Arizona republican., 1899-04-08
LIFE OF MODERN GUNS
Slight Deterioration in Ordnance Re-
sulting from War.
The Mistaken Idea That the Great
Cannon Are Worn Out After Be
ing Discharged One Hum
drcd Times.

! L.
reports Of the ordnance officers OF
board he vessels engaged i'll the K
cent war. spoke freely and ia an IL
IteTesting way when asked To s-,y what
IS the life Of i gun as now unde rstOed
in the navy, and what pcinta were Ia
cicated by ne practice OF the modern
guns in the course Of the months of the
Spanish war.
The life of p gun" said he sis very
uncertain period to determine just now.
There never was any ground for assert
ing that guns life was limited % 1GO
discharges from it. for At any time
there would b. differences III The weight
of powder used in Il discharge, and. Of
course, differences in the effects of
charges d different weights OF powder.
From the experience OF tho las sum
mer in the navy. and in the use Of Our
modern guns, it may be a&id that an
inapprcciabe amount Of deterioration
has been discovered in the pieces OF all
calibers. There has been TO thought of
Withdrawing any GUN because it had
been fired Il stated number Of times AID
should therefore be regarded rs I'M
safe to use. Trifing erosion has been
noticed in the rifing at the brccch. but
not enough to impair the efficiency Of
t he piece, and 10 indication OF strain
to suggest that it would be unsafe long
er to use it.
To show you how mistaken any
popular idea is that The gun is worn
out or dangerous at tie one hiindredth
discharge l may say that some OF the
largest guns, l3-inch. and 12-inch, have
been fired as many as 500 times. IN prac-
lice and in action. yet they are just as
sound. practically. as they were when
they were brought ont Of the gun fac
tOfy. OF course the smaller pio ces
many Of them have fred two or three
times 800 rounds. and they are still
sound and free from serious impair
ment from erosion. This erosion is
caused by the effects Of gas developed
in the powder chamber at tie time Of
The discharge. and is shown in slight
scratches at first. then in deeper chan
nels about the rifling. and eventually it
might so destroy the riHirg as to i'm
pair the accuracy CT the piece in action
without cndangering life from bursting
OF the piece. That danger is very re-
mote with all the guns now il use in the
navy.
In he British navy, where corGi te is
used. the destruction Of The core OF the
gun by erosion is1nuch more rapid than
It is with the guns in the United States
navy, which have been using cid pow
der until now. The use OF s1lCkeIess
powder may wear the guns more quick
ly, but that is to be ascertaired. But
in the British navy the precaution is
taken to make the guns so that their
life may be indefinitely prolonged
This is done by building the gums with
a core that is TO lie bored oct when the
erosion has been so great IS to Indicate
the necessity for replacing the core. and
a new core is put in to secure accuracy
and assure the proper resistance.
Lieut.. Col. Shalcr. of the ordnance de-
partment office of the war department,
said that it would be difficult to say
what the life OF the modern guns CT the /
army will be, as the army has not had
the opportunity to put the new guns tc |
business tests to ascertain their long |
evity.
THE old cast-iron guns. it was the I
tradition, were unfit for further use |
after about 100 discharges. Then it de- |
pended upon the weight Of powder |
charges used whether the life was to be /
shorter or longer. The guns now pro !
vided fer the army are much more dura-
BILE and capable CT resisting destructive
influences than the old ordnance. Iua-
derstand that in the British army the /
that modern guns Of large |
cahbers are only used for about 1UC
rounds as they are built. The rapid .
erosion Of the piece by the cCrdite used
in that service dCpriVes the gun OF its
without, l should say. MAX
ing it dangerous to those who might
use it. To protect the piece from the
erosion the core is made with the idea
that it shall be bored out when the
erosion is so great as to indicate the
need fer renewal of the part and thus
suppose the life of the gun may be
prolonged Indefinitely With the eight
nch gun the limit OF usefulness is con
sidcred passed when $50 rounds have
been fired from it,
There is small danger of accident
rom the bursting of guns from over
use. The strains are observed and
when The channels e erosion become
we'll marked the gun would be with
lrawn. The probability is that most Of
he guns now in use CT in position 70 be
Used will be withdrawn because they
rave become obsolete or out Of the
ashton. rather than because they have
become worn out by service. Vt the
lose of the war Of the rebellion we en-
idcrcd our ordnance as good as a..v-
hing in the world. Now it is compara-
lively harmless. fit only I @ adorn grave :
ards and to he set up here and there
0 protect positions that can never i7c
cached by ships carrying heavy or
Ong-rangc guns..N. !. Times.