ELLIOT This gun has a fixed chamber closed by a movable breech-block, which rotates about a horizontal axis at 90 degrees to the axis of the barrel, lying above the axis of the barrel and in rear, being moved from above. By cocking the hammer it operates as a lever on the breech-block pawl, and at each movement alternately pushes and pulls against the lower arm of the breech-block and opens and closes the piece. After opening the piece, the hammer falls forward, and resting upon the pawl prevents any motion of the block until the piece is closed, which is done by again bringing the hammer to the full-cock, where it is held by the rear end of the trigger. The piece is locked by the position of the breech-block and by its friction against the head of the cartridge when firing. It is also braced by the hammer falling behind a shoulder on the pawl, to prevent its movement as in opening. It is fired by the usual center-lock and a firing-pin in two sections, one of which moves with the block and the other remains in the frame. Extraction is
accomplished by a lever pivoted below the chamber, and worked through the in tervening extractor-link by the movement of the hammer on the pawl. Ejection is effected by an auxiliary spring playing on a friction roller eccentrically placed in the extractor. The guard is hinged at its rear end so as to afford a ready means of inspecting or cleaning the mechanism, and the lock is so constructed that the hammer cannot be let down slowly upon the firing pin with the thumb.
This arm has been modified so that extraction may be caused by a bent lever of the usual form, and opening by the descent of the breech-block. In this modi fication the breech-block pawl is single and works within the cheeks of a slit hammer.