The southern press., 1851-09-06
Important Invention.


ard of Charleston, as the inventor OF a new
l fpriming for firearms. The invention
rought to the notice of our Government, and
j, Ges considered worthy of trial to test its ef-
y. A joint board of distinguished officers
army and navy was appointed, and most
and protracted trial was made.
report made by the board was so full and
favorable that the Government appointed another
joint board, with thR -Chiefas its pres-
dent, to consider and report upon the proprety Of
purchase of tie patent right for the Government
use. The board reported favorably, and the pur-
chase was made.
Last year an order for practical field trial was
given, and two hundred muskets and thirty thous-
and primers were sent to Texas, where for four
months they were subjected by the United States
troops to the usual trials and exposures of military
arms in field service. The report Of the officers
entrusted with this trial is alike gratifying and
creditable to the inventor and interesting TO all
military and amusing persons knowledge
ofis merits and advantages secures all that is now
necessary to ensure the adoption OF this system
wherever the most perfect and efficient arm for
military purposes can be required, and where the
same vantages are appreciated for sporting guns,
rifles, &c.
This invention is extremely simple; it changes
neither the model, weight, nor action of the gun,
and is applicable to any kind of firearms. The
arms used for the Government trials up to this
time have been fint-locks, altered so as to use
either this primer or the percussion cap. The very
slight increased cost of the arm upon this system
is so inconsiderabe to be covered by the saving
on five hundred primers, these costing less than
one-fourth as much as caps.
So far as the act of priming is concerned, "the
most difficult act thesoldier has preform in bat
performs the act itself-and that too with preci-
sion unattanable by hand without regard to po-
stion or temperature, or climate, or light, of be-
nlmbed or bruised and clumsy fingers, or awk-
wardness of the soldier.
AS may be supposed, the increase in rapidity OF
firing is very great-it is reported to be from twen-
ty-fve to thirty per cent Ordinarily, and under
some circumstances, which embarras the soldier,
the Increase would be some hundreds per cent
As under some of the European patent laws a
published description would debar the inventor
from obtaining patent, we will merely say that
this system differs entirely from those in which
the decorating material is in the form ofloose pow
der Forsyth 's) or in small pills or in metallic or
otker tubes, (Hearteloupes Nebeli,) all which
systems have been tried for military purposes and
have been abandoned some for insecurity or in
efficiency, and some because they cannot be un-
derstood, handled, and managed by the common
soldier
The new system is reported as safer than the
cap, heretofore regarded the most safe,) and as
being easily understood, and managed with entire
simplicity and ease by the most untutored I; and
when once applied to the gun, lasts, without the
necessity of being touched by the hand, for the
duration Of the longest battle. Some Of oul
sportsmen are partially acquainted with this in
ven,ion, having been applied to Sharp's celebra
ted rifle by Npps and Butterfeld and manu-
factory Of the same and primer, upon a very
large SCALE lin progress at Hartford, Connecticut
The Messrs. Remington, of Herkimer, New
York, celebrated for their barrels, both for the
United States and private arms, have recently
completed double-barrel gun upon this system
of priming for the inventor. Its beauty, csm
pactness, simplicity, and utility we have never
seen eoualled. 1t cannot fail to arrest the ntten
ton and please the taste Of the sportsman. Before
we saw this we were not aware that such beaut
| ful and perfect doube-barre sporting gung wer,
| made in this country.
| The many and favorable reports that have beer
/ made respecting this important invention, and the
II unanipous verdict given in its favor by all mill
Il iary and sporting gentlemen who have tried it
leave but little doubt off general adoption in this
Il country and abroad.