In W.W. Greener's book "The Gun" he describes the butt safety bolt as having been used with muzzle-loaders, hammer guns, and hammerless guns. There is a diagram of one on page 207. He said it was of little use as a safety on muzzle-loaders since they were loaded while the butt was on the ground. He wrote that in 1879 he introduced a modification to adapt it to hammerless guns. With Greener if it possible to patent it he probably would have. He also mentions that there have been several patents for similar safety bolts, both in England and abroad.
The only patent mention I've know of that might apply is the 2 October 1883 George Henry Needham registered patent No. 4693 for a revolving chamber for drop-down guns and a butt plate safety mechanism. I don't know if it is for this type of butt safety, but it seems the basic design was known and used before 1883.
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