The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-11
GUN MAKING In AMERICA.
THE RIFLE THAT WAS MADE BYMR.
a. m. LYMAN OF NEW YORK.

seven Inches long. This prolectile was fred
from rife invented by A. II. Lyman. a we'll
known inventor OF this city, and was exhibited
as specimen Of what his principle could ao-
complish that principle was simply to explode
successive charges behind the projectile az II
passed through the barrel, so that the accumu-
lated force Of the explosions was impaired to
the shot In one nnal effort before It left the
muzzlc. a cannon twelve feet long by two and
one-quarter inches bore was made upon this
plan and rined one turn In twenty-four inches.
IL was Intended to pierce the walls OF iron clads
and was taken Somewhere out upon Long
Island and fired on long range OF beach. Ru
NOR has II that noTscfnan gallopcd ten miles
before he found this long missile, So great was
the range and power of Night Of tile sash weight
Astonishing are these results which, In tho
INST Instance cited are matters Of fact, they are
not inpte ~ than the extraordinary perfection
In tho manufacture and use Of the Amer
team rife attained in these later days.
lf one l. skilled mathematician he may
be able to use the rifle curved like
boomerang, which tho Irishmau employed 10
shoot around corners, but for most modern
purposes an absolutely straight bore Is prefer
able. SIKH In tho use of agun depends upon
tie confidence Of tho marksman that the shot
will 40 where no aims IL under all clrcum-
stances aud AS this h hrst requisite, Il II easy
to SEQ that absolute perfection OF workmanship
II Indispensable. This has ueeD attained. Re-
Gently we visited prominent ride maker and
examined the guns which nave been 50 success
iul huth at Creedmoor aud In the international
contest AZ DOlN mount, and ~ IL dlhCult to
wherein they could be improved.
THE AMERICAN TARGET RIFLE,
or "Crccdmoor," "a II Is called by the makers,
designed Tor very long ranges, Is certainly an
admirable weapon. The barrel Is made Of de-
curbpmked steel. forged in solid bar and after
ward bored to SUIT requirements. Decarbonized
steel varies nom ordinary steel In ia nature by
beng peculiarly soft and tough, and without
the quality OF hardening In water IL cannot he
grain, close IN texture and when OF good uusl-
y. M IN ffnH
out cold, like copper, without splitting; doubled
over on itself, and subjected u the severest
OF the gun are made OF Swedes iron, case
hardened. The principle UPON which the guns
are made Is thoroughly American, IRE also
the tools by which the principle Il practlsed.
One general model huvi been adopted
makers, fic-similies Gempletsl Of each part
are made, and Ruagcs adopted which
cover al parts 81 every pect. 50 that each one
made i IA counterpart Of the other. Machine
tools are then adlpted TO produce these parts,
aud on being set In motion turn out hammers.
triggers, guards. breech blocks. what you will
Infinitely. All of these separate Diet Ills are eX
ainined at every stage Of the process to see II
they agree with the models, and are then de-
liNercd to the woTkmen IN charge of depart
ments. The skin of an individual IN chat rye of
any machine his nothing TO do with the pro-
cess; the result Is certain, whether he be an ex-
pert In machinery or not; he must. OF course,
know what he Is doing IN attending his WORK.
but give the machine IRON, "a a loom Ia given
yarn, aud II VIII accomplish the end marked out
for II. IL ~ only hY such means that II IL pos
l liable
curacy AT anything like popular price. A weapon
10 made can be- obtained Tor so; certainly very
moderate when it, durability and reliat ility are
are considered. The weight OF long range
rhe - regulated by the association at ten
pounds and the amount OF trigger pull at vari-
Gus points To suit the person using It; 10 varies
from three to ten pounds. The phrase trigger
pun means the ac .u1l weight or force required
80 explode the charge IN sporting guns II Is
much 'ess than In military. the latter being pur-
ppsely set hard so thdt IN the excitement Of bat
Tie tho soldier will be compelled to consider
what he IA doing in lingering the trigger and
not explode the piece prenaturciy. he barrel
i thir y-two inches long and forty four Galore.
ana Is iltteu with peep rear sight. with Vernler
scale, by which means register may he kept Of
the elevation required for given distance un-
DER varung circumstances; u his further n
wind gauge with interchaneeable globe and
split bar front sight. No telescope sights arc
permitted. II has also spirit level attached at
rlght angles 10 the bore aud Just under the front
SIGHT The object OF this, which may appear
ineXpicahle 20 the reader H. that II serves to in
dicate when the barrel l. held absol itely on the
target IL might az pe n to be so by the sights
only hut It sucn Immense distances a. 800 feet
| and upward, any twisting u the barrel, SO t4At
the $50 4 is turned sideWlse, would give a great
! deyi atom from the Lui's-cye,
THE ELEVATION OF THE BARREL
nee 'snry for long ranges Ia obtained by tho rear
/ SLIDING sight. or course EXPERTS know this but
/ all are not eNprr,s, ana some fiucy, doubtless,
| ia Dr. the mark -innn holds hls tthe point blank
/ ca the OF icct aimed t; but this Is wide of the
f,,t. At one thousand wards tn casual observer,
sstfug riilemIu shoot for the Isl time. would
fancy the shot would 20 FAR over the mark 50
rrc.t b. IA" angle Al wnch the barrel II pointed.
