Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-02-18

GINA, to Ill the vacancy In the Committee M lii
tary Affairs, occasioned by the action of the House
in excusng Mr.. Burt from further service hereupon.
MAYNARD's PRIMER-NEw REVOLVER. The ia
nous new primer, the invention Of DR.. Maynard, is
already known to readers, by description. 1t
forms another of those steps in advance of all the
of the world which have peculiarly distinguished the
improvements in this country, in the manufacture of
arms and the art of gunnery. 1t would take but a
brief examination of it to that it must supersede
percussion caps, caps superseded ints; and what
slight examination makes apparent, actual and
| rigid experiment seems to have established. Col.
Craig the Chief of the Ordnance Bureau. has report
ed, at LENGTH to Gen. Scott, upon its advantages and
superiority, and recommends its early and extensive
Introduction into the army. General Scott has APP
proved the report and it is understood that prepare
tions have already been made to equip all the cavalry
with arms furnished with this primer. II has, of
course, secured this position only by its merits and
after having passed through the most rigid forms of
| trial TO which the Ordnance Department could sub
iect it.
The Massachusetts Arms Company. of Chicopee,
having purchased the right to manufacture this primer
and apply il to in the manufacture of arms have
succeeded in the project Of revolver which
cannot believe to be otherwise than very far in ad-
of any and every other liver made
Colts revolver is always and very properly referred
the standard by which TO Judge of improvements
here ; but we have no hesitation in pronouncng the
new TO be very far its superior. Its advantages
are 80 obvious that mere ance at it convnces the
examiner that it must supersede its predecessors,
they have superseded the ruder and less ingeniously
adapted contrivances of earlier days.
To those who have forgotten the description Of the
new primer. it will be proper to state that it consists
of line Of Illuminating pills, placed equi distant upon
strip of waterproof paper. These pills, deposits
of Illuminating powder. thus ranged upon narrow
strip of paper, Of course be coied up in recep-
tacle within the lock. and by proper apparatus. be
pushed forward in succession receive percussion
upon the nipple of the chamber or barrel.
The first and prominent advantage which the new
revolver has that so widely known as Colts. is
in the employment of Maynard's primer. and the
other apparent advantages those which grow
mainly out of the slmplihcatlnns which the primer
allows. Itcan he discharged much faster than Cots.
TO prove this, 1t is only necessary to say that 1t is
adapted a supply Of thrty-six primers at once In
Colts pistol in order TO make thrty-sx discharges,
the fingers must fix, separately. thiriy-six caps-a
very slow business. particularly if is in hurry.
Add this that the flying of the copper, the " foul.
ing OF the lock, the oosening and dropping of of
caps. we'll their corroson and the moistening
Of the powder. all entirely obvated in the new
arm, and, far its advantage is very apparent. II
has other advantages, and ameng them II appears to
us that the doing away of the nipples attached to
each chamber of Colts pistol is important rne Ii
but nipple, and that is stationary. There is
hardly possibility that more than one chamber can
be discharged at and its accidental discharge IN
the pock ct would seem 10 be absolute imPossbiiy
The method of revolving the cylinder is novel, and
has an advantage over those hitherto used.
The construction Of the new revolver is the most
compact and symmetrical of any we have ever seen,
and certainly do not perceive why it will not
crowd all other revolvers out of market when 1t shall
come to be introduced. We understand that the CON-
pany are preparing to enter largely into the manu-
acture of these revolvers, and that they have also
engaged in the manufacture of locks, for sporting
and guns, they having the exclusive right to
Maynard's primer for this purpose. We are glad
that improvements of so marked character these
are in hands SO efficient. There is doubt that theV
mark new epoch in the history of firearms, and are
destined to extend far as firearms are known
Springfield Mass. Republican.
SUPERIORITY OF FRENCH RIFLES. Sir Charles
Shaw. in letter published in the London Times,
calls attention to the great superiority OF the rnes
used with such terrible effect by the Tirailleurs de
Vincenns in the recent Algerian war, and suggests
that weapons of the description should be used
by the British troops against the kafirs. The IN
venon has, since 1916, been considerably improved,
and, instead of now being effectual at CSC yards,
merely by the use of hollow cylindro-conique ball,