New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-13
AN IMPROVED CALLING GUN.

AN lMPRON Ell IA li>lNG GIN
OPERATED EY Az ELECTRIC MOTOR. IT FIRES
I.sOO SHOTS \ MINUTE
Washington Nov. IL (SpeciaD.-The Naval Rapid
Fire Gun Boaid of which Lieutenant ~ E. Mason
Is the senior member has submitted to Captain
Sampson Chief OF the Bureau OF Ordnance, a re-
port on the trial OF an improved eating gun. In Its
general features the gun Is the same as the thirty
calibre gun tested by the Board last year II DIFF
fers in important details. however The calibre OF
the improved invention Is 2j6 and the length OF the
barrels twenty-six inches. A change In the firing
mechanism has been made. and now the operating
Is done from the rght-hand barrel, Instead Of the
lower one. The change allows more time for the
operation Of the extractor and reduces the danger
of disabling the gun by hang-ires. A novel e.ec-
trical attachment IS used with the gun. which per-
mits OF about l'S" shots minute being hred re-
markable showing. The improved Calling under
went tests In competition with the Browning auto
matte gun, recently described in these dispatches
Later it Will have to meet several foreign inven-
tons The experiments with the eating gun began
with the firing OF 100 rounds deliberately This
followed by the discharging OF 100 rounds rapidly.
No time was taken for the first test, but in the
ond the record was nine seconds There were no
Interruptions 10 the firing Then twenty rounds
were discharged: time. three seconds. One mlsfre
occurred. Forty rounds were fired in five seconds.
fifty rounds In six seconds. 100 rounds In
onds, 200 rounds In thirteen seconds and 100 rounds
In thirty-seven seconds. There were no Interrupt
tons to the operation. One man operated the
crank ana two men were at the feed Later 400
rounds were fired In thirty seconds Without any
d!fhcplty, 46o shots fired in one minute.
IN the course OF the last case. contain
ING zen cartridges. split laterally. Then fo.-
lowed the firing OF 1W rounds deliberately. every
NTH cartridge being dummy The experiment
was satisfactory to the Board. Two hundred shots
win The extreme elevation and 300 shots with the
extreme depression were then discharged. the time
for the first being twenty four seconds and for the
latter twenty zone seconds. Win the barrel NOV
ing IN train and elevation. 200 rounds fired IN
thirty seconds without any interruption. In these
eXper'ments two men successfully operated me
OF the mechanism could be replaced test en-
sued Of taking out od and putting in new
Board nred the gun twenty times Win one lock
removed No interruption occurred, hut two un-
fired cartridges were throHn ont. Some al luck at
tended the attempt 10 nre the gun continuously IVi
five minutes y bullet became Jammed in one OK
the barrels, and in one chamber two cartridge
cases were found against the other, the heads
OF both having been pulled off. The jams were bat
temporary. The record OF the five minutes hrng
was 1859 shots forty OF which were satisfactory
hits The range 500 yards With the range az
1000 yards the number Of good hits was ten:
The Board then made experiments With the gun
attached 10 the breech OF the gun-casinS by an m
terrupted screw The electric current is regulated
by switch. and the connection with the hrng
mechanism made and broken by a push-button
held in the gunner's hand. The weight OF the motor
casing is 100 pounds their length. ri 3-s inches.
The additional length OF the gun when the motor Tor
central shaft from the breech when the motor Is
minute The Board says that several hundred
shots were fired. the only interruption beng due
that the action of the motor was smooth and reg
ular throughout.