Ebets Pistols: just one step behind Browning!

49
Ebets Pistols: just one step behind Browning!
Ebets pistol mod. 1897 Quite modern for that year and even user-friendly pistol. It is possible that the jumping lever on the pistol would have interfered with the shooter, but ... the levers folding on the "parabellum" hindered him even more, and nothing ...

There is something that they say: "Look, this is new"; but that was already in the centuries before us ...
The Book of the Prophet Ecclesiastes 1:10

History firearms weapons. Today we continue our story about pistols from the last decade of the XNUMXth century. Then the situation was like a breakthrough of a reservoir dam: inventions in the field of military equipment and firearms in particular poured out in a real stream. A lot of different automatic pistols appeared. Well - the time has come, the designers "took the bull by the horns" and began to create designs of pistols, one more surprising than the other. Sometimes creating constructions that were much ahead of their time. But ... if their weapons were not accepted by the military or did not find wide commercial sales, then the memory of them remained the lot of only specialists. One of these gunsmiths was K.J. Ebets - the creator of one of the world's first pistols with automatic equipment that works by exhausting gases from the barrel.


Carl George Ebets

Ebets was born in Germany in May 1845, went to school in Hamburg. There, in Hamburg, he studied at the Jessen Polytechnic School. Then in 1864-1867. was engaged in barrel production at the Krupp enterprise in Essen, and at the same time studied in Karlsruhe, at the local higher technical school. In 1868, Ebets, like many talented and intelligent Europeans, moved to America. Here in the United States, he first worked as a "technical draftsman" for Pratt & Whitney and then moved to Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut. Samuel Colt himself had already died by this time, and the company was going through far from its best times.




One of Ebets' patents: 1884 swing-away revolver.

How Ebets got the job as head of the firm's design department is unknown. Little is known about him in general, since even in the archives of the Colt company there are very few materials about his work, although there are documents signed by him in this position.

And then it happened that two Browning brothers came to his department and offered ... a machine gun that works by removing gases from the bore. Actually, at first, a rifle with a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute was proposed, the reloading of which was due to the movement of the lever, on which the powder gases were pressed, and that, in turn, moved the bolt. The unusual design reached the stage of patenting by the Colt firm already on January 6, 1890, but then he prepared several proposals for improving its design and converting the rifle into a machine gun! There is an entry in Ebets' diary:

“1891, June 10. Two of the 10 Browning brothers were here to discuss their machine gun, a model of which John had brought back on May 1; agreed that we will try to implement the principle earlier in order to get ahead of the claims to Maxim's priority (the use of gas to drive weapons). "

That is, it is obvious that this automation system was born from another attempt to bypass Maxim's patents, and this promised substantial profits if the business was successful.


Ebets pistol 1894

The new model of the machine gun fired 45-70 caliber US Army cartridges with a charge of black powder, however, the rate of fire on it was also brought to 400 rounds per minute. A patent application was filed on August 3, 1891, with the US Patent Office in Washington. Then it was protected by three more patents, and that's how, as a result, the machine gun "Colt model 1895" was born, firing cartridges .30-40 "Krag" and "6-mm Lee Navey". He was immediately sent "to practice" to fight in Cuba in 1895 and suppress the "boxers" in China in 1900. And everywhere he showed himself well and was accepted by the military, but he received the characteristic nickname "potato digger" its barrel had articulated levers, which resembled by their action similar devices on machines for harvesting potatoes. In total, from 1892 to 1927, Browning received a total of 19 patents for his machine guns, and Karl J. Ebets actively assisted him in this work, first as the direct head of the design department, and then as an experienced adviser in the field of patent affairs.


Schematic of the Ebets pistol of 1894 from the patent of 1896. First impression: the pistol was very long and poorly balanced. Keeping him pointed at the target would be quite difficult.

So the first meeting of Ebets and Browning took place back in May 1891, and then they not only worked together, but also became friends. Well, it is obvious that communication with Browning prompted Ebets himself to try his hand at creating weapons. Moreover, he was clearly impressed by the success of the gas-operated automatics of the machine gun he created. And around 1893, Karl Ebets himself began to develop a pistol with the same automatic drive, which he completed in the fall of 1894.


Schematic of the Ebets pistol of 1894 from the patent of 1896. In the top view, the barrel and the bolt, at the bottom - the gas vent mechanism

The pistol turned out to be extremely unusual and not like other samples. Like many other pistols of the 90s, it had a magazine in front of the trigger guard and was fed from a pack of cartridges. The pack was filled with five rounds, but the sixth could be loaded into the barrel. The automatics of the pistol worked like this: the powder gases entered the barrel when fired through the inclined bottom hole, the gases pressed on the end of the piston and pushed it back. The piston pulled the trigger back, and he got up on a combat platoon, and meanwhile, inside the shutter block, a special rod turned along a spiral groove and thereby forced the shutter to rotate. At the same time, he disengaged from the barrel, and the sleeve pressed on the bolt, and he retreated. At the same time, the spent cartridge case was extracted, and when the bolt returned by the force of the spring, it sent a new cartridge into the chamber.


