I SHALL now proceed to a description of the rifles of the different makers in this country, England, and the Continent, both muzzle and breech-loader, which latter has been so much improved that for sporting and military purposes it bids fair to completely supersede the former. Nearly all the objections formerly urged against it have been overcome; and doubtless, ere long, from the numerous experiments being conducted by every nation, an arm will be produced that will meet every requirement.
I shall first speak of Wesson’s “Improved American Rifle,” which has been highly commended, and particularly so, by so competent an authority as Chapman, who, in his excellent work on the rifle, speaks thus of it:
“The barrel is made of cast steel, not very highly carbonized, thoroughly annealed in an air-tight oven, the bore being drilled out of the solid bar, straightened, ground, cut, or planed outside into an octagonal shape, the bore being left perfectly central. The length of this barrel, breech inclusive, when the muzzle is off, is two feet eight inches, and the loading muzzle, to be in proportion, is as long as its outer diameter. The outside of the barrel tapers a little from breech to muzzle, the difference in diameters being one-fourth of an inch, and its weight is ten pounds. It is indispensable that the barrels of target rifles be made of cast steel, and not of iron. The wear and tear of usage is hardly ever seen in a cast-steel barrel fixed off with a patent muzzle; whereas, in an iron one, it is soon perceptible, and its good shooting qualities quickly disappear. The barrel is not furnished with a rib, except the short tube at the breech end may be so called, the peculiarity of stocking precluding its use. The patent breech is made of wrought iron, case-hardened, and is joined to the break off by the old fashioned hook, with the addition of a half-lap joint, secured by a square-headed screw, which is turned by the cone-driver. Such a mode of fastening the barrel to the stock does away with the wood forward of the breech, and gives a peculiarly elegant and striking appearance to the weapon. The false or loading muzzle is put on by means of four steel wire pins, about one-eighth of an inch in diameter, and three-eighths long, and the holes for these pins are drilled before the muzzle is cut off, and as near the outside as practicable. The muzzle piece is cut off and the pins firmly fixed into it, and then held by a cramp to its place, when the rifling or cutting is done, by which a perfect fitting of the creases and bands at the junction of the muzzle with the barrel is secured. The bevel of the muzzle ought to be turned out in a lathe to insure accuracy, and to this the attention of a good maker is particularly directed, for the perfection of the bevel affects the patching and the uniform filling of the creases with lead. A small globe of steel is fixed upon the upper part of the muzzle to prevent the front sight being seen when the muzzle is on the barrel, so that there be no danger of firing it away. The bore of the barrel, in the first instance, is scant three-eighths of an inch, or about ninety round bullets or forty-three pickets to the pound. It is then worked out with lead and emery until it be parallel and round, and then cut with what is called a ‘gaining twist,’ starting at the breech at about one turn in six feet, and ending at the muzzle at one turn in three feet six inches. There are six cuts or creases, and the sides of the lands are cut square to their surface, giving a slightly dove-tailing appearance to the cuts. The cuts are not quite so wide as the lands, and great care is taken in cutting them of an uniform depth, which ought to be no more than will insure sufficient lead and patch for the firm holding of the bullet to the twist of the weapon. It is then what is technically called ‘freed’ from the breech to within one and a half inches of the muzzle, so as materially to reduce the friction of the bullet and patch in passing out when the weapon is fired. The communications to the seat of the cone are free and open, and the breech furnished with a vent or breathing nipple, about the diameter of a common pin, and bushed with platina. The lock has back action, furnished with a single or French set, which I prefer to the English or double set, I presume from education. The guard is of a peculiar shape, so as to allow the marksman to hold his weapon firmly; the stock is of black walnut, straight from the butt to the break-off, and there forms a considerable angle with the barrel. (I have endeavored to prevail on Mr. Wesson to give the stock less crook, being convinced that a rifle with a very crooked stock can not do as good shooting as it is otherwise capable of.) It is furnished with a patch-box of elegant shape, and a small box for the insertion of a wiper end, which screws into the ramrod, to be used in case of emergency. A globe sight is fixed into the stock just behind the break-off, and a bead sight at the muzzle end of the barrel. The front or bead sight is so called from its peculiarity of shape. A bead somewhat smaller than a pin’s head is filed on a piece of steel wire, and the stack left as flat and thin as practicable; this stands up about three sixteenths of an inch from the barrel, and is shaded by a thimble about three-eighths of an inch in diameter and one inch long. The bead, stalk, and thimble are attached to a piece of beveled steel, which is moved sideways for counteracting the wind by sliding along a dovetail cut across the barrel about one-twelfth of an inch deep and three-eighths of an inch wide; a pointer filed on the front end of the thimble serves to denote how many divisions of the index the sight has been moved from the center. This index is cut on the top of the barrel, and is left polished and divided into thirty-seconds of an inch. The globe sight at the breech end is made of steel, the top part being circular, with a small hole through the center, countersunk on each side, to take away reflection. It is desirable that the center of this hole be in the plane of the axis of the stalk, so that half turns may be used. One side of the stalk is flatted down with a file, so that the different ranges can be marked upon it. The stalk is cut with a thread of sixty-four turns to an inch, one turn corresponding to half a division on the front index.”
I have tested Wesson’s gun, and from my experience I can confirm Chapman’s good opinion of it. If any man wants to make fine shooting, he can not go astray in getting one of Wesson’s best. But I would not advise him to follow Chapman’s idea of a straight stock. The more crook there is, the less will the recoil be felt.
I do not deem it advisable to note the peculiarities and excellences of rifles made by the different makers in the States, but to give a description of what may be considered a good style of gun, and leave it to each individual’s taste to select the kind most suitable for himself. I will not give any account of the old Kentucky rifle, the barrel of which was nearly four feet long, very heavy, with small bore, as it has gone entirely out of fashion, but will confine myself to the kind at present in general use. The American Target Rifle is, as I have elsewhere stated, only to be considered in the light of ordnance, and only valuable for experimenting, being, as I consider, of no practical use whatsoever. Doubtless, I will bring down upon my head some severe remarks for so cavalierly disposing of it; but as my object is to guide and instruct the beginner in obtaining such a knowledge of rifle-shooting as will enable him to put it to some useful purpose, I will pass the target rifle over, referring him to Chapman, or some other writer who has gone fully into this subject. So many changes are taking place, and opinions are so diversified upon this subject, that it is rather difficult to say what is the present style; but I think it will be found that a barrel of from thirty to thirty-four inches, with a bore from thirty-eight hundreths inch to forty-four hundreths inch, will be found to answer as well as any. If for sporting purposes, I would counsel the shorter length, though I believe that the great hunters of the plains use rifles with barrels of from thirty-five to forty inches, and of a caliber so small as to enable them to make sixty balls out of a pound of lead! It is very clear that such a rifle could only be useful on horseback, as the bullet would not be effective at long range, and moreover, from its lightness would not make good shooting in windy weather. How different this from the ponderous double-barreled rifle used by Gordon Cumming in his African campaign, that took a two ounce ball, and which was such a favorite with him that when it burst he “mourned over it as did David over Absalom!” The requirements of the prairie hunters demand that they go as light as possible, and therefore they have reduced the weight of the ball to a minimum. I would not counsel the novice adopting their method, but get a gun that throws a good heavy ball, as by that you will not only be able to fire more accurately, but you will secure many an animal that would carry off the lighter ball, even if planted in its very vitals. I may here mention that it has been found by experiment that a barrel of twenty-six inches is the maximum for strength of shooting, and one of thirty-four inches for accuracy. Therefore a barrel must range between these two to insure the great desiderata of strength combined with accuracy. The bullet has varied with the rifle, and the picket bullet of oval shape, that was in vogue years ago, has given place, through many gradations, to the conical bullet, with a flat base. It has been found that slightly flattening the apex, so as to form a vacuum, improves the shooting. Tamissier, in his experiments, made use of bullets flattened at the front, in order to enable him to carry the center of gravity as far forward as possible. It is very difficult to lay down particular rules as to what a rifle shall be, as marksmen and gun-makers are both whimsical, and each one has his set idea as to what a rifle should be. Some advocate a long barrel, while others maintain that any thing beyond thirty-three inches militates against good shooting. The best firing I have ever seen was made by C. Sheppard, of Toronto, with a rifle made by W. P. Marston, of that city; it is of fifty bore, thirty-three inch barrel, pitch of rifling one turn in thirty inches, six grooved, cut square the width of the lands; depth of groove fifteen thousandths inch, and slightly freed at the breech; charge of powder, two and a half drams; weight of rifle, from nine to ten pounds. These proportions are about as good as can be hit upon. The shooting made by Sheppard was at three, four, and five hundred yards; fifty shots at each range, fired on previously fixed days without regard to the weather, which was sometimes very bad. His average for the one hundred and fifty shots was at three hundred yards, six and one-quarter inches; at four hundred yards, eight inches; at five hundred yards, nine and three-quarters inches. It must be understood that this was done with open sights and without any rest. A Capt. Boustead in Hamilton made three shots at four hundred yards that aggregated only eight inches. This of course, can not compare with the strings fired from a dead rest, with telescope sights, from that ponderous machine, the “target rifle,” but it shows what can be done with open sights. And I maintain that such style of firing and the use of such sights is the only way to make any practical use of the rifle. Any man that can fire one hundred and fifty shots, in all weather, at three, four, and five hundred yards, each one of which would have killed a man, must be counted a wonderful shot; and I estimate the performance as being vastly greater than seven, eight, or nine-inch strings at forty rods, from a piece of light ordnance like the target rifle. I may be severely criticised, by the advocates of the heavy rifle, for expressing these views, but I do so as I honestly believe that it is the only way to make a man serviceable in the field or the forest. I find that Frank Forrester coincides with me, for he says, at, speaking of fancy target practice, that it is “what may be called the fripperies and frivolities of the art. Target shooting from rests, with telescope sights, patent-loading muzzles, and other niceties, is very neat, and doubtless telling also in the practice ground, but wholly useless and ineffective in the field.”
I have also been informed, by a gentleman in whom I have great confidence, that at a meeting of a target club in Ohio, held just before the commencement of the late war, thirty men put ten shots each within the circumference of a nine-inch circle, at a distance of three hundred yards. This is almost marvelous; yet I have good reason for believing it. I hope to see the English method of rifle practice—viz., with light guns and heavy balls, at long ranges, depending upon firm holding for their success—supersede that in vogue in America, where heavy barrels and light balls at short ranges and from rests are most in fashion. A friend, who is a great authority on rifle matters, writes me, giving his views in the following language:
“The old-fashioned rifle, for accuracy of shooting, can not be excelled, with Curtis’ patent muzzle and a brass starter.
“The improvements in the conical ball for rifle-shooting sportsmen, consists in flattening the point, as in diagram, and swedged with a steel die.
“The length of barrel not to exceed from thirty to thirty-four inches; weight from ten to twelve pounds; ball, thirty-four to forty-four hundredths inch diameter. A twenty-six inch barrel for the strongest shooting, and thirty-four for the truest carriage; but thirty inch is recommended for general utility. The old Kentucky rifles were from forty to forty-four inches in length of barrel.”
I have had, and shall again have occasion to speak of the great shot and veteran sportsman, Seth Green, of Mumford, Munroe County, N. Y., and it may be well in this connection to mention that at the last sportsmen’s convention at Leroy, N. Y., he proved himself the best shot in New York State. He fired with a rifle made by William Billinghurst, of Rochester, who, besides being a thorough sportsman and good shot, is one of the best, if not the very best, rifle-maker in the United States. He is quite a Solon among the sports of that section, and his shop is “the headquarters” for all shooters. The rifle that Green shot with was a regular American target rifle; barrel, thirty-one inches long, exclusive of the patent muzzle, and weighing twenty pounds; caliber, sixty, and carrying twenty-eight conical balls to the pound; the charge of powder was three and one-quarter inches in the barrel. Billinghurst had practiced with the rifle a good deal previous to the match, and in a letter to me, speaking of its performances, he says: “In reasonable fair weather we have been in the habit of making strings of from ten to fifteen inches, ten shots at two hundred and twenty yards, or forty rods, measuring from the center of the bullet holes to center of mark; sometimes they would measure a little more and sometimes a little less, according to the weather.” This, it will be admitted, is very fair shooting, but is quite eclipsed by some practice he made last year when experimenting with a new rifle of his own make, thirty-two inch barrel weighing twenty-eight pounds, thirty caliber taking fourteen conical bullets to the pound. Between four and five hundred shots were fired by various parties during the trial, which lasted some ten days and was at forty rods; the shortest string measured seven and one-eighth inches, and the longest nineteen and one-eighth inches. This is most extraordinary shooting; but that it was done, nobody who is acquainted with Billinghurst can for a moment doubt. I give two of the best targets made on that occasion, for which I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Billinghurst.
In addition to these, a number of strings nearly as good were made, but they were carried off by the parties that made them. Nevertheless, a record of ten strings was preserved, on the back of a target, which show an average of fourteen and five-sixteenths inches, varying from ten and three-eighths inches to nineteen and one-eighth inches. I forgot to mention that the rifle was eight grooved, with a “gaining twist” commencing with one in six feet and ending with one in three feet. All the shooting was done with Billinghurst’s combination bullet, full particulars of which he will supply to any gentleman applying to him. I have not mentioned telescopes, as I have very little actual experience with them. The beginner will not need them, and the “old hand” probably knows far more about them than I do myself. I understand that William Malcolm’s are the best in use. It would be impossible to mention and treat of the rifles of all the makers in the States, and I shall not attempt it, merely mentioning the name of Lewis, as I have seen and tested his guns, which are of first-rate make and possess good shooting qualities.
The Canadians, who are eminently a sporting people, have a number of good rifle-makers among them,—such as Booth, of Ottawa; Grainger and Marston, of Toronto; Soper, of London, who made a rifle for the Prince of Wales when in this country, and others of merit. Marston, of whose rifle I spoke when mentioning Sheppard’s shooting, makes a very excellent gun at a moderate price. I was desirous of obtaining a sketch of it to insert in this work, but in reply to my application he writes: “Were I to send you a sketch of my rifle, I think it would be of little service, as its general appearance is so much like other ‘small bores,’ and they so like the short Enfield, that a reduced copy would look like them.” This, no doubt, is very true. He further says: “I use six grooves, cut square the width of the lands; depth of groove, fifteen thousandths inch, slightly freed at the breech, thirty inch regular twist, fifty bore, thirty-three inch barrel; weight of gun, nine and one-half to ten pounds; and these I hold to be the best proportions for a ten pound gun up to fifteen or sixteen hundred yards in wind and weather. The charge is two and one-half drams of powder and one ounce of lead.” His experience as a rifle-maker extends over a period of thirty years in England, Canada, and the United States, and being a well-informed man, his opinion is entitled to weight. However, as it is not my intention to specially commend any particular maker, I shall take leave of this portion of my subject, leaving the choice of the gun to the individual fancy of the purchaser, believing that sufficient has been said to assist him in choosing a suitable weapon. I shall now proceed to the consideration of breech-loaders, to which I purpose devoting considerable space, as I believe the importance of the subject demands it. I have no doubt but that, ere long, the muzzle-loading rifle, for all but fancy target practice, will be completely superseded by the breech-loader.
It seems to be unquestioned that the breech-loader, for military and sporting purposes, will very soon supersede the old-fashioned and trusty muzzle-loader. Nothing but certain defects prevented this long ago; but the recent war between the North and South, and, still later, the terrible struggle between Austria and Prussia, wherein the latter triumphed by means of the needle-gun, or zundnadelgewehr, showed that troops armed with muzzle-loaders, no matter how good they were, had not the slightest chance against those armed with the deadly breech-loader. The terrible destructiveness of this arm will be more fully demonstrated when I come to speak more particularly of the merits of the various arms that have been put forward as candidates for popular favor. It is singular that nearly three hundred years elapsed from the time that we first have any account of this kind of weapon, before any improvements were made in it. It has been claimed that the breech-loader was the invention of a French king (Henry II., in 1540), but I think that is disproved by the account given by Hewitt of the various rifles and guns deposited in the armory of the Tower of London. In his work on the Ancient Armor and “Weapons of Europe, he says: “The barrels are of several varieties,—breech-loading and muzzle-loading, bell-mouthed and cylindrical. Two examples of the breech-loading arm, both of which appear to have belonged to King Henry VIII., are in the Tower collection. One of these, No. 
of the catalogue, has the royal initials H. R., and a rose crowned, supported by lions, chased on the barrel, where also is the date 1537. The No. 
has the rose and fleur-de-lis carved on the stock, and it is remarkable that the movable chamber which carries the cartridge has exactly the form of that in vogue at the present day. These two examples appear to be the arms named in the Tower inventory of 1679,—‘carbine 1, and fowling-piece 1, said to be King Henry the Eighth’s.’”
Robins appreciated the value of the breech-loading principle, as the following extract will prove: “As this mode of loading took up a good deal of time (alluding to the spherical ball and patch), the rifled barrels made in England (for I do not remember to have seen any foreign rifles so constructed) are contrived to be charged at the breech, where the piece is made larger, and the powder and bullet are put in through an opening in the side of the barrel, which, when the piece is loaded, is filled up with a screw. Somewhat of this kind, though not in the manner now practiced, would be of all others the most perfect method for the construction of these sort of barrels,”—thus, in a manner, predicting that which has now come to pass. Very little attention was paid to this subject until Col. Colt devoted himself to the perfection of a rifle charging at the breech. True it is that from time to time some rude attempts were made in this line, but to him I think is due the credit of perfecting an arm on the breech-loading principle, and truly a terrible arm it may be considered. I do not think that the repeating principle is one that can as yet be successfully applied to a military weapon, but for sporting purposes it is invaluable. To show that I am not biased in my opinion, I will quote Hans Busk, who, it will be admitted, is a competent authority. In “The Rifle and How to Use It,” he thus speaks of Col. Colt’s rifle: “I have already adverted to the principle of repeating fire-arms, as introduced and successfully carried out by Col. Colt in the manufacture of his celebrated pistols. The rifles he has more recently produced are similar in construction, equally handy, but of course are more effective still than the smaller arm. They are of different patterns, and vary in bore and length, the barrels being respectively eighteen, twenty-one, twenty-four, twenty-seven, and thirty inches long, according to the purposes for which greater or less range may be required. Their power, efficiency, and applicability to military use have been severely tested and satisfactorily proved. In addition, indeed, to previous contracts, the American Government have lately ordered several thousands for the equipment of a picked body of men, the Secretary of War having reported upon this particular arm in the following eulogistic terms: ‘The only conclusive test of the excellence of arms for army purposes is to be found in the trial of them by troops in actual service. Col. Colt’s arms have undergone this test, and the result will be found, in some measure, by reports from Gen. Harney and Capt. Marcy, who used them in Florida against the Indians.’ These reports relate only to ‘the rifle,’ but are clear and satisfactory; and as that arm has been much less used than the pistol in our service, they become important. . . . . But to return to Colt’s repeating rifle, an engraving of which I annex. It will be seen that its appearance is neat, while, as regards weight and portability, it is not one whit more cumbersome than the obsolete military rifle of former days. By a very simple arrangement, the cylinder containing the chambers can, after firing, be instantaneously detached and replaced by a loaded one, so that a dozen rounds may be delivered with the utmost requisite rapidity.”
In its internal construction this rifle, as well as the latest made pistols, differs somewhat from those of earlier make. The catch which causes the breech cylinder to revolve, instead of acting against ratchet teeth cut on the cylinder itself, works in grooves cut in its circumference in such a manner that a pin, by traversing the grooves, not only makes the cylinder rotate, but also locks it when required. This is an obvious improvement.
The Government of the United States have taken great pains to test the comparative value of different breech-loading arms, and the result of their investigations may be briefly summed up in the words of Col. May, one of the principal members of the scientific board instituted for the above purpose. He expressly states that, having in view not only Sharp’s rifle, but all others that have been used in the American cavalry service for the last twenty years, he considers Colt’s rifle “far superior to them all in every respect.”
Allusion having been made to
I think that a short description will enable the intelligent reader to judge for himself as to the relative merits of the two guns.
These arms have now attained the highest perfection in every respect. The proprietors have adopted all the improvements that ten years of experience could suggest. The primers are carefully prepared, are waterproof, and sure fire; the arms and thin parts are of new and most approved patterns, the gas-check shuts off every particle of escape, and the manufacturers challenge the world to produce an arm of superior material, strength, accuracy, force, safety, or rapidity and certainty of fire. They are self-priming, with Sharp’s primer, and adapted to the use of the army percussion cap. The barrel is of cast steel, and its chamber or ball seat is counterbored, slightly conical, the exact shape and diameter of the ball, so that the ball, when properly forced to its seat, has its axis exactly coincident with that of the bore; the rear of the bore contains an adjustable bouching, and the space between its forward end and the base of the ball admits the clamp and rod with which the bouching is driven back in adjusting it.
Numerous reports from the ordnance and other army boards, and letters and certificates on file in the Ordnance Office at Washington, attest the superior quality and efficiency of Sharp’s rifles and carbines, which have withstood every test, and—the most satisfactory of all—ten years’ service in the field in the hands of United States troops, and on board our ships of war. They have also been supplied, in large quantities, to the British, Mexican, Peruvian, Chilian, and Venezuelan governments, and are highly esteemed in the service. More than this, it is the only breech-loading arm of any account in which loose powder and ball can be practically used with effect or safety; others requiring a very expensive and peculiar kind of fixed ammunition, which can not be prepared in the field, and is of no service except it be used in the particular style of arm for which it was prepared.
Our arm was fully tested, in this country, during the late war.
It is the arm demanded by and furnished to the sharpshooters, after fully testing the various other styles presented, not without injury to themselves in some cases, and it is the first choice of the masses of both infantry and cavalry as a service arm.
Sporting rifles have been sold in such great numbers that their merits are fully appreciated. The recent improvements having removed the only defect,—the escape of gas at the joint,—these arms are now recommended as being the most perfect arm of the times.
In point of material, workmanship, and accuracy or rapidity of fire, as compared with any other muzzle-loading, breech-loading, or revolving fire-arm that can be produced, we say try it, and if the trial does not attest its superiority we shall be disappointed.
At the siege of Arequipa, Peru, in March, 1858, over six hundred of Vivanco’s men were shot down at the barricades by Castilla’s attacking forces, armed with Sharp’s rifles, they sustaining only a trifling loss.
In April, 1858, Colonel Suasue, at the head of one thousand men of Vidauri’s force, armed with Sharp’s carbines, attacked Governor Manero, in command of three thousand men of the Government forces at San Luis, in Mexico, and achieved a most signal victory, killing upward of six hundred men, taking the city, and making prisoners of Governor Manero and three of his colonels, with a slight loss.
