Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-16
GUN WITHOUT A REC0IL
Iowa Physician Thinks He Has
Solved the Problem By .
"Gas Muxxle.o


In the Ninth Regiment armory, In West
Fourteenth street, New York. there is on
exhibition a rapid firing gun known as
fool proof" because its inventor thinks
II impossible to put II out of order. 1t has
another unusual feature. in that the gases
from the exploding powder are not only
used to propel the projectile but are utilized
to overcome the kick of the piece. The
inventor of the gun is an Iowa physician.
S. N. MCLEAN.
Hitherto expensive and heavy machinery
has been employed to take UP this rscoil.
Water chambers. oil chambers and springs
are among the devices, but no one has
utilized the power of the gun itself not
only to check the recoil but to reload and
fire the piece.
II has been estimated that with every
one pound gun an energy Of l5o pounds to
the square inch is expended, of which only
a little more than six pounds is used in
firing the projectile. All the rest Is waste.
DR.. McC1ean's device to use this waste IS
what is known as a gas muZzle" TO be
fastened on the forward end of the gun.
In effect it takes up the power of the waste
gases and exerts a forward pulling force
as the projectile passes out.
The doctor also planned to use some OF
the gases TO reload and fire the gun, and up
in a tube directly under the barrel he has a
simple little engine that does this work.
AS consequence all recoil absorbing de-
vices are eliminated, the gun IL just so
much lighter, 1t always remains fixed on
the target and the one pound rapid firing
piece can send something like 100 shots a
minute.
one of the exhibits of DR.. MCLEAN Is a
photograph of a target which was anchored
in Lake Erie 1,0oo yards from shore at
Cleveland last May. The target was by
l6 feet. The number of shots fred at 1t
from shore was Us, and OF these no less
than 1s9 struck the target with the wind
blowing twelve miles an hour. Ninety Of
these shots were fired in fifty-eight seconds.
The gun was an ordinary field piece
mounted on wheels.
DIT. McCiean's gas muzzle is a pear shaped
device that is screwed on the front OF the
gun II has in II a series of circumferential
grooves with little vents. AS the gas
comes pouring out 1t enters this muzze,
passes through the grooves and out Of the
little holes In it's passage 1t simply pulls
| the gun forward with energy. nicely
| calculated, equal TO the power of the kick.
Before the gases reach the muszle part
of them are let into tube below to operate
| the reloading machine, which consists
chiefly of a long spiral spring.
| Another advantage which Il claimed for
| this gas muzzle is that 1t does away with
| tho great zone of disturbance that exists
: at the muzzle of a gun when 1t is fired and
! through which the projectile Is compelled
| TO pass It is something like playing
! stream through a garden hose. Send the
| stream straight through the nozzle and II
will break down or inJure the plants. Spray
| IL and the water does no damage. This Is
said to be what happens when the guns
gases are sent through the muzzle. They
are sprayed out into the air and do not
interfere with the flight Of the projectile.
DIR. MCLEAN did not stop with the in
vention of his muzzle. He has. he thinks,
! found a way TO overcome the dangerous
| heating OF a gun. He has "knurled" the
gun. that is. he has cross-grained the
piece by a series OF cuts which give II a
large radiating surface that enables IL to
throw off the heat rapidly.
| Not long ago the government made an
| appropriation for the purchase Of $50 rapid
| firing guns on designs by American in
! ventors. The authorities at Sandy Hook
have been experimenting with the MCLEAN
gun for several months Neither the ex-
perts nor the Mclean people will talk
| about the feature OF the case. IL II known.
| however. that all sorts OF severe tests were
applied to the MCLEAN invention. Other
governments. notably England, have ex-
amined the gun, and 1t was exhibited last
spring 10 President Diaz OF Mexico by the
inventor and Major General Joseph
| Wheeler. retired. who is president OF the
concern that is making these guns.
The gas muzzle can be attached its in
ventor says. to revolvers, shotguns, noun
tain pieces. field pieces and the heaviest
artillery.-New York Sun.
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