John(Not the Armorer) spoke of early breechloaders, so, I thought I would run with the ball.
This is a pic of the M1866 Wanzl's breech. It follows the same general form as the Springfield Trapdoor in the US, but in a more complicated (to my eye) fashion. The US rifle locks with a cam in the bolt that actuated by the lifting latch on the bolt. The Wanzl bolt closes (under spring tension, so it doesn't just flop open) but isn't actually locked until you pull the trigger. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer going forward also pushes a rod into the bolt to lock it.
So, let's meet the Wanzl's younger brother, the Werndl-Holub. Whereas the Wanzl is a straight conversion of the Lorenz musket to fire a large-bore black-powder cartridge, the Werndl took the next step to a small-caliber cartridge.
Read the complete post at http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2013/07/now_that_you_me.html
Posted
Jul 16 2013, 06:07 AM
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Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..