The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-12

i m0xomo2S
ooalosi pteee b tightly screwed up and the breect
thorougblycossd The look n OF the old pattern and
the ca,rdtos are encased in paper cap being placed
upon the nipple OF the gun discourage IL Aogseher
the Lndnes "oonvsrted' rae is even infeno. % the
needle gun. BY reason q The ieasth q, dime 70
rife Il also merely . conversion nom . nus-
ze-ioader, although y h much more ! ensotlvs
upp part Of the barrel Is q the bresoh for
length Of about two inches for the purpose OF forming
hs s.nsns on hinge e The right sds o
tho barrel As this block 10 thrown open the shell Of
carrdss Is par. ally elected ~ ne SscsSard move
and the nrng Is effected by the hammer striking upon
sliding pin, which transmits the blow 70 The faimiuats
arm and The claim that the ride has bsen red thirteen
IN Ssea%s
door, las Is generally termed) through which the gas
can escape in such quantes = 10 quickly foul the
All weapons OF this description necessarily unreliable
from the fact that oy present solid front 70 the full
inmate. In addition, 70 load them requires almost ~
much trouble e the Taking the sndsr'
| q an example, we have. nrst:-0peniug the breach
which roqukes Two motons second turning the gun to
the cartridgs fourth shutting down the strsp which
requires too motions; nth, cooking the piecots sixth
nring We thus hays eight positive motions with ~
rHnl SuBn yARRr AND THE oHAssEPor RrrIn tss
OF French inventions we know bat littis
dienos % the orders Of the imperial government keep
Ing aprofound silence In regard to their construction
isa1n in the world Il being capable Of rns any snoss
per minute This however, is very doubtful; but II
gwen true mortal could sustain the fatigue which
would necessarily result from 90 rapid an operation.
Tho Chassepct rifle Is less pretentious and therefore
most likely to be the best weapon. It can Be fred
twelve times per minute without material fatigue. On
what principle u 10 constructed others than the
French government and those engaged 10 the construc
sS a on b
gun. Tho Chassep0t has been adopted by the French
government and the monster foundres OF st. Etienns
In riff fha rfe
French army.
Turning from foreign TO American breech loading
firearms discover that they of two descriptions
Ono single loader and the other repeater 30 called
under the barrel by means Of which number Of shots
can DO fired without stopping to load at each shot The
objects Of our inventors have been to mako weapon
which would unite simplicity with effectiveness and tho
attention which has been paid TO breechoading firearms
within the past six years has resulted in the Inventions
Of several which, for effectiveness have equal in the
world And tins assertion Is not merely boast. Il ID
perfectly truc that European inventor has yet ex
hbited weapon which for rapidity Of firing superiority
"Spencer," "Baiard |" "Henry" Peabody breech-
having invented the 10 the United States must be
credited tho having made such improvements renders
a formerly complicated continuance into Dangerously
witho defecsfor there is still wide for i'm
provement-but that we will In the following descrp-
respect superior TO the needlc-gun or any other
European brecchloader, except perhaps the sChasse
pot" or which no minute description has ever been
rnE BURNSIDE AND SPENCER RrLEs
In the 1867 several brcech loading rifles were BY
order Of the United States government experimental
with at West Point OF fifteen or twenty different
kinds the BURNSIDE rife carblne was declared the
best and recommended for adoption The principle
on which this weapon is made is this-It has nova
BILE chamber which opens by turning hinges The
aperture through which the gas would escape i lert
cartridge and thus cuts of the escape OF the gas
Tho gun has the same objection as Lndners-viz the
other breechoadng rcso superior construction With
regard TO Spencer much be said In its favor but
the gun simpler than that Of the needegun but Is
still very complicated The breech is formed Of two
pieces one Of which is the breech pin and the other
tho block on which tho cartridges carried
The breech pin is attached TO-. tho lever, which
forms the trigger guard, and the carrior block Ii
atod below and In OF tho hinge OF the lever. Be-
tween the block and the breech pin 10 pin which
presses e latter upward and behind the breech pin is
the breeth This guide Is worked bv spring situated
near the hammer and in front Of Il Is the shell eector
which also works by its action. On the loft side of the
beech pin Is slide which tho hammer strikes to
rs The pr,mng Tho masaznS = situated LAX along me
composed OF stationary outer tube and an inner tube
which slides in and out The inner tubo u simply q
forward 70 the barrel tho breech Is opened
To operate the gun the Following motions are required
eardgss o which there are soyen ana secured IN The
butt stock by turning the handle 10 longitudinal posi-
ton with the hammcr First the lever y pulled down,
which first throws tho breech pin below the chamber OF
tho barrel and then makes tho carrier pin and block
slide back, ejecting the exploded shell and enabling
the fresh cartridge TO pass the brecch pin;
the cartridge being OF course pushed forward by the
spiral spring. which becomes relieved from confinement
thu the lever Is pulled down. and the block and
brooch pin swung backward The cartridge is then
directly front Of the chamber OF the breech and a.
5000 as the moved back Il Is forced into the bar
rel BY the breech PIN which presses up from the
Tho chamber and magazine are thus enectualy closed
the hammer and draw tbs trigger While this gun has
been successfully used In the United States army Il Is
tho needle gun IL ia entirely too complicated, the
srcon IL too NICE and the dangers Of injury too many
Il contains too many delicate springs which liable,
and indeed exposed, to injury at evcry moment II No
take the spring which works the cartridge guide for
instance Il will DO seen that therc Ia danger OF its
slipping from beneath tho guide q any moment, and
7.~.. lv~.~ AUap h.