About the 1st of September, 1858, Colonel Wright’s command, principally armed with Sharp’s carbines, were engaged with the party of Indians that had previously defeated Colonel Steptoe’s forces, when armed with the old muskets and carbines. The engagement resulted in a most disastrous rout and defeat of the Indians, with a loss of fifty warriors killed and wounded, while of Colonel Wright’s forces not a man was harmed.
This is the description of the gun and its adaptability for a military weapon, as put forth by the company which are engaged in their manufacture. Many testimonials have been given in favor of this gun, which is probably more widely known than any other breech-loader. At one time it enjoyed immense popularity, but whether it has not answered the expectations that were formed of it, or from the introduction of so many new guns on different principles have captivated the public taste, it certainly does not enjoy the popularity it once did. It is most unquestionably a good arm, and very well adapted for sporting purposes. At recent trials before military boards at Springfield and Washington, it performed well; and having been adapted to use metallic cartridges, it gave such satisfaction, that I understand that the United States Government have ordered the conversion of a large number of arms on this principle. If the Sharp does not now occupy the same prominent position that it once did, it is not owing to any inferiority on its part, but to the stimulus given to the production of breech-loading fire-arms by the recent great military events having brought forward a large number of competitors, each one having a host of friends. I will close this notice of Sharp’s rifle by giving an opinion from a gentleman who, I think it will be admitted, is a competent authority:
“Colonel Berdan, who has had more than a year of active service on which to base his opinion, considers the Sharp’s improved rifles to be far superior to any other thus far. In all essential points they are superior to muzzle-loading rifles for active service. The only point in which any muzzle-loader has the superiority is with those in which the ball takes the groove, and finds its center while being rammed down.”
This was one of the first breech-loaders introduced to the notice of the American public, and by its fine performance did much toward removing the prejudice that was at one time entertained against breech-loaders. I am indebted to Cleveland, in “Hints to Riflemen,” for the following excellent description of this sporting and target gun:
“The Maynard rifle, which was first patented in 1851, and of whose peculiar construction a very good idea may be obtained from the annexed representations, was invented by Dr. Edward Maynard, of Washington, D. C., and is certainly one of the most ingeniously contrived instruments of the kind which have yet been produced. Indeed, it combines so many ingenious arrangements, which, together, result in the production of a weapon whose efficiency and strength are quite as remarkable as its perfect simplicity, that it is only by a careful examination and study of its various parts and their workings that one can properly estimate the amount of brain-work involved in its construction. The fact which first presents itself, upon a cursory examination, is that it is of extremely compact form, in which every feature is reduced to the smallest possible occupation of space, without giving the slightest ground for any apprehension of deficiency in strength. The motion of the guard by which the breech is raised for the reception of the cartridge, is so easy, that the first feeling which it excites is one of doubt lest an accident should cause its displacement at a moment when mischievous consequences might ensue. But an examination of its working reveals the fact that the mechanical arrangement of its joints is such as to insure the strength of a solid mass of steel, which is not affected by any strain to which it can possibly be exposed, and that this is attained without the use of a single spring, bolt, or catch, but simply by the movement of the parts, which work with mathematical precision, and derive their strength from their relative positions, which may be compared to those of the supporting bones in the animal system.
“A very simple but very important improvement has been recently introduced, by which the empty cartridge, after being fired, is started from its place by the act of raising the breech for reloading, so that it may be easily withdrawn. This is one of those apparently trifling arrangements, the value of which can only be appreciated by one who has seen a deer bounding away from him, while he was fumbling with his finger-nails to start a cartridge which happened to stick, as such things always happen to do at such times.
“The removal of a single pin disconnects the barrel from the stock, and the whole gun may then be packed in a space of twenty inches in length by six wide and one deep, so that it may be carried in a trunk, or an easily portable case. Barrels of different calibers, either for shot or rifled, may be fitted to the same stock and changed in a few seconds.
LOADER.
THIRTY-FIVE HUNDREDTHS INCH CARTRIDGE.
Fig. 1 shows the gun cocked and ready for firing.
Fig. 2 shows the manner of inserting the cartridge.
“The ammunition is contained in a metallic cartridge, having an aperture in the base through which the fire is communicated from the cap. As these cartridges constitute a very important feature of Dr. Maynard’s invention, they demand something more than a passing notice. Theoretically, the charge delivered from a metallic cartridge should be more certainly accurate than that from one of paper or cloth, and especially in breech-loading guns, where the cartridge rests in a chamber, from which the ball is driven through the caliber, which is of less diameter. For, supposing the point of the ball to be entered perfectly true in this caliber, its base, when a paper cartridge is used, is unsupported at the moment of explosion, and may be turned to one side or the other by the unequal pressure exerted by the gas. With a metallic cartridge, provided the ball is fitted perfectly true in the end, and the cartridge is made to fill the chamber, the base of the ball is held in its place as firmly as the point till the whole has entered the rifled caliber. The ordinary self-exploding metallic cartridges are compressed about the base of the ball after its insertion, which would seem to involve a risk of untrue delivery, owing to unequal friction upon the base while forcing itself loose. In practice, however, I have certainly found no cause of complaint on this score. Dr. Maynard’s cartridges are constructed in such a manner that, when charged, by means of a very simple implement which accompanies every gun, the ball is not only, of necessity, mathematically exact in its position, but is held, without compressing the cartridge, by simply being exactly fitted to it, so firmly that it can not be moved, after being placed in the chamber, in any direction, except with a perfectly true delivery through the caliber. The cartridges may be used over and over again for an indefinite period, and, being loaded by the gunner himself, he is relieved from the apprehension of being unable to provide himself with ammunition, as well as from the fear of accidental explosion, which must always exist with the cartridges having the fulminating composition in contact with the powder. There is also a very simple arrangement for using loose ammunition, the ball being first inserted at the breech, and followed by a cartridge or charger, which is simply filled from the flask for each shot. I have been thus particular in describing the Maynard cartridge, because its merits, which are really very important, are liable to be overlooked by a casual observer, and because Dr. Maynard is entitled to the full credit of its invention, having obtained a patent for his mode of manufacturing them, and securing the bullet with a flat base in a perfectly true position in the cartridge, and holding it there without compressing the cartridge about its base, as long ago as 1856.
“The barrels are of two sizes,—one being of half an inch caliber, carrying twenty elongated or thirty-five round bullets to the pound; the other of thirty-five hundredths inch caliber, carrying forty-six elongated or ninety round bullets to the pound. To the latter I am ready to accord the fullest praise. I know of no breech-loader which I consider its superior; and, indeed, in accuracy and force, I have never seen it surpassed by any gun fit for field service.
“Of the large barrel I can not speak in the same terms. It is too light for the charge it has to carry, and the recoil is so severe as to neutralize the effect of the increased charge, so that its penetration at forty yards is little, if any, more than that of the small barrel whose charge is one-fourth less.
“In the shaping of the stock, the object of reducing the whole to the most compact form possible has led to a sacrifice of fullness, which gives it a lank appearance, as if sawed from a board, which, I think most men will agree with me, is by no means atoned for by the capacity it gives of being stowed in half an inch less depth of case. A new model, however, has recently been prepared, in which this objectionable feature has been removed, and it is to be hoped that in future its beauty of form will be in keeping with its intrinsic excellence.
“In connection with this gun, I ought not to omit to mention the Maynard primer, which is another invention of Dr. Maynard’s. It consists of a narrow strip of varnished paper of double thickness, having deposits of fulminating powder in cells between the two, at equal distances apart. Each strip contains three dozen of these cells, equivalent to the same number of caps. The strip is coiled in a magazine concealed beneath the lock-plate, and brought up by a motion of the wheel in the act of cocking, so as to bring a cell directly upon the top of the nipple. The fall of the hammer explodes it, and at the same time cuts off the paper behind, so that it is not seen again till the gun is again cocked.
“My own experience in its use has been but small, but, so far as it has gone, it has been entirely satisfactory. It secures the same advantages which are possessed by the metallic cartridges which have the fulminating composition in their base, without being liable to the danger of explosion from an accidental blow. . . .
“I am quite confident that no gun has done so much as the Maynard to remove the prejudice entertained against breech-loaders by many old riflemen; and indeed no sportsman, after convincing himself, as he may very readily do, of its accuracy and force, can fail to perceive the very great advantages it possesses over any muzzle-loading rifle.”
Mr. Cleveland gives some diagrams of the shooting made by this gun in experienced hands, but as he does not tell us under what circumstances it was fired, whether off-hand or from a rest, I do not think it worth while to include it here. In my experience, I have never known any good shot who could not, with any decent rifle, at some time or other, make some extraordinary shooting. I prefer, therefore, to take the experience of that veteran rifle-shot and hunter, Edward Stabler, who, in a letter to Cleveland, gives his opinion of what the Maynard is, and likewise some illustrations of what may be considered its ordinary shooting. He says:
“I first saw Dr. Maynard’s rifle five or six years since (1863), and in the hands of a friend, while hunting in the Alleghany Mountains. It had the short barrel, only twenty inches in length, and a large caliber; it was literally an object of derision to our hunting companions, who were all advocates of and used the long, old-fashioned muzzle-loaders. Yet, when we came to compare the ‘pop-gun,’ as they called it, with theirs of the greatest repute, at any distance over one hundred yards, all their guns were beaten. The penetration was nearly double; and when, at long range, the little gun was always ‘in,’ or close to the mark, the big ones were as often as otherwise ‘nowhere.’” A little further on, he says: “As good, if not the best, shooting I have ever witnessed, has been done by my thirty-two inch small-caliber ‘Maynard.’ After properly arranging and adjusting the sights, and attaching a hair-trigger, firing with a rest, four successive balls at sixty-six yards, all breaking into the first hole, and all covered by a York shilling, a dime covered three entirely, and nearly all of the fourth ball; at three hundred yards (also with a rest, and the only sure test of the accuracy of a rifle), three successive shots were all within the compass of a visiting-card, or less than a two-inch ring; the nearest within half an inch of the center.
“The Maynard barrels are all made of steel, which I consider far preferable to iron. It admits of boring and rifling with more precision, is clearer of flaws, and is more durable in the grooves, especially for breech-loaders, using no patch. It is probable that much of the superiority of the Maynard rifle is owing to the arrangement of the sights,—three of them front, middle (open with leaves), and rear or ‘peep’ sight; the last raising and sliding with perfect accuracy, giving any desired range, and having a very fine aperture, affording, at the same time, a shield to the eye, and giving a long range of sight to a very short gun.
“To be explicit and direct, I will add that the rifle referred to weighs eight and one-quarter pounds; length of barrel, thirty-two inches; the conical ball, one hundred and fifty grains; the ordinary charge of powder, thirty grains; and the cartridge, when properly loaded, is absolutely waterproof. The rifling is with three broad grooves, the lands and grooves being equal; the small caliber has one turn in four feet, the larger caliber one turn in about five feet. Taken as a whole, length and weight of barrel, size of ball, and shooting qualities, together with true scientific principles in construction, and superior workmanship and finish, all combined, it excels any rifle I have ever seen for hunting purposes; for it is light enough to carry all day without fatigue, yet has both length and weight for steady off-hand shooting. With a rest, the aim is almost unerring at any reasonable distance.
“The opportunity has not yet occurred to test it, but I feel very confident that, with a clear, still atmosphere, and a standing shot, a deer could be killed twice out of three shots at five to six hundred yards.”
He proceeds to give some further illustrations of the performances of the Maynard, with which he seems completely in love, and says that “the Maynard is considered entirely efficient at more than twice the range of ordinary muzzle-loading rifles; the greater the range the more marked the difference.” Now I do not know what Mr. Stabler considers “ordinary muzzle-loaders,” but I must certainly dissent from any such doctrine as this; indeed, I think that it is very much the other way Speaking of ordinary muzzle-loaders, one may be supposed to understand Purdy, Wesson, Fish of New York, Billinghurst of Rochester, the Springfield and Enfield rifles. Now I feel pretty sure that the makers above named would feel somewhat astonished to be told that any breech-loader had double the effective range of their guns. If the Maynard is as effective at the same range as either of the guns mentioned above, it is a most extraordinary weapon. Another statement is that “they can be fired with almost unerring and deadly aim, eight or ten times a minute, at a range of many hundred yards.” This is speaking of the performance of the “Maynard” in the hands of a Confederate regiment at Ball’s Bluff. Now, though a practiced and skilful rifleman might, under favorable circumstances, discharge eight or ten shots with tolerable accuracy, it is preposterous to suppose that a regiment of men in the heat of a bloody contest could do so; true they might discharge the gun that number of times, but the “unerring and deadly aim” would be wanting. I find that at the last Wimbledon meeting (a report of which lies before me) a very thorough and exhaustive trial of breech-loaders was made; the Westley Richards, Spencer, Remington, Berdan converted Enfield, Craig Needle, and Benton were all tested in the hands of the very best shots in England, and that under the most favorable circumstances an average of eight shots was all that was realized* (though the Berdan was fired thirty-six times in three minutes, and the Enfield thirty-eight times in the same time); and that the accuracy was not of the very highest order, is proved by the fact that out of four hundred shots only three hundred and seven struck the target—the size of which varied from two feet by six feet at two hundred yards to six feet by eight feet at five hundred yards, that being the longest distance fired. I am not unfriendly to the “Maynard,” but I do not like to see such rash assertions.
I have been induced to give such an extended notice to the “Maynard,” from the fact that it has been for a long time a very favorite weapon among sportsmen, and if it is now losing its position, it is not from the defects that have been discovered in it, but that the pressure of the times has set the very best mechanical skill to devise better breech-loaders than those in use up to the time of the breaking out of the fratricidal struggle that has lately so nearly rent our country asunder. Dr. Maynard has introduced a new pattern of his rifle, making it more like other breech-loaders and doing away with the primer. Not having seen a specimen of it, I am not able to make more than this passing allusion to it.
“The simplicity and strength of construction arrived at in the Merrill rifle are only equaled by its extraordinary range and accuracy of fire; and the efficiency of the arm not being based on any patent metallic or India-rubber cartridge case, but using the simple paper cartridge or loose powder and ball, and the ordinary percussion cap, gives them great advantages over arms depending on fixed or regularly prepared ammunition, and makes them justly preferred, not only on the frontier, but wherever a rifle is required. Another advantage the Merrill plan possesses is that it can be easily applied to muzzle-loading arms at small cost, without restocking, altering the lock, or changing the general appearance or diminishing the strength of the arm. The alteration of muzzle-loaders to the Merrill plan of breech-loading has been practically tested by the United States Government with the most entire success, and has placed in the hands of the troops an arm that can not be surpassed, and also at small cost.
“For sporting purposes or target shooting the Merrill rifle can not be equaled, as it has attained the highest perfection in every respect. The barrels are of the best material, and the chambers are bored out to the exact size of the conical ball which they use, so that the plunger which puts the cartridge in its place forces the point of the ball firmly into the grooves or rifling of the barrel, thereby insuring its going straight to the mark, and not turning, as conical balls frequently do, when fired from other rifles.
“The sporting rifles are fitted with globe sights of the most approved pattern, which insures fine shooting. These rifles have been fired five hundred times without cleaning, and any number of shots can be discharged without any change taking place in the working of the machinery. This is owing to there being no escape of gas, which, when escaping, causes what has been termed clogging in other breech-loaders, but which can never occur with the Merrill rifle, as the plunger or breech-pin is reamed out so as to make an expansive spring, and the cavity being filled up with copper, upon which the force and heat of the explosion act at the moment of discharge, causes the plunger to expand as much as the barrel will allow it, or, in other words, to keep up with the expansion of the barrel or surrounding surfaces, and thereby prevent escape of gas, which not only clogs up the working parts of a gun when escaping, but causes great loss of power. Thus, no gas escaping from the Merrill rifle, accounts for its having more penetration than other breech-loaders.”
After reading the above (which is the manufacturer’s account of it), one would suppose that he had the prospect of a perfect arm for all purposes of target shooting, sporting or military use, and that it would be unnecessary to look any further; but experience has shown that this arm is quite unfitted for military purposes, though it has received high testimonials from military men. It is a noteworthy circumstance that no sample of this rifle was submitted to the Board of Officers that sat at Washington in April and May, 1866, under Special Order No. 40 from the Adjutant General’s Office, dated Jan. 30, 1866, to test all weapons that might be submitted, and to report upon the one most suitable for arming troops with. It seems to me that the mechanism is of the clumsiest and most primitive sort. Fancy a soldier having to work a great long arm or crank during the heat of battle, or a sportsman being obliged to do the same thing when charged by a wounded Buffalo bull or a grizzly in the Rocky Mountains. Another great objection to it as a breech-loader is the use of the ordinary percussion cap and loose powder and ball; for though this is claimed by the inventor as a great merit, I look upon it as a fatal objection; so much time would be lost, that troops armed with Sharp’s, or any other of the improved arms using cartridges carrying their own ignition, would play desperate havoc with an enemy armed with them.
This gun was considered the best of fifteen or twenty arms that were submitted to a Board of Officers convened at West Point in 1857, and consequently was adopted into the United States service to a very great extent. It was not found, however, to answer the expectations formed of it, as it was open to the same objection urged against Sharp’s,—that it was on the “trap-door” principle. The next arm that claimed public favor was
The construction of the gun is much simpler than that of the needle-gun, but is still complicated. The breech is formed of two pieces, one of which is the breech-pin and the other the block on which the cartridges are carried. The breech-pin is attached to the lever, which forms the trigger-guard, and the carrier-block is pivoted into the breech-receiver by a pin which is situated below and in rear of the hinge of the lever. Between the block and the breech-pin is a pin which presses the latter upward, and behind the breech-pin is a curved piece of steel, which guides the cartridge to the breech. This guide is worked by a spring situated near the hammer, and in front of it is the shell-ejector, which also works by its action. On the left side of the breech-pin is a slide upon which the hammer strikes to fire the priming. The magazine is situated along the entire length of the interior of the butt stock, and is composed of a stationary outer tube and an inner tube which slides in and out. The inner tube is simply a steel box, with a spiral spring for pressing the cartridges forward to the barrel as soon as the breech is opened. To operate the gun the following motions are required: Supposing that the magazine is already filled with the cartridges (of which there are seven) and secured in the butt stock by turning the handle to a longitudinal position with the hammer, First, the lever is pulled down, which first throws the breech-pin below the chamber of the barrel, and then makes the carrier-pin and block slide back, ejecting the exploded shell and enabling the fresh cartridge to pass over the breech-pin; the cartridge being, of course, pushed forward by the spiral spring, which becomes relieved from confinement the moment the lever is pulled down, and the block and breech-pin swung backward. The cartridge is then directly in front of the chamber of the breech, and as soon as the lever is moved back it is forced into the barrel by the breech-pin, which presses it up from the rear. The chamber and magazine are thus effectually closed by the block and breech-pin, and it only remains to cock the hammer and draw the trigger. While this gun has been successfully used in the United States Army, it does not appear to be considered by the military authorities advisable to adopt it as the regular arm. The danger of injury seems great from the delicacy of the movements. Some improvements have been made in it, as noted in the report of the Washington Board, and though open to the objection that all repeaters are, it is nevertheless a most serviceable arm. As a repeater it has no equal. The fact that it stood the practical test of very rough usage in the American war tends greatly to overcome theoretical objections to it. Over one hundred thousand carbines and rifles have been furnished to the U. S. War Department of this pattern, and few complaints have been made. From a mass of testimonials in its favor, I subjoin the following letters:
FROM LIEUTENANT-GENERAL U. S. GRANT.
HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
City Point, Va., Oct. 10th, 1864.
Bear Sir,—In reply to your letter of the 20th ult., requesting my opinion in regard to the merits of the Spencer Repeating arms, I have to say that it is the prevailing opinion amongst officers whose commands have been furnished with these weapons, that they are the best breech-loading arms now in the hands of troops, both as regards simplicity and rapidity in firing and superiority in manufacture.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
WARREN FISHER, Jr., Esq., Treasurer Spencer
Repeating Rifle Company.
FROM MAJOR-GENERAL JOS. HOOKER.
HEADQUARTERS NORTHERN DEPARTMENT,
Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 12, 1864.
WARREN FISHER, Jr., Esq., Treasurer Spencer Repeating Rifle Company:
Sir,—I had a few of the Spencer Rifles in my corps during the campaign which resulted in the fall of Atlanta, and feel no hesitation in pronouncing them to be the most effective arms now in use. Perhaps my estimate of the value of this description of rifle will be better understood when I state it as my conviction, the result of long experience, that a regiment armed with it is fully equal to a brigade armed with the muzzle-loading rifle, and can put as much lead adrift in a given length of time It is in no way inferior to the muzzle-loader in accuracy or length of range, with the very great advantage of not clogging by over-use, and is less likely to become unserviceable from the wear and tear of a campaign. With these weapons I have never failed to silence the fire of the enemy’s sharpshooters, They were quick to discover them in the hands of my pickets, and took especial care to avoid them. As an evidence of the effect these arms had on the morale of the men, I may state it as a fact I have repeatedly observed in the course of the campaign that my men would make interest to go upon the picket line, losing sight of the danger to which they were exposed in the satisfaction of witnessing the triumphs of their weapons, and that I consider an unerring test of their superiority. Several regiments applied to me for permission to arm themselves with them at their own expense. I am thus explicit that I may expose the folly of manufacturing muzzle-loading arms instead of breech-loading repeaters, or even the single breech-loader.
Your obedient servant,
JOSEPH HOOKER, Major-General.
FROM MAJOR-GENERAL WM. T. SHERMAN,
Commander of the Army of the Southwest.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
St. Louis, Dec. 23, 1865.
WARREN FISHER, Jr., Treasurer Spencer Rifle Co., Boston, Mass.
Sir—Yours of Dec. 18 is received. The Spencer Repeating Rifle was used by both cavalry and infantry in my army, and was universally preferred over all other breech-loaders.
We used this rifle to great advantage by infantry at Griswold Station, near Macon, Georgia, also at Bentonville, N. C.; and Kilpatrick’s cavalry were so impressed with its adaptability to cavalry uses that the General made every effort to procure it to the exclusion of all other carbines.
I am, with respect, etc.,
W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.
FROM MAJOR-GENERAL GEO. H. THOMAS,
Commander of the Army of the Cumberland.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE TENNESSEE,
Nashville, Dec. 26, 1865.
