The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-10-19
THE BU tST REINFORCE CAR
FRIDGE.

On the 81 inst. patent was al
lowed 10 Gen, Ii. Z. Hurst of Sum-
mt, Miss, assignOr TO the Hurst
Reinforce Cartridge and Arms
Company, for reinforce cartridge
for military and small arms of
every description, that possesses
features OF unusual novelty and
utility not only in the construction
of the cartridge, but in the man
ner of charging it with gun pow
der or the highest known explo-
6ives.
In an ordinary cartridge it would
be impossible TO use high explo
siveS except in very limited guam
Titles and in extreme small bore
guns, such as the French use, for
instance. The charge, so say the
scientific papers of England, con-
sisis III a mixture Of gun cotton and
collodium. This preparation, of
course, could only be used in
small quantities, and is not adapt.
ed TO any but extremely small bore
guns.
In the Hurst cartridge almost
any known explosive can be used
in more or less quantities, IN COM
bination with gun powder, tor the
reason that the projectile gets It's
initial charge entirely separate
from the larger charge, which may
be IN whole or part Of gunpowder
or other known explosives.
An ingenious arrangement is
made in this cartridge TO prevent
extremely powerful charges from
rupturing the gunpowder. This is
effected by having an expansive
cartIidge-the first of the kind
known so far as the records of the
patent Office show. When this car
fridge Is placed in the gunpowder
the bullet-the forward end pro
jecting from lifts the groovlng
of the nfiing. Just back from thii
in front of the head Of the car
fridge, and around 1t, except at the
extreme base-ls an air space
which can be regulated to act as a
cushion. When the large charge
Is exploded, thereby taking up The
shock of the explosion on the walls
Of the gun barrel, and afording al
most unlimited gas pressure be-
hind the protector (which is in
motion from the initial charge)
propelling it through The groove of
the gun and giving it great veloci-
ty, penetration and range.
In The experiments abroad, the
small bore guns, using what is
known as the Armand projectiles,
which are made with an exterior
light lhimble of steel and an inte-
ri0r of lead and antimOny, have
shown a range of about 2000 yards
and penetrating force sufficient
to pierce wrought iron plates of
nearly half an inch in thickness.
At the recent experiments in the
navy yard Lieut.. Berry fired the
Hurst rifle through l 15-100 inches
Of the best wrought iron plate with
A steel proJectile weighing less
han twO-filths of The weight of |
he Armard proJectiles used
abroad.
The velocity of the Hurst pro-
ectIle Is variously estimated at
rom 2700 to 1000 feet. In fact one
# the naval officers who worked
,ut the problem according to well
,nown scientific formulas, eX-
,ressed his unbounded astOnish.
nent at the fearful velocity of the
hurst rifle ball. He stated TO The
lventor that he could scarcely be-
eve it, and yet the penetration of
he little prOjectile in iron makes
apparent that all former records
ave been beaten by this modern
IN.
There are items in the various
Dproprialion bills of this session
Dpropriating money to both the
yar and Navy departments to
AXE experiments with the Hurst
IN looking 10 its adoption in
9TH branches of the service.