Schematic of the Ebets pistol of 1894 from the patent of 1896. The device of the trigger mechanism and the gas chamber

Thus, the gas venting mechanism had nothing to do with the action of the shutter. He controlled only the device for locking it, which allowed the use of sufficiently powerful cartridges.


Schematic of the Ebets pistol of 1894 from the patent of 1896. The operation of the shutter and the ammunition feed mechanism

It is not known whether John Browning knew about Ebets' design or whether he himself thought of using the principle of his machine gun to create a pistol, but in the same fall of 1894, just when Ebets presented his pistol, Browning also began working on the creation of an automatic pistol with a gas-operated automatic mechanism. ... At the beginning of 1895 the pistol was ready and on July 3 it was tested at the company's shooting range. But Ebets also began work on a new pistol for the gas system, and it turned out that they received patents for their pistols almost simultaneously, namely in 1897!


Exterior view of Ebets pistol from 1897 patent

The second Ebets pistol, most likely, was made back in 1895 in the workshops of the department of new developments of the Colt company under the personal supervision of its creator, and it was very much, one might say - strikingly different from the first!


Ebets pistol. Diagram from a patent of 1897. The locking lever is folded back, the barrel is pushed forward

This Ebets pistol differed from the previous one by the presence of a direct-acting gas valve on the pivot assembly, which actuated the longitudinally moving barrel and squeezed the powerful coiled return spring underneath. The gas outlet on the barrel was located on the top of the barrel approximately in the middle of its length. Powder gases coming out of the hole acted on the poppet tip of the locking lever, which then folded up and back, while pushing the barrel forward. The tip itself had two washers on the sides, for which the lever could be lifted up by hands and thereby cock the bolt of this pistol. Although it would be more correct to say - not the bolt, but the barrel, because the reloading of this pistol, like the Mannlicher pistol of 1894, was due to the movement of the barrel itself. The ammunition was of a revolving type, and in the same way as that of Mannlicher, the trigger itself operated.


Diagram of the Ebets pistol device from the 1897 patent

The store was in the handle, but had a specific device, again with the aim of circumventing the patent of the Remington Arms company.


Top view of the pistol during its operation. Diagram from a patent of 1897

The Ebets pistol was quite well developed and could well become a model for mass production. But when John M. Browning offered the company several of his pistols at once, Ebets, as a specialist, immediately appreciated the economic potential hidden in them and ... became a good assistant to him.


Browning's patent for a pistol arr. 1897. Unlike Ebets' pistol, his barrel is motionless, but the bolt moves back!

As a result, his work contributed to the appearance of the serial model "Colt-Browning 1900", and the conquest of the company in technical and economic terms of such a favorable position that it began to occupy one of the leading places in the world in the number of small arms produced, and especially pistols. Well, Karl J. Ebets himself died on July 19, 1925 in a hospital in the city of Hartford. Yes, he didn't create his own pistol to go into production. I tried, he succeeded, however, he had enough wisdom to make way for a more worthy one and not interfere with him (and this happens and often!), But to help!
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49 comments
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  1. +2
    4 November 2021 18: 08
    Comrade Shpakovsky, I urge you to return to writing the promised second part about the life and extraordinary adventures of a citizen of Athens Themistocles Neocleous! bully
    1. +10
      4 November 2021 18: 12
      Vyacheslav Olegovich has many interesting directions, for which we, the readers, thank him.
      From myself I will add that IMHO "Browning" will be more subtle laughing
      Well, history has shown that it is more practical ...
      1. +12
        4 November 2021 19: 02
        Agree with you! smile
        Thank you Vyacheslav for an interesting article about an interesting person. Karl Ebets is worthy of respect not only as an inventor, but also as an honest and far-sighted person who, due to his leadership position, did not "put a spoke in the wheel" to John Browning, but, on the contrary, helped him in every possible way.



        There is a lot of everything, I did not lay out everything, if anyone is interested, you can look here: Articles on the history of weapons "Catalog WEAPONS 2005"
        1. +13
          4 November 2021 19: 10
          I can’t get past the Potato Palka, because he also took part in our Civil War. smile


          1. +9
            4 November 2021 20: 05
            Hi all!
            Uncle Kostya I dare to join your photo album with two more photographs from the period of the Civil War, they are very characteristically machine-gunned!

