Historical Breechloading

Smallarms Association

Resource Centre

 

 The Resource Centre provides brief descriptions of smallarms, and references to enable further study. If you are interested in finding more about the H.B.S.A., please follow the links provided.

W. Soper 2-band Military Breechloading Rifle

Calibre:

 ·577"/·450"
Barrel length: 33"
Serial no.: 338
Date:

The Soper rifle is one of the most interesting and controversial British firearms of the 19th Century. Patented by William Soper of Reading (patent number 3,637). This is the second model Soper rifle (the first being an underlever dropping block action) of the design submitted for evaluation to the Special Committee on Breechloading Rifles in 1868. According to Soper, his rifle was rejected because it arrived one day late. The rifle is operated by a lever fixed to the right side of the action adjacent to the trigger so it can be thumb operated with minimal disturbance to the shooter’s position. When depressed the lever acts via a connecting rod to raise the breech block which is hinged to the right side of the body. The hammer is cocked by an internal tumbler rotated by the axis pin of the operating lever simultaneously with the opening of the breech. Further pressure on the operating lever actuates a sliding bar extractor. The breech is closed by lifting up the lever so dropping the block into a formed channel in the body. The breech block houses the firing pin and a transverse locking bar which enters a groove in the left body wall when fully closed. The hammer has a half-cock safety position, and when fully cocked can only be opened by first pressing a spring catch to the right of the trigger. It was with a rifle of this model that Sgt. John Warrick of the Berkshire Volunteers (and Soper’s assistant) achieved 60 shots in 60 seconds at the Basingstoke Exhibition of 1870.

© H.B.S.A. 2004