The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-18
THE MAYNARD PRIMER.

for every conceivable shape of cap and ,rafer pfe,
and tu5e-some attached to the cartridge, some
carried IL a magazine detached, some in one part
OF the gun, some in anoher-have sprung up, had
their day, and passed into cabinets Of ordnance
curiosties. Some one or more of the grand faults
OF minuteness, iragiliy, insecurity, unsalcty, un
certainty, multiplicity, complexity, difficulty Of
keeping in order, want OF facility for inspection,
existed in and condemned them all.
one OF the most promising Of these plans
that Of Needham, of London. The mechanism
was strong and well protected. and the primers of
sufficient size and substance to be handled almost
as readily as the ordinary caps An official inqu
ry was made to its utility for military service
but, like many o! its predecessors and followers it
had, among other objections Of less importance,
these insurmountab!c multiplicity Of little
pieces, Gas primers,) and want of facility for in
specting, instantly, the quantity and condition of
primers in the magazine,
To meet, in some degree, these objections, pr-
mer in the form Of long flat tube filled with full
inmate, was proposed by Heurtcloupe. This re-
CURED separate motion to bring the primer into
placea short piece of one end off to be cut off by
the hammer in the act of firing. This gave such
promise that the Russian government purchased
the right to use it. Great were the expectations
ally, notwithstanding the utmost care in the iabri
cation of both gun and primer, instead of the sec
ton cut oil, the tchole tube, six eight inches long,
would ignite and explode, destructvely to both the
gun and the hands that held it.
At this stage of military experience, when all
seemed to despair of attaining the desired object,
another, the "Maynard system," proposed
Coming in the of those before condemned this
Wa cd with ar
General Scott saw and appreciated its capabilities
When sufficiently perfected to warrant it, a severe
and protracted scientific and practical trial of this
system was made by Board of Officers of the
Army and Navy, and resulted SO hvorably, thatthe
Government purchased the right to use it. 1t has
now been more than year i'll actual field service
subjected to all the vicssiudes of service in war;
and with such success that its extensive adoption
Is recommended by the general in-chief, and its
universal adoption on all military firearms, at
carly day, is most confidently predicted by all
officers and men who have used it.
This system Of printing embraces the grand and
II may be emphatcally said absolute, requisites Of
entire isodtonof the separate charges, and yet Their
union IN one compact piece easily managed By clumsy
fingers: simple, Strong, and cheap mechanism Gppli
cGbi!ty 10 the eIiSfing models Of firearms tciihout
loss Of their strength, model other essential reqa
SITES perfect safety from explosion Of the magazine
peJeettaeiiifyfor keeping an order for service per
feet exemption from deterioration by exposure TO
dampness, and perfect facility Of inspection, IN
moment, roitiO'h displacement Of the printing.
The value of this last quality for military fire.
arms may be inferred by the civilian from the fact
that upon its mechanism more time has been ex-
pended, and more objections raised, until il was
made acceptable, than upon all the other features
of the system. Indeed, the board of trial was adj
journed, and delayed month, to allow Of some
slight improvements to be made in the mechanism
of this quality BY giving up this, more than
half the cost Of applying the system be saved;
but il regarded as such an admirable quality
in military firearm-giying such an immense
advance beyond other systems-that the board
would not yield it.
As no ineligible description Of this system has
yet been published, the writer has procured from
the inventor the following, and publishes it in con-
nexion with this sketch, which he thinks due from
the army and navy to DR.. Maynard for his long
and untiring perseverance, in perlccting and estab
fishing, in this country and in Europe, an inven-
ton that al an actual saDing Of expense doubles tie
acreage Efficiency Of The soldier:
1.-THE decorating material Of the Maynard PR.
mer' is in the form of hMe loztnges, each about
inch thick. These lozengss are enclosed between
two narrow strips Of strong paper cemcntcd TO.
gether and rendered water proof and incombusti.
bic. The single strip thus formed is a little less
than one fourth Of an inch wide, lie very still and
firm, and contains four Of these ozenges (cach Of
which is a charge in every inch of its length; the
charges forming projections, Of their own shape,
on one side. having considerable and equal spaces
belU he afh he 49,.
dat and even surface.
zone Of these stripe, containing fifty or more or
le,s charges, is coilcd up and placed in magazine
in the lock, and lie fed out, by the action OF tho
lock, one charge at each time the hammer IL rails.
ed. When the hammer desends it cuts of aud
fires the charge fed out upon tho (or nipple If
one is uscd) Of the gun, thus igniting the powder
OF the cartridge within tho barrel"
These primers made by a very simple ma.
chine, (also invented by DR.. Maynard capable Of
making million a day at about one tenth The cost
Of the peyetssion coys IN military use.
II may not be inappropriate here to speak Of the
plan pursued by the inventor TO bring this admira.
bic system 10 it, present state Of perfection mas
much ns il will not be without valuable hints 20
inventors generally. The position Of the writer
has been such from the fret announcement Of the
invention az to give him the ability TO speak from
personal knowledge, when be says that s,ery slsp
in the progress Of adapting and simplifying the
means Of using this primer was subjected to the
most rigid criticism, by ordnance and other officers
Of experience, to the end that in every particular
however minute or apparently insignificant, mo-
thing should be introduced that could be sim
| plihod, strengthened, lcsscncd in expense or be
better adapted for the soldier The result in prac-
ce shows the propricty Of this coursc and, il the
thousand and one projectors Of new fashioned arms
and proJcctiles for warfare would take the same
course, there would be less complaint on their par
Of want Of what they would consider fair treatment
/ by the Government. ORDNANCE
| WAsHINGTON, March, 1852.
NAvAL.-The United States sloop ofwar St Ma
rvs arrived at San Francisco on the 18th of Feb
ruary, in thirty four days from Collao. Officers
and crew all well. The following is a let of her
| officers:
! George Maprudrr Commando. lance G n,