Mr. WARREN FISHER, Jr., Treasurer Spencer Repeating Rifle Co., Boston, Mass.:
Sir,—I received your letter of the 18th instant yesterday. I have seen the Spencer Repeating Rifle tried under the most difficult circumstances, and have become convinced that it is one of the best repeating rifles which has been in use during the war. Although apparently complicated in its machinery, it is very easily understood by the men, and can be kept in as good order as easily as the old smooth-bore musket; nor is it any more liable to damage by the accidents of service than the common musket.
Its repeating qualities render troops armed with it three times as efficient as when armed with the old-pattern musket. I sincerely hope that the Government may adopt it for both infantry and cavalry.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. H. THOMAS, Major-General, U. S. A.
Letters from distinguished generals of the Union Army, and newspaper articles, commendatory of the “Spencer” as a military weapon, might be furnished to any extent; but surely nothing could add weight to the testimony of the generals whose letters are given above. That it was not injured by constant use and hard service is amply proved by the following letter from Col. Barber after three years’ use of Spencer Rifles:
HEADQUARTERS 197TH OHIO V. I.
C. M. SPENCER, Esq.
Dear Sir,—
* * * * * * * *
Your rifle has more than met my expectation in regard to it. The best thing that I can say in its favor is that I have over two hundred of them in steady use through all the campaigns of the Army of the Cumberland for nearly three years, and never had a single one condemned as unserviceable. Nearly every man of my command will buy the sporting rifle when they go out of the service, if they can raise the money.
* * * * * * * *
Yours very truly,
(Signed),
G. M. BARBER,
Lieut.-Col. 197th Ohio V. I,
In addition to all this, the Board that sat in Washington in October, 1867, spoke in the highest terms and pronounced it the best magazine gun they had had submitted to them.
But it is more particularly as a sporting gun that I wish to consider it. The question of military weapons is, at the present time, so closely engaging the attention of the various governments of the world that we may hope, ere long, to see the problem of “what is the best breech-loader” definitely settled. The new pattern of sporting rifle (model 1867) now turned out by this company is certainly a very handsome and effective weapon, and one that I can confidently recommend. I recently took occasion to test this gun, in company with a party of sporting friends, and it gave the greatest satisfaction. The practice was very good indeed, though the day was unfavorable to fine shooting. In this connection I may be permitted to quote the opinion of a first-class shot and accomplished sportsman—not only as to the merits of the Spencer, but also as to its excellence over the other repeating gun (the Henry) that has been prominently before the public:
“I have given the Henry rifle an exhaustive trial, and have fully proved the disadvantages of that arm, not only as a military, but as a sporting gun. The Henry rifle is full cocked by turning forward the trigger guard during the same motion which raises the cartridge from the magazine to the level of the barrel. This is the first grand error; because the consequence of this self-cocking principle is that the mainspring has to be made weak, the consequence of which is that the detonating powder in the rim of the cartridge must be of a very explosive character, so that a very slight blow may fire off your gun, so slight a blow, or even pressure, sufficing, that I have known several instances in which the charge was ignited by the simple following of the breech pin while pushing the cartridge to its place in the barrel while the hammer still stood at half-cock!
“I have never yet seen a fire-arm, the mainspring of which is controlled in cocking by any other motion than that of raising the hammer by hand, which is either safe or reliable. Then, again, the pin does not close the breech perfectly, the proof of which is that after a few discharges the yellow metal in its rear is burnt black by powder, not to mention the still more convincing fact that several parties have had their eyes injured by the ejectment of gases on firing. Another objection to this patent, for field use, is the open space in the ‘body’ and the long open slit in the ‘tube,’ as well as the peculiar fitting of the catch and joint at the muzzle, all exposing the gun to the almost certainty of hopeless rusting in a soldier’s hands in a campaign.
“There are so many repeating and breech-loading rifles inviting attention just now that space will not permit me to notice them further than that the ‘F. Wesson’ single breech-loader appears to be for sporting purposes almost faultless. But in so far as my judgment goes, all must give way to the ‘Spencer.’ I believe the gun known as the ‘Spencer Sporting Rifle’ to be the best repeater at present known, whether for military use or for game. I take the sporting rifle because it is the one I shoot with, and because the military weapon is not finished well enough to suit me. This gun is of the same caliber as the ‘Henry,’ forty-four hundredths, but carries a charge about one-third heavier, and I find its range to be proportionably greater. The barrel is of fine and very soft steel; the body of best wrought iron, case-hardened, and the whole immensely strong and durable. The breech is closed by a solid block of iron, which renders any escape of gas impossible. After firing three hundred rounds, no mark of powder is to be found in the cavity of the ‘body.’ It is made an objection by some that in the heat of action, or while charging the magazine hurriedly in pursuit of game, the ‘tube’ might be dropped. So it might, but your gun is just as good as ever, for by depressing the muzzle it is charged quite as readily as when the cartridges are pressed forward by the spring; and any kind of a stopper will do to close the entrance to the magazine. This gun is very easily cleaned and kept clean, and a child may take it to pieces and put it together again in half a minute. The lock (an excellent one) is altogether apart from the loading apparatus, and bids defiance both to damage and moisture.
“As to shooting, the capability of this rifle is really astounding, considering its weight and caliber. Its penetration at one hundred yards is nine-and-one-half-inches dry pine boards, and its range may be judged from the fact that a few days since I fired at a bird on the top of a high tree, in the direction of this village, and the bullet in its descent penetrated obliquely the weather-boarding of a house a little over one mile and a quarter from where I fired!
“Take it for all in all, I consider this the best, safest, and most reliable rifle I have ever seen or heard of.”
This gun is one of the simplest and most effective of American breech-loaders that we have seen. It is made of four pieces,—the hammer, mainspring, trigger, and double spring; the mainspring being encased in the lock, and thus protected from being broken.
One distinguishing characteristic of this gun is that the whole of the lock is contained in the movable breech-piece, B, which has both a slight longitudinal movement and a rising and falling movement within the receiver, A.
Fig. 1 is a side view, with a part of the receiver broken away to expose the breech to view, and represents the breech open for loading Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal, vertical section, showing the gun loaded and half-cocked.
The breech-piece, B, is fitted snugly, but so as to slide freely within a mortise in the receiver, A. In order to provide for the insertion into it of the several parts of the lock; viz., the hammer, trigger, trigger-spring, and mainspring, E, all of which are shown in fig. 2,—it is divided vertically and longitudinally into two equal parts, which are secured firmly together by two screws besides the hammer-pin. These screws hold the two parts together so firmly that the breech is as strong as if made of a solid piece. The front part of the breech-piece is connected by a short link, D, with the upper and shorter arm of the trigger guard-lever, C, by the downward movement of which the breech is opened for loading, as shown in the first figure, and closed for firing, as shown in fig. 2. The hammer is half-cocked in the act of opening the breech by the action of a projection, a, on the link, D, against a shoulder, c, on the front of the tumbler. In firing, the recoil is received mainly against a shoulder, d (fig. 2), in the receiver, but to some extent upon the shoulder, e.
The principle on which this gun is made is simple, and but for one defect, which shall be mentioned, it would stand the equal of all competitors. The lever which protects the trigger being pulled down, the lock, including the hammer, falls below the breech, leaving the chamber of the barrel exposed. Under the chamber and about two inches from the breech is a small knob attached to a spring, which, being pushed toward the breech, ejects the exploded shell entirely from the piece and leaves the chamber free for the insertion of another cartridge. When the lever is pulled down the hammer is half-cocked by the action, so that on the lever being drawn up and the breech effectually closed, all that remains is to complete cocking the hammer and to fire the gun. In addition to its adaptability for metallic cartridges the Ballard rifle can be fired with paper cartridges and percussion caps. Directly in front of the hammer, and on the breech-block, a nipple is fixed, so that, in the event of metallic cartridges giving out, the old system can be followed, still loading by the breech or muzzle with loose powder and ball. As will be seen by the above description, the weapon is free from all complicated machinery, and can be fired with great rapidity. Experiments with this gun have been made on several occasions with various results. As many as twenty shots per minute have been fired from the carbine, and the inventors claim that in the hands of an expert twenty-five shots can be fired. Last year fifty-one breech-loading rifles were examined at Springfield by order of the United States Government, and of this number six were selected as being the best adapted to army use. The “Ballard,” “Peabody,” “National,” and “Berdan” rifles, with two others, were the ones selected. Notwithstanding the many merits of the Ballard rifle, it still has one defect. As the gun is made at present, the ejector and the lever require two motions to work them. By attaching them together, and thus causing the shell of the cartridge to be ejected, the instant the lever is pulled down and the breech is opened, the last fault in the weapon would be removed. It is understood that this improvement will be made, and when it is, the rifle will be a most dangerous arm in the hands of a well-drilled soldier. The Ballard rifle is well made and elegantly finished, possessing great strength, united with lightness. The carbine weighs about seven pounds, and the army gun, when made, will weigh about nine pounds. It is estimated that at a distance of one thousand two hundred yards, with a load of forty-five grains of powder and two hundred and eighty-five grains of lead, the rifle is accurate, retaining its initial force throughout that distance.
This rifle is deserving of very high praise, and if it has a few slight imperfections, they are such as will, I think, be soon overcome. As a sporting gun it is certainly excellent, as good as the best; and in proof of this I publish a letter from Theo. R. Davis, of New Mexico. Whoever has the pleasure of that gentleman’s acquaintance knows that he is perfectly competent to speak upon the subject. Whether the gun is as well adapted for purely military purposes as the Peabody, Remington, Spencer, and some European arms, is a question that can not by any means be considered settled. Certainly it is a good weapon, and the hunter, scout, or Indian fighter, who is armed with a Ballard, may confidently meet all comers. The following is the letter alluded to above:
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO,
Jan. 21st, 1866.
Dear Frank,—I shall give you now the long-promised rifle letter. You must remember what a determined advocate the old-fashioned muzzle-loader had in me. Its load was certain and the affair was balanced. Many is the loose ball I’ve dropped from my mouth down the throat of my reliable Lewis rifle. The old friend has an honored place on the antlers of a two hundred and fifteen pound buck that he spoke to while we were out together among the hills and streams of your Adirondacs.
But we are a progressive as well as an aggressive people. The breech-loader was evidently an improvement, the copper ammunition alone being an immense advantage. The question was, Which is the best of all the breech-loaders? You know my love for a good rifle; a poor one has never been in my possession for more than two days, or until some one could be found that would accept it as a gift. Rifle after rifle was tried and thrown aside; one was too clumsy, another had no balance whatever, and all were to me inferior, as hunting-rifles, to the trusty muzzle-loader.
Soon after this a friend loaned me a breech-loader of which he spoke highly. “Try it, old fellow,” he remarked; “see how you like it, and let’s hear your opinion.”
I liked the gun from the first; it came up right; there was no jar, and it worked like a clock. Of course I went through the lock; it was simplicity itself, and as strong as it was well made. I have owned that rifle (108) from that day. Over four thousand bullets have been sent through its bright barrel, in which there is not the first show of lead, and the rifling is as true and sharp as the day on which I got it. The lock has not been repaired, and simple wiping out has served to keep it in a first-rate condition for close shooting either at sixty or three hundred yards. I have killed deer in the Adirondacs with it, and taken the top of a partridge’s head away many a time. In a close bush fight it has never failed me. For buffalo hunting it is magnificent. More than one antelope has been brought down at three hundred yards. During our Indian fights it was the treasure of our party.
Do you wonder, my dear fellow, that I am an enthusiastic believer in the Ballard rifle? There are other rifles that can be discharged more rapidly, but they are unbalanced and so liable to get out of order that a man needs a gunshop with him to be sure that he will have something to shoot with. Beside this, you know as well as I that a rifle can be fired too rapidly. I have yet to meet a good shot that cares to discharge a rifle more than six or seven times per minute. I can send fifteen balls out of my Ballard in that space of time. I am convinced, and you are at perfect liberty to say so, that the Ballard is the ne plus ultra of breech-loaders for hunting purposes.
We go to the Apache Canon to-day to give the wild turkeys a rattling. If you were here you should take the pet, when you would be convinced that a good breech-loader is the thing after all. At all events, that is the case of your friend,
THEO. R. DAVIS.
The above recommendation is of great value. It is not, like many published by proprietors and agents of guns, obtained by the practice of a special gun purposely prepared for the trial and fired under favorable circumstances. But this is the candid opinion of one gentleman to another after a long, and it will, I think, be generally admitted, a severe trial. An arm that will perform well under all circumstances against large and small game,—man, buffalo, bear, antelope, turkey, and partridge,—must be acknowledged to be nearly perfect.
I shall conclude this account of the Ballard by giving the following notice of an important rifle match that came off at Point St. Charles, Montreal, Dec. 5, 1866. The match was to test the relative endurance and rapidity of firing of the Ballard and Palmer rifles. At the three hundred and sixteenth round the Palmer rifle gave out, the Ballard having then fired about five hundred shots, and it continued to be fired till one thousand and twenty-three rounds had been fired in one hour and forty-five minutes, or an average of about ten shots a minute—a feat of consecutive firing perhaps unprecedented.
The Peabody rifle being constructed on somewhat similar principles to the Ballard, I will next speak of it.
This breech-loading rifle was invented by Mr. Henry O. Peabody, of Boston, Mass., who was several years in perfecting and completing this superior arm. In its form, the Peabody is compact and graceful, and its symmetry is nowhere marred by unseemly projections. This symmetry is preserved in the act of loading, as the whole movement of the breech-block is performed within the stock, the end of the trigger-guard falling but little more than an inch. In most other breech-loaders the guard must describe a curve of ninety degrees, and assume a position at a right angle with the line of the barrel, while the breech-block itself drops below the stock. No movement of the barrel, or any other parts, except those immediately connected with the breech-block, is required in the performance of any of its operations. The simplicity and ingenuity of the mechanism with which these operations are accomplished are such as to preclude the possibility of their being impeded by the effect of friction, rust, or exposure to the influence of dust, rain, or continued service. Some of the superiorities of construction are: 1st, That the formation of the breech-block, when the guard is drawn down, is such as to form an inclined plane sloping toward the breech of the barrel; and the groove on its upper surface, corresponding precisely with the bore of the gun, facilitates the entrance of the cartridge, so that it slides directly into its proper position without the necessity even of looking to see that it is properly inserted. 2d, The removal of the empty cartridge-shell is effected by the action of an elbow-lever, which throws it out with unerring certainty the instant the guard is lowered. This lever derives its power simply from the action of the breech-block itself, and can not become deranged, as it is not dependent upon any spring, and is of such strength as to render breakage or derangement from use or exposure simply impossible. 3d, The gun can not be discharged till the breech-block is in its proper position; and this breech-block is of such strength, and so firmly secured, as to insure its perfect safety, as has been proved by the severest tests. 4th, The rapidity of fire is equal, if not superior, to that of any other single loader. In a trial before the American Board of Officers at Springfield, it was fired twenty times a minute, and out of sixty-five guns presented for examination, was the only one that endured all the trials, and the report recommended its adoption. In this trial it was fired with eighty grains of powder and five balls (two thousand two hundred and fifty grains of lead), a test which no other gun stood, three out of the four, to which the whole number was reduced at the conclusion of the trial, being shattered at the breech with a charge of eighty grains of powder and four balls, while the Peabody, with the additional four hundred and fifty grains of lead (the weight of each ball), remained uninjured. The conclusion of the American war prevented, however, any action upon the report of the Board of Ordnance. The only difference of construction between the Ballard and Peabody is that in the latter the opening of the breech and the ejection of the exploded shell take place simultaneously. The breech-block is a solid piece of steel, hollowed out at the top to receive the cartridge. When the lever is pulled down this block falls below the chamber, and exposes the breech; the cartridge is then inserted, the lever pulled back, and the breech closed. And here is the only objectionable feature in the Peabody rifle. Unless the cartridge is inserted into the chamber, flush up with the breech, there is great danger of a premature discharge from the sudden contact of the breech-block with the fulminate. As it now stands, the utmost care is needed in loading the piece. It seems to me that by giving the end of the breech-block a slight incline the danger would be removed; for if even the cartridge was not shoved home, instead of a sudden shock there would be a gradual pressure which would force it into its proper position. The finish of the Peabody is not quite as good as some other guns, but this is no defect, and can be easily remedied.
The first figure of the illustration is a side view of the breech part of the gun, with part of the breech receiver, A, broken away to expose the breech-block D, and its operating mechanism to view in a position for firing. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section. The breech-block is pivoted at its rear end on a pin, o, which passes through it and the receiver; and it has a concave recoil bearing in the back of the receiver. It opens the chamber of the barrel for loading by a downward movement, as shown in fig. 2. Its upper side is hollowed out to form a channel leading directly into the bore of the barrel when open. The movement of the breech-block is effected by the trigger-guard lever, E, which works on a pin, b; and its upper and shorter arm, which is directed toward the joint-pin, o, of the breech-block, terminates in a notch in the under side of the block, the end of the said arm being rounded to allow the necessary play. Under the breech-block, and partly contained within a mortise in the same, there is pivoted to it a brace, G, the rear end of which bears upon a roller, H, which is fitted to turn on a stationary pin inserted through the breech-receiver. A spring arranged within the mortise of the breech-receiver presses the brace down upon the roller. This combination of the brace, spring, and roller serves to securely fasten the breech-block and guard-lever when the arm is ready to be fired.
F is the cartridge-shell extractor, made in the form of an elbow-lever, and pivoted to a pin, c, inserted through the breech-receiver. This is so operated upon by the forward end of the brace, when the breech opens, as to throw the discharged cartridge case entirely out of the gun. J is the portion of metal upon which pivots the trigger-guard, and between which and the opposite side of the metal framework of the breech-frame is pivoted the lever which extracts the empty cartridge shell. The firing of the cartridge, B, is effected by the hammer striking upon the rear end of the firing-pin, I (fig. 1), which slides in a groove in the right side of the breech-block, and the forward end of which is made with a beveled edge to strike upon one side of the head of the cartridge shell and explode the priming.
The Canadian Government having determined on arming the volunteers with breech-loaders of American manufacture, owing to the delay experienced in obtaining a supply of Enfield rifles converted to breech-loaders on the Snider principle, invited the various makers of the United States to submit patterns of their arms. After careful consideration of the merits of the various weapons submitted, they decided in favor of the Peabody as the best, it seeming to combine in itself, in the greatest degree, the essential requisites of simplicity of structure, accuracy and rapidity of fire, strength and general efficiency. I attach two reports on the performance of this gun,—one at Montreal before the Inspector of Musketry of the British forces in America, and the other the report of the Royal Commission in Denmark:
Tests at Montreal, on the 24th August, 1866, under the supervision of Captain, T. J. GRANT, Inspector of Musketry, by order of Lieut.-Gen. Sir JOHN MICHEL, commanding the forces in British North America.
To TEST THE ACCURACY WITH CONTINUOUS FIRING.—For this purpose sixty rounds were fired collectively by myself and three non-commissioned officers of the Twenty-Fifth Regiment, at a target six feet square, at three hundred yards distance, aim being invariably taken on the same spot, and no allowance for wind, defective sighting, etc. There were but three misses, which I conceive to have been due to the firers. The gun was not cleaned during the trial.
To TEST RAPIDITY OF FIRE COMBINED WITH ACCURACY.—In the trial I succeeded in firing nine shots, at a target six feet square, at one hundred yards distance, in one minute. All the shots hit the target; the time was marked by Capt. Campbell, Thirtieth Regiment.
There was no hitch in the working of the gun during the trial, nor any perceptible falling off as regards accuracy; and it possessed this decided advantage over the Spencer Repeating Rifle, which I had tried on a previous occasion, that there was no escape of gas from the breech.
(Signed).
THOS. J. GRANT, Captain,
Inspector of Musketry,
Superintending Officer.
To the Deputy Adjutant-General, etc., etc.,
Montreal.
ROYAL DANISH LEGATION AND CONSULATE GENERAL,
New York, 15th October, 1866.
To the President of the Providence Tool Co., Providence, R. I.:
Sir,—His Danish Majesty’s Government has instructed me to communicate to you the report on the “Peabody Gun,” made by the Royal Commission for examining and trying experiments with breech-loading arms.
REPORT.
The breech-loading system of the Peabody gun is simple and convenient, and under the whole firing its mechanism has acted very satisfactorily.
It was subjected to the following trials:
1. 100 shots from rest, distance 600 feet.
2. 75 quick shots, with and without rests, distance 400 feet.
3. Three days later; 25 shots from rest, distance 600 feet.
4. 210 shots at target, distance 200 to 2,400 feet.
During these trials the gun was not cleaned. Incessant quick firing did not influence the hitting quality, and the mechanism continued to act perfectly to the last shot.
Twelve shots were fired in one minute.
No change was perceptible in the different trials; good hitting shots were obtained at a distance of two thousand four hundred feet The Commission, composed of the officers of the Royal Artillery, close their report thus;
“The Peabody gun has, on the whole, given a very satisfactory result, and must be considered the best single-shot breech-loading weapon with which copper cartridges are used.”
I have the honor to be
Your obedient servant,
(Signed),
H. DOLLUER,
Charge d’Affaires ad inter.,
and Acting Consul General.
In consequence of the satisfactory nature of the above report, the Canadian Government gave an order for five thousand guns of this principle.
The next gun that I shall describe is
This invention is for the conversion of muzzle-loaders into breech-loaders, and it is claimed by the inventor and his friends to be one of the best before the public. The manner in which the conversion is effected is as follows: About three inches of the upper part of the barrel in front of the breech-pin is cut away, leaving the breech-pin intact, so that it may form the recoil bearing for the breech. The breech is composed of two pieces of steel, one being in front of the other. The front piece constitutes the breech-piece proper, and the rear one a brace which sustains the breech-piece against the recoil in firing. The breech-piece is hinged to a band which is clamped around the barrel, and a brace is hinged to it. The rear end of the brace and the recoil bearing are so formed that the breech can not rise until the brace rises by a movement in the hinge. In opening the breech for loading, a knob on the right-hand side of the brace is pressed upward with the finger, thus relieving the brace from the recoil bearing, against which it was pressed by the force of the recoil. The brace is lifted up from the recoil bearing until a stop upon it comes in contact with a stop on the breech-piece, above the hinge. The breech-piece and brace are then moved together from their position, and thrown forward in the direction of the muzzle, thus exposing the chamber of the band. The firing-pin is made of two pieces which meet at the hinge joint, so that the pin does not prevent or interfere with the opening of the breech, which it would assuredly do were it constructed of one piece. To eject the exploded shell, there is a small spur upon the hinged part of the breech-piece. This catches hold of the end of the fulminate, and as soon as the breech-piece is thrown forward, the shell is thrown completely out. For the purpose of preventing the escape of gas into the breech-piece from the charge after it is fired, there is a projection upon the right-hand side of the brace, behind the knob, so arranged that the hammer must pass over it as it descends. This is an excellent arrangement, for, should the brace not be in its proper place, the head of the hammer slides over the projection, forcing the brace down, and effectually closing the breech. The description of Berdan’s rifle, as given here, is taken from drawings published in the “American Artisan,” and prepared under the personal supervision of Colonel Berdan, the inventor. As we stated before, the gun possesses considerable merit, and if the breech-piece could be so improved as to simplify it, and thus do away with a portion of its mechanical arrangement, the weapon would become more valuable.
