The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-03

A WONDERFUL
NO|SELESS Gun
Uses Neither Explosives Nor
Compressed Air to
Shoot.

1 Inc following rather 1eiDdrhdUle dC-
count of noiseless gun is published
in apparent good faith by Arms and
the Man, a 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 a second were discharged from
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
eriek Bangerter, a 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
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
ran a funnel shaped hopper into which
Mr.. Bangerter dumped the steel bull,
lets.
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 bent for machinery would
understand it if once permitted to ex-
anime the gun.
Power from a 7-horse power electric
motor supplied the propelling force
which discharged the bullets. This
power was transmitted by belt which
ran from the fly wheel of the motor
through an opening in the easement
and over another wheel which was con-
nected with the gun s mechanism.
No sound except the whirl of the
wheel came from the gun enclosure
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
The only sound that came
from the gun was the dropping of the
bullets into the funnel
For ten seconds the bullets were fed
into the gun. The spectators, crouch
ing behind 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
a second after the rain of steel began
to rattle on the half inch pine boards.
The bullets We're as-inch diameter.
Within two seconds there was a 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 |
yesterday was made
with the second gun constructed by Mr.. |
The first discharged small |
shot.
Mr.. Bangerter, who is thirty five |
years old and native of Switzerland, |
was encouraged to continue his studies |
for a noiseless, powderless gun by DR.. |
William III. 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 DIR. Marsh became financially |
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 I
weapon to place within the reach or
every one.
After the gun for the sixteenth
inch bullet is completed / shall open
for its sale. Of course the
United States hall have the first
chance | have already received an
offer from an English syndicate. They I
want me to construct gun that will |
come up to the British government re-
guirements that the bullets penetrate
a pine board one inch in thickness at
a distance of 500 yards.
''The gun which I shall build next
viii do all this and be capable of dis
500 shots second or 10000 a
minute To drive this gun 120 horse
power viii be necessary. By the time
the new gun is completed / will have
ready a specially constructed auto
truck on which the weapon viii be
"Unless the power broke down it
would be impossible for the enemy to
capture one of these guns, which are
so simple that they can be mounted
on a swivel and swung to any point of
the compass. Two men, one operating
the engine Supplying the power and
the other directing the gun, could
stand off 100000 men"