Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-08-20
The Prussian Needle Gun

Mr.. ". Won Dochu. Of Chicago gives
To the Trihane of that city the followin.
description IF the celebrated Prussian
needle gum
|. The range Of the needle gun is from
twelve hundred to fourteen hundred Yards,
aud not four or five miles, as has been
stated.
:. The movements Of loading are exc
cutcd with the right hand, as follows /:
An upward stroke with the palm of the
right hand against the chamber knob
opens the brccch, the cartridge is inserted
into the cavity oc the barrel, a push for
ward and downward stroke of the cham.
Der knob with the right hand closes the
brcech, aud another push on the needle
chamber with its spiral spring. completes
the loading, and the rife is ready for
fire." During the whole movement the
gun is held with the left hand at q
ready"
3. The gun is never loaded or reloaded
while at "aim," simply because it is i'm
possible to do so.
4. The powder is not ignitcd at the
rear end of the cartridge, but next to the
ball, where the igniting matter is placed
in a kind of socket of PAPER machc and
this is what gives more power to the ball,
the powder burning from the front to the
rear.
5. The cartridge is made up-ball in
front, ball socket with igniting matter,
powder The shape of the ball resembles
the shape of cucumber, and is called
long.lcad (lang b'ei.)
&. The recoil of the gun is only felt
when it becomes very much heated and
the air chamber filled with the refuse of
the powder. When clean, no rccoil is felt
at all.
!. In case the needle should break, or
bend, or otherwise become useless, a new
one can be inserted in less than five sec
onls each soldier carries an extra supply
of abou, six needles
1t is not much the superiority of the
needle gun over the other brecch- leaders
which has secured, and. in all probability
will in the present struggle, secure success
To the Prussian army. as it is the thorough
education of each individual solder, aud
his perfect familiarity with his weapon.
The needle gun was first used in Prus.
STA in 1913 aud 1919, in Baden and Schles-
wiz, and not being deemed effective with.
out an entire change Of tactics, and espe
ci,lly Of skirnish instruction, was almost
condemned.
The Prussian army has but one calbcr
for all small arms. so that infantry or
sharpshnntcrs can be supplied with cart
rides from any cavalry pistol, or carbinc
cartridge wagon.
TUE FnENCH MISUNDERSTANDING
other trophies enumerated as the result Of
the late Pru sian victories, are French
.MnaH'rurs. These are regarded as the
most destructive weapons Of warfare ever
invented. An extract from the New York
Tribune says:
alt isa light 37.barrel gun, arranged
so that its barrels may he discharged stimuli
tancou,ly or conscculively The 81 eat.
ridges, intended for one charge, are con
taincl in il small box \ steel plate. with
corresponding holes, is placed on the open
box, which is then reversed, aud the car
trid,,cs fall, point foremost into their re-
spective hoc-. They are prevented from
falling through by the rims at their bases.
The loaded pl.,c is then introduced into
the brecth slot, and when the brcech is
closcl by lever, number Of steel Plus,
prcs,c by spiral springs, are only prevent
81 fr,m striking The percussion arrange.
mcnt in the cartridges by plate in front
az fbrm When This case. il MAYED slowly
b. the humble, the cartridges are fired one
by one. If the plate be withdrawn rapid
" they follow each other SO quickly that
their discharge is all but simultaneous.
The ,nventlon seems very well adapted Tor
Use in forts or other permanent places of
defense or oifcnsc, but its carriage and
IN a.tmen. in field would present many
and iusuperable obstacles to its general