SuoT-GuNs.—The Colt liammerlees Gun is shown open in Fig. 13 and closed in Fig. 14. The parts are as follows: A is the frame, B the barrel, C the fore-end, D the extractor cam, E the safety-slide, F the trigger-plate. C the lock-cover plate, II the stock, I the screw-holes in the draw-bar, J the mainspring. K, the sear-spring, L the hammer, _Lif the sear, N the cocking-pin, and 0 the body-pin. The operation is as follows: The gun is cocked first by throwing down the barrels, and second by bringing them back into place. An inspection of the drawing shows that the second motion increases the tension of the mainspring by push ing its inclined surface above the roll of the hammer, thus utilizing both motions of the bar rels and making the forces required to open and close them more nearly equal. The main springs move on rolls, making the friotion the least possible. The safety apparatus does not require the cutting away of the stock, so that the stock is very strong. The triggers are firmly secured by a positive-lock and not by springs. The hammers can be lei down separately or together by pressing the safety-slide forward and pulling one or both triggers while closing the barrels.
?lie Parker Chin, inamifacturell by Parker Bros., of Meriden, Conn., is represented in Figs. 15 and 16, the arm being shown open at Fig. 16 and closed at Fig. 15. The mechanism oper ates as follows: Pressing upon the finger-piece 1, in front of the guard 2, raises the lifter 3, and its bev eled side coining in contact with the screw 4, acts as a wedge to draw the bolt 3 from the mor tise which is cot in the lug 6, and releases the barrels, ready for the insertion of the car tridges. It will be observed that when the bolt 5 is back to the position, as showy in Fig. 16, the same hole which is drilled in the under side of said bolt comes directly over the trip 7.
which. by the assistance of the small spiral spring N, is made to enter this hole in the bolt 5. and thereby holds it in position. The finger-piece 1 is solid and a part of lifter 3. The action of the lifter 3 is positive, not only to withdraw the bolt from but to force it, forward into the mortise in the lug 6. For the purpose of cleaning it can be very easily removed by taking off the locks and removing the small-screw 4 from the end of the bolt 5, when by pressing down on trip 7 the lifter can be withdrawn without removing either stock, guard. or trigger-plate. The improved roll 18 gives strength to the joint. When the barrels are brought to place for firing, the bot tom of the lug 6 strikes the trip 7, withdrawing it from the bolt. 5, which then enters the mor tise in the lug 6 and securely locks the gun, as shown in Fig. 15. The mode of manufacturing the barrels of this gun is of interest, and is described by the makers as follows: Plates of iron and steel arc arranged in layers and then welded into a compact bar. which must be ab
solntely sound and perfect, as the slightest spot left unwelded or unsound in this operation will be sure to cause a total loss of the barrel. The process consists in reducing this bar to such a sized rod as may be required for a certain weight of barrel. This rod is twisted similar to a rope, as shown at L' in Fig. 17, care being taken to have the twist uniform and even. Several of these twisted rods are placed side by side, the inclination of the twist being in opposite directions, as shown in the illustration. These several rods are welded together with the same care and precision as in the previous operation. This is termed a ribbon and is coiled spirally around a mandrel, as shown at F, raised to a welding heat and jumped by striking the end against the anvil, thereby welding the edges firmly to gether. The ribbons are then placed upon a welding mandrel. reheated and welded from end to end. Much skill ,and care are required in this operation to reduce the outside diameter to correct size and at the same time preserve the caliber, and also maintain the proper taper, the barrel being such larger at the breech than at the muzzle. The fine figure that appears in the figured barrel is dependent upon the correctness of this and the previous welding operations, . for, if hammered unevenly, the figure itself will be correspondingly uneven. Than follows the process of hammering in nearly a cold state, whereby the tex t lire of the metal is condensed, closing its pores and making it harder. This finishes the operation of ba•rel-forging, and the barrel is now ready to be bored, turned, and finished upon lathes manufactured expressly for the purpose. The curly figure that appears at C is obtained by twisting the rods before referred to, as appears in the illustration at, E in 15g. 17, the variation of figure being obtained by varying the piling. The white marks that appear in the finished barrel MT iron and the dark ones the steel. A finer figure is obtained by an inereased number of pieces in the operation of piling. This larger number of pieces necessarily renders the ope•aa.tions of securing, perfect welding much more difficult, and the: liability of loss is greater. Sonic people imagine that the curly figures of the barrel are simply 11(.6,1 on the outside, when they are. in filet, the visible proof of a superior strength, both desirable and important to every shoot er who ho for his personal safety, for if an iron barrel, no matter how strong and thick. is defective and does not stand 1 he test, the defective part will splinter into more or less small pieces, the Damascus barrels will tent like woven fabric.