Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-07-08
RAID FIRE GUNS.
1hs 9ovsrnmsnt to Make q Ccmpsti
tive xsst OF Different Designs.

WAsuINGroN, July THE ordnance
aud fertilization bolrd Of the war depart.
ment is arranging for a competitive firing
est Of heavy csiibfe rapid fire guns, which
in Importance and ,horoughness is calcu.
lated TO exceed anIttiDg Of its kind ever
xitne ssed in the United States. The test
will be made q. Sandy Book Just as SION
A. arrangements C IN be effected, but in.
ste d of being Of few hours du-stion it
Gill extend over period of SIX mtn hs.
The competition will be open 10 all the
rapid fire auns of the world, the best type
10 be the one adopted fer the United States
forts The tests will be so rigid and the
pounding 80 severe that none but the most
superior artillery pieces will escape de-
struc,ion.
Among the rapid, fire gus submitted will
DE those of Ho'chkiss, Canet. and Avn
s,rorg These three establishments today
gsve birth To the rapid fire g ants. Thee
are numerous oher Tyres Of rapid fte guns,
hu. more exceed the six-pounder cslibre 10
size. The Hotchkiss gun submitted will
he of the inch c.libre. This is The
heaviest piece as yet developed by the
American firm. As al all-ronnd fghing
gun, il is fast growing in popularity with
DruHAnCe ultu Aut Z Buh hiCc n
pr . il ctile weighing IS pounds. The arr
munj.ion is fixed ammunition, sud can be
fred at the rate OF thirteen shots per minute.
The Csuet and Armstrong guns will en-
desvor 10 Guido the rspidity, penetration,
| and strain records ofthe Hotchkiss weapon,
II either ore succeeds. then its acceptance
| Is a fertilization srm Of the United States
will be as.ured Congress has appropriated
<xH e. hA IN
the purchase Of rapid-fre guns, and it is
with the view Of determining which is the
best type that the Sand Hook competition
viii be ordered.
Many heAvy-calibre guns which are able
to stand, for short periods. heavy pres
sures, under continuous or prolonged strain
become worthless. Such guns if subj scted
! to The ordeals Of siege and battle would
either break down altogether or develop
serious defects.
| Onoe the gun is placed in position and
the test begiuv, no opportunity will be
| afforded to replace it or renew parts. For
six months the guns will be KEEP. belching
away, now with steel projectiles. again with
Ordinary shell, or with shrapnel and case
/ Various powders will be used, and through
! out the whole competition the most minute
| uCf 1its Will Dc Duiou vi Ill VIM uGCuI5s
OF the three rapid FIRE types to be sub
mitted the Hofchkiss is an American inven-
ton, the Armstrong is an f ,glish gun and
the Canet = French gun. 30 far no very
extensive showirgs are to hand Of the cspa-
biiities Of the 4.7-inch Hotchkiss, but some
idea may be gained Of its efficiency from
The fac, Inst the "a Hotchkiss gun, firing
SO pound prof 'ctile, has discharged six
l -. 70 81
| Iocity of $40 feet per second This We
locity gave q penetration of Z | inches of
steel, A Csnet 94.inch gan has fred six
aimed shots per miFute, the projectiles
weighing 2s peuHds each. A nozzle
velocity Of 2403 feet per second was re-
corded The weight of the Cs,et gun was
2 | tons to the Hetchkiss's II tons
The Csuet gun used smokeless powder,
while piismnhc powder was used in the
Hotebkiss. With sn,okeIess powder the
Hoichkiss gun has given muzzle veioci,iss
Of 23S9 feet per second and the Canet 1928
feet But in order to attain this increased
I muzzle velocity the Canst gun WAS sub
| jscted to 4 pressure Of Is 8 tons per square
| inch.
The 4 70 inch Armstrong rspid-are gun
has been adopted for the main batterie. of
I
| lag for the British navy. These guns can
be Aired. it is claimed, at q rate
of twelve .hots per minnie Their
projsc'ile. weigh shout 10 pounds.
/ he principle Of all rspid-Hre guts 10
simplicity of brsech mechanism. fixed am
muoition and rspitiiy o. fire. The smmu-
nisi0 being held together in 4 m .tslic cart
ridge. is slipped Into the breeeh - fast a.
thu latter opens and ajec;s the tma ty cart
ridge case. The firing. exceps in the very
heavy esllbres, is done by the qua captain :,
who AIMS the pi, c By m .sns OF = shoulder
piece This shoulder piees is either ut.
fached to the gu, or TO its csrrisge, tu, il
always so fitted IS to be independent Of the
recoil In the smaller cslihre rapid Are
| guns the recoii 10 taken up by tn. decx of
the ship. In the heavier cslisres Yecoil
cylinders containing powerful! sp-irss re.
csive the force Of the backward blow ard
in turn restore the gun t, Ice normal posi
ton.
The various rapid fire guns differ in their
oreech' mechanism. they are materisily
the same in weight. The Hctchkiss gun
has 50 far proved itself to b. the most
durable run Of the rapid fire Tyre. rhIs
II owing 70 the quality of metal and maane,
Of manufacture. The stsei in Z Ho,caii..
gun must be able to Withstand tensile
strain Of 96 900 pounds 10 the square met
This il . heavier test than 10 gwen "a AM
other piece of government ordnance s4v
where.