

 with a good reserve, a positive feed, and that can be 

 instantly refilled. 



This rifle, by the use of a " cut off," can be used as 

 a rapid single loader, with magazine holding seven 

 cartridges in reserve, available as a repeater whenever 

 the cut off is thrown in. Single loading fire can be re- 

 sumed at any time, holding the remaining cartridges in 

 packet in reserve. As a repeater the sustained rapidity 

 of fire is probably greater than that of any known rifle, 

 being 42 shots a minute. The loading being done 

 from the cartridge belt, and not from a table, as in most 

 of the high speed tests. 



The rifle is made in two calibers, the .30 caliber U. S. 

 Army, and .236 caliber U. S. Navy, both of which may 

 be obtained of any of the cartridge companies, or at 

 any army or navy station. 



The .30 caliber cartridge is supplied loaded with 

 smokeless rifle powder, giving a muzzle velocity to 

 the cupro-nickel jacket 220 grain bullet of 2,000 feet 

 per second, and a chamber pressure of about 20 tons 

 to the square inch. 



The .236 caliber, with smokeless rifle powder, gives 

 2,500 feet velocity to the jacketed 135 grain bullet, and 

 a chamber pressure of about 25 tons to the square inch. 



Both cartridges are supplied, also, loaded with 55 

 grains black powder and jacketed bullets, which makes- 

 a good charge for target work and for small game. 



The .30 caliber cartridge is supplied with smokeless 

 rifle powder and half mantled bullets with soft lead or 

 express points. All lead bullets, alloy about 10 to 1 can 

 also be used. Reloading tools are furnished. The 

 rifle is built to order in several grades, with length of 

 barrel, length and drop of stock to suit. The barrels 

 are of nickel steel, the receiver and action also being 

 of a superior grade of steel. Weight of rifle with 26- 



