The times., 1898-12-28
new GUNS TO Be TRIED
War Department Plans for the
Experiment.
FOR THE FIELD SERVICE
Special Projectiies Provided = Au-
vntages Claimed for the Innosn-
tion-DiIcuIiy in Securing n Suit
able Carriage Several Designs
Subrnitted-Whut They VIII DO.

Two experimental three-fnch feld guns
are soon to be put through a series Of
tests by order of the War Department.
The field pieces have been designed to
take the place of the present 3.2-inch gun,
and. if satisfactory, will probably be
adopted for light artillery service.
One of the new guns has been con-
structed from a single forging which was
heated up and cooled from the interior
in order to produce the desired initial
tensions in the piece. The other gun is
made on the built-up plan. The purpose
of the important tests to be made is a
comparison of the relative value OF the
two weapons, to see which will yield the
better results.
Fifteen-pound projectiles have been pre-
pared Tor the new-caliber gun. The
weight OF the projectile for the present
3.2-inch gun is sixteen and a half pounds.
II is expected that a velocity of 1000 foot
seconds will be secured from the S-inch
piece. II such is realized, greater power
will be obtained than is now possible
from the 3.2-inch gun. The 1,600 foot
second velocity has been decided upon out
of consideration for the effect OF shrapnel
at $500 yards range. At this range the
energy necessary to infict dangerous
wounds upon horses with the small shrap-
mel shells should be 2S2 foot-pounds-
There is required for the smallest-sized
shrapnel bullets, forty-two 20 the pound,
a remaining velocity of S74 foot-seoonds.
This remaining velocity corresponds to a
muzzie velocity OF 1,600 foot
The War Department authorities state
that in addition to the fiatter trajectory of
the new 3-inch projectile. and the higher
remaining velOcities there is the still fur
ther advantage OF being able TO decrease
the weights of the bullets and shell frag-
ments. In order TO be effective, the shrap-
mel balls must possess certain striking
energy. This energy is the resultant of
weight and velocity. BY increasing the
velocity the weights may be decreased. 1t
is calculated that in remaining velocitics
the fragments of the 3-inch shell will sr-
ceed by per cent those of the 3.2-inch
projectile. This advantage of per cent is
on basis OF $500 yards range. The cor
responding advantage in energy will be
about u per cent, which latter advanta se
will permit of a reduction in weight of II
per cent without falling under the powers
of the present 16 l-2-pound shell. The
weight reduction will permit of carrying
l32 more rounds per battery of six guns.
The decrease in weight, even with these
additional l32 rounds, will be about L.
pounds per ammunition chest
The great difficulty which the ordnance
bureau anticipates will be experienced in
obtaining a suitable carriage for the new
fieldgun. A carriage will be required diff
fering materially from the one now in
service. In order TO be up to date it must
admit Of rapid fire. If one of the new 5
inch guns is fred from an ordinary car
riage there will be q recoil of at least Ten
feet. After each discharge the gun must
kNrk knv, ,se-
soon entail exhaustion on the part OF The
gun crews.
In the French service-and, II should bG
known, the French have probably the besi
field artillery in the world today-there is
a hydraulic buffer under the trail piece
The gun and carriage recoil on this cylin-
der. \ system of heavy spiral springs
which are fitted 10 the piston-rod, serve:
to return the gun and carriage. The recoi
is about twenty inches in length. In or.
der to hold the cylinder down there is fitted
spade device at the end of the trail. Or
the first discharge this spade is driven sol
idly into the ground. The recoil cylinder
and spade add some additional weight L
the carriage, which is in itself an objec
tion, but it is absolutely necessary TO tht
system. 1t is the opinion of American ord
nance experts that the carriage for the new
gun can be made much lighter than ex.
listing ones. There is the serious objec.
tion to the spade device that it is so EN-.
bedded in the ground by the recon as Il
make pointing of the gun by traversint
the carriage extremely difficult. To NEE
this objection it will be necessary TO pro
vide small traverse of the gun itself OF
the carriage. This arrangement is in yogu,
on the continent.
At first the opinion was held by the
chief of ordnance that do
vice would not be admissible in the Unit
ed States service owing TO the practice
of depending largely upon raw troops, ant
also to the fact that the guns would hayt
TO endure service over the very roughes
country. But as no better arrangement
has been brought forward, the trayersin.
device has had to be accepted. Under or.
ders of the War Department special car.
riages have been made for the two new
guns of various designs. The briggs Sea.
bury Company and the American Ordnanc,
Company will each submit carriages fol
test. In competition the War Department
will try foreign carriage known as The
Darmancier. A carriage specially design.
ed by the ordnance bureau will also b,
tried.
All OF the new carriages are of the non.
recoil type In the Darmancier carriag.
the recoil springs and the hydraulic cylin.
der are placed beneath the trail the cylin-
der being fixed in the ground by spade
In the remaining carriages the spade Is
fixed directly to the end of the trail. Al
of the carriages will permit of a train o.
eight degrees without disturbing the trail.
spade.
1t is expected that rate of fire O.
twenty shots per minute can be obtained
from the new gun when using the new
non-recoil carriage