The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-21
Army Board ON Small Arms.


A resolution was adopted by the Senate OF
the United States, at its late session, directing
the Secretary of War to ascertain the opinion
of the officers of the Ordnance Bureau and Of
the United States mounted regiments, who
have used the repeating pistols invented by
Colt and other inventors, as to which is the
most efficient, and as to their adaptation TO the
service Of their respective commands, and what
advantages they possess, if any, over the com
mon Dragon pistol. Also, the opinion Of officers
of mounted regiments. not supplied with repeat
ing arms, as to whether or not the efficiency of
their commands would be increased by subst-
tuting the most improved repeating pistol for
the common Dragon pistol now in use.
In compliance with this resolution, a Board
convened at the arsenal near this city, on the
18th inst, consisting of the following officers,
viz: Major and Brevet Lieut. Col Il. L.. Baker,
President; Captain and Brevet Major A. Nor
decai. Captain and Brevet Colonel B. Huger,
Captain and Brevet Major w. A. Thornton,
Captain and Brevet Lieut.. Col. G. H. Talcott,
members; and Second Lieut.. and Brevet Capt.
j. l.. Reno, recorder; and has continued the
prosecution of the duties assigned it, from day
to day, to the present time. From the nature
Of these duties it will be apparent to the reader
that no satisfactory report can be given other
than an accurate narrative of the various ex-
periments instituted. This will be official
ly made to the Ordnance Bureau at the ter
mination of the series Of tests in progress;
,nJ this ~
much valuable information relative to the
capabilities of the various kinds of arms tested
their adaptation to different uses, the proper
qualities and quantities of ammunition appl-
cable to each, and the many other collateral
subjects that will no doubt occur to the accom-
plished officers forming the Board.
During brief visit to the arsenal yesterday
we saw Mr.. CoLT fire the t,celre h,,d,edth
discharge from one of his beautiful revolving
pistols. The whole series had been fired under
the observation of an officer who was pres
ent. Four hundred were fired on Tues
day. The pistol was cleaned but once day.
As soon as Mr.. CoLr had got through this
ample test of the endurance of his ingeni-
GUS weapon he remarked that, as he had al
ready acquired the fame of firing his pistol I'M
der water he would immerse it in water to
show that accidental exposure to that element
would not render it imperative. He accord
ingly loaded the six chambers, fitted on the
caps, and immersed that section in water but,
upon trial, none Of the caps exploded 1t was
ascertained, however, that the caps were IN
vanished. He therefore removed them, dried
the tubes, applied vanished caps, and then inn
mersed this section in water again. Upon trial
every chamber responded to the pull of the
trigger.
The Board will probably continue its inves-
LEGATIONS for several days longer. There are,
we believe, some ten or fifteen different kinds
of pistols, carbnes, muskets, and rifles, of
American and foreign invention and manufac-
ture, in course of the most rigid and thorough
examination.