Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-08-06

Aeapoml IS Mo0eRn WoRAaE8-~
Ths French Chassep0s miGle-A
Formidable HiVal 90 the PFuss
stan Needle Gun-BxPloatve
Ballots--An Internal Missile
TIE CHAssRPOT RIEIR.
Perhaps some, not very familiar
with IRE arms, may not know what
the ChassepOt (IhGS'pO) rife is. II
is the favOFite weapon ofthe French
army, q Deedle.gun differing from
the PruSslan arm in two particcu-
lars. !. The escape Of gas is not
prevented, as in the PFusSian needle
gun by the perfect fit Of the needle
bolt and the band. 2. The full
inmate is not In front but in rear of
the charge, and is contained in an-
ordinary copper cap. The chief
feature Of the invention, however
consists in the cOntrivance adopted
for preventing the escape Of gas
breechwards. The hermetic clos
ingOf the breeCh parts is obtained by
the instantaneous compression, un-
der the action Of the explosion, of
a yulcanized caoutchoue washer
interposed between the front face
Of the breech bolt and aAange, or
shoulder, upon the needle.guide.
The needle-guide being movable
and the front face of the bolt being
fixed, the india rubber washer is
nipped between them. The wash
er aud the flange or shoulder are of
little less diameter than the breech
in which they are fitted, so as to
facilitate their play therein, but the
diameter of the front face of the
breech.bolt is, as nearly as possible
equal 10 the inner diameter of the
breech When the explosion takes
place, the pressure transmitted by
the movable needle.guide to the
latter is COMPRISED sufficiently to
Theoretically close the rear end OF
the band aud thereby prevent all
gas escape. After the charge is
fired, and, the pressure removed,
the washer, by virture Of its elast-
icity, returns 10 It's natural position.
The ring or washer is composed Of
three layers of different degrees Of
hardness, the two outward layers
being of much harder substance
than the centre one, so that, on be-
ing pressed, the intermediate lay
err, which is perfectly elastic, ex-
pands. The india rubber ring Is
compressed by the needle-guide be-
tween the washers, when the charge
is Ignited, and is therefore forced
TO till the barrell, in which, In its
normal state, It loosely fits.
Messrs. Norton and Valentine, in
their report to our government on
the munitions of war exhibited at
the Paris Universal Exposition in
1867, give the following account OF
the comparative experiment of the
Chassepot rifle and the needle-gun
as made in Prussia: "rhe Prussian
gun.maker, Specht, has received
from Paris a Chassepot gun similar
10 those adopted by the Frencc ar
my, and experiments have been
made with 1t which have furnished
important results. The Chassepot
is certainly superior TO the Prussian
needle.gun. Competitive essays
have been made with the two.
More than fifty officers OF all arms
witnessed them. The ChassepOt
was in the hands ofMr. Specht; {; the
noedle-gun In the hands Of one of
the best marksmen in the garrison.
The arrangement was to fire with
each weapon per minute. The
needle.gun was the first; 1t fired
eight rounds and struck the target
eight times. The Chassepot fred
ten shots and was loaded the
eleventh time within the minute /;
the needle-gun discharged three
shots, the Chassepot FIVE"
The weight Of the Chassepot is 8
lbs. IL OF. l3 DR.. callibre, 433 inch /;
range, 1894 yards number Of
grooves, four. With its ball the
long bones are more frequently
split, Its effects are more fatal but
J If death is not produced, the wound
is more easily managed. The bull
lot is one inch long blunt pointed (;
its base, the broadest part in cir
cumference, is half an inch in di-
ameter. Ills BY the use Of this gun,
pronounced to be 30 much superb
or, that the French expect TO have
an important advantage over the
Prussian.
THE EXPLOSIVE BULLET.
| The last and most Obstructive Of
the dealh-dealing projectiles is the
explosive bullet, designed by Per-
tuisit, and executed by q French
artisan in the firearms factory Of
Devisme, is described in the last
number of tie Army and Navy
journal. Externally quite similar
to the original Mimic, a cylindric.
conical mass Of lead, 1t is discover
ed, by an unscrewing ofits length
about midway, TO be internally a
magazine OF illuminate. The ex.
| plOsive compound-dynamite pow.
der, condensed powder, or what.
ever 1t may be--has an explosive
force six times that of gunpOwder.
Experiments which have been
made under the patronage Of the
Russian, Prussian, Austrian govern.
mentS, and last by our own war de-
partment, demonstrate not only
Its effectiveness, but the singular
properties its inventor has given to
/ IL HRafuos 0ivan tho diaiancn nFeha