Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-10
The NO|SELESS GUN,
SmokeIess Weapon Is to Be
Tested at Sandy Hook.
FIRED WITHOUT ANY POWDER

Uncle Sam to Have First Chance al
Weapon That Hurs 100000 Bullets
Hourly With No Danger of Burst
ins-cost Of Firing Said to Be Small.
The United States government has
completed arrangements with Fred
Bangerter, inventor Of the new noise
less and smokeless gun, whereby one
Of these destructive machines is to
have thorough trying out at Sandy
Hook, with the ultimate view of the
gun being taken over by the ordnance
department.
This gun, which is fired by some
mysterious power which. the inventor
declines to divulge, but which he says
is neither powder nor other explosive
nor compressed air, is capable of dis
charging 100000 bullets an hour
without recoiling or becoming over
heated and with absolutely no danger
Of bursting.
After two hour visit from Colonel
Birnie and Major Dickson of the army
ordnance board, recently. at which the
merits of the Bangerter gun were fully
discussed. the two officers requested
the inventor to build one of his guns
for tryout at Sandy Hook Mr.. Ban
gerter recently confirmed the news at
his home in Brooklyn. The new gun,
he said, will be Of such character
that for the preservation of life and
property it can only be tested on the
target range at the Hook.
Il am arranging now" said lie, ito
build gun that will send half inch
ball distance specified by Colonel
Brine and with sufficient velocity to
kill or dangerously wound a man. The
new gun will be made Of steel and the
parts will be perfect, so that the gun
can be worked to the highest speed re-
quired to fulfill the maximum demands.
The gun | have at present Is made of
brass in all its parts, and some Of the
parts are worn, so severe have been
the tests to which they have been sub.
| jected.
BRASS is much softer metal than
steel and will therefore not stand the
work that steel will. The bullets usG
now are solid steel, and, being much
lighter than lead, are not capable of
acquiring the velocity of the heavier
metal by large percentage The bull
| lets that will be used in the real trial
at Sandy Hook will be lead ineased in
steel. They will be heavy enough to
do the work properly"
| The inventor said he told the officers
everything about the gun except the
power which is used to discharge it.
He said they talked a long while about
1t, but eventually admitted that they
could not even venture conjecture as
to the power. Mr.. Bangerter made the
interesting disclosure that the Russian
government may take over the new in
vention if the United States does not
ter. Said he:
II know what have. No individual
can buy the secret, because it would
take too much money to pay for it.
Only national government could af-
ford to buy such thing, and am not
going to divulge the secret until l can
get an assurance from power able to
compensate me as think should be-
l have had all kinds Of offers made to
induce me to tell how l project those
bullets, but have also received a
proposition from a wealthy promoter
Of New York city who proposes to go
to Europe within few weeks and lay
the matter before Russia's war minister
This gentleman offers to pay his
own expenses and to furnish $4,000
with which to build complete gun,
mounted on an auto truck and equip.
ped with the necessary motive power
to operate truck and gun-that is, a
hundred horsepower motor. He has
transacted business with the Russian
government and is well acquainted
with high officials there"
4 Other governments are also after the
gun, according to the inventor. He is
disposed to give the United States the
first chance, he said. but he added:
/ ut is the experience of all who have
any invention to offer to the United
States that the delay is disheartening
! I have had an extensive cable CORE
spondence with London, in which !
right, provided the gun will stand the
British government test A months
option was requested by cable, but out
: of courtesy to the chief Of the United
States war ordnance board I declined
to give an option to the Englishman
cabled him that would consider the
proposition. You see. there are severa!
good reasons why am anxious to get
some kind of an intimation from Uncle
Sam that he will do business If can
provide the gun describe. OF course
even after the transaction reaches the
stage where an appropriation is asked
} for by General Crozier, 1t will take
, congress months if not years to pass
upon 1t, and the delay might so mill
tate against consideration by othe,
powers that may be prevented from
making any kind of deal with either
one of them"
No date has vet been fixed for the