Harston Quick Magazine Loader
| Date of Approval | October 1887 |
The Hartson quick loader, patent 14650 awarded to Captain C.Greville Hartson of the Royal Grenadiers, Toronto, in October 1887. Hartson approached the War Office in June 1887, In May 1888 the samples were delivered to the War office and in June 1888 three Martini Henry rifles and 2000 rounds of ammunition were delivered to the Henry Rifled barrel company at the Blenhiem Works for conversion, During 1888, Hartson upgraded his patent, culminating in the Mk1V of August 1888 & the MkV of the 24th November of 1888. Hartsons’ device fitted onto the left side of the action, a magazine held six rounds, which were fed upwards by a spring. When the rifles lever was operated a feeder arm grasped a cartridge from the magazine, which in turn tumbled from a small trap door into the open breech block in the receiver. A push arm, hinged outwards to press home the cartridge in the traditional way and after firing a lever then expelled the spent cartridge and the process could be repeated, whilst it was ingenious it also jammed regularly! Despite Harstons attempts to rectify these issues and despite costs rising to over £1300, interest in Harstons device waned, and the trial was discontinued.
