The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-27
ORR NEW sMoKEnEss POWDER.
How the Navy NJ N Compound OF Msesro~i
Form Compares with Foreign Products.

our NEW SMOKELESS POWOEh'
Nov ,,. Nav M N Compound OF Msesrori
Form Compares with Foreign Products.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23-Tho improvements
effected in smokeless powder at the Newport
torpedo station have produced some very
gratifying results, and have shown that this
NJ N product. as 1t Is called. Is believed BY our
naval ordnance authorities to be better IMAM
the French B N. or any other powder.
Instead Of the square. fiat grains ut hrst
used tho mncaroni form has been adopted,
tho diane ter OF the sticks varying from about
one thirty second Of an inch for the small
arms to about two-tenths OF an inch for tho
G-inch gun. tho larger sticks being Deriorateu
A year ago tests had been made only In small
arms. 3.pounders and U-pounders. and once in
the 4-inch gun: but since then they have been
continued In calbres. including the o-inch.
As to its stability. Commander L. +. jewell.
Inspector OF Ordnance in charge OF tho tor
pedo station says that portions OF the SUP.
stance have boon exposed for hours Withous
changing to temEsratures 1nah Wou of COM
pressed gun cotton. which Is consldefea q
most stable explosive Service gun Got,Shf ar
fifteen minutes 15Oo f.. although It has been
known 70 50 last for two hours. But guam ~ m
Fly q n P sns nnd
to 2USS b. Tor SIX hours. was absolutely n N 1
iected. while lanother, quantity stood ~ Fl +;
months at Indian Head during the past sum,
%9r Thsh THs ths Ssse
were unchanged. On the other hand. Sam m
PIE this power put in freezing mi II u ss "a
about 35' H. and therefore become unfit filter Tor
g gSs is Volatile at al temperatares the
rate OF evaporation increasing with tho tenn tenn.
the sHpsrsT IssysT D as slSaT
The safety. like the stability. OF this powder
has also been shown hy experiimeIn n,c AZ A.
Of mercury illuminate have failed; Ten
charges IRON different lots; confined IN iron
could not ne 'has and the
powder scattered. Hence. though Some obsta-
Giles still remain to be overcome; yet CON- mn.
cess" in view lof the improved methods OF
manufacture and the periectinG OF tho product
T i%'i rsl aSS fred in the form 2,
of 1850 feet Ier second; with ,, fham nnn
and i,5so foot seconds. With AS tons press.
ure in the 6pounder The charlie in the latter after
cubical grain in the 6.pounder Hotchkiss cuve
the same velocity with only l3 tons pressure:
and on increasing the pressure to 80 tons y
ieet Was IS secur"i. This showed that results
could be improved. as in ordinary powder De 6y
tra Gi3f the pewd S in Of cylinders
A, inches long and .07 inch in diameter. The
result in ths Inch ,y I3pid soh gun wss
and ..l22 with 10 tons pressure; while by
giving a slightly increased density to the
s seTo pressure and Charge Of So pounds
Yet Commander Jewell expects to improve on
these d Tssa y the Ssasd 5s
1sSf TfA l2 so tho
grains were unsuted to them. and here. also.
tho results can be improved. -,
Without going further into the details OF the
experiments the. hest results with 4;inch
and 5-inch rapid-hre gun using respectively
4i-caIibre breechioader. with a lOO-p pound
Of Gs and s Of s tons gays
LEO null" velocity .G o The pinch with lS ~
same gun charge Of 13:4 pounds gave 2;51s S
sS s, w w and s"y hs
yeet 2$oR feet and Tth 70 PSnnq lsca ana
says Commander JewelI, has never been
pars!!Y!ed;, Higher ,velncities have been re-
tim"tre ~ ~ in ehesi gun Of Is caSres hiring
proJcctile OF 40 kilos tss poundsh but they
hayS always been ascompanisd ~ prsssnrsss
Sommslore slesr a So says thai: considering
and the weights Of projectile. this American
smokeess powder showsa marked superiority
over foreg powders. so far as published re-
suits indicate. since 1t yields higher and IN ore
regular velocitics. with much lower and more
uniform pressures.
Very soon. therefore. we may expect smoke
less powder to he used in all our navy rapid.
fire guns and then bv degrees in the larger
calibres. All that Is needed Ia its manufac-
ture on q large scale. But az to small arms
the difficulties encountered elsewhere are still
experienced in our own service. The results
for pressure and velocity have been excellent.
but rs the powder is in square. fiat grains.
irreguarity in loading must occur. with the
flame not Away. uniformly commu nicated
from grain t. grain. and few grains some
times remaining unconsumed Another OBJ
lection Is the need of using small printing
charge Of rifle powder to effect ignition. Tho
question Of tho primer is important. as OK
perience with tho smokelcss sporting powders
shows. one powder made at the torpedo sta
ton burns slowly and uniformly enough. but
is not perfectly i-nited by II percussion cap.
while another which will so ignite Is too
brusIue But 1t is believed that, both the
problems Of ignition and perfect com ustion
In powder admitted. the,machine loading Of
the cartridges will yet be overcome: At pres
ent the SIN Il mncar, grain with the needed
method of Ignition makes machine loading
imnracticnble. and the square grain. more
easily ignitcd and loaded. from its irregular
pack ing in the cartri ige case. gives irregular
results in velocity and pressure.