Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-25
The Enfield RIDE.

H1hN hi'' '0N'' a." "''7' 49, - 'i'i-f'' ~
The Enfield Rifle.
On the banks of the river Lea, about ten
miles from London, is situated the little
town of Enfield, now rendered famous as the
site of the government factory for the man
ulacture of the Enfield rife. In 1854, when
experience gained in the Russian War had
taught the English Government that the
time had gone by for continued use of the
old Brown Bess" the manufacture of
smooth-bore small arms was abandoned
and the factory at Enfield was enlarged and
adapted to the production of ritled arms the
pattern known as that of 1868 being adopted
as the best, became subsequently, world re-
nowned as the Enfield rife"
The buildings which constitute the factory
are situated ON the banks of the river, the
site beingundoubtedly chosen in con-
sideration Of the available water power, and
also the means of transport which the navi-
gable portion Of the river presents. The
rooms in which the manufacture isS3con-
Quoted are of course very numerous, as the
different processes amount TO no less than
seven hundred and sixty-nine, and in ad
dition to the actual working and engine
rooms, there are q number Of houses, be-
longing to the government, in the ocoupa-
tion of those employed; a mechanics insti-
tute and library, O small church and q
school house.
The first form of the rifle barrel is an OBJ
long, tile like plate Of the best wrought
charcoal iron, of thirteen inches long, little
more than half an inch thick, and five and
q half inches wide on one side and five
inches on the other, the edges being
beveled in order TO insure close "join."
Tho yn1afa 10 frsf haofa1 md nffar Gavnra1
passages through powerful pair of rollers
containing series Of grooves and projec-
tions, it assumes a form not unlike small
agricultural drain.pipes. The barrel is
then again heated in reverbatory furnace,
and passed through a series of rollers on a
set of rods until it is drawn out to the
proper length. The operation is rather diff
ticult, the grooves of the rollers not being
concentric; the workman has to watch his
opportunity very nicely and thrust in the
barrel at the exact moment the proper part
of the roller comes round. The work is so
exhaustive that during the hot weather the
men are only allowed to work five hours q
day.
The next process the barrel undergoes is
that of " rough boring" This is performed
in machines in which four barrels are op-
Grated on at time. An instrument like o
twisted auger, attached to a long rod, which
is made to revolve, the barrel being fixed
horizontally, passes right through. The
barrel is then set and Strengthened with
hammers by hand. Afterward it is turned
on the outside and bored for the third time,
the chamber of the breech bored out, and,
after the end has been tapped with fine
thread for receiving the breech pin, it is
proved for the first time with heavy charge
of powder. The object of this early proving
is TO save the labor which might else be
wasted on o faulty barrel. If after a close
inspection, it is approved, it is sent to the
"grindery," where the outside is ground to
a given gauge. 1t then goes through some
sixty-nine different operations of minor i'm
portance before it is ready to be rihed. The
rihing machines are Of Belgian manufac-
ture. The barrel is firmly fixed at the
lower end q steel rod, containing the cut
ter that forms the grooves, is made to pass
clean through it, special contrivance in
suring that this shall be deeper at the
breecb than at the muzzle end. The twist
of the grooves, which amounts to half turn
in the length of barrel, is obtained with
the assistance of a radical steel bar, which
is get at such an angle that q rack which
slides on it, the other end of which gears into
pinion fixed TO the cutting bar, makes that
bar revolve to the extent of half a turn as
1t slides from end TO end. The metal is
constantly fabricated and kept cool by a
stream of soap and water. The barrel haV-
ing been rifed is then polished and other
wise prepared for stocking.
The stocks are made by copying lathe
which, like many Of the machines in use
are Of American invention and manufac
ture. The copying lathe is machine il
which q steel model is placed below thu
actual stock in the same relative position
and both made to revolye at exactly tn
same rate, thirty-fve times per minute
Against the model guiding wheel revOlves
and cutter, revolving three thousand time
minute, soon brings the stock TO the shap
of the model
There are nearly two thousand hands EN-
ployed in the factory, who are paid by tn
piece. Amy material that is wasted
charged TO the account of the workman VIII
Injuries it; and as every portion Of the riff
passes through so many hands, the work
men are continual check on each othel
each giving receipt for the material b
takes in hand, to the foreman Of his depar
ment.
Many operations through which the riff
passes before it is ready for use, and thos
relating to its fittings, and to the manufaC
ture Of the bayonet, &C., are so similar t
like operations in other factories, that the
do not need description,