Fig. 1 of the engraving represents a side view of the breech part of Colonel Berdan’s new gun; fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same; fig. 3 is a perspective view of the breech-block and its appurtenances; fig. 4 represents a side view and an edge view of the cartridge-shell ejector; and fig. 5 is a transverse section of the barrel and the strap which attaches the breech-block thereto.
Colonel Berdan has contrived a number of different systems of converting the Springfield musket into a breech-loader. At the late trial of arms at Washington, no less than four modifications of his plan were tested, and were found to work so well that the report of the Board was in favor of the Berdan system, though they desired that some slight alteration should be made in it. I shall allude more fully to this report at the conclusion of this chapter.
It is not correct, however, as stated in the “American Artisan,” that “it showed itself so superior to the Snider gun, that it is probable that the order for the conversion of one hundred thousand Enfields on the Snider plan, which was given before the arrival of Col. Berdan’s agent, would never have been given.” The patent for the conversion of the Enfield on the Snider principle is the property of the British Government, for which they paid seventy-five thousand dollars. And instead of giving an order for converting one hundred thousand, they have converted in the Government workshops nearly four hundred thousand, and are satisfied that they have got a good arm for the present. Col. Berdan has modified certain inventors’ principles, and produced a gun that has obtained the recommendation of a board appointed to inquire into these things; let him and his friends rest satisfied.*
having claimed a great deal of attention both in this country and on the continent, where it has been, in a measure, adopted by Austria, I shall present a description of it. It is so called from being manufactured by the Messrs. Remington & Sons at Ilion, N. Y. It is made under the patents of Leonard Seiger and Joseph Rider. It can load at half or full-cock, and can be fired with great rapidity, as is proved by Mr. Kerr having fired it forty-seven times in three minutes, at the great rifle match at Wimbledon in July, 1866. As an instance of its strength, it may be stated that it has been fired with a charge of one hundred and twenty grains of rifle powder and eighteen hundred grains of lead without any injury to the arm. It stood all the tests of putting it in water, rolling in sand, etc., to which the arms were subjected by the Board of Army Officers that recently sat at Washington. The breech-piece and the lock, excepting the mainspring, can be taken apart and “assembled” twice in a minute.
“The peculiarity of this gun is the breech-piece, which has a swinging movement on a pivot below the barrel, opening the chamber for loading by a movement of its face backward and downward from the barrel. The great merit of this gun is its extreme simplicity.
“Fig. 1 is a side view of the breech part of the gun with one side of the breech-receiver, A, broken away to expose to view the breech and lock, which are shown in the position they occupy at the time of firing. Fig. 2 is a view similar to fig. 1, except that it represents the parts in position for loading. The breech-piece, B, is fitted snugly to a mortise in the receiver, A, which attaches the barrel to the stock, and the pivot, b, upon which it swings, is inserted through the breech-receiver. The breech-piece is braced against the recoil at the time of firing by means of the tumbler, C, of the hammer, which is made thick enough to fill the mortise provided in the receiver for the breech-piece. As the pin, c, on which this tumbler and the hammer swing, and which is inserted through the receiver, forms the recoil bearing, it is made very strong, seven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. The breech piece and tumbler, C, are so formed that when the breech piece is closed the rounded upper portion of the tumbler works in a concavity in the back of the breech-piece, and when the hammer is drawn back to half-cock or full-cock the rounded part of the breech-piece works in a concavity in the front of the tumbler. This mode of matching the breech-piece and tumbler prevents the possibility of the hammer falling until the breech-piece is perfectly closed, and so obviates the possibility of premature explosion of the charge. The hammer strikes upon a firing-pin—shown in dotted outline—working through the breech-piece. The extractor by which the discharged cartridge shells are drawn out from the chamber of the barrel works between the receiver and the breech-piece, and is operated by the opening movement of the latter. The breech-piece is operated by applying the thumb of the right hand to a comb like that of a hammer provided on its upper part. This allows the trigger-guard to be made a fixture.
“To prevent the trigger from being drawn when the breech-piece, B, is open, there is arranged under the breech-piece and tumbler, C, a small lever, D, called the ‘trigger-lever,’ which works on a pivot, d, and to the front part of which there is applied a spring, e, which presses it upward against the hub of the breech-receiver. The rear end of this lever is situated under the sere or point of the trigger, and when the breech-piece is open its hub holds the said lever in such a position that the sere can not be drawn out of the notch of the hammer, but when the breech-piece is closed the front end of the said lever slips into a groove, shown in dotted lines, provided in the hub, and so permits the trigger to be drawn. The spring, e, by pressing the front end of the trigger-lever against the inclined entrance of the said groove, effects the perfect closing of the breech, should this fail to be quite accomplished by the forward movement of the breech-piece effected by the application of the thumb to the comb. Besides thus insuring the perfect closing of the breech-piece, the lever, D, also holds the breech closed until the tumbler of the hammer is in place to lock it; and it also prevents the wearing off of the front corner of the rounded portion of the tumbler, and rear corner of the rounded portion of the breech-piece, as these pass each other, which would otherwise take place in case of the hammer being liberated from the trigger before the breech-piece was quite closed.”
Many objections have been urged against the Remington rifle, the principal of which was the liability of the breech-block to jam. To properly understand this objection, it will be necessary to describe more minutely the working of the breech-block, which works backward and forward with the hammer, thus necessitating a full cocking of the gun before the piece can be loaded. The breech-block is a solid piece of steel, pierced by a firing line and acting in conjunction with a tumbler attached to the hammer. At the lower part of the chamber of the barrel is a spur for ejecting the exploded shell, which is connected with the breech-block by a spring. The mode of operation is as follows: The hammer is first cocked to its fullest extent, then the breech-block is pulled backward to the hammer, which catches it by a nip, and thus keeps the breech open. On the cartridge being inserted, the block is pushed forward, and the breech closed. Nothing then remains but to fire the piece. It is objected that this system will not work, and one writer, in speaking of this arm, says:
“The defects in the gun are these: In the first place, unless the breech-block is kept thoroughly well oiled, the greatest difficulty is experienced in pulling it backward with the fingers. Now, as in active service soldiers have no time to take out the block and ‘grease’ it every day, it will be seen that a great delay in loading must ensue. In the next place, the spur or shell ejector is entirely too small, and will not eject the shell unless it (the shell) is also thoroughly well greased. In the presence of the writer one of these guns was operated with, and the result was that even with the shell well greased the spur failed to eject it oftener than once in five times. A great deal of trouble was experienced in forcing back the breech-block, in consequence of the inability of the spur to eject the shell. When the block was at last forced back, it was found that the spur had merely cut through the metal without ejecting the shell. We are thus minute in mentioning the defects of the Remington gun because of the claim for superiority made by the inventor. How the defects can be remedied it would be difficult to explain. The breech-block is really the stumbling-block. Without a shell in the chamber, it is pulled back with comparative ease; but with the exploded shell resisting the forward action of the spur, it requires a finger of uncommon strength to operate it. So far as the ‘greasing’ of the cartridges is concerned, the statement that such greasing is a necessity only renders the gun more objectionable. In nearly all of the other breech-loaders now prominently before the public, it is immaterial whether the metallic cases of the cartridges are well greased or not, the spurs possessing sufficient width and bottom to eject the exploded shells entirely from the chamber of the barrel. It is stated that the Austrian Government has adopted this weapon; but the statement has not been authenticated. Austria has not yet adopted any particular breech-loading fire-arm for her army.”
There was a great deal of force in this objection, and likewise in the opposition that was shown to this gun on account of the weakness of the breech-piece. The inventors set themselves to work to remedy these defects, and so successful have they been that they have now produced an arm that is apparently perfect in its construction, and most probably destined to play a great part in future warfare. Under this new condition, the Remington was submitted to the Board of Officers that assembled at Albany early in 1867, in accordance with instructions from the State Legislature to report upon the “best breech-loading arm.” It was highly approved of, and is spoken of in the following terms by the same writer who penned the foregoing paragraph condemning it:
“This weapon (the Remington Improved) is essentially different from, and is in every respect superior to, the breech-loading rifle of the same name described by me some months ago, and on which it is an improvement. Instead of the double ears which formed the lever of the breech-block, it (the lever) is opened and shut by means of a single ear on the right side of the ear of the breech. The opening of the breech causes the empty cartridge shell to be rapidly ejected from the barrel, and, unlike that of its predecessor, the hammer has no connection with the breech-pin. Altogether this weapon possesses many excellent characteristics, and, should the State decide upon making new guns instead of altering old ones, must prove a formidable competitor of the other breech-loaders. The gun which was tested had been fired over one thousand times before, often at the rate of eighteen shots per minute, and without the slightest injury to any part of its mechanism. It is elegantly finished, is very light, and has immense strength. Its construction is very simple, the breech-block being composed of only three pieces, which can be pulled to pieces and put together again in a few seconds.”
This is the rifle that is now known as the “Remington Improved Breech-loading Rifle.” As a matter of interest, I subjoin an account of a series of trials had at Vienna (Austria), in October last, before the Archduke Wilhelm, Field Marshal; Count Ryland, President of the Royal Commission appointed to ascertain the “best form of breech-loaders” with a view to choosing one for the army:
The trials on the Remington gun marked No. 1 were chiefly made with the object of testing the breech-closing arrangements, in order to ascertain its fitness for military purposes, and also to determine its efficiency and durability when exposed to the vicissitudes of war, The question of accuracy in firing was not specially attended to at this trial, as other experiments on this subject are now being conducted apart from those on the breech-closing arrangements. In accordance with the above-mentioned object a series of experiments in firing were undertaken with the Remington gun on several days. Accounts of these experiments follow in the order they were made:
First Experiment on the 20th September, 1860.—The commission had the gun first taken to pieces, and then examined the parts composing the breech-closing arrangements and the lock, and also the mechanism of the breech-closing. It was then determined to fire from the gun—the simplicity of which in its arrangements and mode of use is particularly remarkable—first, sixty shots with the cartridge containing the greatest amount of gunpowder, i.e., seventy-five grains English; then forty shots with cartridges containing sixty grains of gunpowder each, at a target three hundred paces distant; and also forty shots, quick firing, with sixty-grain cartridges. Not the slightest interruption occurred during these one hundred and forty shots; the breech-closing arrangements worked perfectly well; the target firing confirmed the accurate firing of the gun; and in quick firing from the shoulder thirteen shots per minute were made. In the examination of the gun when taken to pieces after this firing, no fouling, charge, or damage could be detected in the breech-closing arrangements. The gun was finally put together again without cleaning the breech-closing arrangements, and laid aside for further experiments.
Second Experiment on the 21st September, 1866.—The firing to test the durability of the breech-piece was continued as follows:
(a). With cartridges containing sixty grains gunpowder each, eighty shots were fired continuously. One of the cartridges split up all along, without, however, in any way hindering the opening of the breech or fouling the breech-pieces. After cooling the barrel by pouring cold water through it, thirty shots more were fired, and after these—
(b). With cartridges containing forty-five grains gunpowder each, the following five series of continuous firing were made: Forty-eight shots, forty-two shots, eighty-four shots, thirty shots, one hundred shots,—altogether three hundred and four shots, during which there was no interruption. The cooling of the barrel after each series of shots was accelerated by pouring water through; and finally, after four hundred and fourteen shots had been fired on this day, water was poured over the gun and the breech-closing arrangements, and the gun then laid aside in this condition, so that at the next trial the amount of rusting might be ascertained, and the influence this would have upon the breech-closing.
Third Experiment on the 22d September, 1866.—The gun which had been wetted with water on the previous day and laid aside in that state was taken to pieces and examined. It then appeared that all the parts composing the breech-closing arrangements and the lock were much attacked by rust, but notwithstanding this the proper work of the lock was not prevented. The gun was then put together without any cleaning of the breech-pieces, and subjected to further experiments in firing, so as to obtain convincing proofs as to whether the rusting of the breech-closing arrangements and lock would not disturb or injure their proper working. For this purpose there were fired under the same conditions as in the former experiment, and with cartridges containing forty-five grains of gunpowder each, three hundred and forty shots in seven series of forty-two shots each, and one series of forty-six shots. During this firing two cartridges missed fire, but exploded properly on being shifted in the barrel; forty shots were also made with the hand free and without taking aim, for which three minutes thirteen seconds were required. During all this firing the breech-closing arrangements worked perfectly well, and when the breech-pieces and lock were finally examined there was no perceptible change. Thus up to the present, the Remington gun had fired altogether sixty shots with cartridges containing seventy-five grains gunpowder, one hundred and ninety with sixty-grain cartridges, and six hundred and eighty-six with forty-five grain cartridges,—altogether nine hundred and thirty-six shots,—without any cleansing of either the barrel or the breech-closing arrangements. The commission now determined to have this cleansing performed, with a view of continuing the experimental firing on the arrival of a fresh quantity of cartridges, and of ascertaining whether the removal of the rust would cause any deterioration in the strength of the breech-closing arrangements and their perfect working order. It was also determined to further test the Remington gun by firing altogether two thousand shots, and employing for this first all the sixty-grain cartridges which were to be supplied to the commission for the experiments.
Fourth Experiment on the 27th September, 1866.—On this day three hundred and sixty-one shots were made with sixty-grain cartridges in the following series: Thirty-nine shots; one cartridge missed fire, but on shifting it in the breech and firing again, it exploded properly. Forty shots, forty shots, and one hundred and twenty shots, continuously and without interruption, the barrel being cooled after each series. Six shots fired to estimate the amount of recoil in a machine; the recoil was found to average forty-eight pounds (German). Thirty-two shots; quick firing, not from the shoulder, and by an expert; this took one minute fifty-two seconds, which is equal to seventeen shots per minute. Thirty-four shots continuously from a rest, and after the opened breech-closing arrangements had been strewed with road dust. Finally, fifty shots continuously, during which there was no interruption. The gun was then again strewed over with dust, and laid aside exposed to the damp night air.
Fifth Experiment on the 28th September, 1866.—The gun was first examined, when it was found that the lock did not permit of the hammer being raised to full cock; however, on taking the gun to pieces, it was found that the obstruction was caused by the presence of some grains of sand between the spring of the lock and the adjoining breech-piece. After removing this sand and putting the lock together, it was found to be in perfect working order, although still uncleaned. The testing of the breech-closing arrangements was then continued as follows:
(a). With cartridges holding sixty grains gunpowder each, forty shots were fired against a target about three hundred paces distant, in order to compare the present accuracy in firing with the results obtained in the first experiments. No difference was found in the results of the target shooting. Then ten shots were fired at a target six hundred paces distant, and with good accuracy; and one hundred shots in two series of fifty shots each, against boards (Traver’s) to determine the power of penetration of the shot.
(b). With cartridges containing forty-five grains gunpowder each.—There were fired six series,—one of forty-nine shots, four of forty-two shots, and one of eighty-four shots; altogether, three hundred and one shots. One cartridge missed fire, but on shifting it in the breech and firing again it exploded properly. During all the four hundred and fifty-one shots fired on this day there was no interruption. The gun was laid aside uncleaned.
Sixth Experiment on 29th September.—On examining the gun it was found that the breech-closing arrangements were unchanged, although covered with dust and a little powder smoke, and the gun could be manipulated as well as before. For the further testing of the gun the following concluding series of firing with forty-five grain cartridges were made: First, four series of forty-two shots, each continuous, during which firing ten cartridges were employed which had been lying for a quarter of an hour in water; then forty-two shots were fired continuously, eight of which were directed against a wooden chest filled with cartridges, in which the latter were placed in various positions; some with their lower ends (the percussion ends) facing the spot from whence the shots came; others with the ball end toward it; others, again, with their sides in that direction. Of these shots, fired from a distance of one hundred and fifty paces, the eighth hit the chest and passed through the side. Among two hundred and sixty cartridges contained in the chest, partly in pasteboard boxes, and partly distributed between the latter, five exploded and blew off the top of the chest, which was fastened on with only two nails; ten of the rest of the cartridges had their exterior cases distorted and rendered incapable of fitting into the barrel; twenty-six cartridges were blackened by the smoke, and all the rest remained intact. After this there were fired forty-two shots continuously to make up the number of shots fired to two thousand; and, finally, seven shots with cartridges purposely filed thin at the rim, and split in different parts, in order to cause the cartridges to burst, and ascertain the effect of this upon the breech. During this experiment the gun was placed in a safety apparatus. Five of the cartridges prepared in this manner were split up partly at the bottom, and there was, in consequence, a slight flash of flame at each side of the breech, rather like what occurs when a cap splits on the touchhole of an ordinary gun. The breech-closing arrangements did not undergo any change in consequence, and both the breech and the hammer preserved their normal position. On subsequently taking to pieces and examining the gun, it was found that the breech-loading arrangements and lock were not perceptibly worn, that the breech closed as firmly as ever, and that a little powder-smoke was only deposited on the surfaces of the lock-case and on the spring of the lock, which, however, would not have hindered the continued use of the gun. The two hundred and fifty-nine shots made on the sixth day of experiment without any interruption concluded the testing of the Remington gun, so that altogether there were fired, with good effect, sixty shots with cartridges containing seventy-five grains gunpowder each; seven hundred and one shots with sixty-grain cartridges; and twelve hundred and forty-six shots with forty-five grain cartridges, making altogether two thousand and seven shots.
VIENNA, Oct. 3, 1866.
This must be considered satisfactory, and it is a test that should certainly satisfy any reasonable man of the great value of this arm. I have dwelt at great length on this arm, as I consider that it and the Peabody and Berdan are the best American single breech-loaders for military purposes.
The Messrs. Remington have reason to be proud of the high character their gun maintains. The American Government have purchased a very large number; the factory is driven to the utmost to supply an order of twenty thousand for Denmark; Norway and Sweden have adopted it, and doubtless France will be glad to have it again submitted, since the vaunted “Chassepôt” has turned out a failure. I may appropriately wind up this notice of this weapon in the words of a very competent English journalist who writes thus:
“We were shown yesterday a handsome specimen of the new or Improved Remington American Breech-loading Rifle,—a weapon apparently perfect in its construction, and most probably destined to play a great part in future warfare. As a military breech-loader, so far as our judgment goes, it is unequaled. Whether we consider it as an efficient fire-arm, judging it solely by its likelihood to stand the tear and wear of campaigning, and its comparative safety from derangement of parts by the enemy’s shot, we can come to but one conclusion,—that it is the most remarkable military breech-loader the world has yet seen. It can be made of any reasonable caliber, and to take any necessary charge of gunpowder, fulfilling in these great essentials two most desirable requirements. Its simplicity of mechanism is so great that Mr. Remington’s agent, in our presence, took separate and put together (or, to use his phrase, ‘assembled’) the lock in less than a minute. The peculiar feature of novelty in this invention consists in the application of a swinging breech-piece, pierced by a firing-pin, to a barrel bored ‘through and through,’ and acting in combination with a tumbler attached to the hammer, so that the curved edges of the tumbler and the breech-piece will correspond and interlock to brace against the recoil. It has been advanced by some that the movable breech-piece might be driven open by the recoil of the cartridge. This in the new Remington is shown to be a mechanical impossibility, and has been practically tested by filling the barrel to the muzzle with clay, in front of one hundred and twenty grains of the quickest electric gunpowder, bulging out the steel barrel at the point where the powder and clay met, but not dislodging the breech-piece. To handle the breech-piece and hammer is like handling solid iron weights, indestructible by any common usage, and the whole of the parts are put together so as to protect what little there is to injure in the most complete attainable manner. For rapidity of firing the Remington can not be excelled. It was fired at the last Wimbledon meeting fifty-one times in three minutes.”
This gun is constructed on different principles from any of those I have previously enumerated, in having a solid breech, and the barrel tilting up to receive the cartridge.
The inventor of this gun, Franklin Wesson, who is noted as a rifle-maker, and of whose muzzle-loading rifle I have spoken in another place, was the first to manufacture a breech-loader for using the fixed ammunition. It at once attained a great degree of popularity, and has always retained it. I am not aware of its being used to any extent as a military arm, its chief use being for sporting purposes, and for which it is admirably adapted. I used one in my deer-hunting expeditions last fall, and wish no better; its simplicity, portability, and accuracy strongly recommending it to the sportsman. It is so well known that a description seems almost unnecessary; yet a few explanatory remarks of the cut may be interesting. The barrel works on a pivot at a, and is thrown up by a small trigger, B, to receive the cartridge; it is prevented rising too much by a link, C, which catches on a small pin, e. This link works in a groove cut in the side of the barrel. The hammer, which can be taken out by removing the plate, E, strikes the cartridge through a small nick cut in the breech, F. The shell is extracted by a slide, on the right-hand side of the barrel, working in a groove. It is worked by a small knob, and after performing the operation is returned to its place by a spiral spring.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the left-hand side, showing the barrel in position for loading.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, showing the piece loaded and hall-cocked.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the right-hand side, showing the cartridge-Shell extractor.
Mr. Wesson, the inventor, still continues the manufacture of this gun at Worcester, Mass. He claims to be able to fire as rapidly as any breech-loader yet invented, and faster than any repeater for fifty shots. In a trial at St. Louis, Mo., for a stand of colors, the Wesson distanced all competitors; out of one hundred shots, fired at a target of the size of a man, fifty-six hit; and again, at Kentville, Mass., out of twenty shots, all were hits, while none of the others made more than thirteen.
