Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-06-07
The Armstrong Gun.

| The London Times, in describing the extraor-
dinary preparations going forward at the Wool
wich arsenal, gives the following facts in relation
to the celebrated Armstrong gun, which have
never before been made public:-
Each gun is made in about three feet lengths,
and on much the same principle as the twisted
gun barrels. Thin bars of the best wrought iron,
about two inches broad, are heated to white
heat, and in this state twisted and welded TO-
gether in spiral rolls round steel bar or core,
smaller in diameter than the bore of the gun.-
| Over this, when cold, another twist of the same
kind is made with the spiral running in con-
trary direction and so, until three or four layers
have been put on, according to the calibre OF the
gun and the thickness required. The whole is
then RI cheated and welded together for the last
time under the steam hammer. The edges OF
the three feet lengths are next planed down SO
as to admit their joining and tapping over, and
over these edges are forced on thick wrought
iron rings, which, being welded down at white
heat, of course contract 80 as to make the joint
almost stronger than if made in one piece. 10
the breech an opening is cut down into the
chamber: but the breech itself is separate from
the gun, and is worked backwards by power
full screw. When the gun is to be loaded the
breech is worked back and q wedge shaped
piece, fitting into the opening of the gun, lifted
out but not to admit the introduction OF the
charge, which is pushed forward with a ramrod
at the back, working through the large screw In
which the breech turns into the chamber, where
the rifing begins. The wedge is then replaced,
the breech screwed down close by single turn
of lever handle, and the gun fired The oPe
ration of loading and firing can be performed,
we believe, three times in one minute.
| Al. .,rlo h,,f off. n
ism of the breech the great merit OF this gun
consists in the manner 10 which II IS formed ID
spirals of metal bands, which give it such an
enormous increase of strength that one half the
thickness of iron can be dispensed with. Thus,
an ordinary long 80 FOUNDER weighs 57cwt, and
requires 10 lbs. OF powder to throw ball to its
utmost effective range, 5000 yards. Sir W.
Armstrong; 80 pounder only weighs 26cwt.,
and charge of lbs. Of powder throws its shot
1.2 miles or nearly 10000 yards. In ~
pounder OF this latter kind there are no less than
"A rifle grooves, having one pitch in 10 tset, or
making one complete twist round the inside IN
gun of that length A greater pitch would no
doubt give greater impetus to the shot, Dut the
risk of 'stripping" the lead was so great that 1t
could not be attempted. The shot used are iron
and cylindrical, and at first were completely
coated over with lead; but this plan has been
altered, and the shot have now only two rings
of lead l 4 inch thick, and l 2 inches broad,
one at the shoulder and one at the base OF the
cone Both these rings are dovetaied, so to
speak, into the iron shot, 80 as to leave about
one. tenth of an inch to fit the rifing. Thus,
when the cartridge is ignited the ball is forced
forward from the chamber into the narrow bore,
which it fills so closely, being actually too large
for it, that there is no windage whatever, and
every portion of the explosive force is applied to
projecting the ball. The gun on which the
Government experimental for months at Shoe,
buryness before adopting it, was actually fired
$500 times, and yet is now as serviceable as the
day it left the foundry. So perfect is the weapon
as to accuracy that it is said that at 1000 yards
target 10 feet square could be hit 80 times out
of 100 by good artieryinan.