The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-04
TRIAL OF ARMS 1T VEST POINT.
Correspondence OF tho New York Evening post.l

Correspondence OF the New York Evening rostl
Wnsr Pow July "a, 1858.
An Ordnance Board composed of Major Aired Morde
cal Major T. S. Iadley and Capt. T. j. Rodman assem-
bed at this place the 18th inst for the purpose trying
brec hloaing cabines under act passed by the last
Congress appropriang $4,000 to be expended in the
best arm
As it may be interesting to Of your readers, will
give rough description of tho offered.
With those by Sharpe all your readers arc
familiar from the great notoiety given to them solne
time ago by Rev. H. w. Beecher and bleeding Kansas.
Colts is revolving carb'ne, made the princi-
plc his pistols, but is for behind that invaluable
pom in accuracy and range
Burnsides has swinging breech, which is lot fall by
touching spring, and is carried down by its weight
that the cartridge be inserted 1t is then closed
by being draw up by the hand aud is confined TO place
by the spring The cartridge of brass and Is ignit
ed by percussion cap.
Poultncy Smiths is simple arm which is inado by
connecting the barrel to the stock with strong Joint u
derneath and fastened top secured by spring To
load you touch the spring and the stock falls when the
brecch open to receive the cartridge The cartridge
case Is made of ndarubbcr, which, when the powder is
exploded, expands and fills the chamber, thereby pre-
venting the escape Of and also retaining the foul sed
iment OF the powder within the case which is withdrawn
after firing and can be loaded and used frequently This
did the best shooting of oil the produced and
from its extreme simplicity and facility of loading and
cleaning is better adapted sporting purposes than any
other presented. 1t was fired with caps.
Merrill arm has lever on top, which is held in place
the barrel by spring To load you raise the lever,
and having inserted the cartridge Is closed by slide
which acts both as ramner and MS the brcech. The
cock is the SIDE This is sp''ar in principle and
appearance to the old Jpks carbine.
MayDard's is neat small alm, which Is loaded by
throwing down lever, which eevates the barrel sniff
ccnty to inert metal cartridge This was fred
with Maynards primer beautiful invention, but some
what uncertain about going off
Mowos arm is very ingenious in its construction but
appears complicated broad lever Is yiccd tho top
of the stock which draws back the piece closing the
brcech, and enables the cartridge to be inserted The
cartridge is OF metal and contains all the charge
together with tho cap. IL is very from wet and
can be fired very rapidly.
Gbbs's gun is opened by throwing down lever which
pushes forward the barrel from the stock md at the
time olevates it sufficiently to insert the cartridge
case which is made Of linen 1t is ignted with cap.
Mr.. STAIRS gun was out of order, and he Withdrew
from the contest.
JosyIin has a lever which, when raised throws tho
pin forcing the breech upon the BARREL and leaves the
opening for the cartridge
Symmess gun exceedingly complicated In appear
ance, and was opened by throwing down heavy breech
which contained the ]ockhammcr and all tho working
machinery Of the gun.
Wells's gun not fired.
After weighing and examining each arm together with
the ammunition each inventor required to fire one
hundred rounds as follows
40 for rapidity
~ ior accuracy 800
2o ior accuracy 600 ss
The firing for rapidly varied from 8 minutes 10 sec
onds to minutes Is seconds The fired most rap
IDLY were fose using patent primers, of which Sharpe
mado .he best time.
One of the fired thirty times in twelve min
utes, when the operator compelled to STOP not from
any defect in the machinery of his gun but owing to the
aot that his hands gave out and he could not work the
breech
The best shooting at all distances from hundred
to six hundred yards, done by Poultncy Smiths
gun, after which came Symmes, Maynard and Burnside
which ahead.
The balance Of the shooting irregular two Of
the guns at six hundred yards hitting the target only
twice out Of twenty times Tho difficulty in accuracy was
caused by any defect in the principle Of the guns
but by bad balls, bad powder, &C.,
The Board have had all the delivered into their
hands for private trial and Saturday most of the guns
put in the hands of Dragons and fired on horse
back Monday they tried for penetration and to-
day the Board is in private session
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