This weapon does not rank among the first of American inventions, but it contains merits which are peculiarly its own. The housing is light, but strong, and into this the barrel is screwed. The breech-block, having a rolling bearing at its rear end, is fitted to the housing, with a pin inserted into the bearing for the purpose of keeping the breech-block in its proper place. The front of the breech-block against which the cartridge rests, when the breech is closed, is a spherical convex, and is so positioned with the barrel that the pressure of the shell aids in keeping it firmly locked. The operating lever of the breech-block forms the trigger-guard, and is somewhat similar in appearance to the Ballard rifle. There is one feature in it, however, which no other breech-loader’s lever possesses. The end of the lever, instead of resting near or on the stock, is turned up and enters the stock, so that when the breech is open there is no possible chance of its lever catching against any thing. The piece in the stock is elastic and has a kind of hook at the top, which catches hold of a notch (in the stock) and serves either to keep the breech effectually locked, or to prevent the lever from coming out of the stock entirely when the breech is opened. The lever being pulled down, the breech-block is forced upward by the action of the hinged end of the lever against the rear portion of the block. The breech is thus exposed and the cartridge is inserted into the barrel, under the breech-block, or if not under, the gun must be turned over. This is a very awkward manner of loading, and, notwithstanding its originality, is the most objectionable feature of the gun. It is true that, to facilitate loading, the under part of the breech-block is made hollow, but this only weakens the block, while it does not, to any great extent, facilitate loading. It is urged by the inventor that one of the advantages arising from this method of loading is, that, should there be a premature discharge, the powder will escape downward, and not upward, so as to injure the face. This is very doubtful, inasmuch as that all explosions have an upward tendency, and the result of a premature discharge of the cartridge would be the blowing out of the breech-piece directly toward the face of the soldier. The shell-ejector is, perhaps, the best feature in the gun, although it is not equal to the ejector of the Peabody rifle. It consists of a straight piece which slides on a guide formed between the lower portion of the barrel and the breech-receiver. A rod of steel connects it with the operating lever, which is contained in the breech-receiver, to the right of the block. On the lever or trigger-guard being pulled down, the rod is pushed backward, carrying with it the ejector, and consequently the exploded shell. On the lever being liberated the spring at the end of the ejecting rod straightens itself, throwing the ejector forward and drawing the lever back to its proper place. By means of a notch under the breech-receiver the ejector can be operated with the finger and independently of the lever; but as this would only increase the time required for firing, it will seldom be used. Should the connection with the lever become destroyed, it would then be of use, but not otherwise. As stated before, the Cochran rifle possesses merits, but as a military arm it can scarcely become a favorite. The difficulty, or rather discomfort, of loading from beneath the breech-block is a most serious objection,
I have never seen this gun, but should not imagine it was one that would ever become popular, though as manufactured by Daw, the eminent London gunsmith, it has attracted considerable attention in England. The “Land and Water,” in its account of a trial at Beaufort House, under the auspices of Lord Ranelagh, claims it to be the best in use. Some modifications have been made from the description above, and the central-fire has been substituted for the rim-fire cartridge.
This is an arm that has only recently been brought forward, and as no public trial has been had of it, as far as I am aware, no opinion can be formed of its merits, though its advocates claim great excellence for it. The following description of it will doubtless prove interesting. It is taken from an article on “Breech-loading Arms,” published in the “New York Herald” some time since:
“Through the kindness of Colonel S. Crispin, the efficient Ordnance Officer of this State, we are enabled to furnish a description of the above-named weapon. It is of recent invention, and although not yet known to the public at large, promises to become one of the most popular fire-arms in the United States. While the gun is made on the principle of rotation, it is almost devoid of mechanical work. The breech-block consists of a solid piece of steel, connected with the lever, which forms the trigger-guard, and swinging on an axis. Attached to the lever is the only spring about the gun, and it is merely the lock that keeps the breech-block properly closed up against the chamber of the barrel. Attached to the block is a spur, which ejects the exploded shell entirely from the breech simultaneously with the pulling down of the lever. The block, as stated before, swings upon an axis, but instead of falling downward when the lever is pulled down, it moves backward, thus exposing the breech. This system of operation is very superior, for should the shell not be pushed into the breech sufficiently, as soon as the lever is pulled back the face of the block comes in contact with the cover of the cartridge and shoves it home, without the slightest danger of a premature discharge. Another source of safety in the Poulteney rifle is that by the opening of the breech the hammer is half-cocked, thus preventing an accident. When fired, the hammer strikes against a pin which runs through the block, and the blow is transmitted to the fulminate. The gun is light, but immensely strong, and is well finished. The following is the mode of operating it: First motion, pulling down the lever, and by so doing expose the breech and eject the cartridge; second, inserting a fresh cartridge; third, pulling back the lever, and effectually closing the breech; fourth, cocking the hammer; fifth, firing. The only defect in this gun is that the spur or shell-ejector is not quite wide enough to insure a positive certainty of ejection, should the metal of the shell be of inferior quality.”
I have seen it stated that the average number of shots that can be discharged from this arm is sixteen. I understand that the cartridge is made of India-rubber, which I should esteem very objectionable. But I will not discuss the merits of this gun, as I am not particularly acquainted with its merits or defects, and it has not as yet gained any considerable notoriety. The references to it in the report of the Washington Board are so meager that one is quite unable to arrive at any conclusion respecting it.
This weapon has been largely used in the United States Cavalry service, and there is a likelihood that it will be permanently adopted for that branch of the army. The carbine is composed of two parts, one being the barrel, and the other the stock, with the lock attached. These are secured by an axis of rotation, or hinge, with a locking spring of great strength on the top of the barrel, and a catch in the rear of the hammer to retain it in its proper position. Attached to the axis of rotation is the spur, which is under the chamber of the breech, so that as soon as the barrel is thrown forward the shell is ejected. The method of operation is as follows: The barrel of the carbine is thrown upon the left arm, near to the axis of rotation, and the catch in the rear of the hammer being pressed down with the finger, the locking spring is released, and the barrel falls downward, and thus exposes the breech. A slight motion of the right hand on the stock brings the barrel and it (the stock) on a level, and the locking spring is instantly fastened to the catch. All that then remains is to cock and fire the piece. The Smith carbine is very simple in construction and possesses considerable strength. The great merit it undoubtedly has, is the ease with which it can be loaded and fired. Any ordinarily drilled soldier can, at a full gallop, load and fire it six or eight times per minute, and still guide his horse with the left hand. Although as a cavalry arm it may answer well, it is very doubtful if it would be effective for infantry. The method of loading, which would expedite the cavalryman, is very likely to delay the infantry soldier.
At the test in Washington in 1866, it does not appear to have given satisfaction, for I find that it was one of those that was set “aside” by the Board on the twenty-sixth day, under the following resolution: “That all arms not considered suitable for further trial be set aside.”
is constructed on the sliding-block system, and is made as follows: In the rear of the breech-block and below it is a recoil bearer, composed of iron, in the shape of a three-sided parallelogram. In front of this and above it is a solid breech-block attached to the lever. On both sides of the lower portion of the front of the block is a spur which enters a small cavity on either side of the chamber of the barrel, and these spurs eject the shell completely from the breech when the lever is pulled down. The lever forms the trigger-guard, and is secured in its place by a spring attached to its fore-part, which enters the stock, and rests under the breech-block. The lock is contained in a solid chamber, and has no connection with the breech-block, as in many others of recent invention. Through the upper portion of the breech-block is a pin upon which the hammer strikes, and which transmits the blow to the fulminate of the metallic cartridge. The manner of operating the rifle is as follows: The lever being pulled down, the recoil-bearer falls sufficiently low to permit the breech-block to slide over it, and the shell is rapidly ejected. As the breech-block slides backward the hammer is forced to a half-cock by the action, thus insuring absolute safety in loading. The breech being now open, the cartridge is dropped into the open space between the chamber of the barrel and the block; the lever is pulled back, and the face of the block pressing against the rim of the cartridge, forces it into the barrel. The gun is then fully cocked and fired. The National rifle is very simple in its construction, and its principal merits are that it has no dependence on springs, levers, fulcrums, nor circular bearings for resisting the discharge. The resistance is obtained by perfectly square, solid blocks, which move at right angles. Again, there is not the slightest danger of a premature discharge, so well arranged is the breech-block in the chamber. The weapon is light, but possesses immense strength. Charges, consisting of one hundred grains of powder and eighteen hundred forty-eight grains of lead, have been fired from the shoulder with but little or no recoil. As a military arm—and it is only intended for such—the National rifle must eventually hold a high position. It has been fired with ease sixteen times in a minute.
Fig. 1 shows the gun ready to receive the cartridge, which is dropped into the receiver in front of the breech-block.
Fig. 2 shows the breech In its place and ready for use.
This rifle doubtless presents many advantages, but considerable modifications must take place ere it becomes fit for a military arm. At the tests in Washington, already alluded to, it was found that after it had been sprinkled with fine dust that it did not work freely. In the words of the report, “it was disabled by the test until the dust was removed, when it again worked well.” Again, a few days later, when the arms had been sprinkled with water and laid away to rust for three days, it worked very imperfectly, though firing easily. In both these tests the Peabody, Remington, Spencer, and some others operated most satisfactorily. It performed better at the State trial at Albany, giving good results as to precision and rapidity. It also showed great penetration: one hundred shots were fired out of it in seven minutes forty-five seconds. On the whole, it worked infinitely better than when tried at Washington. This principle can not be applied to the conversion of muzzle-loaders.
This breech-loader is the invention of an officer of the United States army, and is of recent date. It is made on the same principle as the Remington gun, the only difference being that the breech-block and the hammer are pulled back together, whereas in the Remington they are pulled back separately. Another slight difference is in the locking of the hammer after it is cocked. This is done by a catch at the side of the stock, instead of by the breech-block, as in the other mentioned arm. It does not appear, from the description given, that the Laidley is near as good an arm as the Remington, from which it was copied; it has all the original defects of that arm; viz., that the distance from the axis of rotation to the finger, ears, or top of the breech-block are not long enough, and the difficulty of opening the breech, when the exploded shell is resisting the action of the block, remains the same. These defects, as previously stated, have been completely overcome in the “Improved Remington.” I have seen it stated that the Austrian government have given the Colt Manufacturing Company an order for one hundred thousand of these guns, but I rather doubt the statement, as they are manufacturing breech-loaders in their own armories on an entirely different principle.
A great deal of prominence was given to this gun some time ago, and every exertion was made to puff it into notice. True, it enjoyed a certain degree of popularity, from the fact that seventeen shots could be fired from it without re-loading, and this, no doubt, was very fascinating, but the most cursory examination shows that it is utterly unfit for either military or sporting purposes. The mechanism is altogether too delicate, and if once out of order,—and the great length of the spiral spring renders it, in my judgment, peculiarly liable to accident,— you are left with a very ordinary rifle. It is constructed on the same principle as the Spencer. The magazine is composed of a tube running under the barrel from the breech to within five inches of the muzzle, and is partially open along its entire length at the bottom. At the top of this magazine and up to the muzzle is a tube which moves on hinges to one side, exposing the chamber of the magazine, so as to admit the cartridges. This tube contains a follower, which is pressed forward by a spiral spring, thus forcing a cartridge into the breech as fast as the lever is pulled down. On entering the breech the cartridge is forced into the barrel by an upward movement of the main-spring. The shell is ejected by a spring catch, which seizes it by the rim and ejects it, room being left in the barrel for it to rise over the rim.
At the trial in Washington (Sept. 1866), its performance was very unsatisfactory, it failing in nearly every instance, showing clearly that the objection above taken is well founded. I have seen very high testimonials in favor of this arm, and one man in the West (St. Louis), in his enthusiastic admiration for it, goes so far as to say, “I will take the Henry rifle and shoot against any living man at one thousand yards with any other gun, and give him one hundred yards, if his gun was made in Europe.” This is sheer “buncombe.”* It never, as far as I have been able to learn, made even respectable practice at any long range; its shooting was not in any respect to be compared to the Ball, Ballard, Peabody, Remington, Spencer, Sharp, or any one of the many guns that I have seen tested. Cleveland makes the same remark at. “In speaking of its accuracy, however, although several of the writers” (alluding to the testimonials in the advertising pamphlet) “praise it highly, I find that they allude to it only in general terms, and without specifying its performances. I am bound to say that in this particular the shooting of the only one I have had an opportunity of testing, and which was sent to me from the manufactory for the purpose, was any thing but satisfactory. I could not, on an average, put three shots out of five into a circle of two feet in diameter at one hundred yards, and at two hundred they varied four or five feet, wandering in every direction. . . . . I tried the gun repeatedly, and called in the aid of two experienced riflemen who succeeded no better, though one of them assured me he had seen good shooting done with it at two hundred yards. It is likewise very liable to get leaded, and in the test of it, at the Ordnance Department in 1862, proved this, as the report says it was ‘found to be considerably leaded and very foul, the lands and grooves not being visible. In other respects it was found in perfect order.’” I have seen much better firing than Cleveland. In the spring of 1866 I formed one of a committee to test the gun; a number of crack shots fired with it from two hundred, four hundred, and six hundred yards. The practice at two hundred and four hundred was fair, but at six hundred very wild, many of the shots missing the target altogether (it was six feet by six feet), and the others scattered all round. In addition to the objections already urged against it, I have also to state that there is great danger of explosion of the cartridges, even in the act of loading. I am aware of an instance where the cartridge exploded on being dropped into the magazine.
An improvement, or rather, an alteration on the Henry, has been recently made, and the new weapon is called the “Winchester.” Instead of the magazine being partially open, it is entirely closed up, and instead of loading from the top, the cartridges are inserted into the magazine from the breech, thus enabling the gun to be used either as a single loader or as a repeater. By this manner of loading the cartridge last inserted is the first one fired. The cartridges are inserted in the magazine through an opening in the side of the frame, back of the lower block. A spring lid, grooved on the top, and of a length to correspond with the size of the cartridge, opens inward by a slight pressure of the cartridge, which is then pushed forward, and as it drops in its place is held there by a shoulder; the lid then rises to its place and closes the aperture. If the Henry rifle was condemned for its complications, the “Winchester” has certainly not improved the defects. However terrible both weapons would be in the hands of experts, they are totally unfit for military service. The charm of being able to fire sixteen rounds of ammunition without cessation would be quickly dispelled by the slightest injury to any one part of the delicate and complicated machinery contained in the Henry and Winchester rifles.
The inventor is Mr. Winchester, president of the company by which the Henry gun is manufactured, and, having observed some of the glaring defects of that arm, he has modified them and set it before the public bearing his name.
I shall now proceed to give some account of the only other repeater with which I am acquainted; viz., the Ball, which was also tried before the Army Board at Washington in 1866, and on the twenty-sixth day set aside as “not worthy of further trial.”
It has a magazine under the barrel, from which the cartridges are fed by a follower, J, pressed back by a spiral spring into the receiver, A, whence they are carried into the chamber of the barrel by the breech-piece, E, which is connected at its forward end with the trigger-guard lever, C, to the rear part of which is hinged a tail-piece or brace, E, by which the breech when closed is braced firmly against a shoulder, e, in the rear part of the receiver, as is shown in the figure spring, above the main-spring of the lock, presses up the brace, E, to this position.
The filling of the magazine is effected by inserting the cartridges, one at a time, through an opening at the right-hand side of the receiver, the follower, J, being at the time drawn forward to the front of the magazine by an attachment of the ramrod, and locked there until the magazine is full, when it is liberated and left under the influence of the spiral spring to force the cartridges back and feed them one at a time into the receiver as fast as required for loading and firing.
It will be perceived in this gun that a portion of the chamber is formed in the breech-piece by being cut away, as is shown at a, a portion of the barrel being cut away at b to receive the breech-piece.
It is necessary to full-cock this gun before it can be loaded, which is a great drawback, though it is claimed by the inventor that no accidental discharge can take place, as the hammer is prevented from falling by a cam. For a very full account of this arm, I must refer the reader to the same source as I am indebted for some portion of the foregoing particulars; viz., “The American Artisan” of Nov., 1866, though I do not find that it stood the test at Washington, as there stated, it being dropped by resolution of the Board on the 26th day, and when subsequently tried for strength of construction, did not give satisfaction, as the following extract from the official report of the Board shows:
“Ball’s patent repeating carbine. First round, sixty-five grains rifle-powder, with two balls (four hundred grains each); second round, seventy grains rifle-powder, with three balls; lever was blown back, throwing the breech-block down, and the stock was split; third round, seventy-five grains rifle-powder, with four balls; chamber blown open as before, and tail of guard broken off; the shell breaks around the part supported by the extractor.”
It can also be used as a single breech-loader by means of a check, which consists of a pin turned by a small lever.
BALL’S BREECH-LOADER (REPEATER).
BALL’S BREECH-LOADER, (REPEATER.)
I shall now, having minutely described and commented upon all the prominent weapons, give short descriptions of a number of others that have been brought forward. The particulars are taken from an account, in the “New York Herald,” of the proceedings of the Board that assembled at Albany, to choose a breech-loader for the use of the State troops. I have not seen any of the arms, and therefore can not offer any opinion on them.
This weapon differs in construction from all other breech-loaders. It is merely an alteration from a Springfield rifle, and consists of two parts—one being the barrel and the other the stock. By means of a spring, which the inventors claim to be a secret, the action of cocking the trigger throws open the breach, and ejects the shell at the same time. The breech is thrown open by the muzzle of the barrel falling downward. It was fired with remarkable rapidity, not less than eighteen shots having been fired in one minute, and of this number several struck the ring of the target. Its penetration was through the eleventh and into the twelfth board. Afterward one hundred rounds were fired in four minutes and forty seconds, being an average of nearly twenty shots per minute. The gun was then sanded, with a view of testing its powers, and the result was that it worked with just as much ease as before. In its construction, the Empire is very simple, and, as an alteration, is certainly an excellent gun. It is strong, and apparently capable of much service. The rapidity with which it was fired created quite a sensation for a little while.
This is an alteration from a muzzle-loader, and is somewhat novel in its construction. On the trial for rapidity, it fired one hundred rounds in thirteen minutes thirty-two seconds, but this slow action was stated to have been caused by the fact that the party firing was not an expert. The cartridges used not being lubricated, the gun fouled rapidly, thus testing the strength of the breech-piece and barrel to their fullest extent, and satisfying the board that the weapon was strong enough for all practical purposes. On the test for accuracy, eight shots were fired in one minute, of which three entered the target, the gun being fired by a gentleman who had never before handled it. Its penetration was through the eleventh and into the twelfth board.
This breech-loader is an alteration, and differs from all others in its construction. It fired one hundred shots in five minutes forty seconds, part of the time being tied down, and afterward from the shoulder. On the test for accuracy being applied, sixteen shots were fired in one minute, of which number six entered the inside of the target. Its penetration was through the eleventh board. While the gun can be fired with much rapidity, it is not simply constructed, nor does it possess the strength of many of the others. It is quite complicated, being made of several small parts, each of which is exposed, and liable to accident at any moment. After the gun had been fired one hundred times, it became so hot that the woodwork under the barrel partially burned, and time had to be given for it to cool.
A number of others, such as the Page (Magazine), Morganstern, Roberts & Simpson, Fitch-Allyn, Millbank, Lamson, etc., etc., were tested; but, not presenting any particular features of novelty, I do not consider it necessary to enlarge upon them. It may be interesting to present, in a concise form, the general qualities of the various guns tested at the Albany trial, as claimed by their inventors.
“The Allyn gun was taken apart in four minutes, and re-assembled in five and a half minutes. The inventor claims that his alteration being made by reducing the gun from fifty-eight to fifty caliber, the re-enforcement renders it stronger, and gives it a great advantage in range and accuracy.
“The Poultney breech-loader was taken apart in two minutes, and put together again in three and a half minutes. The inventor claims general superiority of construction and ease of use.
“The National rifle was taken apart in one minute and a half and re-assembled in three minutes. The advantage of the gun consists in its simplicity, strength, and durability of construction. It is very light, has no superior in range and penetration, and has no dependence upon springs or fulcrums to resist the discharge. It can fire with ease fifteen shots per second, and as the gun becomes heated it works easier. By removing a single pin with the finger, the soldier can render the gun useless. Accidents while firing are utterly impossible, as the movement of the lever in loading, half-cocks the gun, and relieves the hammer from the detonating pin. In strength it is equal to any breech-loader in the world.
“The Milles gun was taken apart in five minutes and re-assembled in nine minutes. The claim for this weapon is, that it has no springs, but consists of a breech-block and lever, worked by a gear, the gear working the extractor.
“The Meigs gun was taken apart in one and three quarter minutes, and put together again in one and one quarter minutes. The inventor claims the advantage of pulling down the guard, and with it the breech-block, thus exposing the breech.
“The Gray gun was taken apart in thirty seconds, and re-assembled in forty-five seconds. The inventor claims the advantage of a breech-pin and lever drawn back toward the stock when opening the breech. This gun has a sliding breech.
“The Empire gun was taken apart in thirty seconds, and was re-assembled in forty-five seconds. The inventor claims that the gun is simple in construction, and very strong, and can be fired as rapidly as any.
“The Hubbell gun was not taken apart. The inventor claims that it is simple and strong, and can be fired with ease and rapidity.
“The Berdan gun was taken apart in eighteen seconds and reassembled in forty-two seconds. The inventor claims that the safety of the gun does not depend upon a lock, the whole strain of the discharge being borne upon a solid block of iron. The breech-block rotates upon a center and slides backward when closed.
“The Lamson gun was taken apart in one and a quarter minutes, and put together again in one minute twenty-two seconds. The weapon is somewhat similar to the Berdan, with the exception that the breech-block is composed of two pieces, through which the firing-pin passes.”
I do not purpose describing all the Rifles in use among Continental nations, but only those that may be considered the best, and that are known on this side of the Atlantic, and from the prominent position it holds, I shall first proceed to describe
The performance of the Enfield rifle, during the Crimean war, having proved that it was vastly superior to any arms with which the Russians were supplied, the English Government determined on at once arming the troops with this weapon; but the means at their command being insufficient, partly from the incapacity of the Board of Ordnance, and partly from the demoralization of the gun trade at Birmingham, owing to the combinations of the makers there, they were compelled to apply to Parliament for means to establish a small-arms manufactory, that would be able to meet the demand. A select committee was appointed, and sat for two months, in 1854, and propounded eight thousand questions, but their labors were of no practical value of themselves; though incidentally they led to the invention of the rifle about to be described. Among other witnesses examined was Mr. Whitworth, a celebrated machinist of Manchester. He proved that it was possible to measure sizes with the greatest nicety, mechanically, up to the millionth of an inch; he likewise showed that no steps had been taken, by means of difference gauges, to test he accuracy of the interior of rifle barrels, and upon which their performance so entirely depends. He also proved, that no conclusions, on which dependence could be placed, could be arrived at for determining the true form of bore until that was done. It being clear that any attempt to establish a small-arms factory, without this knowledge, would be dangerous, and there being no unanimity among the leading gun-makers upon the subject, Mr. Whitworth’s offer, to conduct a series of experiments for the purpose of elucidating this question, if his expenses were paid, was accepted by the government, and a sum, stated to be sixty thousand dollars, granted for the purpose. Mr. Whitworth had a covered gallery, five hundred yards in length, erected in his grounds, where the series of experiments could be carried on and registered under precisely the same circumstances. I shall now proceed to give, in the words of Hans Busk, a few particulars of the rifle that was the net result of these experiments. It would occupy a vast deal of space to follow Mr. Whitworth through his experiments, which were very interesting, and demonstrated the truth of his statements: that no means existed for measuring the accuracy of gun-barrels, and that any attempt to construct arms on a large scale, without this knowledge, would end disastrously.