A matter Of act. the proiecilc b, ,ins TO fall
So soon a. IL lctNes IN" inuz2le ana It is easy u
see thtt long before 70 had gone two thousand
/ feet 10 would tall 20 the ground ID held point
III mis-. Inc elevation ~ llnn wards i- l13 Inches.
or nearly an inch aud threr-Iutrief-: 40 thdt Iva
order To- strike tine huli eve tine marh-uau
shnlts Ia reality over %, and mahrs hi- h4ii fall
On 10.
/ rno raine Of the % rrol g.. one turn in twenty
Inches. afi consists OF six crnnVr-. VARYING in
/ drp,h from one AMI nu--nlll one ttuu-ludtr-
/ Of nn llch 10 Elk onc-thuu-andtls. Long rnugu
4 HfunNfa.
the hands OF Dir. Yale last year with which he
4 mud- .urh "A nns score. b "a only ono md one
half uue-thous tuitus plrt Of an linen depih Of
groove mes lcmcni inappr ciable hy un-
Or tr.+onll persons M" idet % this AZ
/ most Invisible so ce may be obtained from the
( fact inst the threads Il Wam-utta muslin gr,
! about one hundred To- the inch; divide these
! turc at into ten again and We have thousandths,
| RHO groove. Flne ~ this appears the bali, or
! piulcr.,e rather Il" ow4 them nocurhteiy' and
nc,er al, cor foul the bore. For heavy work
| IN rpu-N countries the grooves arc male deeper,
ior %" r ,1 s.o tl. l9@f nG 9sss re gsom
wuulh soon destroy the swallow riiing used in
target rifles.
THE CARrHiDGE
/ IL "a brass she'll. ccntrc fire. and contains for
TIE a ral,bra 81 grains ot powder, mucn cnHrsor
/ IN - i generally spppo ed. IL WAS revelation
/ 10 ~" writer for the neral opinion H. that RI
| IT, powder, Of an othc-' Il extremely nLe.
/ he powder FOR lnn--ringe rifles h like hne
/ eriyel used In hri CAGE. and 1t was remarked
/ by the manufacturers that IL was a question
| Wh"therit was stil hs coarse rs desirable. The
/ weigh. of the ball II 5ll grains patched, ana tp-
! cethor with the powder Is IN length . A, inches.
/ After each discharge the shell Il elected IN the
act II relo ding, ana the same can be used over
! and over without injury for "A long time.
Take 10 rs "A whole n II difhcut to see in what
| re- poet the standard American rife couli be
! improved. The writer has certainly never had
| any intention uf competing for membership in
| the AmCTic n team, nut since ma recent eX
! perience has become convinced that It ~ now a
! torcgpne conclusion. At one hundred yards a
| circle no larger than ~ inches diameter was
struck centre every time, and all that ne dId was
| 10 look through the sights and pun the trigger.
| " | never saw such a gun, said Mr.Winkle, IA
! his ChIrle went sNmming along the ground
for the third lime close 70 the tall gnmek 'cpcr a
! legs. II ,CW do II. IL goc- OF of itself" md
! so 10 may he said Of the American rne, that II
| the m rksman only hold. H. somewhere IN the
dir 'ctun of the spnt he wishes the BAH t. 20, II
VIII do II; u viii "snOOL centre the plains
! men say, every time.
The story of "a ThousRnd-D0l lnr Bunk NOlc,
From ne Baltimore Gdsepe.
The death of Josiah Cobb recalls singu-
| lar incident Of his lite. About lSi9 oolored
! woman named Sarah ltidgely called at MIR.
| CODbs grocery and purchased a small amount
| Of groceries, giving hun thnus lnd-dnllar bank
| note in payment, thinking that It was a one
| doilir note. Surprising that IL WAS stolen, lac
| detained the hill and advertised for an owner
| repeatedly; but no one claiming II, he Invested
| II in city stock. Several false claimants ap.
peared for the note, and II was the subject OF
/ several llWSuits. which terminated in MIR. Cobb