Hugh, that's an interesting take, but almost all gun patent improvements show the improvement on a gun for illustration. Many times the gun is recognizable, although the patent drawing just illustrates how the improvement relates to a gun. Patent #1793 of 1866 shows a gun with a lever forend latch, a forend , barrels , hinge pin,"Jones" underlever, etc. But, the text of the patent makes no mention of any forend latch at all. The only thing the patent text deals with is the retracting firing pins.

Last edited by Daryl Hallquist; 04/19/12 02:45 PM.
http://www.bakercollectors.com/