“The bore, as already stated, is hexagonal; and, instead of consisting partly of non-effective lands and partly of grooves, is composed entirely of effective rifling surfaces. The angular corners of the hexagon are always rounded, and either hexagonal or cylindrical bullets may be used indifferently. If one of the latter form be fired, it is immediately forced into the recess of the hexagon, and is thus compelled to adapt itself to the curves of the spiral. The inclined sides of the hexagon offering no direct resistance, expansion is easily effected. If an hexagonal projectile, accurately fitted, be used, metals of all degrees of hardness, from lead, or lead indurated by an admixture of tin, up to steel, may be used without detriment to the bore.
“An exceedingly quick turn may be given to the rifling on this principle, as with the most rapid twirl the projectile never strips. To prove this fact, and to try the effect of extreme velocity of rotation, a short barrel was constructed, in which the rifling completed one turn in every inch. Bullets made of an alloy of lead and tin, fired from this barrel with a charge of thirty-five grains of powder, penetrated through seven inches of elm planks.
“Mr. Whitworth, finding that all difficulty arising from length of projectiles could be overcome by giving sufficient rotation, and that any weight that might be necessary could be obtained by lengthening the projectile, adopted for a bullet of the service weight (five hundred and thirty grains), an increased length and reduced diameter. He thus obtained his comparatively low trajectory. This is obviously a great advantage, for the lower the trajectory, or the nearer the path of the projectile approaches to a horizontal line, the greater is its probability of striking an object of moderate height; thus, in some measure, correcting errors that may have been made in the estimation of distances.
“For instance, if a rifleman, erroneously estimating the distance of an enemy’s column, elevate his sight too much, his bullet will probably pass entirely over the men, and fall harmlessly in their rear. But supposing the weapon he uses to have a low trajectory,—in other words, to move more nearly in a horizontal plane,—an error in elevation will of course be of less consequence, for his shot will most probably strike some part of the approaching column.
“An objection is frequently urged against the Whitworth (as well as the Jacob) on the ground that the friction of the missile is enormous. Whether it be so or not, it is unnecessary at present to determine; nor is it practically very material, if we but look at the results. At Hythe, in 1857, it struck the target, with force, at eighteen hundred eighty yards (or one hundred twenty yards more than a mile). At eleven hundred yards its accuracy was equal to the Enfield at five hundred yards. With seventy grains of powder at five hundred yards it sent a bullet through thirty-three half-inch planks, and the projectile was then only stopped by a solid block of oak behind them. . . . In addition to these merits of the polygonal bore, the barrels rifled upon that principle possess great durability, showing no symptoms of deterioration after many thousand rounds. Indeed, steel bullets have been repeatedly driven through three-quarter inch wrought-iron plates without causing the smallest damage to the barrel.
“As is seen by the previous description, the great peculiarity of the Whitworth consists in the polygonal groove-form of the bore, the gauge number of which is about forty-eight, the length of the barrel thirty-nine inches, and pitch of rifling one turn in twenty inches; so that the bullet makes nearly two complete revolutions before its departure from the muzzle; though he has made some in which the ball makes six or seven complete turns in the barrel.
“The projectiles, as shown in the annexed cut, are conical for about the length of half a diameter from the foremost end, and hexagonal for the remainder of their length (or two and half diameters); the sides of the hexagon having an inclination corresponding precisely with those of the bore. The interior of the barrel is bored and rifled with a degree of precision not long ago considered unattainable, and the exact fitting of the projectile is secured beyond the possibility of error.”
WHITWORTH BULLET.
The great objection to the Whitworth is its great cost, the plain, regulation arm costing from sixty to eighty dollars while the Enfield can be made at about one-fourth of that sum. This is a very serious consideration, when the arming of large bodies of men is taken into account. Is it not very strange that after spending eighty thousand dollars of government money on experiments, Mr. Whitworth was not able to produce as good a gun as a private maker? A better gun than the Whitworth has been found in the Rigby, manufactured by the Messrs. Rigby of Dublin. At least, I am led to believe that it is better from the fact that it has been selected in preference to the Whitworth for firing the last stage of the Queen’s prize at Wimbledon. The selection is not made by favoritism, but by open competition, the best gun being selected. Mr. Whitworth’s gun has not answered the expectations formed of it as a military arm, and, as a sporting gun (in its present shape), would be useless.
The gentleman who invented this rifle probably devoted more time and money to experiments with rifles than any man that ever lived. For twenty-five years he devoted all his leisure hours to this subject. His means for testing rifles and projectiles were on the largest scale. He had a range of over two thousand yards, and on this were erected targets at all distances, from one hundred to two thousand yards. These targets were walls of sun-dried bricks; the two thousand yards wall was forty feet high, fifty feet long, and three feet thick. Here, during a great number of years, he prosecuted his researches, and after trying every possible system of rifling and every kind of rifle, he settled upon what is known as “Jacob’s Pattern Rifle,” which is thus described by that officer: “Double, thirty-two gauge, four grooved; deep grooves (of breadth equal to that of the lands), to take four-fifths of a turn in the length of the barrel; barrels the best that can be made, twenty-four inches long; weight of pair of barrels alone, about six pounds, not less; the ends of the lands to be rounded off at the muzzle; patent breech, no side-vents; first sight exactly parallel to the bore, the muzzle-sight being raised if necessary for this purpose; folding-sight attached to the barrel, twenty inches from the muzzle, five inches long; secured by spring below; protected by projecting wings when lying flat on the barrel; the slide of this sight to be well secured by springs at its back, so as never to work loose; the slide to come down quite low on the sight; the top of the sight and bottom of its slot to be notched.” With this rifle and Jacob’s shells, some very extraordinary practice has been made, as, witness the following, taken from Hans Busk’s “Hand-book for Hythe:”
“I will now cite one or two instances of the precision at long ranges of the Jacobite rifle.
“On the 23d August, 1856, General Jacob, Captain Scott, Mr. Gibbs, and Captain Gibbard met on the practice-ground at Kurrachee, to try the effect of General Jacob’s rifle-shells, at a range of twelve hundred yards. An ammunition-wagon was extemporized out of an old cart, and a charge of one hundred pounds of powder was stowed in it, in a deal box, measuring only four feet by two feet; an object which could but have appeared a mere speck at such a distance. The morning was cloudy, the outline of the butt beyond the cart was dim and hazy, and the weather altogether so unfavorable, that it required a practical eye to discern the butt at all; and it was even proposed to defer the experiment. The ninth shell, however, from Mr. Gibbs’ rifle—one made by Daw, and only thirty-two gauge—exploded the powder with most brilliant effect.
“On the 5th September of the same year, a similar experiment was tried at one thousand eight hundred yards, with a box ten feet square, containing five hundred pounds of powder. The twenty-first round from General Jacob’s rifle (twenty-four gauge), fired by Captain Scott, exploded the powder.
“The rifles were on each occasion fired from the shoulder, without any extra support, the shooter standing up.”
One would have thought that this rifle would have answered all the requirements of a military arm, but the government would not give General Jacobs the least encouragement, but spent one hundred thousand dollars on producing a rifle in every respect its inferior.
Major Nuthall’s and General Boileau’s rifles are intended as improvements on the Enfield, and doubtless possess very considerable merit; but as they have never come into use, and are probably unknown on this side of the Atlantic, I will not discuss them. Boucher, who also has given much attention to the subject of rifling, brought forward an arm in many respects similar to Major Nuthall’s. A few particulars, as to the price, weight, bore, form of bore, projectile, etc., etc., of the principal muzzle-loaders in use in England may prove of interest.
WHITWORTH.
Price, from $60 to $200.
Weight of rifle, 91bs. 5
oz.
Weight of barrel, with sights, 4lbs. 14oz.
Length of barrel, 39 inches.
Form of bore, hexagonal.
Size of bore, .564 inch across the flats; .568 inch across the center of the flats; .600 inch across the rounded.
Spiral, one turn in 20 inches.
Ammunition.
Powder, 75 grains Curtis & Harvey’s, No. 5.
Wad, wax and tallow.
Projectile, cylindrical, pure lead, .559 diam.; 600 grains weight; increased length being obtained for the given weight of bullet by substituting in its fore part wood for lead.
RIGBY.
Price of rifle, from $25 upward.
Weight of rifle, 81bs. 10oz.
Weight of barrel, with sights, 41bs. 5oz.
Length of barrel, 39 inches.
Form of bore, Rigby’s rifling, 6 ridges.
Size of bore, .570.
Spiral, 1 in 4 feet.
Ammunition.
Tube cartridges.
Ninety grains, Curtis & Harvey, No. 6.
Wad of tallow (6), and wax (1).
Projectile, Eley’s Metford.
Percussion on an improved system to prevent misfires or back flash.
TURNER.
Price of rifle, $20 to $30.
Weight of rifle, 8lbs. 12oz.
Weight of barrel, with sights, 4lbs. 8oz.
Length of barrel, 3 feet 3 inches.
Form of bore or rifling, “Turner’s patent.”
Size of bore, .568.
Spiral of rifling, 4 feet.
Ammunition.
Powder, quantity and quality, 75 grains Laurence’s No. 4 grain.
Wad, none.
Projectile, regulation pattern, .55 diam., weight 600 grains.
BOUCHER.
Price of rifle, about $22, which includes a patent steel barrel. Mounting similar to the Enfield. This rifle can be changed in ten minutes from a muzzle-loader to a breech-loader, and vice versa, by merely unscrewing one nipple and inserting another, at a cost of $5.
Weight of rifle, 8lbs. 12oz.
Weight of barrel, with sights, 4lbs. 10oz.
Length of barrel, 3 feet 3 inches.
Form of bore, hexagon, with the angles rounded off, so as to form very shallow grooves, .008 inch deep in the center.
Size of bore, .570 inch.
Spiral, one turn in the length of the barrel.
Ammunition.
Powder, quantity and quality, 2 drams of Curtis & Harvey’s “improved.”
Wad, none, made up like the military cartridges, but with the rose at the base cut off, and a disc of paper pasted on instead.
Projectile, lead, cylindro-conoidal, hollow, with iron disk at the base.
I will now give some account of
The Needle-gun being the only one that has as yet been tested on a large scale in warfare, I presume that some details of it can not fail of being interesting.
The needle-gun, to a passing observer, is like a street-door bolt; at the breech end of the barrel, it has the same nob to slide it by, and a catch to keep it from sliding out. The bolt contains a spiral spring, and the needle, which screws in, and can be removed at will if damaged or broken. The handle of the bolt runs up and down in a slot (fig. 2), and by giving it a quarter turn, it closes the breech and draws back the needle, which starts forward into the cartridge when the trigger is pulled.
Fig 1 is the exterior view of the gun. The barrel has four grooves, the spiral of rifling being one turn in forty inches, almost twice the spiral of the Enfield rifle. The length of it with bayonet is six feet four inches (the longest in Europe); weight of solid ball, shown in fig 3, four hundred fifty-one grains; charge of powder, sixty-five grains.
IE ZÜNDNADELGEWEHR, OR NEEDLE-GUN.
This arm, having proved so terribly destructive in the late war between Prussia and Austria, has attained great celebrity, and yet it is not to be compared to the Snider-Enfield, Remington, Peabody, or Berdan-Enfield. It is a most complicated piece of mechanism, being but an improvement on, or alteration of, Pauli’s, which was invented in 1809, and, on being tested in the presence of the great Napoleon, proved a complete failure as a military weapon. We next find that there is no simplicity whatever about it. It is complicated, and should there be the slightest injury to the sere, the weapon would be utterly useless. The needle-gun differs in external appearance from every other fire-arm.*
From the engraving, it will be seen that it is a rifle without a hammer, and with a small iron knob directly in the rear of the breech and in front of the barrel. “This knob is a portion of the breech, which can either be turned in the cylindrical breech-receiver or be made to slide longitudinally. The breech being opened, the cartridge is inserted, when it (the breech) is again closed, and ready for firing. The needle is attached to the needle-bolt, which slides with the lock, and this latter slides within the breech. There is an air-chamber in the rear of and in communication with the cartridge-chamber of the barrel, around the front part of the needle-bolt. The main-spring, by which the needle is shot forward, is of spiral form, and coiled around the needle-bolt in the rear of the collar. This collar forms a catch for the sere, and thus keeps the bolt drawn back when the hammer is cocked. In the same piece with the sere is the sere-spring, at the end of which is the trigger. To load and fire this gun, the following motions are required: First, pulling back the knob to withdraw the needle from the breech; second, opening the breech; third, inserting the cartridge; fourth, closing the breech; fifth, turning the knob, so as to bring it in front of the shoulder; sixth, firing the piece. It must be remembered that these are only the motions connected with the machinery of the gun; if we include the ‘lowering’ of the piece, handling of the cartridge, raising of the piece, aiming, etc., we have not less than thirteen to fifteen motions. But it is of the piece itself that we write, and its defects may be stated as follows: First, the presence of the handle on the side of the barrel, which must, to some extent, destroy the accuracy of the aim; second, the necessity of pulling back the knob before loading, and the danger of a premature discharge in consequence thereof. (It is stated that the needle-bolt can be drawn back by a handle attached to the lock-spring independently; but this only further complicates the gun, and renders it more objectionable.) Third, the extreme nicety of its mechanical construction, by which the slightest irregularity will render it useless; fourth, its inability to fire with sufficient rapidity; fifth, the tendency of the needle to break.”
Nothing more is known than that the passage of the needle through the powder creates a friction, which sets fire to the fulminate as soon as the needle reaches it. There are certainly some commendable points about the needle-gun, but the opinion (outside of Prussia) is universally entertained, that it is one of the most inferior breech-loaders at present before the public. Its merits are simply these:
“First, the construction of the cartridge; and, second, the Zundspiegel, or igniting material. In the first the use of copper is rendered unnecessary, the cartridge being encased in paper. The powder is placed first, then follows a compressed paper sabot, which cleans the bore of the gun, and in which is fitted the bullet. The fulminate is placed in front of the gunpowder, and between it and the sabot. When the gun is fired, the needle first pierces the gunpowder, but does not fire it until it enters the fulminate, when the explosion instantly takes place. And this brings us to the Zundspiegel, which, translated, means igniting-glass. This is a secret known only to the inventor, and whether the power of ignition lies in the needle alone, or by contact with the fulminate, can not be told. By this we mean that it is not stated whether the fulminate could be ignited by other means than by the needle. From all that can be ascertained, it is evident that no other ammunition than that expressly made for the gun can be used, so that the only conclusion to arrive at is, that the fulminate possesses some secret power by means of which ignition takes place the instant the needle is brought into contact with it. The mere passage of a needle through the fulminate of one of our metallic cartridges would fail to explode it, a sharp blow from a solid front being required.”
Of its inferiority to other breech-loaders, and the improbability of its answering the purpose for which it was designed, Hans Busk thus writes:
“Of the Prussian Zündnadelgewehr, or needle-gun, I need say but little. After innumerable trials, it has been found to possess in its present form many palpable defeets, and, although in skillful hands it is undoubtedly an effective weapon, it is not well adapted for general military purposes. The works require to be continually cleaned after use; besides which, there are various other objections, which it is not necessary to specify, as this form of arm is no longer here in any favor. The ammunition requisite for this musket, too, is necessarily of a dangerous character, for as each cartridge contains the detonating material, interposed between the powder and the bullet, it is obvious that a projectile of almost any kind passing through a cartouch-box, or any ammunition-wagon, would infallibly cause such cartridges to explode with disastrous effects. One of those who, of late years, has written a good deal on these matters, without apparently possessing much practical knowledge, observes with regard to those weapons, that ‘the only point to be determined in practice is, whether they fulfill their theoretical indications. Now, the testimony on this subject may be shortly stated as this: In England, authorities say that, if made, they would not answer; in Prussia, however, being made and largely employed, they are found to answer.’”
This, however, is not quite consistent with fact. True it is, that these needle-guns were once made and largely employed in Prussia, sixty thousand having been issued in four or five years; but all experienced military men are now satisfied that they did not fulfill the expectations originally entertained respecting them, and no country but Germany has been guilty of the “folly of adopting them.” This folly (as it is called) of adopting the needle-gun was the means of enabling the Prussians to inflict a disastrous defeat on the Austrian army, at Sadowa. The arm was found to answer so well, that Prussia, with the experience of the war before her, has refused to change it, and no less than one million one hundred thousand have been ordered since the war. This does not look as if it had failed to fulfill the expectations originally formed of it. So it is, every new invention meets with the same opposition. As stated in the beginning of the book, the introduction of fire-arms at all was vehemently opposed, and so it has always been, and ever will be.
The example of the Prussian army in the campaign last summer in Bohemia, having shown that the possession of a breech-loading rifle musket is quite indispensable to every military power, the French government lost not a day in making inquiries and experiments to determine the best kind of weapon for the use of its troops. The special commission appointed by the minister of war on the 11th of July, and presided over by General d’Audemarre and General Bourbaki, instituted a series of trials of different kinds of breech-loaders at the camp of Châlons, with a view to compare their “practical qualities, the solidity and safety of their mechanism, and their capacity of easy handling and of rapid loading and firing.” These were the only points to be considered; they did not apply any test of precision or accuracy of fire, the latter being a matter of subordinate importance in the operations of a line of infantry in the field. The commissioners unanimously decided in favor of the immediate adoption, with one or two slight modifications, of a breech-loading needle-gun and cartridge, invented by M. Alphonse Antoine Chassepôt, the head viewer of the Central Depôt at Paris, who has since been rewarded with the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, A decree of the Emperor Napoleon, on August 30, ordained that this weapon should be supplied to all the French troops. I shall now proceed to give some explanation of the illustration.
“Fig. 1, in the engraving, is an external view of the Chassepôt rifle, which is one meter twenty-nine centimeters in length (about four feet three inches), and weighs a trifle above four killogrammes, or less than nine pounds. Its caliber is eleven millimeters, or four hundred thirty-three thousandths inch; and it is rifled with four spiral grooves, turning from left to right, and going once round in the space of fifty-five centimeters, or twenty-one and one-half inches.
“Fig. 2 is the central longitudinal vertical section, showing the position of the parts after firing; that is to say, with the breech closed and locked, and the hammer and needle forward. Fig. 3 represents a central longitudinal section of cartridge.
“The barrel is screwed into a breech-receiver, a, in the upper part of which is a longitudinal opening, and in the right-hand side of this longitudinal opening there is a shorter lateral opening to allow of the working of the breech-bolt, g. It is through this lateral opening that the cartridge is inserted. The breechbolt, g, resembles a door-bolt, except that it is bored centrally throughout, and it has a lateral projection, h, on the right side, to enter the aforesaid lateral opening in the breech-receiver. The knob or handle, i, by which it is turned and drawn back, elevated to an upright position, as it is when the gun is at half cock. When the knob is thus turned up, the bolt can be drawn back to open the chamber of the barrel for loading. After loading, the bolt is moved forward, and by then turning the handle to the right, the projection, h, is brought into the lateral opening of the breech-receiver, and the bolt is thus locked.
“Into the front end of the hollow bolt, g, there is loosely fitted a sheath, j, which serves as a guide to the needle by which the fulminate priming is exploded and the charge fired.
“In the explanation of the different parts and their working, we must first attend to the means by which the hinder end of the chamber is closed up after putting in the cartridge. Unless this were secured, a breech-loading gun would not be able to shoot at all, since the explosion of the powder, instead of driving the ball forward through the barrel, would merely send a jet of flame backward into the soldier’s face. In the ordinary muzzle-loading gun, the hinder end of the tube is hermetically closed, the whole being one solid piece of iron, with only the very tiny orifice beneath the nipple on which the percussion-cap is to be placed, and through which the fire from the percussion-cap is to enter the chamber and ignite the powder.
“This closing of the hinder end of the chamber, therefore, in the rear of the cartridge when inserted, is obtained in the Chassepôt rifle by the instantaneous compression, in the very act of firing, of a small disc or plug of vulcanized India-rubber, a, which is situated just in front of the sliding bolt, and has a metal cap between itself and the cartridge. The diameter of this India-rubber plug is naturally rather less than the internal diameter of the chamber; but as it is partly elastic (that is, composed of three layers, the middle layer being elastic, the outer layers not), so, when the powder of the cartridge is ignited, the force of its explosion causes a pressure of the metal cup on the India-rubber plug, which, being squeezed thereby, expands and tightly fills up the whole width of the chamber, allowing none of the gas from the explosion of the powder to escape in the rear. When the rifle is discharged, the elastic plug returns to its former shape, and easily passes into or out of the chamber, following the movements of the sliding bolt, by which, pushing it backward or forward, the hinder end of the chamber is opened or shut.
THE CHASSEPOT BREECH-LOADER.
“The cartridge used in this arm, shown in fig. 3, has a cylindrical case, z, of paper, which contains the powder, provided at its ends with pasteboard discs, y and The fulminate, v, is contained in a small flanged copper can, n, x, which has two holes in it through which the fulminate, when ignited, passes to the powder, a. The cap passes through a hole in the disc, y, and is inclosed within the paper case, z. The ball, d, has a paper case, c′, open at the rear, which fits over the top of the powder case, z, and is tied thereto, or otherwise secured in a suitable manner.
“The entire handling of the Chassepôt rifle, including the operations of cocking, loading, and firing, is performed by five simple movements, as follows:
“1st movement. To cock—The rifle being held in the soldier’s left hand, with the butt-end resting against his left side, he puts his fore-finger in front of the guard (see fig. 1), and, seizing the top of the slide, f 5, with his thumb, draws it backward.
“2d movement. To open the rifle—He turns the handle, b 2, from right to left, and draws the bolt backward.
“3d movement. To load—He takes the cartridge with his right hand, and puts it into the chamber by the aperture in the right side of the breech-piece.
“4th movement. To close the rifle—He pushes the bolt forward, and turns the handle from left to right.
“5th movement. To fire—He pulls the trigger.
“The report of the French military commission states that the rifle can be loaded and fired twelve times in a minute, and that the soldier can keep on firing at this rate four minutes consecutively. The mechanism is very easily managed, and it requires but little instruction to make the men familiar with its use. The cartridge is entirely consumed, so that nothing remains in the barrel after firing; and the discharge of one hundred fifty rounds, without cleaning, scarcely leaves a speck of rust.”
