The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-08-07
A WONDERFUL
N0|SELESS GUN

The following rather remarkable ac-
count of a noiseless gun is published
in apparent good faith by Arms and
the Man, paper devoted to National
Guard and military matters:
Without any sound except the patter
of bullets as they made holes through
targets constructed of pine boards, 100
shots second were discharged from a
noiseless and powderless gun in the
loft of the Standard Meter Company S
factory, at 245 Robinson street, Flat,
bush, New York, on July IL.
At the demonstration, which was
made by the inventor of the gun, Fred
erick Bangerter, mechanical engi-
neer, of 21S1 Bedford avenue, were
several mechanical experts, who had
been especially invited to witness the
test.
No one was permitted to inspect the
gun, which was completely hidden by
a wooden enclosure constructed around
it in corner of the loft. Not even
the muzzle of the weapon could be
seen. Through hole in the easement
Mr.. Bangerter dumped the steel bull.
let's.
Before the demonstration began Mr..
Bangerter explained that his invention
does not require explosives of any
kind and that compressed air has moth
ing to do with the discharge of the
bullets. The mechanism, he explained,
is simple-so simple, in fact, that any
one with a bent for machinery would
understand it if once permitted to ex.
anime the gun.
Power from 7-horse power electric
which discharged the bullets This
ran from the fly wheel of the motor
through an opening in the easement
and over another wheel which was con.
nected with the guns mechanism.
No sound except the whirl of the
when the power was turned on. Mr..
Bangerter did not enter the little room
housing the weapon.
Into the hopper he poured the bullets
and from the hidden muzzle of the gun
came the steel bullets. There was no
explosion, no smoke and no click of
shells being forced empty from the
magazine. The only sound that came
x
bullets into the funnel.
For ten seconds the bullets were fed
into the gun. The spectators, crouch
ing behind a wooden partition that had
been erected to protect them from re-.
bounding shots, saw the target, which
was about ten feet square and sixty
feet away, riddled with holes within
second after the rain of steel began
to rattle on the half inch pine boards.
The bullets were B-inch diameter.
Within two seconds there was big
gaping hole in the center of the target.
Five feet in the rear of the first target
was a second target, also constructed
of half inch pine, and behind that, five
feet away, was third. Having demo.
lished the first obstruction the bullets
tore through the second, and when the
power was turned off, the third target
was riddled with bullets.
Mr.. Bangerter explained that the
test had been highly successful. The
demonstration yesterday was made
with the second gun constructed by Mr.
Bangerter. The first discharged small
shot.
Mr.. Bangerter, who is thirty-tiye
years old and native of Switzerland
for a noiseless, powderless gun by DR.
William II. Marsh, of Flatbush, whose
| tragic death from rabies six weeks
ago is still remembered. DR.. Marsh was
| the president of the Standard Meter
| Company. After the success of the
| first gun Dr. Marsh became financially
interested in the second.
81 have no intention of taking out
patents on the gun or placing it on the
Market" Mr.. Bangerter said 81
| realize that it would be too deadly O
weapon to place within the reach OF
| every one.
"After the gun for the sixteenth
inch bullet is completed / shall open
negotiations for its sale. OF course the
United States hall have the first
chance. / have already received an
offer from an English syndicate. They
want me to construct a gun that will
come up to the British government re-.
quirements that the bullets penetrate
"A pine board one inch in thickness at
distance of 800 yards.
HThe gun which / shall build next
will do all this and be capable of dis.
charging 500 shots a second or 10000 a
minute. To drive this gun 100 horse
power will be necessary. By the time
the new gun is completed will have
ready a specially constructed auto
truck on which the weapon win be
mounted.
"Unless the power broke down it
would be impossible for the enemy to
capture one of these gum, which are
so simple that they can be mounted
on swivel and swung to any point OF
the compass. Two men, one operating
the engine Supplying the power and
the other directing the gun, couid
stand off 100000 men,"
o-.--a.a-- ..-- 1900