            1. +8
              4 November 2021 20: 16
              Well, I'll continue. smile
              Ufa 1918, railway station, Czechoslovakian armored train.
          2. +1
            5 November 2021 19: 44
            Quote: Sea Cat
            Can't walk past the Potato Stick

            Historical machine! One of the very first and at the same time one of the lightest machine guns of that time. A strange scheme with a side valve, waving its lever widely, at the same time turned out to be tolerant of gunpowder of any quality, and surprisingly gently pulled the casings out of the chamber, which was important in WWI conditions when the quality of the cartridges dropped dramatically.

            True, this machine also had a fat minus, for some reason it did not occur to the designer to provide the user with quick access to the inside of the mechanism, like Maxim for example. There it is enough to lift the lid of the box and climb inward with both hands. Here, the slightest distortion of the cloth tape and the khan. Get out a screwdriver and start unscrewing this whole structure. I can imagine how the machine gunners burned when such an unexpected thing happened during an enemy attack laughing
            1. +1
              5 November 2021 19: 53
              Yes, at the very first assembly and disassembly of the "Maxim" everything was done without guidance, but I had nothing to do with the M 1895 machine gun, just fidgeted outside.
              1. +1
                5 November 2021 20: 01
                As for "Maxim just" is how to say, on a jump, the Maxim machine gun has about 400 parts in the design, and this Colt Browning has about 110. And almost all of them are simple. But the Americans thought badly about maintainability.
        2. +1
          5 November 2021 14: 00
          Kostya, good afternoon. Didn't see V.O.
          I drew attention to the handle, it is of a revolving type and is not comfortable for me. Parabellum, Browning and even K-96 are more convenient
    2. +8
      4 November 2021 20: 11
      What's the second part? Everything, everything has been told about him. "To Be Continued" has to do with other parts of the Great Rulers cycle. There was already Pericles ... followed by others ... The cycle is designed for a year.
      1. +2
        4 November 2021 20: 19
        Quote: kalibr
        What's the second part? Everything, everything has been told about him. "To Be Continued" has to do with other parts of the Great Rulers cycle. There was already Pericles ... followed by others ... The cycle is designed for a year.

        Understood thanks. I thought they forgot, I thought it possible to delicately remind)
        1. +7
          4 November 2021 20: 21
          No. He died. And the story of Pericles began. Now he "died" with us, and a story about someone else will begin. Then, then ...
          1. +9
            4 November 2021 21: 24
            No. He died.
            Old Odessa bike.
            "- Madam, is your fish still alive?"
            - No, madam, she's already dead.
            - Why, then, is it so expensive, you collect it for her funeral ??? "
            1. +8
              4 November 2021 21: 51
              About fish without cats anymore. laughing
              1. +4
                4 November 2021 22: 07
                Daddy, have you noticed? I'm not talking about "fish", I'm talking about Odessa!
                1. +3
                  4 November 2021 22: 18
                  There are still no fish in Odessa?

                  As in the joke: in Moscow - "Mosryba, Mosmyaso .."
                  And in Odessa - "Ode fish, Ode meat ..." laughing
                  1. +5
                    4 November 2021 22: 25
                    I don’t know how in Odessa, but in St. Petersburg there is only smelt (in season) at the price of pink salmon.
                2. +4
                  4 November 2021 22: 48
                  Quote: 3x3zsave
                  I'm not talking about "fish", I'm talking about Odessa!

                  Duc ... "Kostya brought scows full of mullet to Odessa ..."!
                  1. +3
                    4 November 2021 22: 56
                    It is useless to seduce me with pictures with "cats"
                    "He is an Andalusian dog running by the edge of the sea" (c) laughing
                    1. +2
                      5 November 2021 15: 17
                      "Sow confusion and release the dogs of war." (C)

                  2. +2
                    5 November 2021 15: 12
                    Scows full of mullet


                    Yes, there was a time ...

                    1. +1
                      5 November 2021 19: 58
                      Photoshop. A bunch of identical, copied cats. But the idea is good good
                3. +2
                  5 November 2021 14: 05
                  Anton, who is talking about what, and the cats about fish. I bought hamsas a little bit, but the cat climbs on the table: give me fish, otherwise it will be worse
              2. +3
                4 November 2021 22: 26
                I recognize the Sea Cat!
              3. +1
                5 November 2021 06: 44
                It is harmful for cats to eat fish! Their fur deteriorates from a fish diet!
                1. +3
                  5 November 2021 09: 07
                  Quote: kalibr
                  It is harmful for cats to eat fish! Their fur deteriorates from a fish diet!