As regards the rapidity of fire, which appears now-a-days to be the principal desideratum, a man with a lot of loose cartridges beside him can fire the Chassepôt musket twelve times in a minute; but that rate the most skillful and robust soldier can not keep up beyond thirty or forty rounds: past that the fire perceptibly slackens. The same thing occurs with the Prussian needle-gun after the twenty-fifth round. The cause is purely physical; i.e., the fatigue of the man, whose left arm has often to support, unaided, the whole weight of the weapon. If, instead of having loose cartridges by the soldier’s side, he has to take them out of his pouch, the rate of firing declines to six rounds per minute, but an average of eight could be obtained if they were kept in a loose bag at his side.
The accuracy of the weapon has been ascertained by making the men fire at targets two meters high by two in breadth, at a range of five hundred meters, using a rest for the rifle. At that range, a great many men, firing one hundred rounds, hit the target every time. The point-blank range of the Chassepôt musket is fixed at five hundred meters, the extreme range exceeds one thousand meters; and the weapon needs no cleaning for two hundred and fifty rounds; over twelve hundred rounds have been fired out of the same gun without its sustaining any injury. The Chassepôt musket may therefore sustain very advantageously a competition with the needle-gun. Its superiority arises chiefly from the more perfect closing of the breech, which is complete, while it is very defective in the Zündnadelgewehr. All the gases developed by the ignition of the charges are utilized to propel the bullet, which adds to its range and penetrating power, while the perfect combustion of the powder naturally obviates the necessity of frequent cleaning, which the Prussian weapon can not do without. It is greatly to be regretted that this weapon does not seem likely to answer as a military arm, as it was found that, after a number of charges had been fired rapidly out of it, it became so hot as to be absolutely dangerous. The haste with which this arm was adopted precluded any proper trial so that its defects could be brought out. It is understood that five hundred thousand have been manufactured. Unless some means be obtained of obviating this defeet, Napoleon will be obliged to try some other arm. If he invites a competition of rifle-makers, to take place before him, with the understanding that the successful competitor will receive the order for supplying the French army, some of our best rifles will be presented, and the Chassepôt will stand but a poor comparison with the Remington, Spencer, Peabody, Berdan, or others of our superior arms.
Before proceeding to describe the Enfield rifle as converted on Snider’s plan, and which has been adopted as the national arm for the British troops, it may be proper to give some description of the Enfield rifle, which I shall proceed to do in the words of Hans Busk, in “The Rifle, and how to Use it.”
“In many respects, it is a beautiful weapon, especially if contrasted with its predecessor. Some time will probably elapse ere a better military implement of destruction will be perfected, or at any rate one better adapted for the use of the ‘line.’
“The rifling is effected by three grooves, cut slightly deeper at the breech than at the muzzle, and making one complete revolution in seventy-eight inches. The barrel is three feet three inches long; diameter, five hundred seventy-seven thousandths; weight, four pounds two ounces; total weight of arm, with bayonet, nine pounds three ounces; length, six feet one inch; without the bayonet, four feet seven inches. The regulation charge of powder is two and a half drachms (F. G.), the weight of the bullet five hundred thirty grains; of sixty rounds of ammunition, five pounds three ounces eleven drachms. Total weight, with bayonet-scabbard, fourteen pounds eleven ounces three drachms.
“This rifle-musket can, it is said, be turned out at Enfield at an expense of about three pounds four shillings sterling (sixteen dollars). When supplied by contract, it costs somewhat more.
“An ordinary marksman can make good practice with it at eight hundred yards, but in the skilled hands of a more experienced shot, still greater range is attainable.
“The manufacture of this arm is proceeding at Enfield at the rate of between seventeen hundred and two thousand a week, but the demand as yet far exceeds the supply.
“The raw material for the barrels first makes its appearance at the factory in the form of slabs, about half an inch thick and twelve inches long, by four broad. In forging these, care has been taken in the manufacture to make the short square fibers of the iron cross and recross at right angles. These pieces of metal are first heated and bent into short tubes, somewhat resembling rough draining-tiles. In this state they are again heated, and, while white-hot, passed between iron rollers, which weld the joining down the middle, and, at the same time, lengthen each tube about three inches. They are again heated, and again passed between rollers of a smaller gauge, which lengthens them still further; and this process is repeated altogether twelve times in two hours, when the barrel at last assumes the form of a rod about four feet long, having a bore down the center a quarter of an inch in diameter. The muzzles are then cut off, the ‘butts’ made up, and the process of welding on the nipple-lump (to sustain the nipple) commences. This is a difficult operation, and requires considerable quickness, care, and skill. To insure rapidity of striking while the metal is at a bright-red heat, the breech, with the cone-seat attached, is held in a steel die under a small hammer worked by steam, striking four hundred blows a minute, and under which the metals are united in the closest possible manner.
“The forging being thus completed, the barrels pass from the smithy to the boring shops, where the operation of boring (exclusive of rifling) is repeated five times; the barrels being arranged horizontally, and the first-sized borer being drawn upward from breech to muzzle, not forced down, as the bend of the boring-rod would in that case render it difficult to attain absolute accuracy. The second boring is effected with rapidity, the third slowly, when the barrel is finished to within three thousandths of an inch of its proper diameter. The outside is then ground down to its service size. The next process is to straighten the barrel after the worm for the breech-piece has been tapped. This straightening is one of the roughest portions of the whole process. From the very soft nature of the iron used, and the want of substance of the metal itself, a slight blow is enough either to bend the barrel, or else so to dent it as effectually to destroy all precision in shooting. Thus, in the various stages just detailed, notwithstanding the greatest care, the barrel is almost always found to require subsequent correction. This is accomplished by hand; a skilled workman looking through the tube, and tapping it with a light hammer wherever it appears to him to need such adjustment.
“Yet rude and unsatisfactory though this operation appears, it is found to give satisfactory results, even when the accuracy attained is tested to the thousandth of an inch.
“Altogether the barrel undergoes sixty-six distinct operations, and after having been bored out for the fourth time, its strength is tested by a proof-charge of one ounce of powder and one ball. Very few fail under this ordeal; the majority, indeed, will bear, uninjured, the explosion of two and a half ounces of powder, and the discharge of eleven, or even of as many as thirteen balls. . . . . . The next important step is the rifling. In this particular arm the grooves are comparatively broad and shallow, with a pitch of half a turn in the length of the barrel. The depth of the rifling is five hundredths at the muzzle, and thirteen hundredths of an inch at the breech; the width of each groove being three-sixteenths of an inch. Each groove is cut separately, the bit being drawn from the muzzle to the breech.
“After rifling, the barrel is again proved with half an ounce of powder and a single ball. It is then sighted, trimmed off, milled, leveled, browned, gauged, and at last finished to such a degree of accuracy that the steel gauge of five hundred seventy-seven thousandths of an inch passes freely through, while that of five hundred eighty thousandths will barely enter the muzzle.
“The regulation projectile, formed by compression of very pure lead, is a modification of the Minie; smooth at the sides, and having a boxwood plug instead of an iron cup fitted into a cavity at its base.”
This projectile did not bring out the best qualities of the rifle, and doubtless would soon have been cast aside for the Pritchett.
I may sum up the principal points to be noted in this arm in the language of Lieut.-Colonel Dixon, the Superintendent of the Small-arms Manufactory, at Enfield:
“That the grooves are limited to three.
“No greater spiral allowed than is necessary to keep the bullets in the grooves.
“The most perfect facility of loading.
“The expansion into the grooves, to ensure the necessary rotation, is effected at the instant of the inflammation of the charge of powder, in consequence of the “upsetting” of the lead, assisted possibly by the wooden plug which closes the orifice, at the base of the bullet, but which, no doubt, prevents any collapsing of the sides of the bullet when leaving the barrel,—a circumstance which would otherwise happen, and thus disfigure its shape, and act prejudicially in other respects. The advantages on the side of the plug are, besides the above, the less-frequent fouling of the barrel; in fact, the grooves are cleaned out and lubricated after every shot.
“The caliber of the arm, five hundred seventy-seven thousandths, allowing of a bullet of sufficient weight to do all that is required of it, but not so heavy as to prevent sixty rounds being carried easily by the soldier.
“The shooting of this arm as a line-infantry weapon is most superior; and when carefully made throughout, corresponds to every requirement of the best-instructed infantry soldier.
“At long ranges—that is to say, up to one thousand yards—the arm makes very good practice, and thus becomes qualified for a rifle arm for special corps.”
This, then, is the weapon that the British army being armed with, that government, stirred up by the wonderful results of the Prussian needle-gun, determined to convert into a breech-loader. They invited the scientific of all nations to present plans for this purpose; a great number were sent in, but, on being tested, all failed except the system proposed by Jacob Snider, an American, which, with some slight modifications, was adopted; thus affording another triumph for American mechanics over those of the world. A large sum of money was accorded to Snider, but, owing to delays and litigations, he never enjoyed it, having died before the money was wholly paid.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the gun, with the greater part of the barrel omitted to facilitate representation; and fig. 2 is a top view of the breech-loading construction. Both views show the breech-block thrown open for loading.
The method of conversion is very simple. About two inches of the upper half of the barrel are cut away at the breech to form a breech-receiver, B, into which is fitted the solid breech-block, A, which swings sideways in a hinge attaching it to one side of the barrel. So far as above described, the breech somewhat resembles that of some of the older breech-loaders in this country; but it has, in addition to the swinging movement sideways, a longitudinal backward movement, for the purpose of drawing out the exploded cartridge shells from the chamber of the barrel by means of an attached spur, C. Fig. 2 shows the breech-block, A, thus drawn back, and shows the shell, D, as partly drawn out. The spur C, does not eject the shell, like the shell-extractor of most of the newer American breech-loaders, but the gun being canted as the breech-block is drawn back, the shell drops easily out. The firing is effected by the hammer striking upon a sliding pin passing through the center of the breech-block, the blow being transmitted by the front end of the pin to the fulminate priming, which is in the center of the base of the cartridge.
SNIDER-ENFIELD BREECH-LOADER.
Fig. 3 is section of cartridge. 1. The percussion-cap; 2. Powder; 3 is a piece of clay inserted in hollow of ball to cause explosion; 4. Ball; 5. Piece of wood inserted in conical end of ball to steady flight.
From the engraving and the text, the reader will be able to form a very good idea of the nature and appearance of this powerful weapon. In general design the Snider looks not unlike a Springfield rifle, as converted at the Springfield Armory for the American Government, with this important difference, that, instead of opening upward on a hinge, the steel plug with the needle which explodes the cartridge opens sideways like the lid of a box.
The cost of converting the Enfield rifle is estimated at about twelve shillings per arm, and the expense of the ammunition will be one-third greater than with the muzzle-loader. On the other hand, the shooting of the converted rifle is at least one-third better than before—due, perhaps, in part to a slight alteration Mr. Snider has made in the existing Enfield bullet. With the original Enfield muzzle-loader, the mean radial deviation at five hundred yards’ range was eighteen and six tenths inches; at the same range, the deviation with the Snider-Enfield was twelve inches.
The mode of closing the breech may be briefly described as follows:
“A cylindrical steel block, fitting into a shoe, opens sideways on a hinge in front of the hammer, the block having a certain longitudinal play upon the hinge. This shoe or frame is but slightly larger than the breech end of an ordinary rifle-barrel, and contains a spring for retaining the block, which can, however, be opened with the greatest ease. No part of the apparatus could be so damaged by ordinary rough usage as to become inefficient, and the steel block, even when open, presents the smallest possible mark to the enemy’s fire.”
“The cartridge is of very thin sheet-brass, rolled up into a cylinder, so that there is a considerable overlap. This sheet-brass cylinder has a stout metal base with a rim, which base fits into the breech end of the barrel proper. In the center of the metal base is a fixed percussion cap, fired by means of a piston passing through the otherwise solid steel block, the piston being urged forward by the hammer. On inserting the cartridge in the open end of the barrel, the block is closed down into the shoe, the hammer pulled back to full cock, and the piece fired at once. With the improved-pattern Snider there have been no misfires.
“In the act of opening the block, a projection upon its fore end catches in the rim of the metal base of the cartridge, and by sliding the block back on its hinge, the old cartridge is removed, and it falls to the ground by a mere twist of the rifle with the left hand. A spring urges the block forward into its place again in the improved pattern, but at first this had to be done by hand. The time now consumed in removing the old cartridge is quite inappreciable.
“The overlapped cylinder of thin sheet-brass is expanded by the discharge of the powder so as accurately to fit the barrel, effectually preventing the escape of gas. This has been amply proved by experiment. If, before introducing the cartridge, we cut the sheet-brass sides by repeated blows against the sharp edge of a table,—in fact, if we destroy its shape as much as possible without breaking completely through the brass,—it still comes out, after the discharge, a most perfect cylinder.
“During the recent experiments carried on at Woolwich, it was found that a well-trained man, taking accurate aim, fired with the Enfield muzzle-loader ten rounds in four minutes forty-six seconds; with the Snider-Enfield, ten rounds in one minute forty-four seconds. Without taking aim, but simply raising the piece to the shoulder, he fired with ease fifteen rounds per minute. We may compare this result with the six rounds per minute said to have been fired under similar conditions by the needle-rifle.”
The first performance of these guns, on being issued, hardly met the expectations that were formed of them, besides which, some slight accidents took place from the escape of gas at the breech, and forthwith a cry was raised, that the gun was a failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. The cause is easily explained. The breech action of this gun is not adapted to withstand even a very slight escape; and any failure on the part of the cartridge tends to throw the breech violently open, and to cause a dangerous backward explosion. The first cartridge adopted for the arm had the original Pottet base, a thin cup of brass, into which the body of the cartridge was wedged. When these bases were made absolutely perfect, as in those cartridges with which the first experiments were made, the security against explosion was all that need be desired; but the slightest crack or flaw in the brass, by weakening the base, rendered it less capable of sustaining the severe strain thrown upon it at the moment of firing. When the cartridges had to be made by millions, perfect and invariable freedom from flaws could not be guaranteed; and it was found necessary to adopt a stronger base, and so to provide a large margin for imperfections of manufacture. The cartridges of this second pattern have proved thoroughly satisfactory, and no failure or tendency to explosion has been noticed in the large numbers which have since been made.
With regard to the reports of the want of accuracy of the Snider, the following account of the proceedings in the House of Lords, will show upon what a slight basis reports damaging to the arm are built:
HOUSE OF LORDS March 7th, 1867.
* * * * * * *
The Earl of Longford said, reports had been current much to the disadvantage of the Snider system of converting rifles, the fact being that, although they had been tested and experimented upon in every possible way, only some small defects had developed themselves in the cartridges and in the mechanism of the arm. The first cartridge tried was not found satisfactory. A second was then tried, and though not found satisfactory, it was, at all events, serviceable, and a third had been adopted, which, there was every reason to believe, would be perfectly satisfactory. The small defects which had developed themselves in the mechanism of the arm, were such as could be easily remedied without making any change in the original plan of the arm. He held in his hand a letter from Sir James Yorke Scarlett, who is commanding at Aldershott, and whose attention had been directed to the exaggerated reports which the noble lord had referred to. It was as follows:
“Aldershott, Feb. 26, 1867. * * * I forward a letter from Captain Thompson, District Instructor of Musketry, under whom the practice so erroneously described took place . . . Though I believe a still simpler plan will be produced, I consider the present pattern Snider rifle an admirable weapon, and perfectly efficient, when well made and well handled.”
The enclosure from Captain Thompson was dated February 25, 1867, and was in the following terms:
“Having noticed an article respecting the recent trial of Snider rifles and ammunition at Aldershott, which is likely to lead the public to form erroneous opinions as to their general efficiency, I think it right to inform you that the trial which took place here, instead of proving not very favorable to the new arm and ammunition, may be considered the reverse. Out of eight thousand rounds fired, only twenty cartridges burst, none of which in any way injured the breech arrangement, and only three missed fire. In very few cases were the old cartridge cases found difficult to withdraw, and those frequently from the awkwardness of the men who were firing for the first time with an entirely new weapon. As regards accuracy at five hundred and seven hundred yards, notwithstanding an apparently inferiority of the Snider to the Enfield at the longer ranges, I think that the very little practice which was made with the Snider rifle at the longer range, should not be received as a test of accuracy, as the sighting of the rifle is altered in consequence of the reduction of the weight of the bullet; and the accuracy of the Snider may probably not be found inferior to that of the Enfield rifle, when the soldiers become accustomed to its use, which, up to the present time, they have had no opportunity of becoming.”
Sir. J. Yorke Scarlett added: “My only regret is, that the correspondents who furnish information on military matters to the press, do not first make themselves acquainted with the subjects on which they write.”
He trusted that that explanation would be satisfactory to the noble earl; and he might add, that the government would not have proceeded with the conversion if they had lost confidence in the arm.
From this it will be perceived that the British troops are provided with an arm vastly superior to any now in use in Europe. Whether it is superior to the Peabody, Berdan, and Bemington, remains to be seen. They all possess great merit; but I am inclined to believe that, for all purposes of warfare, and to stand the rough usage to which they must necessarily be exposed, that the Snider-Enfield and Berdan converted, are the two best arms yet produced, the Snider-Enfield being the very best. This is but an individual opinion, and by no means tends to disparage the great value of the other breech-loaders.
Since the above was written, the result of the great annual match at Wimbledon has come to hand, which quite bears me out in the above statement. The shooting was of a most extraordinary character, and I can not do better than record it in the language of the report.
“In the military breech-loading competition some extraordinary scores were made yesterday, so remarkable indeed, that at first sight they appear almost incredible. A volunteer named Andrews, belonging to a Kent corps, and firing with a Snider-Enfield breech-loader at the five hundred yards’ range, succeeded in firing off no less than fifty shots in the prescribed five minutes—that is to say, exactly ten a minute The shots moreover, instead of being fired off wildly, were delivered with steady aim. In the fifty shots, he made forty-six hits, of which ten were bull’s-eyes, twenty-one centers, and fifteen outers, equivalent in all to a score of one hundred thirty-three. At the very same range, not four hours previously, a competitor had been cheered for making ninety-seven, which was then by far the highest score. The astonishing success which had thus been obtained with the government weapon became known very speedily all over the camp, and the Council were actually pressed to confer upon Sergeant Andrews some special mark of recognition. His score, however, was eclipsed by the very last shots fired at the two hundred yards’ stage of the same competition. In the space of three minutes allowed at this range, a volunteer named Oswald fired thirty-eight shots, or at the rate of thirteen a minute, of which thirty-seven were hits. His score consisted of six bull’s-eyes, twenty centers, and eleven outers; total, one hundred six.
The value of such firing may not be well understood by many of my readers, who are unacquainted with the system of marking followed in England. It will be better appreciated when I inform them that, out of the eighty-eight shots fired in eight minutes, at five hundred and two hundred yards, eighty-three would have each “knocked over” a man in an advancing column, four abreast, sixteen would have each killed a man standing alone, fifty-seven of them would have put a cavalry picket hors de combat. From this it will be seen what a tremendous weapon the Snider-Enfield is. As a military weapon, it is unquestionably the very best ever produced.
The first-named of these breech-loading rifles was experimented with at Brussels, in 1856, and favorably reported on. Its recoil was found to be less than that of any other gun in Belgium, with a charge of seventy grains of powder and four hundred seventy grains of lead; the length of the ball being one and eighteen hundredths inches, length of the cone double that of the cylinder, and the diameter fifty-nine hundredths inch. At a distance of from sixteen hundred and forty to nineteen hundred and eighty-six yards, it was claimed by the inventor that the bullets would carry with sufficient force to inflict a dangerous and often mortal wound. The gun was, however, never adopted, because of its being too complicated for the use of any others than experts in the use of fire-arms. The Lindner gun is merely the conversion of a muzzle-loader into a breech-loader, and it contains so many objectionable features that it can never be adopted as a military arm. The conversion is as follows: The breech-piece of the muzzle-loader is cut away, and the barrel lengthened over the small of the stock. In this lengthening piece is a bolt, which, when moved backward, opens the breech, and when moved forward closes it. At the near end of the bolt is a handle, which moves it longitudinally, or turns it, as the case may be. The bolt is threaded internally, and a portion externally, so as to enable it to work freely backward and forward. On the front end of the bolt is a loose conical piece, from which projects a pin, forming a claw for extracting the sabot of the cartridge. On the front end of the bolt is a screw-pin, which enters a slot provided for the purpose, and thus prevents it from coming out of the lengthening piece of the barrel. To open the breech the bolt is turned to one side for the purpose of freeing the threads, and then drawn back the required distance. By reversing the movement, the conical piece is tightly screwed up and the breech thoroughly closed. The lock is of the old pattern, and the cartridges are encased in paper, a cap being placed upon the nipple of the gun to discharge it. Altogether the Lindner “converted” rifle is even inferior to the needle-gun, by reason of the length of time required to load and fire a charge.
This is a new arm, and is entirely unknown on this side of the Atlantic; indeed, I have not even seen a description of it published in any of our papers, and I am indebted to a recent number of the London Times for the following particulars respecting it:
“This new weapon is a gun invented by Mr. Kenneth Cornish, and the claim made in his behalf is, that, while retaining all that is good of the system common to the guns of Snider, Strong, and others, it avoids the faults which tend to render particular weapons unsuitable to the rough uses of war. The invention can certainly boast of having simplified the mechanism of the breech in a wonderful manner; in fact, at first sight, it is difficult to believe that a breech so simple can be altogether safe in its action. Imagine a child’s cross-bow, minus the arc and string; and that is the shape of the stock and barrel of the rifle. A bullet put in at the muzzle would run down the barrel and out in a straight line along the groove upon the stock; for what in the cross-bow is the place for introducing the arrow is in this rifle the place for dropping or pushing in the cartridge. Across the barrel, at a point somewhat higher up than where this joins the stock, is the breech-piece, not a solid hinged block, as in the Snider rifle, but a species of flap, set on edge, and in shape and action not unlike the knife of a guillotine. This is simply lifted up or pressed down as occasion may require; and when raised, by pulling it open somewhat further than it would go of its own accord, the extraction, worked by a sere-spring, is set in motion and draws; or, if the motion communicated be quick and sudden, throws out the copper-based cartridge from the barrel. It is part of Mr. Cornish’s theory that cartridges made of metal and on the central-fire principle, are more effectual in rendering military weapons gas-proof than any ingenious construction of the breech itself, since the fittings, however accurate originally, must be disarranged as the weapon heats. And hence he contends that, using cartridges with a metallic base, the mechanism of the breech may be much simplified and cheapened, since the breech has only to support the rear of the cartridge case,—which is, in fact, an inner barrel,—during the explosion, and not to keep in a subtle and imprisoned gas. The needle works through the breech-piece, and hence is short and not liable to get out of order. A critical examination of the closing apparatus would probably suggest that in this respect strength is capable of being added with advantage. A spring, not one that interfered with the efficiency of the gun, for it was fired many times afterward, but still a small spring, gave way under rough usage on Saturday. And a breech-loader, meant to be handled by the rank and file of the army, ought to be as free as possible from the risk of such accidents. The design, however, is quite novel, and, of course, susceptible of modification and improvement. It unquestionably has on its side the great recommendations of cheapness and simplicity, and they are precisely recommendations of the kind which tell in the long run. It is alleged that the cost of the gun when new will not exceed that of an ordinary Enfield, and that the process of conversion is cheaper by some shillings, and capable of being effected faster than by any other patent.”
