New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18

In each Of these the record shows the average
rate of the piece for the three tests. Now comes
the new briggs gun. with its rate of five rounds
in four seconds. thus more than doubling the
best Of the above rates. That is showing a rate
of seventy-fve shots minute. The BORE cham
Der, loading and sighting of the gun are
the same in the original briggs Schroeder.
and therefore 1t must of necessity have the
same accuracy, range, etc. To give idea of
what can be accomplished for accuracy with q
g. FOUNDER gun of this make, the record made
with the Driggs-Schroeder at Sandy Hook may
seem incredible, but. according to the official
record in the report of the Army Chief of Ord
nance for 1894, ten shells were fired at the tar
get at the range OF one mile; all struck the tar
get. the mean deviation from the centre being
only one foot one inch, and every shot was put
in circle Of three feet radius. Four shells
passed through practically the same hole. This
firing deliberate. When firing for accuracy
and rapidity, the record shows that at one mile
ten consecutive shot put into the target
IN one minute and thirty-six and One-half sec
onds, and all We're inside Of a circle of six feet
radius. Both Of these records were made with
out the OF telescope sights.
Perhaps the ordinary marksmen OF the Army
Navy cannot always accomplish the same re-
suits. but they may be relied upon to come
pretty close to ii. A torpedo boat attaching
must come within three hundred yards of her
object in order to secure anything like a reason
able chance OF success If, then, ten shots can
be put into circle of six feet radius in minute
3612 seconds at a mile, the effect at three nun
dred yards may easily be imagined especially
enty-five rounds minute.
HOW THE GUN WORKS
AS the name implies. the shell or projectile of
this gun weighs six pounds. 1t is loaded with
powder and has a percussion fuse which ex-
plodes the shell upon impact. This and the firing
charge are together in cartridge, like the
ordinary pistol or shoulder rife cartridge on a
large scale. These are inserted in the chamber
by hand. AS the cartridge is placed the
gun closes, fires, recoils and the breech opens,
eiecting the empty case and leaving the gun
ready TO receive another load.
II il is not desired to the full automatic
feature. the gun pointer releases his hold on
the trigger until such time he wishes to fire,
then, by pulling the trigger, as he finds his piece
bearing the target, the gun fires, again re-
coils and, the counter recoil opens and
elects the empty case, and before leaves the
gun ready for new load. The automatic feat
may be entirely put out of operation by
simply throwing up a small handle, when the
gun can be worked ordinary hand work.
ing gun, and deliberately wanted.
In accomplishing these results nothing has
been sacrificed to simplicity; in fact, the gun
has fewer parts than the hand working guns,
no screws to come out at the critical moment,
and the whole mechanism be assembled or
taken down without the use of any special tools
The trials of the gun have extended over
the last three months, and were gratifying
TO the naval ordnance experts that an order has
been promptly placed for ffty-one of them for
mounting on the six gunboats Of the Den
yer class now building. This order Will be fol-
lowed by the manufacture of double that num-
Der for the little gunboats in the philippines as
soon as the next naval appropriation becomes
available.