The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-07
CCR Guns AND PoTDRRs
What Gen. Finger Has TO Fay OF the Y A..
PraErcss iu Ordinances wora.


PrnErcss in Ordnance Work.
| WASHINGTON. Nov. G.-The question OF now.
ders may perhaps be called the most urgent
subject now before the Ordnance Department
OF our army The tyre guns for all actually
required heavy calibres have been made the
lo-inch being alone in Allowance The maca.
zine rifle problem has been solved by tina 50.
lection o'ths kraG-J1rgenson. The pneumatic
disappearing carriage has been accented. nj.
| though other patterns will compete with It for
| any exclusive adoption. But the powders both
| Tor heavy guns and orsmall arms continue to
be undetermined
Gen. Fingler tells us. in his elaborate report
that sample Of French l. smokccss row.
der has been tried. that it proved too slow md
that its general results were poor. In conse-
1ucnce OF lie imperfect combustion OF tina
substance. ie, This is one of tic most fnmous
aud most Landed OF sUch materials. SAMPLE
of German smokelcss powder however. nor.
formed well at first. and. on being raised TO a
temperature of l25 degrees, It showed a slight
increase, in velocity with no increase in press.
nre stu, after bein. krwa YEAR tho vclUc-
ity fell on nearly. one. thirI. although it lad
meanwhile been stored in sealed cagrs rh,
great difficulty with some smokrrss powders
is that they deierior4te n hr"ring, Their
Temperature. and while they are liable, as in
che ease lust spoken Of, to lose lIu' very quality
powder. they may aIso dcvrlon unrxrc ',"i
and dangerous rressurcs. :. IDor aiso do not
Away; give tho same result. wl,l the sans
-, And yet. in sritc of those ,stntc'ncnt. Gen.
flagler proceeds TO report thai: :" mras ,hs
tests have proceeded. either Of III" two typos
Of smoKclrss powders Jus! spoken Of 'cems,n
he well adapted for use with heavy guns. Tho
s,ni.iler charge than the French 70 snc as
high velocity. its weight being about ono
ih"' French il on".haii Of lie litter 4 further
advantage is tina, tho German is readily ma!s
"n o rdF Fssns y Tc ms Win q" on is re-
In tho n,wdcrs for field guns and for small
guns Ike uncertainty exists. Cen Flagier
Nc ,:i33-jnrh field gun at tic proving grounds
with French smnhclcss powder. and a chnrge
pressure Of only !Lu0o rounds. The black
nearI; twice as much. to rroducs thnt velocity.
and tn, pressure is then about 10000 rounds.
some, ilrinGs hnyo also been mado with m
ioE a irst n,trm,' Hrn nSid%red promising.
Which, L i" ,n Was Ssed IN th
Springfield trials. is s,iIl under test. to deter
mGs n" 's, q tOTs %nd SaMian bas
E'yen tn" best results s;a and lot Of
der. Of tbs class the li0ugh'@n and ono Of
inventors, Thus far, tho department has
been 9MAslI :" get the Later roNTGsrs in
bounced their intention OF establishing regu.
lar MANUFACTURERS.
dcrs resolves itself into the fact that smoke.
less powders for all cnlihres OF cannon and
n% ar m can eat H. t"' tn" fesr hss
an American powder if possible.
AZ /" gnns. The first point for conEratulation
~ the increase 81 capacity in tlic Wntervleit
factory. Mh"u it is complete, in less than two
years from this limr it c@n tux! ont Twelve
three lG-in"h guns every wear. At that rate.
and with the l!.'hlehc,n works delivering their
ing OF our coast de"nces will 10 ON rGr,dly.
As TO the ,i oMiI"?s within Two
Gnns eight loinrh. and three 1a-inch. ,,,
efficiency. The biz l2-inrh gun tested at San
dy Hook has boon cuhjc ted 70 excessive press
inch. hut received noinIury except some burr
ing uf the hrccch screw threads. soon reme-
illustrated hy this target record oi tho S-inch
rifle with the new open Sights:
OF e ," s" . r sr;SS siGn r r%m es fns5s
cent, "t n,pas l I",: faHE 9, 600 i.Ts mean
nGrlsnn,a ar,n., on from 'sn,r. Z n!ast. i.s
the Hat va" H. =; r IN nrs.tG T
i've ,",s at u range o. r' i!n o' OF II" tys shots
eis sno at It" I rnnsc Of ""ss c 40; ~ mics.
70. r. as Win he " SIs + o. lave .SGxn
about the same degree OF accuracy.
nished by tho fac, that tho j Inch Lreesh-
londng cnst-iron gun ,n5sd with steel. has
hcrn fired 22S rounds and the bore has been
thoroughly shown to to protected against
corrhsion from tn" powder gases
our vast armament. The l2-inch irecch- load
l"Sn IDS saisueiory. and within two Months no
fewer than forty-four Of this sort will hnvs
been Completed. There are 1t seems. seven
ty-,hreo Of them under contract. Tho tyre
mortar was designed 70. n maximum charge
OF 80 ronnls Of brown rriSmatir row,ler. with
shcll Of about $50 pounds. But as the decks
o: ships are increasing in thickness. Il stool
mortar with n charge of 100 pounds and q
srcli of S!'n pounds has been designed, In
round Shell will be adopted for both the hoopod
and the a!l-steel mortnrs. to give the neces.
sary penetration.
These are the chief points OF Importance
presented by Gen. Flager. There has not been
ihe progress IN gun carriages that had been
wished, The field guns and mortnrs are con.
mountain gun hns been fired $50 rounds at
Sandy Hook without injury. Altogether the
record shows good amount OF satisfactory
work by the Ordnance Department for the
twelve months.