The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-08 00:00:00

IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL ARMS.

The Board of Ordnance have appointed a commis-
sion, consisting of an °Meer to be selected by the
Commander-in-Chief, an artillery officer, and Mr.
Westley Richards, jun., of Birmingham, to carry on
experiments at Manchester, under Mr. Whitworth,
the eminent machinist, for the purpose of ascertain-
ing the best construction for a rifle-barrel. The in-
stitution of these experiments, and the award of 1,0001.
to Mr. Pritchard fur his new bullet, have stimulated
scientific ingenuity in discovering the faults of the
existing system, and suggesting improvements.
Among other subjects, that of, perhaps, the chief
importance is the quality of the gunpowder emplo)ed
in charging the new rifles. The serious inconveniences
attending the use of the present powder are well
elucidated in a communication from a gentleman of
high chemical and mechanical attainments residing
in Birmingham. The powder now made, he says,
"has one important objection when used in small arms,
viz., upon its explosion an incombustible deposit is formed
on the inner surface of the barrel, which each discharge
augments. This deposit somewhat resembles red sealing-
wax, is apparently as hard, and adheres to the inner surface
of the barrel at the breech end with such tenacity that the
passage of the succeeding bullet up the barrel by the next
explosion does not remove the previous deposit, but
increases it, forming one layer upon another till, after
fifteen or twenty shots, the shape of the tube for the
guidance and passage of the ball is considerably altered.
The bullet, which may have been put into the muzzle a
perfect sphere, is blown out again, frequently not at all
resembling the shape it was—the deposit being hard
enough to cut pieces of lead from it and otherwise distort
it, Various schemes have been contrived to remedy this
objection, but the simple one is undiscovered, because gun-
powder is imperfect. The gunpowder-manufacturers may
be aware of the defects I poiut out, but enable to afford a
remedy. They are, however, not the only chemists in
Great Britain and Ireland, and there is little reason to doubt,
if a suitable reward were offered, that many a chemical
mind would be exercised to produce the required improve-
ment; and, although all the conditions may not be fulfilled,
something superior would be discovered, and the investi-
gation be of great advantage to the nation. What is really
required for the use of small arms is a gunpowder with its
equivalents so arranged. that the combustion shall be per-
fect without the access of atmospheric air, leaving no deposit,
'4 as far as possible, generating as much gas as that now
to use, but no smoke. The gases generated by the coinbus-
non to be less destructive to the iron of the barrel, and, if
possible, without affinity for iron. It is also desirable that
the gases generated should not support combustion ; at
the seine time they must not be destructive to human life
such quantity as soldiers and sailors would be likely to
he exposed to. It should be granulated, and combustion
take Place at a similar rate to the powder now in use. The
Introduction of such a powder for small arms would enable