                  Cats don't know this! laughing
      2. +3
        4 November 2021 20: 31
        The cycle is designed for a year.
        "I love our huge plans" (c)
        1. +4
          4 November 2021 20: 57
          Quote: 3x3zsave
          "I love our huge plans" (c)

          Sweep the steps of a fathom!
          1. +6
            4 November 2021 21: 03
            "Each merchant measures his yardstick" (C)
            1. +3
              4 November 2021 21: 58
              All sorts of things: ham and rust.
              1. +3
                4 November 2021 22: 17
                "It's time to think about business,
                About shoes and sealing wax, cabbage,
                Kings, and why, like soup in a cauldron,
                Water boils in the seas "(C)
                1. +3
                  4 November 2021 22: 21
                  "About the unfortunate and happy,
                  About good and evil "(c).
                  1. +6
                    4 November 2021 22: 36
                    "... and holy love." (WITH)
                    "He loved Klara. And Klara is a steal,
                    Itself is so natural, so natural
                    That you forget morality with her forever,
                    But Clara did not suffer from morality,
                    Carla played with a sterile soul,
                    And somehow in the morning, a nasty girl,
                    Stole the clarinet from Karl "(C)
                    1. +2
                      4 November 2021 23: 02
                      “Faint rustle along the walls, soft velvet knock
                      Your step is light - step from toe to heel
                      And the pupils are covered with passion, like a black oil film ”(c).
                      1. +2
                        4 November 2021 23: 14
                        "Flamenco fire, passionate rhythm of Seville,
                        How many poor souls you have ruined! "(C)
                      2. +2
                        4 November 2021 23: 34
                        “I am here, Inesilla,
                        I'm here under the window.
                        Embraced by Seville
                        And darkness and sleep "(c).
                      3. +2
                        4 November 2021 23: 52
                        "From Seville to Grenada,
                        In the quiet twilight of nights "(C)
                        The light of the lamp is barely visible,
                        In the torches of the plague doctors
                      4. +2
                        5 November 2021 00: 09
                        “They don't buy any food -
                        Everyone is forced to save money:
                        Cholera mows down slender rows, -
                        But people again close in ranks ”(c).
                2. +3
                  5 November 2021 06: 46
                  Why is the sea water salty?
                  So that the fish in it does not go bad!
      3. +2
        5 November 2021 06: 43
        Quote: kalibr
        What's the second part? Everything, everything has been told about him. "To Be Continued" has to do with other parts of the Great Rulers cycle. There was already Pericles ... followed by others ... The cycle is designed for a year.

        Vyacheslav Olegovich, comrade apparently meant that you took a step back and ranked Themistocles among the greats! A very, very extraordinary personality. It is your choice to write about it or not, I personally read his story with pleasure in your presentation.
        hi
  2. +10
    4 November 2021 18: 14
    Thanks to the author! Great reading after the nasty news articles! good
    1. +8
      4 November 2021 19: 55
      Quote: Alien From
      Thanks to the author! Great reading after the nasty news articles! good

      Great said !!!
  3. +4
    4 November 2021 19: 13
    Thanks to the author for the article, I read it with interest.
  4. +11
    4 November 2021 19: 15
    But Ebets also began work on a new pistol for the gas system, and it turned out that they received patents for their pistols almost simultaneously, namely in 1897!

    They received them at the same time, and one day - April 20, 1897.
  5. +2
    4 November 2021 20: 15
    Very interesting. +++
  6. +7
    4 November 2021 23: 26
    As I understand it, one of the charms of the Ebets pistol is the "gas-operated" automatics ... plus one of the first patents for such a "gas" pistol! How about the Claire brothers' pistol patented in 1889?

    There were 6 "pieces" of cartridges in the magazine; but it was possible to use a handle with an increased capacity of 14 rounds!

    Barrel length ~ 26.6 cm. A tubular curved magazine with a capacity of 6 rounds is placed in the handle and loaded through a special hole under the chamber. The gas engine is located under the barrel, with a gas outlet 78mm from the muzzle. The bolt is locked with a pivoting wedge S engaging in the cutout in the frame Y between the magazine tube and the chamber. gate. Further, the rod G with a bevel W turns the feeder H, raising the cartridge to the feed line. Then the shutter is closed under the action of the return spring L, sending the cartridge.
    1. +4
      5 November 2021 06: 48
      Well, you wrote everything about him. What else can you add?
  7. 0
    6 November 2021 16: 10
    Interestingly, there is information about how an experienced machine gun was friends with black powder cartridges, it was just that a myth was created around the black powder that it was not suitable for weapons with automatic equipment.

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