The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-20
time when the theory Of the gradual CIV
ing way of built-up guns under repeated
firlng was prevalent. and their behavior
in proof was carefully observed.
MUZZLE OUT OF TRUE.

| in proof was carefully observed.
! MUZZLE OUT OF TRUE
| Greatly 10 the disuaay OF the ordnance
| authorities one of the first of these guns
| when returned from the proving ground.
| was found to have sprung. go that the
nuzzle was several hundredths Of an inch
ont Of true.
1t was feared that this was but the be-
ginning Of an action which. after awhile,
would disable the gun, and it was deter
mined TO learn the worst at once.
20 the gun was returned to the provins
ground, with orders to FIRE il 10D rounds
more.
This was done. and. TO every ones re-
lief, 1t was found that no further bend
Ing had occurred. 1t was demonstrated
that the fault lay in the forgtngs Of that
particular gun and not OF all In tho System
or construction or tho design.
wa. also q favorite superstition among
the steel to crystalline and become so
weakened az finally TO burst under
strains which It easily withstood when
new.
Nothing in experience with guns has yet
confirmed this theory. and the experiment
made at the Washington gun factory some
years ago, when w1re-Eun construction was
heilg Tavorebiy considered. seems to dis
prove II.
Pieces OF the wire (of square section.
oEe-:enth of an inch on the side were
suspended, each carrying IA weight suf-
flcient 10 strain Il almost TO the ein stic
limit and We're kept in constant vibration
Icy q taper worked by the power shaf;inS.
After months Of this combined stres;
showed no sign OF any change in physical
characteristics.
We need have no fear then. Of any sud
den failure CT our present-day guns.
Accidents may always disable a. gun. as,
for example the premature explosion Of a
shell may score the bore and enlarge. or
even burst. the thin part near the muzzle;
fDrfS yuit a q N . en-
Of the old srnooth-bOres, the useful life
10 determined by the progress Of the ero-
sive action Of the powder charges.
1t Is true that with the large charges
now used the wearing away Of the rifling
and the Euttering OF the bore are much
more serious than they used to be- and
rapid. but their progress is gradual and
there are means OF postponing the final
result Of destroying the gums accuracy.
POWDER ERODED BORE.
Even before smokeless powders came
into use the large charges OF brown pow
der were found to very rapidly erode the
bore.
This occurred especially in large guns
just forward Of the powder chamber. 30
that the projectile could be pushed further
and further into the gun without its ro-
tating band bringing up against the r.
With smokeless powders containing
large percentage OF nitroglycerin. ouch
as the cordite still ueed4 in English guns.
this action is 20 rapid that after even
seventy-ive or eighty rounds the pro5ec-
tile sometimes Is not properly rotated by
the rihinG. the muzzle velocity falls on
greatly and the accuracy OF the gun 10
fatally impaired.
To partly meet this difficulty, or rather
to postpone its consequences. strips OF
copper called ausmentins strips are FUR.
nished to be bent around the rotating band
and hammered into its grooves. thus in
creasing its diameter
Further wear. however. soon makes this
remedy imperative, and then there IL
nothing left to do but to send the gun
back TO the factory TO have lining tube
Various explanations have been given
ical action, Others supporting II to be
purely mechanical securing action. Many
remedies have been proposed for il.
Sir Hiram Maxim. thinking IT was
,n ntss n 'ss sna
ed a gas checking arrangement, which
goes over the be p of the pro1ectiie ana
stops any leakage past 1t.
His invention whether It would be ef-
ncient or not. and 1t probably would not,
has not been adopted
experience and that is that the most i'm
portant factor in erosion Is temperature:
the higher the temperature OF the powder
geees the greater their erostye action. This
It i.. more than anything else. which com
smokeless powder.- which. the United
States. a. well as France and Russia, now
usc.
II happens that the temperature Of COM
bustjo5 81 yurcotton' IN not only many
hundreds Of degrees lower tnan that OF