The Russian Government are arming their troops with rifles on this principle, which I understand to be a modification of the needle-gun; but not having seen it noticed anywhere, I am unable to give any description of it. The same may be said of the
Adopted by the Austrian Government, and which is claimed to be the “best breech-loader” yet invented. I have never seen any account of it, and the only allusion to it is contained in the letter of the Vienna correspondent of the London Times, who says—
“The Austrians are arming their troops as rapidly as possible with a new breech-loader. It is the invention of Herr Werndl. It is simple in construction, will fire twenty-four rounds a minute, and will penetrate a four-inch deal at twelve hundred yards. It is very light, and costs only about forty-five shillings. But the most remarkable thing about it is its capability of sustaining the roughest usage. The correspondent says: ‘After the usual tests of dipping the lock in water, smearing it with dirt and sand, etc., and then firing, H. Werndl took the gun, and, out of the window on the first floor from which we had been practicing, flung it repeatedly over the lane on a piece of hard and stony ground beyond. It was brought up and again fired over and over again, having suffered no damage beyond a few bruises from pebbles on the stock. The fact is, that the barrel and backpiece being of one piece of steel, and supported moreover by a very strong stock, there is nothing to break.’ H. Werndl asks nothing for his patent, but offers to make two hundred thousand rifles a year. He has refused all foreign contracts.”
Modest Werndl! to be satisfied with the profits on the manufacture of two hundred thousand rifles a year!
In this gun the barrel slips forward about three inches, disclosing a steel cone, provided on either side with inclined planes, forming a segment of a screw, and locking tightly into slots at the breech end of the barrel. The cartridge is dropped into the open space at the extremity of the cone, the lever is depressed, pulled backward, and then pushed into its place. The barrel and cone are thus tightly locked together, and until they are in this position the gun can not be fired; thus combining safety and strength in a great degree. This arm seems a very good one, and has been fired with great precision up to the longest ranges. Sixteen successive shots were put into a small sheet of note-paper at one hundred yards, and twelve following into a sheet of foolscap at two hundred yards; the average of the twenty-eight shots being but two and five-eighths inches. The cartridge in use with this gun, and which can be used equally well with a muzzle-loader, is very ingenious. It is formed of two thicknesses of peculiarly-prepared paper, through which the flash of the cap passes with certainty, consuming the paper during the explosion, leaving no residue whatever behind.
Though somewhat resembling Prince’s, is in principle entirely different. In Prince’s the whole of the barrel moves forward: in Terry’s it is fixed, and the admission of the cartridge is effected through an opening at the base of the breech. Above the lock, and flush with the barrel, is a lever which, being raised and drawn with a half turn to the rear, gives immediate access to the receptacle for the charge. A thick felt wad, saturated with grease, is fixed to the bottom of the cartridge, for the purpose of lubricating the barrel after each discharge. The wad, before the ignition of the powder, rests against the end of a small cylinder, which projects into the barrel, and thus serves to break the recoil. A breech-loading carbine on this principle was tried on board her Majesty’s ship “Excellent,” in 1858, under the supervision of Captain Hewlett. Eighteen hundred rounds were fired without cleaning, with “unprecedented accuracy at all ranges, and without any recoil. The rifle missed fire but twice in the eighteen hundred rounds, and whether discharged by officer or man, eighty-six per cent. were hits.” I do not know what objections to it were found to be sufficiently valid to prevent its adoption.
This eminent gun-maker has also invented a breech-loader, which has given a great deal of satisfaction in England, and has been partially adopted as a military weapon, the cavalry being supplied with weapons of this description. The bore is four hundred fifty thousandths inch, and of an octagonal form, completing one turn in twenty inches; length of barrel, thirty-six inches; weight of projectile, five hundred thirty grains; charge of powder, eighty-five grains. The military weapon differs a little from this. At Wimbledon this gun was tested before General Hay, and performed admirably. Out of forty shots at four hundred yards, the hits gave an average of seven and a half inches; at six hundred yards, nine inches; at eight hundred yards, about fifteen inches. The gun was fired from a rest of the most accurate construction, but the day was stormy and unfavorable. By the insertion of a bolt, which is provided for the purpose, this gun may be used as a muzzle-loader.
There are still a number of breech-loaders possessing merit, such as Green’s, Snider-by-Aston, Henry, Montstorm, etc., etc., that might be described; but the compass of this volume will not admit of it. Among the latest inventions is “The Breechless Gun.” I have not seen it, nor any description except that furnished by the London Builder, which says—
“A startling invention in gunnery has been announced by Mr. Harding, who makes not merely a breech-loader, but a gun without any solid breech! He takes a tube open at both ends, and this forms his gun, which is loaded and discharged with deadly effect. The plan is simply this: that a piece of wadding is rammed in at one end of the tube, then another piece, leaving a space, and, of course, some air between them, closely compressed; then the powder is placed in, and then a ball on the powder. The breech is practically formed by the air contained between the first and second pieces of wadding. Others are inquiring if gunpowder itself should be got rid of altogether midst all these changes. Captain Dixon says yes, and sends us one of his gun-cloth charges, a piece of rolled tape, so to speak, in a paper case, open at one end. The patentee claims for the gun-cloth charges, freedom from all risk of accidental explosion, ‘except when confined in a gun-barrel or bombshell. They are non-explosive; they burn, but do not explode; if lighted and held in the hand they are harmless; they may be dropped down a red-hot barrel without fear of danger. A hundred may be lighted at once, and the result will not be more explosive or dangerous than setting fire to a handful of shavings, neither would the firing of a whole magazine be attended with more danger than the burning of so much wood, cotton, or paper.’ The recoil is scarcely perceptible; the report is only one-half; smoke there is none; the combustion is perfect; and no residue is left to foul the barrel; and, withal, these charges are superior to gunpowder as a propelling force—at least so says the inventor. Gun-cotton was, as formerly made and used, an uncontrollable, unmanageable, capricious force, besides being liable to ignite at a low heat, and fire by spontaneous combustion. Gun-cloth, this patentee says, is a strong but docile servant; weight for weight many times stronger than powder, and capable of being used with entire safety in existing fire-arms. Well, we shall see.”
BOOTHS BREECH–LOADER AND CARTRIDGE.
Length of barrel, twenty-eight inches; size of bore, twenty-eight hundredths, Spiral, one in twenty inches: weight, nine pounds.
Mr. Booth, of Ottawa, whom I previously mentioned, when speaking of “crack shots,” has also introduced a breech-loader, intended for sporting purposes and target practice, and which has been found to answer very well. The breech opens underneath, and the cartridge, which is long, and contains a small firing-pin, is inserted, and the “trap” being closed, it is ready for action.
With this gun I have seen excellent firing made; indeed, the best I have ever seen done by a breech-loader. I am informed by a gentleman of this city that, at seven hundred yards, ten consecutive shots were fired into a target only fifteen inches square.
The last gun that I shall introduce to the reader is that which I consider the simplest and best of all breech-loaders, for purely sporting purposes. Mr. Pape, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, the best gun-maker in the world, having devoted a good deal of time and attention to the subject of breech-loaders, has produced that which is known as “Pape’s Combined Snap and Lever Action.”
FIG. 1—GUN OPEN FOR LOADING.
A.—Between and below the barrels a bar of steel, which fits into the false breech, preventing any shaking to right or left, and when crossed by the two wedges a perfect dove-tail in steel is formed.
B. and C.—Slots in the steel center-bar, which give the bearing surface for upper and under wedge.
D.—Lever.
FIG. 2.—ACTION.
No. 1. — Upper wedge. No. 2.—Under ditto. No. 3.—Center shaft. No. 4. —Thumb-piece or lever, by pressing which the wedges are moved out of their slots in the steel center base; the gun then opens. No. 5.—The action-spring which gives the rotary motion to the center shaft. The breakage of the main-spring does not throw the action out of order, for it can be worked as readily with the lever 4 above.
This action, for sound mechanical principles, is superior to any yet invented, the gun being self-locking by the closing of the barrels, which are securely bound by two powerful bites at the extreme end, attached to an upright shaft turning in a circle from right to left by slight pressure, thereby throwing the breech open. It is simple and pleasant to work while rapidity, with strength, security, and binding power is perfectly combined. The objectionable side-levers, or large under-levers, are replaced by a simple thumb-piece under the right lock. No danger of this action wearing loose. It possesses the great advantage of a self-continuous leverage pressure upon the barrels; any defect from wear upon the bites being self-adjusted by the action of the lever. This self-locking action, where leverage power is combined with snap-bolts, procuring perfect solidity and powerful binding power at the extreme breech end, insures the most regular and powerful shooting. The demand in England for guns on this principle (both shot and rifle) has been so great, that few have been sent to the United States. For any sportsman who wants a super-eminent double or single barreled rifle, and can afford to gratify his taste, I could recommend one of Pape’s guns. They are made at all prices from eight pounds sterling (about fifty-six dollars currency) to sixty-five pounds sterling (equal to four hundred fifty dollars currency); and though the price may appear high, yet for finish, material, workmanship, and good shooting qualities, they have no equal. The cartridge for this gun is made of strong paper, the same as a shot cartridge for an ordinary breech-loader, with brass or copper ends, having a brass lining running up the inside for two-thirds the length of the case; this gives a very strong back end to the cartridges, prevents them splitting, which causes an extra escape of gas, and leaves them in good condition to be recapped and used again. No better form of cartridge can be used than this. It can be used as pin or central fire. Mr. Pape has not yet produced a military breech-loader, but purposes devoting some attention to the subject. He is of opinion that his principle will suit as well for military as sporting purposes.
Having given a very full account of the different breech-loading fire-arms now before the public, both in this country and in Europe, I will conclude this chapter with a few remarks thereon, and a comparison of the merits of breech-loading and repeating rifles. The great success of the needle-gun, in the recent war between Prussia and Austria, has stimulated the other European governments to obtain some kind of breech-loading weapon for use in their armies. England has adopted the Snider, France the Chassepôt, Austria the Werndl, and so forth, of which I have given descriptions in the preceding pages; and though each possesses merits, to American inventors is due the credit of producing breech-loading fire-arms which, for simplicity of construction, accuracy, and rapidity of discharge, are vastly superior to all others. For though in the Snider, the English possess one of the best military arms now in use, the inventor was an American. Although Prussia may claim the credit, not of the invention, but of having reduced it to some practical form, to the United States belongs the honor of having converted an uncertain and complicated contrivance into a reliable and effective weapon.
There are two kinds of American breech-loaders, single-loading and repeating; that is, either loading every shot, or having a magazine, where from seven to fifteen can be stored, and which can be discharged in a few seconds without having to incur the delay of reloading. I have no hesitation in declaring that the single breech-loader is very superior to the repeater as at present made, notwithstanding that there is a strong prejudice in favor of the repeater. It is unquestionable that the Berdan, Remington, Snider-Enfield, Peabody, and Ballard are the best single breech-loaders yet brought forward. Experiments have shown that a man armed with the Berdan can fire no less than sixteen shots in a minute, without any more danger or fatigue than would result from using the ordinary muzzle-loading rifle. Again has America proved her supremacy in the inventive arts; and, by placing in the hands of her soldiers weapons equal, if not superior, to those of other nations, she adds materially to the respect which is now evinced by other countries for her resources as a military power. With respect to the relative merits of single breech-loaders and repeaters, it seems clear that while the Spencer rifle proved its superiority over the muzzle-loader during the recent war, it did not satisfy our leading ordnance officers that it was the most effective of military arms. Looking upon it merely as a mechanical contrivance, its power must be admitted; but taking a practical view of its merits and defects, we are compelled to conclude that the single-loading breech-loader, though not a superior arm, is better adapted to warfare. In the first place, the mechanical portion of a repeater is too complicated; the danger of injury is too great, and the waste of ammunition too excessive, to admit of its being placed in the hands of a private soldier. Soldiers are proverbially careless, and during the war, many Spencer rifles were picked up in the battle-fields with cartridges in the magazine the reverse position to what they should have occupied. Of course it would have been utterly impossible to fire the gun, as soon as a cartridge thus inserted had entered the breech-piece. It would never have been able to enter the barrel, and the result must have been to break or otherwise injure the internal machinery. The mistake here mentioned arose either from the carelessness of the soldier, or from his hurry when filling the magazine. But, in addition to this, with the knowledge that his gun contains seven loads, each of which can be fired without reloading, until every cartridge is exhausted, the soldier indulges in a reckless waste of ammunition, without doing any material damage to his enemy.* The same objection that applies to the Spencer is applicable, and with double force, to the Henry or Winchester guns. Repeating rifles of the last-named pattern are entirely too complicated for the use of an army. In the hands of experts, they may do tolerably well, but nine out of ten soldiers are not experts in the use of fire-arms, nor do years of active service render them such. In addition to requiring rapidity of fire, strength and durability are necessary; neither of which the Henry or Winchester gun possesses; they are delicate, complicated weapons, and therefore they would be utterly useless to an army. The Spencer is not open to the same objection, the mechanism being strong and serviceable. Experiments made with the Spencer, Berdan, Peabody, and Ballard show the following results:
Spencer.—One hundred shots in eight minutes and a half, being an average of a little less than twelve shots per minute.
Peabody.—One hundred shots in seven minutes, or fourteen and two hundredths per minute.
Ballard.—One hundred shots in six minutes and a half, or about fifteen per minute
Berdan.—One hundred shots in six minutes, or sixteen and four hundredths per minute.
Thus showing that the Spencer could not be discharged so rapidly as any one of these first-class single-loaders; the time consumed in filling the magazine partially neutralizing its merits as a repeater. Advocates of repeaters have asserted that prejudice alone prevented the adoption of that kind of arm; but this is not borne out by facts. Searching investigations and tests, similar to the one referred to above, have conclusively established the fact, that for military purposes the single loader is the best. For special service, and in hands of experienced shots, the Spencer possesses great advantages over the others, and as a sporting arm answers admirably. But even admitting that the repeater can be fired as often or oftener than the single-loader, wherein is the advantage? The firing of so many shots in such a short space of time would most likely have an injurious effect upon the soldier, and would most assuredly “demoralize” him; for it would be simply impossible for him to take any aim, the fascination of being able to discharge a given number of shots in such a short space of time being too much for him. No such thing can happen with the single-loader; for the time necessarily consumed in loading, etc., enables him to collect his thoughts and take aim. With the single-loader, an average of eight shots can be obtained with ease, and surely this is sufficiently destructive. And as it unites simplicity with great strength,—qualities in which some of the repeaters are deficient,—it seems natural to conclude that it should be preferred to the repeater. I append the Report of the Board that sat in Washington last year, and a few remarks thereon.
REPORT OF THE BOARD.
The Board begs leave to submit the following report:
The experiments of the board lead it clearly to the following conclusions:
First.—That the forty-five hundredths inch caliber ball has given the best result as to accuracy, penetration, and range.
Second.—That all rifle muskets and single-loading carbines used in the military service should, if practicable, be fitted for the same cartridge.
Third.—That the charge for muskets should be from sixty-five to seventy grains of powder, and from four hundred eighty to five hundred grains of lead.
Fourth.—That the Board recommends the plan of alteration submitted by H. Berdan. This gives the stable breech-pin, secures the piece against premature discharge, and involves only a slight change of our present pattern of arms. The bore of our present barrel (as has been proved by experiments before the Board) can be reduced to the desired caliber by reaming out the grooves and inserting a tube.
Fifth.—The Board has carefully examined the various patterns of new breech-loading arms presented to it, but finds itself unable to recommend any one of them for adoption for future construction by the Government. While fully impressed with the great mechanical ingenuity displayed in many of the plans, no one offers advantages for service superior to the altered musket recommended; and therefore the Board considers that, in view of the large number of excellent muzzle-loading muskets now in store, and the slight changes of machinery necessary to make new arms on that plan, should more arms be deemed necessary, there can be no justification for an entire change of model, and the great expense consequent thereon, until some further improvement shall be devised, producing more decided advantages than any of the arms yet presented.
Sixth.—The Board is not decided in the opinion whether it would be best to have only magazine carbines in the cavalry service. From past experience the Board would be unwilling to dispense entirely with magazine arms, and as these arms can be used ordinarily as single-loaders (retaining a number of charges in the magazine for extraordinary occasions, free from danger of ignition in the ordinary use of the gun), the only objections to their exclusive use are the additional expense of this arm over the simple single-loader, and the greater inconvenience of the use of a lever-gun compared with some patterns of the hinge breech-gun which have been presented to the Board.
In consideration of the above, and also of the manifest advantages of having single-loading carbines (if needed) and muskets made upon the same pattern, except in length of barrel, the Board recommends that, until a suitable plan for new muskets can be obtained, offering decided advantages over the proposed plan now recommended for altered muskets, no single-loading carbine should be constructed for the army.
The experience of the late war, as well as all experiments by this Board, prove that the Spencer magazine carbine is the best service-gun of this kind yet offered. Our experiments detected a defect in the arrangement for the extractor, which has been corrected by the manufacturers, upon the suggestion of the Board, producing, in the opinion of the manufacturers themselves, a decided improvement in the arm, and one that will lessen much the liability to become disabled in the service. It is believed, however, from models and from experiments of the Board, that the magazine arm is capable of further improvement; and the Board would therefore recommend some delay in adopting definitely a pattern “for future construction of carbines for cavalry service.” Should new carbines be previously needed, it is recommended that the Spencer carbine, with the modified extractor, be used.
Seventh.—The Board is of opinion that for facility of handling, lightness, accuracy of fire, it will be of advantage to reduce the length of barrel, when practicable, to not less than thirty-three inches, retaining the present length of bayonet; and also that with the adoption of the metallic cartridge, the present cartridge-box should be modified.
WINFIELD S. HANCOCK,
Major-General U. S. Vols., President of the Board.
The Chief of Ordnance, General Dyer, dissents from the conclusion of the Board, with respect to the best caliber. He considers that the disadvantages arising from the great length of the cartridge more than counterbalance any advantage it possessed in range and penetration. He highly approves of Remington’s, Berdan’s, and one or two other systems for the conversion of the Springfield musket; and recommends that no plan be adopted until thoroughly tested in the hands of troops; and in order to make a comparison between them and original breech-loaders, he further recommends that the following be issued in equal quantities to the same troops, for comparison; viz., Remington, Peabody, Sharp, and Laidley.
General Grant concurs in the recommendations of the Chief of Ordnance, except the proposition to place new patent arms in the hands of the troops for trial. He says—
“There being such a large number of arms on hand, capable of economical alteration, it seems unnecessary at present to experiment with new arms, many improvements in which will no doubt be made by the time they will be actually required.
“The superiority of the forty-five hundredths caliber in accuracy, range, and penetration, seems to have been placed beyond a doubt, but a uniformity of caliber being so desirable, and there being such a large number of arms of caliber fifty hundredths on hand, it may be advisable to adopt this caliber.”
From all this, it appears that our own Government have as much difficulty in settling questions between the various breech-loaders as the British War Department had. A good deal of blame has been cast upon their military boards, for taking such a length of time to decide the question; and now we find the American Government, who certainly are not addicted to red-tapeism and over-caution, deciding “to wait for something to turn up” in the way of an improved weapon, before they go any further than the conversion of the weapons now on hand, as a temporary expedient. The conclusion may be considered fully established, that the best possible form of small arms is not recognized as in existence, by those who have made this subject their study, and that the converted Enfield or Berdan Springfield, is equal, if not superior, to any other weapon now in use. When a repeater or magazine arm shall have been invented, which will be free from the liability to derangement,—which is the great objection to all now in use,—and possess range and penetrative power, combined with accuracy, equal or superior to the Enfield or Berdan, then, and not till then, will the question be answered, as to the best weapon possible. I have devoted a great deal of space to the consideration of breech-loading guns, as I considered that the importance of the subject demanded it. I shall now proceed to consider the best kind of rifle to be used for target and sporting purposes.
* This was written before the result of the meeting this year (1867) was made known, and the splendid firing made then by the Snider Enfield, alluded to in another place, shows the improvement that is taking place.
* Since the above was written, Col. Berdan has brought out still another breech-loader, differing in many important particulars from the one above described, and which I will endeavor to notice in an addendum.
*This would-be “crack shot” can never have seen a European gun, or if he has, it must have been some of the “cheap John” trash from Birmingham or the continent, which are generally more dangerous to the shooter than to the thing shot at. The Whitworth, Rigby, Metford, etc., are the best rifles for long range in the world, being, in the hands of a good marksman, tolerably certain up to two thousand yards, and are as superior to the Henry as that gun is to the old “gas-pipe.” I may have more to say on this in another place. I merely mention this to show how absurdly some men talk on rifle matters.
* In 1827, the Russian Government had submitted to it a needle-gun, by John Nicholas Dreyse. It was a muzzle-loader, filled with a needle propelled by an ordinary hammer. The charge did not contain any gunpowder, but consisted of a bullet and fulminate, fixed in what must be considered the all-important carrier wad. The breech was, as far as practicable, closed by a copper disk, having a hole in the center, allowing the needle to pass, and which disk had to be renewed after every sixty rounds. The Russian Government did not adopt this gun. Dreyse’s experiments, however, became known to Frederick William II., King of Prussia, who invited him there to conduct a series of experiments, and, to assist him, furnished him liberally with money, and arranged that he should have skillful officers and engineers to consult with. From 1829 to 1836, these experiments were continued, until, in the latter year, the present needle-gun was perfected; and, in 1841, the Prussian Government had served them out to the extent of sixty thousand to the army.
* Since writing this, I have seen a Spencer, with what is known as the “Stabler check,” which converts it, at will, into a single breech-loader. This is a very ingenious contrivance, and adds greatly to the value of the gun, not only by combining the advantages of single-loader and repeater, but by disposing of the principal objection urged against the Spencer. By means of this check, the gun can be used as an ordinary breech-loader, keeping the charges in the magazine in reserve for an emergency.
