The Arms & Equipment in the Civil War Message Board

Breech-loading firearms patent

In 1868, James E. McBeth, a former officer in the 131st New York Infantry and the Second Louisiana Cavalry, filed patent numbers 73,357 and 80,985 for breech-loading firearm improvements.

Both patents were timely, having been within two years of the release of a U.S. military commission that examined breech-loaders.

I've been unable to determine the impact of McBeth's inventions on the evolution of this type of firearm. Hope you can help shed some light. Below are links to the two patents, from the U.S. Patent office. Please note that each entry consists of an illustration (page 1) and two pages of text.

You'll need to copy-paste the entire URL into your browser's address box.

http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00073357&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%2Fnetahtml%2Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3Do179%2526s1%3D73357.WKU.%2526OS%3DPN%2F73357%2526RS%3DPN%2F73357&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=3B4A1A0068B4

http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00080985&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%2Fnetahtml%2Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3Do179%2526s1%3D80985.WKU.%2526OS%3DPN%2F80985%2526RS%3DPN%2F80985&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=C885FAE7E97B