Product Details
A .577 PROTOTYPE RESTELL'S 1864 PATENT BREECH-LOADING CARBINE FOR A COMBUSTIBLE CARTRIDGE, no visible serial number,
with 21in. barrel rifled with five grooves, breech engraved 'RESTELL'S PATENT NEW SCREW PROPELLER BREECH LOADER' and fitted with the P56 pattern carbine leaf sights, border engraved lock with the faint inscription 'RESTELL'S PATENT', iron mounted full walnut stock, missing firing pin
Provenance: The patent protecting this design was obtained for Thomas Restell on 15th November 1864, No 2855, by patent agents Newton & Son and notices placed in the various journals. It was described as a method of converting muzzle-loading rifles to breech-loading. The design was updated in 1866 and two further patents obtained No's 722 an 2711 of 1866 that adapted the design to handle a centrefire metallic cartridge with an extractor system. An example of this later pattern built on a P53 Enfield rifle is believed have been in the famous Harrods collection
Other Notes: The style of this carbine suggests it was based on the Terry capping breech loader and used many of its component parts modified to this new design, the mechanism features a sliding bolt or plunger that once had a firing pin (now missing) that ran through the front section or bolt head, by cocking the hammer and pressing the small catch on the cocking piece the plunger can be drawn backwards for loading, the carbine was designed to accept a paper combustible cartridge the base of which was a felt wad with an imbedded primer and designed to be fired out by the next round and not ejected. On firing a tapered bolt connected to the hammer is driven forward, this drives into a slot in the plunger body locking the action tight and driving the firing pin forward, the lock has an externally mounted safety lever. The system is not overly practical and is the only known specimen of its type, the carbine comes with the vendors notes together with copies of its patent abridgements
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Estimate £1,100-1,500
Sold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the 1968 Firearms Act, to be held as a curiosity or ornament