The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-07-13
GERMAN ARMS.
The chassspot to succeed the NeedIe-
Guu-Hronze for Big Guns.

Berlin Correspondence ot new forh horld.J
We are so accustomed to associate with the
German, or at all events the Prusslan, army
the idea OF the needle-gun, that 1t is next to
impossible G to imagine either without the
other. The needle gun has been the speciality
of the Prussian soldierya the supposed tails
man which led 1t to victory. In 1864 1t was
the needle-gun which, Id the opinion of the
Danes, wrought their defeat; In 1866 the Aus
trians confessed themselves beaten, not by
superior organization, val9r or strategy, but
BY the magic spell concealed In the needle
gun. The Prussians themselves were perfect,
". In love with their national weapon, and
professed to despise the attempts Of other ma
lions to come up to their perfection. What
was the Enfield or the Snlder; what was the
Martini Henry, and what finally the much
Wanted chassepot In comparison. with the
;needle-gun Parallels between the latter
two rifles have been drawn continually during
the war, both by Prussian military journalists
and obsequious foreign special correspondents
attached to the Prussian army. They ended
lin every Instance In final eulogy on the nee-
dle-gln. The chassepot was asserted to be
constantly suffering some breakage; 1t became
foul after few rounds; 1t was not true In Its
aim. These we're the conclusions that our pro.
Prussian Journalists invariably arrived at.
and fair, will be greatly surprised to hear that
at this present moment the Prusslan authorl.
ties are, contemplating ageneral exchange Of
the zundnadel for the 'chassepot. The znht:
nadel, In fact Is doomed, and the choice9lies
solely between the Martini Henry rifle and
the chassepot The former Is admitted to
be the better, but then 1t Is costly, and every
sepots, there are $4,000 ready.,to hand.
Bavaria has come to q decision already.
Though IL will mot finally cast away Its
old Werder rifle, 1t has resolved to
serve out $1,000 chassepots, whica form
Its share of the common booty, to the. bulk OF
its line troops. In Prussia the co-exlstence OF
two different guns Is not deemed advisable,
have to be newly fabricated. Still the $4,000
chassepots are On argument in favor OF, that
weapon. Its greatest recommendations are
Its greater hardness ond nghtness, wide
range and the small bore. Asoldier can carry
about with him far greater number OF car
tridges than for the needle gun-almost as
many again. The French chassepots are to oe
somewhat altered for use, and great quanti-
ty have to be newly manufactured. IL is be-
lieved that this work will be- intrusted TO Mr.
Krupp, of caststeel cannon celebrity, and It is
to serve as setoff tor the, loss he will suffer
by the introduction OF bro1zs field guns. The
rumor of new KruppI fstablishm being
erected at Essen has been esrsant e tn there tor !
hiring hands to til 2 number OF several tnouS-
Another change proposed, and that def:
nitely decided upon, Is the. reintroductton OF
bronze guns versus cast-steel. The cast-steels
were Intended to constitute specially OF the
Prusslap army as distinctive as the needle.
gun. Like that, they were credited with
magic pic.powers. This belief was founded only
on prejudice, and the late war has taught the
military authorities that bronze answers the
purpose in many cases Just as well, which,
considering It's far greater cheapness, decides
the question In Its favor. Bronze Is again to
become the staple material of Prussian gun
foundrles. The small riaed four-pounders ana
the short twenty y-four-pounders, OF Whlch we
have heard 30 much during the war-6oth the
fayorite field guns Of the Prussians, ana moss
irf use by their batteries-are to be exclusively
bronze. The new twenty one cendmetre NOR
tars, projecting shells of $50 and 200 pounds. a
product of the late war, are 10 be cast OF the
same metal. Almost all the reserve guns
manufactured during the war and used for the
reserve batteries were bronze, and have an
swered admirably.
1t seems likely that the much despised nit
raileur will become an established institu-
ton In the Prussian army. as 1t is in the Ba-
varlan. The variety proposed for German use
bears the name of Montigny. 1t Is being now
tested by the authorities. Each gun requires
six men to serve 1t and six horses to draw It.
1t fires thirty-seven rounds at time. The
cartridge employed is that originally Intended
for the Werder rife, hayinga diameter OF only
lye.tWelfths of an inch and weighing 1888
grains, viz Flfty-fve grains of powder. aud
278 of metal. The entire machine, with an
ammunition cart attached and men and oil,
weighs BIS pounds. The gun has been tried
at distances of from 400 to l500 PAGES 1.-TWO feet
each,) and the result goes to prove that at
1850 PAGES 1t may be employed with excellent
effect, though 1t is not considered safe to use
it at greater distances. The aim proved re-
markably true, and this Is believed to have
settled the question In favor OF the mltrall-
leur, the range of which exceeds the widest
OF any infantry gun by 800 PAGES, and the usual
and most effective range Of the same gun by
ZOO PAGES, On the other hand, there Is no
doubt that the mitrailleur cannot stand
against artillery firing shrapnel shells. 1t Will
therefore be treated not as an artllery gun,
but as an infantry weapon.
Ofless important changes we may add tnat
the leather kepis of the landWehr are to be
done away with and replaced by helmets hay
Ing q cross In front as distinctive mark. II
has been remarked that where landwehr and
line troops fought side by side, the fire of the
French was Invariably concentrated on tne
former, supposed to be the less organized ana
effcient men. The French considered the
landwehr as on apar with tnelr natlona! guard,
aud could easily make them out by their dis
tinguishing head gear. That tne Prusslan CUT
of Uniform. as well as. the Prusslan scale OF
payment will be adopted In Bavaria, Is already
known.
FASHION,NOTES.