The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-03
A NEW NERDLEGUN.


The San Francisco Chronicle of a recent
date says:--
''There was exhibited on Change yester-
day steel breech-loading needle-gun, the
invention of A. +. Potter, of Oakland, which
attracted much attention, and which is we'll
worthy of notice. 1t is light ield-piece,
weighing about 500 pounds, and was manu-
featured at a foundry in this city. The i'm
provements are secured by three separate
patents-one for the scale and manner of
varying the range, one for the application of
fianges to the steel conical ball, and one for
the improvements in loading. This last is
the one which, it is claimed, gives to the
piece its chief merits. The main difficulty
in the successful workings of breech-loading
cannon has been found to consist in their ex-
pansion by the heat which is necessarily
evolved from rapid firing. An ordinary
breech-loader cannot be used after it has be-
come heated, for the reason that the breech-
pin expands so greatly that it cannot be
worked. This difficulty is obviated in this
invention by making the breech-pin to con-
sist of two parts, one revolving within the
other, and so arranged that the expansion of
each neutraiizes the effect of the other. The
patentee says he has tested its capacity to be
worked under extraordinary heat, by firing it
rapidly until it was as hot as firing could
make it, and then heating it by means of a
blow-pipe until it was sissing hot; and that it
worked quite as freely when thus heated as at
first. The charge consists of a c5nical steel
ball, with three hanges extending from the
rear several inches in length. These flanges
have slight twist, similar to the twisted
rifle of cannon; but the ball receives its
rotary impulse from the pressure of the air
on the fanges after it leaves the gun. The
spaces between the flanges, for a length of
aboutt two inches back of the ball, are filled with
packing which cleans the bore at every dis
charge. The powder is built on to the flanges
the remainder of the length, completing
the cartridge. In loading, the removal of the
breech- pin is but the work of an instant
The cartridge is inserted, and the entrance
closed by the breech-pin. This is supplied
with band of packing which completely
closes the aperture, rendering the escape of
gases almost an impossibility. The needle
operates similarly to that of all needle-guns,
and is SO regulated that it can be inserted
any length into the powder. In fastening
the breech-pin after it is inserted the gunner
has only to turn a slight lever, which develops
two eccentric keys, throwing them into ap-
propriate grooves in the bore, and holding
the parts together like q vice. The ball of
the piece on exhibition weighs four pounds.
The bore is two inches and half, and is
smooth so that at short range it can be used
as howitzer for the discharge of canister.
1t is furnished with a globe sight, which is
auapteu lor ienBth oi foo yaros. Ine
leverage for regulating the range is simple
and effective, and has working range of
twenty-six degrees.
Mr. Potter was last winter in Washington
with one of his guns, which he subjected to a
semi-official examination. The officers who
were appointed to test small arms gave this
gun two days trial, and were highly pleased
with it. The fact that it cleaned itself excited
particularly favorable comment. The in
ventor claims that it can be fired rapidly 20O
times in succession without needing the
sponge He also claims that the same prin-
ciples can be applied to gun of any size
He has been at work developing his ideas
nearly ten years. If experience should prove
them to possess the merit which he claims
for them, they will give material addition tc
the effectiveness of artillery. The gun will
receive thorough official test at Washington
during the coming winter.