The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-09-08
DEADLY WAR MISSILES.
Fired From the Giffard Gun and Pro.
PEELED by Carbonic Acid Gas.

Fired From the Giffard Gun and Pro.
PEELED by Carbonic Acid Gas.
The G;ffard gun, which was recent
~ tried at Nottingham by board of
English army officers, seems likely
to be the first gun which uses and
other propelling agent than powder
to attain anything like a practical
success. The propelling agent of M.
Paul Giffard's rifle IS liquified car
bonic acid gas. The gun itself is not
new, nor is the principle upon which
it is constructed. NJ Giffard has
had q gun before the public for more
than three years, but since that time
he has made several improvements
and considerably modified it in de-
tail The propelling agent which he
uses makes very little noise and no
smoke and leaves no odor. Only a
very slight recoil follows the dis
charge and the gun does not foul.
The propelling agent is always COM
pletely under the control of the per-
son handling the gun.
In appearance the Giffard gun is
something like Winchester shot
gun, according to the New York Sun.
1t has an ordinary octagon barrel,
underneath which is fitted Giffard
reservoir, as the magazine is called.
The reservoir is a steel cylinder
closed at one end and fitted at the
other end with valve. The reser-
voir contains supply of liquefed
carbonic acid gas at a pressure of
two tons to the square inch. sufficient
for from forty to sixty rounds, &C
cording as the gun is to be used at a
long or short range. These reser-
voirs are tested in the manufacture
up to three times the strength neces-
sary to hold the gas under pressure,
and are guaranteed to be perfectly
sound and safe. The special valve at
the end of the reservoir is so con-
trived that at each pull of the trig-
ger the regulated quantity of gas
enters the bullet chamb Der.
The rife is of the hammerless type,
and is neat in appearance and handy
in form. All the parts are inter-
changeable and can be replaced.
Such safety catch is used as is
ordinarily fitted on hammerless shot
guns. The throwing forward of the
lever, which serves also as the finger
guard, opens the bullet chamber for
the insertion of the bullet, which is
conical-shaped. It also cocks the
gun and moves the counter which
records the number of charges fired.
The same action places the gun at
''safe." By returning the lever to it's
position the bullet chamber is closed.
A movement releases the safety catch.
When the trigger is pulled and
the tumbler strikes the firing pin.
which presses against the valve of
the reservoir, opening it momentari :
ly. This permits the regulated
quantity of gas to escape into the
chamber, where it instantly expands,
forcing the proiectile through the
barrel with increasing impetus, until
it leaves the muzzle. The charged
reservoir may be kept for any time,
under any conditions OF climate,
without suffering deterioration or
waste.
The provision for informing the
user as to the number of charges fired
is rotating dial, on which an indi-
Gator marks at every tenth round
the number of charges remaining.
The rifle is especially adapted for
light shooting. and will kill at sixty
yards Its work is accurate, and it
gives good penetration Bullets
fired through one-inch boards were
flattened on the iron sheathing be-.
hind the target.