FRANKLIN MAGAZINE GUN.
This gun belongs to that system in which a fixed chamber is closed by a bolt by direct action, and in which the lock is concealed. The receiver has a vertical slot cut entirely through it for the purpose of receiving cartridges from above and af fording egress to the empty shells below. It has also a longitudinal slot through which the handle on the breech-bolt slides. with a side-cut at the front end of the slot for the reception of the handle when the bolt is locked. The breech-bolt is composed of three parts, viz., the locking-tube, the bolt-head and the cocking piece. To the latter of these, the firing--pin, which extends the whole length of the breech-bolt, is secured by a screw. The bolt-head, which supports the cart ridg,e at the instant of fire, is secured to the locking-tube by a pin at right angles to its axis. The firing-pin spring which is held between the shoulder on the front of the firing-yin and that at the bottom of the locking-tube, serves by its tension to hold in contact the locking,-tube and cockin{„r-piece. By means of the spiral sur faces of a projection on the cocking-piece, and a corresponding recess on the locking-tube, the cocking-piece is cammed back, withdrawing the point of the firing-pin within the face of the bolt-head when the piece is unlocked. Accidental explosions are thus avoided in closing the bolt. The form of the cut in the re ceiver is such as to cam back the handle, and with it the bolt, during the unlocking, starting the empty shell. When the bolt is returned to its position the stop-spring is returned to its first position by means of a spring operating its lever; at the same time the inclined face of the stop-spring bearing on the side of the cut in the re ceiver is pressed out of the way, and a cartriclg,e issues from the magazine into the space above the breech-bolt. it follows, therefore, that a cartridg,e always oc
cupies a space above the breech-block when the piece is locked, provided the maga zine has been previously filled. \\lien the bolt is withdrawn, this cartridge, under the influence of gravity alone, falls illt0 a position in line with the axis of the bore. The bullet is supported by a shelf in rear of the chamber. The base of the cart ridg,e is prevented from falling below the line of the axis of the bore by the shape of the ,Flot in the receiver, which is only wide enough for the shell to fall through when its head is behind the extractor. This condition only obtains when the shell is being. NvIthdrawn. \\Then the bolt is returned, the cartridge is forced into the chamber and another one enters the space above the breech-bolt. A lid covers the opening, at the top of the receiver. A catch serves to keep the lid closed except when the breech-bolt is unlocked. If the lid be raised during, that time, a shoulder on its interior hearing against a lever prevents a stop-spring returning to its orig, inal position. The lid remaining, the piece may be loaded and fired as a single loader. No ejector is required with this gun. gravity again being, called on to ef fect the fall of the empty shell through the opening to the ground. .As a maga zine gun. three motions are necessary to operate it, viz., opened, closed, fired.