New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-27

The notable difference between the sponsei Al
other rapd-hre guns Is In the breech biocR' "mo"
carries all the moving parts-he firing pin. shell ex
tractors and locking and operating apparatus Ihere
are no screws i'm the brooch block while In the Hocn
Hiss there are six and in the Drggsschroeder twelve
The Sponsel gun has the advantage OF an operating
lever I'm the centre the OF the brecch block IN
the direct line OF recoil which at right angles
to it, This arrangement removes the necessity ior
Il special locking device to prevent the block being
thrown by rccoil before the powder Is all burned
The sponsel gun has two eXractorS, one on each
side OF the shell. shells extracted by direct
pull. which avoids cumming" source OF no little
trouble and delay in handling guns OF this character
The breech block does not extend beyond the end q
the gun In recent experiments at Hartford tho
breech block was dismounted. taken apart, reassem
tled. replaced In the gun and made ready for nrng
I'm seventeen sec0nds-a wonderfully short ume
Directness Of action Of handling. economy in
construction and durability. arising from the fact
that II strikes right angles the surface OF the
cartridge. rather than with oblique blow, renders
the firing pin Of great simplicity and value.
In the sponsel gun there but twenty parts.
The IIotchklss gun thirty-two, and the DrsScs.
schroeder ffty-two This fact makes the construc-
ton simple and durable for service purposes and
materially lessons the cost and difficulty Of manu-
facture The arrangement Of the breech bOck-the
absence of which in other guns has long been recoR.
nzcd n serious Developments the hand OF the
man feeding the cartridges being caught in the block
and injured.
Lieutenant Eames. inspector Of naval ordnance at
the Pratt IL Whitney works. recently tested the
spDnsel gun, and in report 10 the Navy Department
stated that, In his opinion. it would become very
formidable rival Of the best rapld-ire guns now In
Use in tbs country and abroad. Referring 10 the
results Of the Of the gun Lieutenant Eames
said With the exception Of a slight sluggish move
ment when detective cartridges purposely used.
the performance of the gun without defect Of
any kind. As regards facility OF loading, the gun
has all the advantages Of Others In which light blocks
are used. Tie design OF the gun permits great lat-
tude I'm workmanship and a large clearance for dirt.
The elective Is stronger tran that in gun OF y
callbre known to All the parts Of the mechan-
ism are contained In the breech block. which he
removed from the gun I'm two seconds. The firing
pin Is in piece and can be removed and replaced
by merely taxing out the scar. The action Of the
extrucors Is directly parallel TO the axis Of the
bore. and their elements are 50 disposed as 10 make
accuracy easy OF attainment. Each extractor is avaa
be for either side Of the gun. There are no
screws I'm the brcech mechanism, and with the excep
ton of one which does little work. all springs are
spiral No tool Is required for dismounng or as
semblng the breech mechanism.
THE price charged by Pratt IL whitney for .
single model gun-S5OO-was low one. In view Of
the fact that in such work many operations require
guns the operation would require only 4 few
minutes The small cost Of the Sponsel gun. coupled
with It's general simplicity and efficiency. appears
bring 1t into the front rank OF those OF It's class