The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-01
POWDER FOR
SMALL ARMS.
Interesting Results of Recent
Chemical Experiments.
=. The Wet.erer, .Vielle, Cordi,e, Grakrut and
0.her Inventions-Repeating Rifes-Ihe
Various Kinds OF smokeless Powders.

- Nearly a year ago General Benet re-
ported that everything was ready for
the adoption of repeating rifle ia our
army. except the procuring OF n proper
powder. 1t was determined long since
+. That 1.-The new. arm should be of thirty
eailber. and an experimental iifie of that
bore Was manufactured at Springfield.
At first it was determined to use a
compressed and perforated cartridge in
the magazine guns; but before that could be
obtained the results achieved in several
countries of Europe by smokeleSs powders
gaze the latter the preferences. After wait
ing some time, writes a Washington CORE
sp0ndtnt to the New York Sun, to see
whether an entirely satisfactory smokeless
powder could be produced in this country,
Arrangements were made for purchasing
quantity of the sQrt~made in Belgium, with
a view to its manufacture in the United
States as the standard for army use. The
Consignment, Which is from the Wetteren
firm, has not yet arrived, but in the mean
time the Magazine Gun Board can perform
its preliminary work. Presumably there
will be brought before 1t for competition
several American deTiees, both in powders
and IN magazine mechanism.
Smokeless powder is said to have been in
vented about twenty years ago. But if SO
: ence must be to powder which was less
.smokeless tlIanthat which is now made, al
thnush having enough of its attributes in
rEude form to belong to this class of ex-
ploslyeS-- Zen years ago, as General Benet
has noted, propositions were made to
the Ordnance Department for the manu.
facture OF, smQkeless powder in this
country. Perhaps. the best known of the
military sm0keless powders is the one in
vented by NJ, Vielle. called Poudre Il. which
received from the French Academy of Sci-
enees- the Lecompte prize of $1,000 award
= ca everythree years for the most important
. discovery made in that period This IS the
powder used In tile Lebel rife, to which it
: furnishes remarkable .
p: -. .: INITIAL. VELOCITY,
Said TO equal 219i feet per second, yet with
avery slight reeoil and little strain on the
mechanism. It gives out only thin blush
smoke, which quickly dissipates, and the
report is heard but short distance away.
Pierc aeidis said to be an important in
Gretiiea. in this powder. A modification of
1T, known as BN, lis used in heavy guns. to
which II furnishes still higher initial yeloc-
ny-that Of 2549 foot seconds for the 9h
inch, and even more to the smaller rapid
fire guns.
The Schultz smokeless powder is famous
Tor sporting uses; being known for this pur-
: pose in many countries. Griffith taking
: sehultze's invention, gave it great Impetus,
: and Is said to have been experimenting
s lately with 1t for military purposes by
making it burn more slowly. Gelbitc is
a smoke!ess powder Invented by DR..
Emmens by treating with emmen-
site, : the high explosive invented
by him, specially prepared thick yellow
paper II is said to give great increase on
the propulsive power of ordinary powder
and to emit only small puff, but with a
sharp report. The smokeless and noiseless
powder invented by Captain Ledyard Els
worth of Hartford has also attracted much
attention. The Maxim sm9keleSs powder is
praised III England, while Italy is greatly
pleased with the ballistite of Nobel.
9: The Chelworth special which is doubtless
only modification of the Rhenisb- West
phalisn powder, was for some time used in
the Armstrong rapid fire guns, as it leaves
no residuum in the bore and gives out but
a slight smoke. These guns have lately
=. used cordite. so called from its being made
up OF long grayish cords, which are after
ward cut to the proper lengths. 1t is re-
90 ported to have given velocity of $500
feet second, and to be satisfactory for
rapd-fire and machine guns. 1t is the in
vention Of Captain Noble of the Elswck
: Works, and IS supposed to consist in the
main of blasting gelatine, with soluble
and Westphalian -faetaries produce a we'll
. known smokeleSS powder. While in Austria
Major Schwab, the director Of the fac
tory at Stein, has invented grayish. large
grained powder which gives higher velocity
and lower pressure than ordinary powders
and is almost smokeleSs. The Hengst pow
der possesses 80 per cent more strength than
ordinary gunpoWder. and is free from dan
. ger OF explosion through friction or concus-
sion.
The Army and the Navy Departments of
our Government have long been in search of
suitable smOkeless powders for small arms
II was understood some time ago that the
Messrs Dupont, the
wELL-KSowN AMERICAN POWDER
Manufacturers, had obtained the right to
manufacture in this country the Belgian
Wetteren powder, 1t was at one time
said that Secretary Tracy had been
arranging for the manufacture Of the
smokeless powder of the Rottweil Com
pany of Germany, made also by the
L. ndon and Chiffon Company in England
Lieutenant Switzerland of the navy, in dis
chssing a portion of the powders already
spoken of, mentions Grakrut, or gray DOW
=, der, the invention of a Swede named Skog
land. as reported to have surpassed the
Belgian. Netteren powder, and to have
given especial satisfaction on Its trial in
Russia.
With a charge OF the Grakrut equal to 10 per
cent Of The other powder. the initial velocity was
i1cl cas- 33 per cent and the chamber pressure
5.per cent. With the charge OF Grakrut de-
creased o 81 per cent the initial velocity was in
creased "a per cent without any perceptible in
crease OF chamber pressure. When a charge OF
II per cent was used the initial velocity was In
creased 40 per cent without giving an undue
pressure III the chamber.
In competitive tests from Nordenfeldt machine
guns the smoke from ordinary powder was not
:diSsfpated for twenty-five seconds, while that
from the Grakrut was in the form of transpar-
ent yapor; remaining visible only i've seconds
TIE base Of nearly or quite all of the
Smokeless powders Is some nitrous CON-
:: pepnd. so that they might even be called
nitrate powders. They are nearly all, if
not still in the experimental state, yet liable
70 certain objections. Perhaps the most
common of these is inability to keep
in all climates. Still that is not a
. fatal objection to their use at home or
in specific attitudes. Some of them give out
an odor which practically prohibits their use
Butt is quite certain that slDkeess powders
Sufficiently good for practical service are en-
: :ploYed by several countries, and can be had
- by OurpWn. And even this would not be alb
! Solutely necessary for magazine gun. The
latter bad been resolved upon and intro
,;duced in several countries before smokeless
powders were secured. Nevertheless, the
reduction of the caliber, which over
comes one main objection to the re-
peatiug. arm, by allowing the soldier to
carry larger number of cartridges, is greatly
aided by the use of the new aud pow
erful nitrate powders, while the further
objecton:of obscurIng with smoke by more
rapid firing the object aimed at is also re-
moved. The experiments of the Magazine
Gun Board with rifles and powders will be
leading subject of interest both for the
army and the militia.