The sector or spring-compressor, n, hinged in a recess of the lock, and engaging, by means of gear-teeth, with the sector-sleeve, l, has its arm, g, forced against the safety-stop, o, as the cam advances, thus compressing, through the medium of the sector-sleeve, the mainspring, and holding it tense until released by action of the sear.
The lock-heads serve as breech-plugs, and receive the recoil when the cartridges are fired. Each lock carries a hooked extractor which rides over and catches the flange of the cartridge, when the lock is forced forward, and when the lock retreats withdraws the empty shell until it comes within reach of the ejector, by which it is positively thrown out. The ejectors, ff, hinged to the case, are driven by projections on the sides of the locks which give them positive movements to eject the empty shells.
The Feed, resembling the Bruce feed but without the wheel, is fixed to the casing in rear of the barrels. Below the feed-guide the casing has two holes for the passage of cartridges, and below the holes is the feed-valve, which slides at right angles to the barrels when driven by the forked-shaped lever which receives its motion from the bolts as they move forward.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. If the crank be turned before the feeding of the cartridges is commenced, the first few will fall irregularly and check the working of the gun.
2. Be careful to reclamp firmly the swivel and pointing-lever after pointing.
3. To oscillate the gun without changing the elevation, unclamp the swivel and turn the gun back and forth from right to left by means of the pointing-lever, regulating the amplitude of the vibration by the oscillation-stop head.
4. When the firing is discontinued, turn the safety-crank downwards and to the front, until the crank-stop drops into its front recess in the casing.
5. This gun may be fired by turning the crank backward.