The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-23
FIFTY SHOTS PER MINUTE.
-,s Rspid-Fire Guns Used In Naval
Warfare.
From the Neic York Time


.p.nid-aring guns have been developed
-. Nv in the last three years, although they
O.-,g;nated in 1881, when England and
r-snce advertised for designs whichiful-
s,lsa relatively the requirements of the
--,.ent six and three Founders. The term
ff.,i5-irs is applied to single-shot guns
n.ng fixed ammunition, the loading, train
- and firing of which must be capable of
In ING executed SO quickly as to permit
s-.sin number Of aimed shots, not less
- twelve, to be discharged per minute.
Tssv are intended for defense against tor
70 70 boats, for the attack of unarmored
p.js lof ships, gun shields, tops, and all ex-
sd portions of an enemy's vessel. Their
f. is 50 destructive that they have now
h.c,me an indispensable part of naval
.u.1,anent, and may be called the
Ebsv range about five miles, and can
asnetrate the side of any unarmored cruiser
T. a distance of 1000 yards. The initial
,alocity of the three-pOunder shell is 1000
g while that Of the six-pounder is
Go far eight distinct systems have been
daveloned. but until recently the Hotchkiss
has beea without a significant rival At
nresent our government is interested in
three of these systems-the Hotchkiss,
Drirgs-Schroeder, and the automatic guns
Of Mr.. Hiram Maxim. The Whitney
n of Hartford Conn.,, is now filling a
large order of Hotchkis' guns for the navy,
and the bureau of ordnance has recently
purchased the right to use the briggs
Schroeder breech mechanism in the new
four and six inch rapid-fire guns now build
inc at the Washington navy yard.
The recent successful tests of the Maxim
guns at the naval ordnance proving ground
have attracted general attention to this
tvpe of ordnance. and it is perhaps safe to
say that rapid fire guns have reached a
limit in Mr. Maxim's automatic system.
As these are TIE only guns in which the
force Of recoil is employ ed to load and fire,
they stand entirely apart from all other
ouick-fring guns, and occupy a unique
position in war material. The ease with
which they are manipulated, the excess
rate of fire, the simplicity of the mechanism,
and the absolute safety of the breech
closure combine to make them the most re-
markabe arm of the day. The 45 celiber
machine gun delivers $50 shots per minute.
The cartridges are automatically fed into
the gun from belt which travels trans
versely across it. 1t is only necessary to
press the firing spring, and the gun does the
rest-fres, elects the empty case, reloads
without interruption. Referring to the
perfect control the gunner always has over
the piece, it is stated that the inventor has
become so expert in the service of his gun
that be cannot only play simple air with
it, but occasionally amuses himself by writ
ing his name With bullet holes on a board
target 500 yards away. However, this may
be al exaggeration.
The six-pounder seIni-antomatic gun was
recently tested on the firing grounds at
Annapolis in the presence of a naval board
Of experts. The official report has not yet
been made public, but service PAPER
states that twentytwo rounds were fired IN
thrty-six seconds. Tue gun has been on
exhibition in Paris, and It's appearance and
tire legend attached TO it have excited great
interest in the military world. Briefly de-
scrlbed. it consists of a. recoiling and nom
recoiing portion. The gun itself, with the
breech block, is the recoIling portion: a
bronze cradle which incloses the rear part
OF the gun is the non recoiling portion. The
cradle is fitted with trunnions, which rest
IN the arms of fork pivoted in a steel
cone mount. Underneath the gun on the
cradle is powerful combined spring and
hydraulic buffer, to the piston rod of which
tue gun is attached. On the right side of
the cradle Is box which contains the spring
mechanism that acLuates the breech block
The breech block weighs forty n. unds
and contains the firing pin and spring. 1t
Slides In vertical morSlses in the gun like
the Hotch Kiss block. There are two ex-
tractors which have e rotary motion some
what SIMILAR TO those of the briggs
Schroeder gun. The extreme recoil is five
inches. When the gun is fired it fully re-
coils and then starts back to battery under
the Influence OF a powerful spring in the
hydraulic buffer; when it has counter-re-
colled two inches the spring mechanism
IN the cradle begins to act, and the block
drops down with an increasing speed.
strikes the tail of the extractors, and vio-
iently throws out the empty case In this
position IL LIS held down clear of the breech
under pressure of $50 pounds by the spring
In the cradle by projections on the extract
ors. When the cartridge is thrown into the
cnamber the rim of the case strikes against
tae extractors, and knocks them forward:
Inc breech block thus released rises at once
under the pressure of the spring in the
cradle box and closes the breech and is
held up by pressure from the spring of
10 pounds. 1t will be observed that there
can De no danger of opening the bresch
oeiore the projectiie and gases are out of
tne bore. The gun can be fired either at
VIII by pulling the trigger, which is in a
sup VI Tue cradle, or continuously by
MAINTAINING the pressure on the trigger
OBVIOUSLY the rate of fire depends upon the
agility and strength of the loader. and it
claimed that eighty shots can be fred
per minute.
11he charge of powder Is two pounds, aud
me smell weighs six pounds, but there is less
". on the shoulder than is felt by
'ne discharge of an ordinary shotgun.
hapld-tlre guns have made the use of
s si powders greatly to be desired
ihe Cnliworth powder partly satisfied the
conditions, but had the disadvantages of
icing deteriorated by moisture. In the last
lew months another powder has been pro-
uuceo, SO 1t Is stated, which is practically
IFn ns and not affected by moisture
i Lo.ty-nve grains of this powder is equiva-
.pne 70 eighty grains of the old, and the
!; S,noAe cloud, as near as can be estimated.
- ABOUT one one-hundredth of that of the
ordinary black powder.
AS mas been stated, quick fire was de-
tseo CHIEFLY as defense against torpedo
uoa's' out Its subsequent effect upon ma
lug architecture has been remarkable. The
eApanSlon In the dimensions of battle shins
y, rs ;, not checked in England and France un-
W Ine progress made in the construction of
20 going torpedo boats raised the question
y. .ne advisability of building ships worth
lay II ,000, 900, which in an engagement
YOU'D be at the mercy of tiny vessel of
CHe-Cwentleth the value It was the old
ITIestion OF the gun versus the torpedo. In
; tance professional and lay critics, espe-
SCeeuy Admiral Aube and NJ. Gabriel
SsSolmess vehementlY denounced the noliev