Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-06-10
THE ARMSTRONG GUN.

few years is amazing. The celebrated Arm
strong gun bids fair to almost rev.
olutionize the methods Of attack and defence
which have prevailed for SO long a time. A
few extracts from speech made by Sir
William Armstrong at public dinner given
to him at New Castle, England, May 10th,
will give the reader some notion OF the char
acter and power of tho terrible gun which
bears his name.
"IIe said that there were. now, little or no
secrets about his gun, but there were several
details, of course, unknown, and which would
require to be mastered before other nations
could make the gun. "Now, without dis
closing any of this detail, may give you in
an authentic form, some general information
respecting the weapon. | would begin
then by telling you that it is made wholly
of wrought iron. My original gun was part
ly of steel, but now use nothing but wrought
iron. Tt is n built-up gun-that is to say.
it is composed of separate peces-each piece
being Of such moderate size, as to admit of
being forged without risk of flaw or failure.
Dv this mode of construction, great
strength, and consequently great lightness
are secured.
| vii NV speak of the proectles, which
| are, IN all cases. made of cast iron. thlnly
coated with lead, and being of somewhat
larger diameter than the bore of the gun,
the lead is crushed into the rife grooves, by
means Of which the necessary rotation is
given, while all shake and wndage are pre-
vented The proiectle for field service admits
of being used as solid shot, she'll, or common
case. 1t is composed Of separate pieces, so
compactly bound together that 1t has been
fred through mass Of oak timber, nine feet
IN thickness, without sustaining fracture.
When used as shell, it divides into forty
nine regular pieces. and about 100 irregular
pieces. 1t combines the principle OF the
shrapnel and percussion she'll, e., it may
be made to explode. either as.it approaches
the object or as it strikes it. Anan st friends
it is so safe that it may be thrown oif the top
of house without exploding, bnt amongst
enemies it is So sensitive and msc'ievous
tha it bursts with touch. The reason is.
that the shock it receives IN the gun puts the
percussion arrangement us it were from hall
cock to full cock, and it then becomes 80 de-
lcnte that it bursts by striking II bag OF
shavncs; as has been proved at Shoeburyness.
Moreover, it may be made to explode at the
instant of leaving the gun, in ich case the
pieces spread out like fan, and produce the
usual effect of grape or canister. In short,
it NAV be made to explode either at very
long or at very short distances, and either by
impact or by the action of the time fuse. and
wherever it bursts it operates like grapeshot.
| could give you hundreds of examples OF the
effects produced by these shells during the
experiments of the COMMITTEE on rifle can
non. but will confne myself to single
instance, which select merely because an
| al nf N pn
pr sent, comprising the Duke Of Cambridge
and several officers of distinction. Two tar
gets, each Of nine feet square, were placed at
n distance Of l 500 yards from the gun, and
seven shells were fired mt them. Now the
effect of these seven shells was that the two
targets were struck in 500 places. Similar
effects were on other occasions produced at
distances extending to 3 900 wards; 50 leave
you to Judge what would be the effect of
these shells in making the enemy keep his
distance
To 20 back to the commencement of my
experiments, may tell you that they began
upwards of four years ago--my first gun
having been commenced in December, 1854,
and competed early in the following spring;
although this gun was constructed upon the
same principle us those which | am now
making, it did not in the first instance aft I'd
satisfactory results. Schemers, whose invcn
tions merely figure upon paper, have elttle idea
of the difficulties that are encountered by
those who carry inventions into practice.
For my part, ! had my full share of such
difficulties, and it took me nearly three years
OF continual application to surmount them.
In the height of summer my experiments
were Tor the most part carried on at the sea
coast, between the hours o! three o'clock III
the morning and six for after that time
people began to move about, and were apt
to get in the way. At other seasons avail
ed myself of the wild moors belonging to my
friend. Mr.. BEAUMONT, at Allepheads and
there had hut constructed on mountain
ridge, 1900 feet above the level of the sea.
My targets We're placed upon the opposite
side of deep valley, where nothing more val
liable than grouse or lean sheep ran the risk
of being shot; and well it was that such was
the case, for had constructed an instrument
for maintaining fire upon an object "a
breach for examplc) after darkness had set
in; and used to awaken the denizens of the
heath by fring shells at my distant target in
the mi die of the nighD, and may observe
in passing. that when this instrument was
fully perfected, was enabled to strike dis
tant object in pitch dark night with tht
same accuracy as in broad daylight.
i Early in last year, committee was appon
ted to investigate the whole subject ofriae(
cannon. They consisted of naval and mill
tary officers of great knowlege and experience
, in gunnery; and after having given thu
. greater part of their time for a period Of fiv
/. months to the guns, projectiles. and fuse
i, which I submitted to them, they gave un
), anmous verdict in favor ofmy system. Wit
y respect to the precision and range which ha
. been attained with these guns, have bu
a little to add to what General PEEL has stated
0 but may observe, that since his statement
/. were made, very improved results have bee
o obtained. Alta distance Of sir hundred yard
an object no larger than the nuuzzie OF an ent
% mrs gun may he struck at almost erery shOl
O Al 5000 yards distance, a targe, Of nine fee
g square, mlich at that distance looks like me'
10 speck has on clear day been struck .fu
's times in ten shot. A ship would afford
g target large enough to be hit at much longe
u distances, and shells may be throsn into
topn or fortress alta range of more than fl
miles.