Description and Service of Machine Guns Used in the United States Army (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896 edition. Excerpt: ...of the cartridge into its chamber. The piston itself is a simple cylinder connected with the rack, and running in a slot in the conducting trough. 168. When the racks are in their extreme positions they remain stationary a moment. This stop is obtained by giving the slot a curved-shape concentric with the shaft of the crank. This is necessary, because, at the moment of the barrels arriving at the end of their course, the head of the cartridge case becomes engaged in the hooks of the extractor, which would not be possible if it were in motion at the time. 159. The extractor is a large double hook at the end of the bottom rack. It is very solid, and its proper working is certain under all circumstances. 160. After the cartridge is extracted from the barrel it strikes against an ejector, which pushes it out of the extractor, and falls to the ground through an opening in the under part of the breech. The firing pin has an elongation, pointing downward, which, by the operation of a spring, is pressed against a cam on the worm; and, as the worm rotates, the cam drives the firing pin back and compresses the spring. The moment the firing pin becomes liberated it strikes the primer of the cartridge and the discharge takes place. 161. To obviate the difficulties of feeding which exist in other systems, when the cartridges are piled one upon the other, the opening of the introduction trough is closed by a little door, which goes down by tbe weight of the cartridges, the first of which drops into the trough, and then the piston, moving forward, raises the door, and allows no more cartridges to enter until the proper time. 162. All parts of the mechanism are very strong and durable, and hardly exceed in number those of an ordinary small-arm, there being, ..