On the left-hand side of the breech casing is a small chamber, open at the top and on the side next the breech. To the top is clipped the magazine, filled with twenty-five cartridges. The magazine is shaped somewhat like a slice of melon, only that the curved back and front are parallel. The sides converge towards the inner edge. It is closed at the lower end by a spring secured by a catch. When a magazine is attached to the open top of the chamber the catch is released so as to put chamber and magazine in direct communication. The cartridges would then be able to drop straight into the breech chamber through the side slot, were the latter not protected by a curved horizontal shutter, called the distributer. Its action is such that when a cartridge is being passed through into the breech casing, the shutter closes, and holds the remaining cartridges in the magazine; and when the cartridge has passed it opens and lets the next into position in the side casing.
As soon as a cartridge enters the breech it is pushed forward into the chamber ready for firing by the feeder lever. The magazine and the holder are so arranged that when the last cartridge has passed from the magazine to the distributer, the motion of the moving parts of the gun is arrested till the magazine is removed, when the motion is resumed so far as to push the remaining cartridge into the chamber and bring the breech-block into the firing position. When another magazine has been fixed in the holder, firing can be resumed by pulling the trigger; but if another magazine is not fixed in the holder the last cartridge cannot be fired by pulling the trigger, and only by pulling a handle which will be presently described. This arrangement secures the continuance of the automatic firing being interrupted only by the very brief interval required for charging the apparatus.
The gun is fired, as usual, by pulling a trigger. If a steady pull be kept on the trigger the whole contents of the magazine will be fired automatically (the last cartridge excepted); but if such continuous firing is not desired, a few shots at a time may be fired automatically by alternately pulling and releasing the trigger. If it is desired to fire shot by shot from the magazine, a small swivel on the trigger-guard is moved so as to limit the movement of the trigger. By moving this swivel out of the way, automatic firing is resumed. The gun may also be fired without a magazine by simply feeding cartridges by hand into the magazine holder. In front of the trigger-guard is a safety catch, and if this is set to "safe" the gun cannot be fired until the catch is moved to "fire."
