The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-12
BRIEF ACCOUNT OF FOREIGN INVENTIONS.
Description or American Broech-
Leaders.
THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AND DEFECTS.
REPEATERs VS.. SINGLE LEADERS.

Of Prussia ian that was deemed very doubt
fu at the incpency Of the contes the Powers Of the
world have unanimously decided that TO the breec
ing rife alone belongs tho honor OF having humbed the
power Of Austria This rife, the acknowledgement or
needlegun is called was the weapon used by the
Prusslan armies, and, although it Is In reality very
inferior arm, its superiority the muzze loading
musket and ride was made apparent in the battle OF
Koniggrats and all Of the battle fields in Bohemia
The brilliant successes achieved through instrument.
ally have occasioned much apprehension and activity
in Europe and all the prominent European governments
preparing to furnish their armies with either this
gun with some description OF breech.loading rife
deemed superior In finish and effectiveness
INVENTION OF BREEcH. LoADxRs.
Precisely three hundred and twsntys six years have
elapsed since breechoading nrearm was invented In
the year 1910 Henry H. OF France conceived the idea or
loading musketoons at the breech and $50 far be
learned his invention tested several occasions.
In a curiouay written description OF the manner In
which the gun loaded, ascertain that the barrel
opened hinges and exposed tho brooch, into
which the load was deposited. But this Is
evidently obscure description. No doubt the
made TO work In the following manner-The band hung
upon hinge, say three inches from the hammer and In
these three inches the load deposited and the barrel
then closed down it, being fastened at the side cp
posite the hinge by pin or course such weapon
effective the muzzle leaders, The cscaps Of
gas through the aperture woald have been sucien
destroy effect did other obvious objections inter-
pose gun of the above description, with some afy
sixty OF other patterns in the Museum Of aris
thus proving beyond doubt that the inventionf the
French not entirely lost to the word but
the subject Of many attempts at Improvement In
decd. made certain that breec-oaders bng at
NJ frono thai
of guns bearing the Of prominent officers Among
the which made and Of With nearly
all failed to DO serviceabe the Fusils OF Marshal
SAKE Tourctte OF ST. Etienne Paul. Robert, LIE Roy,
Lefaucheux, Charroi l. Montigny, Pierre Nontigny,
the Norwegian and Swedish fass the Prussian needle
rnc Ciervie Trcuiie, Thomas, Riera Princes; Muske
Lepage, Gbys Get OF Liege, Potet and Chasscpot
With others whose names are lost to history .,.
YoRKIGs RREEcHLoApERs
or the above named arms, but few have been
garded worthy Of practical attention. Paulis WAS
invented in 1902 and tested in the presence Of the great
Napoleon II proved decided failure account OF its
mechanical complications In the hands Of an expert
the weapon would have been Of value, but to
army OF soldiers It utterly useless The present
famous needle gun Is but improvement upon Paulis
decided one, is true but still greatly inferior to
nearly every OF the breechoading rifles made in
this country. There is simplicity whatever about IT,
1t complicated, and should there be the sghtcs. injury
to the the weapon would DO utterly useless. In
appearance the needle gun differs external appearance
from every other frearm. Tho engravings that have
reached this country represent to be rife. without
hammer, and with small iron knob directly in the rear
OF the breech and in front Of the barrel This knob
is portion Of the breech which either be
turned the cylindrical breech receiver be made
TO slide longitudnay. The breech being opened, tho
cartridge Is inserted, when It THE breech) is again
closed, and ready for firing. Here, now. we have a
complication. According to the american 1rfisdn. into
tho part Of the breech s screwed the needle tube
through which the needle slides freely The needle s
ATTACHED TO the needle bolt which slides within the lock-
and this latter slides within the breech There is air
chamber in Of and in communication with the cart
ridge chamber OF the barrel the front part OF the
needle bolt The main spring, by which the needle shot
forward Is OF spiral FORM and coed around the needle
bolt ia OF the collar This collar forms catch for
che sere thus keeps the bolt drawn back when the
hammer Is cooked In the piece with the sore, Is
the scre spring. at the end Of which is the trigger To
load and Gro This gun the following motions arc re.
quired-Frst, polling back the knob to withdraw the
needle from the brooch; second opening the brcech;
third, inserting the cartridge; fourth, closing the
front OF tho shoulder; sixth, firing the piece II
must be remembered that these are only the mo
include the Towering OF tho piece handling Of
tho cartridge, raising OF tho piece aiming, &C. we
have not less than thirteen 10 fifteen notions But Il Is
OF the piece itself that WRITE and its defects may
BIO stated AZ follows:-first the prosencc OF the
handle on tho side Of the barrel, which must
70 some extent, destroy the acrurlcs Of the aim
second the necessity Of pulling back the knob before
loading and the danger Of premature discharge In
consequence thereof III is stated that tue ncedlebo
can be drawn back by handle attached to tho lock-
spring independently but this only further compcates
the gun and renders 1t moro objeconabel Third the
extreme nicely OF Us mechanical construction by which
thc slightest irregulary will render IL useless; fourth
fs inability 10 fire with sufficient rapdity; hnh tho
tendency Of the needle to break All that Is knoAn
about 1t Is that the passage Of the needle through the
powder creates friction which FIRE TO tho fulm
nate AZ soon as the needle reaches IT. In making
this last objection be remembered that we ars
treating solely Of breechoading guns and Judging each
by its actual merits or defects That the needle-gnn has
merits n rndeniablc; but as breechoader II perhaps
tbe most inferior OF It's kind before the world Its
merits are simply these,Frst the construction Of tho
cartridge, and second the rsndpegsl or gni-
ing material In the first the Of copper IL rendered
unnecessarythec arrdge being encascd in paper The
powder Is nrst placed; then follows compressed PAPER
ssbot which cleans the bore Of the gun in which is
fitted the bullet The Eliminate PLACED in front OF the
gunpowdcr, and between Il and the sabot When tho
gun IL rod the needle hrst perccs the gunpowder but
docs not fro IL until u enters tho illuminate when tho
explosion instantly takes place And this brings us 10
tho zundsptegel which translated, ignng glass
This II secret known only TO the inventor and whether
the power Of ignition lies 10 the needle alone by
tact with the illuminate, he told nv this We
that II Is not stated whether the illuminate could
gnlteu Dy Otncr means tnAn the needle From
that can be ascerained u IL evident that
milton than that expressly made for the gun be used
90 that the only conclusion 10 arrive at Is that tho fum
nate possceses some secret power by means Of which
Ignition takes place the instant the needle N brought
INTO contact with H. The passage OF q needle
through tho illuminate OF OF metallic cartridges
would fail to explode H. sharp blow from a solid front
being required An this article progresses will COM
pare the needle gun with many of make.
rRiscxs, LspsgR's sSipKps
The nrst named Of these breechoadng rifles was en-
permentsd with at Brussels w 1855, favorably 70.
ported on. Its recoii found 10 be than that of
any other gun In Belgium. with a charge OF seventy
grains OF powder and four hundred ana seventy grains
Of lead; the length OF the ball being Is inch length
Of double that Of tho cylinder and tho daurte,
oSo inch. A. distance Of from Gao 10 lose yards /,
was claimed by the inventor that the bullets would
carry with .umcient force 70 nnlct dangerous, and
often mortal wound. The gun waa however nave,
adopted because OF lie bong too complicated Tor hs us
Of others than experts In the use OF nrears Tn
Iindner gun h merely the conversion OF n u,nrzle
loader into brooch loader, and contains 90 MANY OBJ
jeotionabls features thai can never I've sdcp,ed AZ