Patents for Inventions Small Arms 1855-1930

Collectors of British double shotguns and rifles, and all other types of small arms, will find every British patent registered from 1855 to 1930 in the 8.5" x 11" hard cover, seven volume set of books titled Patents For Inventions (Small Arms), 1855-1930. With the set comes a separate alphabetical index to inventors that makes it a matter of moments to find a patent. Having access to the patents makes it possible to identify rare action features that can multiply the value of a shotgun, rifle or semi-automatic pistol by hundreds, even thousands of dollars. It gives you a heads-up advantage over competitors in an auction.

This 7,980-entry reference was produced and published by the British Patent Office between 1904 and 1934 to assist inventors and industry, and to reduce the number of applications that had to be rejected because ideas submitted were already protected. Each patent description is summarized and most are accompanied by the essential drawings.

Several hundred entries are American (Colt, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, Savage, Remington are examples) and continental European (Mauser, Luger, Manceaux etc). Also included are patents for auxiliary and other special use cartridges and small arms accessories. The public employees who accomplished this monumental work could not have realized that they were creating an encyclopedic reference for future students of small arms history. It is just one of 140 categories that were summarized and published in this form.

Armory Publications produced one thousand sets from a rare original in the mid 1990s and they are now in use by collector\historians, authors, antique arms dealers and auctioneers, forensic scientists, law enforcement agencies and librarians in 24 countries. Just a few sets remain. The price per set is still $350 ($50 a volume) plus shipping charges calculated on destination. The photographs on the linked pages were taken by Kirby Hoyt.

Patents for Inventions, 1867. Patents for Inventions, 1874. Patents for Inventions, 1875. Patents for Inventions, 1878. Lancaster 14 gauge, oval bore rifle with flat faced, non-rebounding hammers and stalking safeties produced ca. 1867. Eighteen C and C.W. Lancaster patents extend from 1850 to 1903. Patents for Inventions, 1879. Patents for Inventions, 1879. Patents for Inventions, 1879. Lancaster 14 gauge, oval bore rifle, top view with makers label. Patents for Inventions, 1886. Patents for Inventions, assorted patent drawings.