Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-04
Publishers and Pronrietors,
The Needle Gun Dissatisfaction with it in
the eArmy-Experiment with new Weap-


the Army-Fxperiments with new weap.
ons.
Correspondence New York Times.l
BERLIN, Friday. December 4. 1868.
Considerable excitement has existed in
military circles during the past two or
three moths, with regard to several
breech-loading rifles of new patterns,
which throw into the shade the famous
needle gun, with which Prussia broke
the military power Of Austria at Sadowa,
and cowed France into receding from her
designs against Luxemburg and the left
bank of the Rhine. Superior as was
that formidable weapon to the ordinary
muzzle-loader, the progress of invention
soon left it far behind; and Prussia
already finds herself as much in the rear
of other nations as she was in the advance
two years ago. The Chassepot, which
"did wonders" at Mentano against Gar
ibaldPs patriot army, surpasses the needle
| gun in several important particulars. 1t
is less complicated, and therefore less
| liable to get ont of order; it is more ac-
curate, and has much longer range, and
can be more rapidly loaded and dis
charged. An army furnished with this
weapon would surpass one armed with
the needle gun, in about the same ratio
that the. Prussians surpassed the Aus
trians in the late war.
In this dilemma, and with the posi-.
bility of a war with France staring them
in the face, the military authorities of
| Prussia looked about for some means to
maintain their superiority, and q great
many inventions and improvements were
submitted to them for trial. Among
others, was gun invented by Mr.. Nor
ganstern, of your city. 1t was subjected
to very severe tests at the military shoot
ing, at Spandau, last month, with the
most encouraging results. The Board
made very favorable report of the ex-
periments, from which it appears that
the first trial was for penetration. Six
shots were fred at a targe. of pine boards,
| placed at distance of two hundred
yards, each board being one inch thick,
| and separated from each other by one
inch of free space. A penetration of
| four and half inches was obtained.
Shots were then fred for precision
first at 200 yards, and afterward at 450.
The Board desired to extend their trial
to 600 yards, but as the gun was not
sighted for this range, the experiment
had to be abandoned.
For rapidly of Ere, the inventor fred
twenty rounds twice, making in all forty,
at the rate of twenty per minute, without
aiming, and placed respectively four and
three shots in the target. A sergeant
from the troops unSer command of the
Board fred eleven shots in the same
NJ IL -. L o.x
feet high by eight wide. Mr.. Morgan
stern afterward fred sixteen shots per
minute, placing fourteen shots in the
target. During these trials the mechsn-
ism worked perfectly we'll.
At last trial was made of cartridges,
weakened at the head by filing, TO test
the security of the chamber. Two
tightly filled shells, so prepared, burst,
but we're Withdrawn by the ejector. Two
others. the heads of which were nearly
filed of all round, had the heads blown
of, the remainder of the shells sticking
| in the chamber. The breech block re-
maiued perfectly firm and secure during
these experiments. In all, one hundred
and forty-fve shots were fred from the
gun without missing fire, aud ell the
shells we're drawn out by the extractor.
One she'll split slightly, and occssioned
the escape Of little gas.
The Board conclude their report IN
the following words:
After the results Of the above men.
toned short trials, the undersigned
Board is Of the opinion that the Morgan
stern rife is one to be classed amoHg the
best Of the arms hitherto tried, and
further, in durability and safeness Of