The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-11

Merrill gun Is strong 1ieTe Is opening ON top OF
the barrel the breech and movable piston forms
the breech pin The escape OF gas Is prevented by the
cloie fitting OF the parts.
CAs earbine is the @me his revolving pistol and
requires description.
Wals's gun is q modification of the Prussian needle
gun, The cartridge Is made Of tin and has cap ia
its end which rests piece Of wire, the other end
of which presses against the ball.
Trials on Horseback. r
July 24--Gibbs's Sharpc's Smiths Burnsidc's,
Morses, Merrlrs and Maynards guns we're put In tho
hands of detachment Of dragoons mounted, with
twenty rounds of ammunition leuts. Tiomas and Van
Horn Captain Rodman and Major Laidley accompanied
them.
The men were taught the manner Of operating their
arms and they found difficulty In loading and nriny
them ali on horseback a fast trot or gnop The ope
ration of capping took long, and was generally more
| Troublesome to perform than the act of loading
When the barrel Of Maynard's gun s thrown open TO
load the lever carried far to the 'front.' and becomes en-
tangled with the reins that there was trouble ~
closing the barrel There was some trouble m getting
hold of the cartridge to Withdraw It, and the fingers
we're Liable be injured against the shar ~dUp0t e
with Morse gun there was danger of dropping the
cartridge in the of inserting it Tn the barrel This
happened In the trials to-day Ii Jailed twice TO
withdraw the cartridge case.
The mostof Symmess ammunition fell to pieces In The
cartridge-box There trouble In Withdrawing the
empty cartridge the machinery for the purpose ia
ing once to do its work
Burnside loaded with great facility butt owing to
the small around the cone, there was difficulty In
capping it and removing the exploded caps Two OF his
cartridges fell apart, being carried In the coat pocket
Once the lever brought up hard caused by ball jam
ming.
In loading Gibbss cartridge caught against the gas
check and the lever closed with difficulty In load
ing Sharpes gun had to pressed under the to
open the barrel The hand is liable to bo cut against
the sharp Of the gate 1t happened In the trials
of to-day. The lever is in the way Of the reins.
Smiths must be loaded with the barrel pointing to
the ground and the stock resting on the thigh to pre-
vent Its motion.
July 3O.-Sharpc's Gbbs's Burnsides, Joslyn's and
Colt carbines placed in the hands Of detachment
of Dragons little accustomed to the of arms. The
mode Of loading first explained to the men, and five
cartridges loaded and rei by each trot gal
lop with facility from all the guns except Colts This
loaded Mt halt, but the soldier could not capit
when In motion, having lost several caps In the Effort
Lieut. Field succeeded in loading and Gaping 1t on gal
lop, but with difficulty.
Ten rounds were fired by the detachment foot to
test the relative facility Of loading All began TO oad
at the time, and fired their ten rounds In the fol-
lowing order first, Burnsides, Shapes, Gbbss. Jos-
yns and Colts The last had not the cylinder charged
the second time when oil the rest had finished
Burnsdcs gun loaded with great facility through
out. The mnzzle is pointed up In the operation of
loading Sharpes worked little harder as the firing
continued. Gibbss required jerk to throw up the bar
rel Josyns at times loaded with difficulty ca'lsnd
by portion of the cartridge case remaining In the bar
rel after firing One cartridge broken in the opera
ton of pushing it In place. and the powder was spilled
and prevented the breeh pieco from closing until the
powder was moistened and removed. Onse the tail Of
the cartridge got under the gas valve and prevented IT
from closing. f 9Sas $50 l$
Colts was fired once with the left hand in front Of the
chamber and the hand burned by the escape of gas
When the bride hand placed in rear OF the chamber
to support the gu in firing the proper control OF tho
horse was in great measure necessarily lost Ono cart
ridge broken and lost in tho process Of loading OH
of the thnness Of the paper Of which they
made The lock got out of order hammer would not
stand at the cock or alfcock notch 1
O
pointed and which provides or the purchase Of brooch
loading Of tho best model to bc selected and approved
by board Of ordnance officers, the board understand
that they only to select the best Of the
presented to thcm but they to express an opinion as
to the fitness of the thus selected for the Of the
military service.
Having made careful examination and trial OF the
several models presented to them, far as this can be
done without actual service in the fed the board arc
led to the conclusion that of these arms are free
from serious defects which would render thcm unsuitable
for when subjected to the ordinary accidents and ex
posure of military service.
The board do not feel themselves called upon to
the reasons for this opinion with reference TO each
of the arms.
Nearly all Of them possess the essential qualities OF
precision of firing at great range can be required
Of such arms but Of them combine with this quail
ity the requisite strength and sodity simplicity OF con-
struction certainty Of action Of the movable parts,
convenience of use, of loading and security rom
accidental arrangement, which military arm should
possess and the board are consequently 70 give
any of these arms an unqualified approval.
Being required however, by tho terms Of the law, to
select the "best model Of breech loading arms, the
board Of opinion that among the offered for
their examination the Burnside carbine the least OBJ
jectionable for In the hands of mounted troops.
The construction Of this seems to be sufficiently
strong 1t be easily and safely loaded and handled
derstood there is escape Of gas from the joint the
chamber and barrel kept clean and not subject 70 be
cloggcd by fragments of the neallic) cartridges s
range and accuracy Of fire arc very satisfactory With
ato o,A frroV