Thorneycroft carbine
Encyclopedia
The Thorneycroft carbine was one of the earliest bullpup
rifles, developed by an English gunsmith in 1901 as patent #14,622 of July 18, 1901. This bolt-action rifle featured a bullpup action in which the retracted bolt slid back through the stock nearly to the shooter's shoulder, maximising the space available in the body of the firearm. The rifle was chambered in the contemporary .303 British
service cartridge, and held five rounds in an internal magazine.
The Thorneycroft was 7.5" shorter and 10% lighter than the standard Lee-Enfield rifle used by the British military at the time. However, when tested at Hythe
the firearm exhibited excessive recoil and poor ergonomics, and was not adopted for military service.
Bullpup
Bullpups are firearm configurations in which the action is located behind the trigger group and alongside the shooter's face, so there is no wasted space for the buttstock as in conventional designs. This permits a shorter firearm length for the same barrel length for improved maneuverability, and...
rifles, developed by an English gunsmith in 1901 as patent #14,622 of July 18, 1901. This bolt-action rifle featured a bullpup action in which the retracted bolt slid back through the stock nearly to the shooter's shoulder, maximising the space available in the body of the firearm. The rifle was chambered in the contemporary .303 British
.303 British
.303 British, or 7.7x56mmR, is a .311 inch calibre rifle and machine gun cartridge first developed in Britain as a blackpowder round put into service in December 1888 for the Lee-Metford rifle, later adapted to use smokeless powders...
service cartridge, and held five rounds in an internal magazine.
The Thorneycroft was 7.5" shorter and 10% lighter than the standard Lee-Enfield rifle used by the British military at the time. However, when tested at Hythe
Hythe
Hythe may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, or to:Placenames in Canada*Hythe, Alberta Placenames in England*Hythe, Essex *Hythe, Hampshire...
the firearm exhibited excessive recoil and poor ergonomics, and was not adopted for military service.
