The evening times., 1899-07-08
TESTING RAp1D-F1RE GUMS.
Sixty PFojectiIes q Minute From G
New War Engine.

new war Engine.
Derby. Conn, July S.-There was mimic
war here yesterday, and rapid-hre guns
were booming, punetuated. from time to
time. with sounds like the rattle Of mus
kerry from a new automatic machine gun.
Every available carriage in Derby did yeo-
mans service in conveying distinguished
party of spectators and officials to the
proving grounds of the briggs -Seabury Gun
and Ammunition Company. where several
wickedIookng weapons were quietly
awaiting their debut.
The first shot was fired from a new semi
| automatic 6-pounder, built for the navy.
| The projectile was of the armor- piercing
! type, and, with muzzle velocity OF 2,6Go
| feet a second, went through a 3-inch ar
| NOR plate as though it were pastebOard.
| A 6-pounder, on parapet mount, built for
the army, then followed. attaining prac
tically like muzzie velocity and pene
trating power.
| Then the semi-automatie gun fired sew
eral rounds as a test for rapidity.
| The result was new record for rapid
! fire guns of the 6-pounder calibre, sixty
| per minute. The record before this was
thirty five This demonstrates the import
| ant part these guns will play in the na-
| tonaf defence.
| vi tulS the lbdLuI6 WAS lut SlcdL
| record attained by the 6-pounder semi
automatic. Though this principle has been
successfully tried in machine guns it has
| never before been applied, in this country,
to calibres as large as the 6-pounder, and
| its success marks an epoch in rapid fire
| guns.
Novel features of this new weapon are
its simplicity, rapidity of fire, and the re-
duced crew that can operate it. The semi
ftn i- lhtn rad I--y nF
small lug attached to the end Of the
| rock shaft, which opens and closes the
breach, and a stout steel spring. AS the
gun is fired and recoils the lug moves to
the rear, wedging a cam plate outward
against the action of a spring.
On the counter recoil the lug comes in
contact with the cam surface, causing the
rock shaft to rotate and opening the
breech block; at the same time the extrac-
tor elects the empty cartridge case and
serves to hold open the breech. The in
Gertion of new cartridge causes The ex-
tractors to release the block, which moves
upward by the compression OF the spring.
The gun may be fired either upon the
closing OF the breech OF by pulling the
trigger.
This 6-pounder or the army has Teen
designed for the defence of the mine fields
and, as such, its particular sphere is to
mored vessels attempting to destroy the
torpedoes defending the harbors. The OBJ
ject of the type is to permit the gun 10 be
fired from behind a parapet with the same
facility and rapidity as a 6-pounder upor
a naval mount aboard ship. and yet to bt
readily unlocked and transported 70 the
point where it is desired TO concentrat,
the fire.
Its breech mechanism is of the Drigg!
pattern, and embodies the improvement!
which experience in the development o.
! the former design has shown 10 be advan.
tageous
The number of parts has been greatly
reduced and simplifed. The mechanism
consists of only ten parts. but as the firing
mechanism is removed and replaced entire
there are only six parts 10 be handled II
, mounting or dismounting
With its recoil top carriage. the gun i:
mounted upon field carriage having ar
, adjustable spade at the end OF the trail
. and an eye under the axle. When firing
! from the parapet a V-shaped anchorage
!, is hooked into the eye. and the two end:
are secured to the parapet-
With this mount the gun has no ten
) | dency TO jump and can consequently b'
I fired with great rapidity.
2 For this service the spade is thrown Gu
OF action. and a roller in the trail make.
, the training of the gun easy. When frIn:
on soft ground the spade is used, and this
together with the recoil of the gun upoI
the carriage, thus softening the blow, sup
presses the movement OF the carriage eve
rhe prouud