Arizona silver belt., 1893-08-26
Impot,ani Test. er Naval eaus and o,di
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Y. Baa.y

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 The l3-inch gun, the largest rifle sSer made for the navy and the largest that is likely to be made for some lime to come, Is soon to be tested at Indian Head. Twelve of these guns arc iieed- ed for vessels now uBder construction, four each going to the battle shps IR- diana, Massachusetts and Oregon But the Iowa, which IS still larger, is to csLry l2-inch rifles as her heaviest cali bre. Our Naval Bureau of Ordinance has asked to build 16-inch gun, but since 20 ship is under construction or in contemplation which is designed for such weapon, it is not likely to be built The various mishaps which have attended the firing of ll0-ton guns in the British naval service, and the crowning disaster to the Victoria, which WAS armed with them, will not give them much further favor here or there, although Italy uses them on her vessels.
 The ls-iheh gun is nearly 10 feet long, sad hts diameter Of little over feet at the breech and of 2l inches at the muzzle 1t Is constructed on the built-up principle adopted both by tho navy and the army, in which central steel tube has shrunk upon it bands or iRekefs flaf fit exactly. The projectile nj ordinary uss will weigh l loo pounds and viii be propelled by change of 55O pounds of powder.
 The coming ,sfmor tests arc also very ihtsresliag. One of tnem win be that of a l8-isclf IIafYeyi1od plate, repre- sentag E part Of tie afnor of the ailsg Another test will be that of nefSoyized hickel-steel plate. repre- sentihg portion of the armor of tho Puritan. Here a particularly interest iDg comparison Is possible, inasmueh as u portion of the aruior of this vessel nas been made of nickel steel without surface hardening and portion of the saine arnor Haryeyized, so that tic comparison of the resisting qualities will ij' eefy instructive.
 Later in the autumn, at Sandy Hook, the long waited competitive test of sntall ealibre rapid-fire guns will take place The entries thus for are the Hotclsisaf Dflggs-Schroeder, Sealutyj Nordenfeldt, aAd Sponsol six-pound- CTS. The trial will B9 most thorough one, covering perhaps from 100 to 200 rounds Sith each gun, and dstermin- ing both its ra,idity and it's accuracy.
 The progressive triais'of the Brown segnental gua and also of the smokeless powders increase in interest as they are subjected to more and more advanced tests. The Brown gun has shown remarkable ability to stand heavy charges producing high yelocities and to resist great pressures. The Leon ard srnkeless powder, eH American in- yention, has given some excellent re- suits. A charge of only P pounds of it in the 3,20-inch steel field gun se- cured the great initial velocity of 2, 43S  feet per second. The projectile weigh sd l3l pounds, so that it developed a remarkable energy for that calibre of gun. The pressure, which was 30, $50 pounds, was sustained by the gun with entire satisfaction
 The trials of disappearing gun carri- ages are also doubtless to be continued, since not'all the patterns proposed have teen thoroughly tested, and tho matter isone of prime importance in coast de- fence An interesting experiment is also to be made in the assembling of the new nickel-steel gun. It is conf dently expected that the construction of ordnance of steel, having nickel alloy, will be as noteworthy in it's way as has been its introduction into the naiinfacthre of arms. But, in addi- hon, the Sellers plan constructs the gnn of fewer pieces and puts them to- gether in horizontal as well as in a vertical position. Thus new system 5f gun construction, as we'll as new ia'sseFial is involved ia tl,is method