The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-20
sMoKELEss POWDERS.
Some Extraordinary Results Lately Obtained
In Experlments Mt sandy NOOK.

WARRINGTON. Aug. 19.-The lack OF a suita-
BILE smokeless powder Of American invention
for use both In magazine small arms and In
fold pieces and heavy guns has often been
spoken OF. 1t is true that approaches have
been made to tho quality Of powder required.
and some have been anufactured which are
considered equal to foreign powders. but
hitherto mono has been officially adopted as n
substitute for ordinary gunpowder. either In
the army or navy.
The recent tests OF the Leonard smokeless
powder at Sandy Hook have shown some re.
markahle ballstic results. or course. in n
smokelcss powder there are many elements 10
he considered. 1t must he uniform. 30 that
charges OF tho same weight will always pro-
duce tho same results in firing under tho eame
circumstances; 1t must not exert q dangerous
pressure on tho gun, but have n progressive
rate of burning, so as to avoid undue strain-
ing; II must be stable SO as lot to dctcriorate
by storage or under different changes OF tem-
perature. Looking. however. simply tn the
results Of firing. we find that, In tho now rogu-
lation army field pioco OF 3.2-inch calibre. the
extraordinary initial velocity of 2.430 feet has
been secured at Sandy Hook with charge OF
Leonard smokeess powder. Side by sde with
this record may be put that which was achieved
on Friday with tho 5-inch segmc tai wire gun.
when charge of twenty pounds OF Leonard
powder gave to sixty-two round projectilo
tho enormous muzzle velocity Of 1856 feet
per second.
Most OF the leading foreign countries have
their smoked powders for magazine guns
and also for field artillery. and In some cases
for heavy naval guns. In the small arms the
initial velocity sought is usually little moro
than 1000 feet. Tho velocity impaired to tho
Krag -J0rgcnscn gun, with tho Wetteren pow
ia IN, hn ii-h horhpoi n - MN fanf Tho
Austrian Mannlicher. using the S.hwub- Rubin
powder. manufactured at Blnman. has at
tanned about :. 034 feet Of initial velocity with
+2.4 grains OF powder ami hui ct weighing
German Manncher. The English cordte has
been used both in small arm cartridges and il
guns OF large Galibre; 4 pound OF cprdite viii
nearly four pounds OF black powder, In an
Armstrong finch gun an initial velocity, q
is certainly remarkable. and serves as good
basis for c9mpaIson NTH th' extraordinary
in the brown segm entail gun
The French Gloss powder in the Iebel
~ s s Is S The to xkS sSS
1893 icet With g., charge Of aTcnt . grains
com ended for good qualities in r not Over
stlainns Or badly fGultnE the piece The
serYiceatle. and the strain on tie mount il
said to be reduced by its use. The swedish
smoked powder. anyrite. mas given 2.O44
feet initial velocity with the altered bennington
rife. using. charge o. 53.23 grains an a hull
let Of "a grains. with pressure per square
considered excessive, for the gun. and the
powder was so modified AS to get 2O99 feet
with "a grains and 4 chamber pressure OF
1873 grains. Asa charge for ra Id lire guns
apyrite has produced somo good results. LIS
rounds with Epoupd osro!e"tilis in Fins.
with H. i6 tons pressure.
The very promising and in some respects
excellent results achieved ny the Maxim. gel
have been frequently spoken Of. The Monroe
powder. made ut Newport for experiments IN
naval guns. has achieved great success. IN
II 4-Inch rapid fire gun a charge OF % pounds
lochy OF 100 feet and a pressure Of only Ii
tons. In 5-inch rapid fire gun. lO!. pounds
impaired velocity OF 2.5iO feet to n 90 pound
rrojrctile; with lo.2 tons pressure. this being
formnnces OF smok eless powders. In 6-iDch
gun. charge Of 2l pounds. with lOO-p pound
proIectile. and pressure OF "a tons. achieved
an initial velocity OF 300 feet.
In order to COMPARE properly the Leonard
powders with others, il will be necessary to
wait for the carefully tahUlatcd results OF all
tho elements in the experiments still going on
inasr'uch asthe treasures must be considered
a. well as tho Initial velocities- 1t will al so
be necessary to observe the result OF many fir
ings on the condi ton ofthe gun. The segment
al wire gun under test there is a very heavy
piece. built expressly to Withstand enormous
pressures. so that II m ght not tie n stan dard
Of what charges and velocitcs could be prnc-
ttcable in ordinary guns Of the same libre;
velocity will lie attained with it. That viii
arouse attention all over the world.
But the general result Of the experiments
already is to give ground for the belief that
three American smokeless powders, which
will be among the best produced anywhere.