Trulock & Harriss's New Roll Turnover Machine.1858.

 

Trulock & Harriss 

Gunmakers

Dublin.

"TRULOCK AND HARRIS'S NEW MACHINE FOR TURNING OVER  BREECH-LOADING CARTRIDGES- A very simple little machine has recently been invented by the above gunmakers in Dublin, for the purpose of avoiding several objections which, until now, have been felt in the methods adopted for loading cartridges. Every gun is made with a chamber of a definite length, and although it is the practice of some makers to ease off the shoulder, yet, unless the length of the cartridge is accuraretly adapted to that of the chamber, some of the shot strike against its edge and are more or less injured by the contact. Now, it is manifest that a cartridge loaded with 3.1/2 drachms of powder and 1.1/2 oz, of shot will be longer than another containing 2.1/2 drachms of the former and 1.oz of the latter; and hence the smaller load with the usual plan of loading leaves a considerable gap the end of the cartridge, turned over upon the wad, and the shoulder of the chamber. To avoid this, Messrs Truelock and Harris (sic) have their cartridges all cut exactly to the length of the chamber; then, loading them with any charge in the usual way, they are pushed down into the machine. The following is an extract from their letter forwarded to us- " We recommend all our customers not to cut their cartridges to the length of the charge, but to leave a piece over the last wad, as so much of a directing tube, and in order that there should be the slightest space between the shoulder of the chamber and point of the cartridge. the end of which we leave so as to coincide with the height of the circular shoulder of the chamber- i.e., neither overhanging, nor under the bore, but having paper and iron quite level, thereby making the bore of the gun as nearly as possible , a cylinder, and as like as possible a muzzle loader; for we think that when the cartridge is cut the shooting is injured, both in force and closeness, as there is not a sustained pressure kept upon the edges of the wadding while passing the open space left by the short cartridge, and consequently , it turns when it meets the shoulder, and allows the flame of the powder to mingle with the shot. Removing the shoulder of the chamber does not do away with the fault; it only lessens it, as the wadding is likely to turn when passing over the hollow space left by cutting away the set off. The cartridge is not in the least injured by pressure; it can be reloaded much more readily than when cut, as the discharge forces back the bulge that is made by the tool". "" TRULOCK & HARRIS (sic) (9 Dawson-street, Dublin) - 
The Field."".   

Saunders Newsletter 25th November 1858.

Please refer to our older posts with respect to this company of gunmakers.

Dave Stroud ramrodantiques.co.uk