The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-20
VELOCITY Of A
SPEEDING BULLET
Interesting Facts for Per
sons Having Guns
s-1>y Ia Tell How las; Missile Is
Travelling Nhrn it Leaves
Weapon.

Persons It all Interested IN gun
firing = any kind. whether # tho
revolver Or rifle or Of heavy ordnance
~ any sort. occasionally come anon
the term "m0zzIe velocity" and vcloc-
tiles II the missile At stated distances
How ian anybody tell how fast {.
bullet IS travelling when i leaves the
f1uzzle of a weapon i ! Uh-ly
comment On the part Of the lay
man.
As a matter Of fact, his approx
mate Ne!oclt5 III the missile may ae
one Of the easiest OF determinations u
make
In the first place 4 drun-like cylin-
der IS made Of txed diameter and Il
sufficiently stiff APPEL u allow of It
revolving rapidly 81 a spindle, Using
4 cylinder Of small circumference It
is necessary that the speed approach
1000 revolutions 4 minute. These
revolutions are produced hy electric
power and the count is made by an
exact mechanical register.
The gun IS placed securely ], the
required distance from the drum and
Is sighted directly nj the center II
the cylinder, which IS spinning IT 50
many rods-eNen. miles "a mInut. A.
its circumference determines with
the drum's speed adjusted. an electric
current discharges the weapon. the
bullet striking the center Of the drum
as measured from top to bottom.
The reade understands that with
the drum stationary the bullet would
pass directly through it on the line
OF its diameter, coming out on the
other side with scarcely a shade Of
impeachment. With the drums peri
phery whiriing at the rate Of 1000
revolutions a minute and it's diameter
univ a fr,ftinp mora thar a foot this
would mean a rate of 1000 yards in
60 seconds. Thus in the fragment Of
a second necessary for the bullet to
enter one side of the paper drum.
cross it n out at the other side the
opposite side Of the drum would show
considerable deviation from an exact
diameter of line Of passage.
1t is this space Of detection, shown
inside the further rim of the drum.
that is used for the computation OF
velocity Of the missile. The speed OF
he cylinder may be computed to the
ten thouSandth part Of a second. II
necessary, and the lineal distance run
in that time may be charted in per
pendicular lines on the inner side OF
the paper. At whatever line the bull
let penetrates it registers It's
time in crossing the diameter OF the
cylinder. If it has required the ten
th~ousandthS part of a second for. the
DuIlcl 10 lily one lCot IIoih u iio6-
zle. velocity to the mile may be com
puted by any schOolbOy. By the same
process. too. the bullets velocity at
100 yards or 500 yards may be de
termined.
Years ago.. before wing shooting
had become an art, the farmer with
a muzzle-loading shotgun and charge
of black powder would shoot directly
| at wild goose or duck in full flight
He evolved a theory OF his own AS &c
the oncoming bird. holding that the
heavy breast feathers turned" the
shot. He waited until the bird had
passed him, when. firing directly a,
. it, he could bring down his quarry.
, But it was not because the bird
was not vulnerable coming breast on
The fact was that it flew over his
charge of shot before he could pull
the trigger and the hammer could
l fall on the percussion cap and the
comparatively slow black powder
could be ignited and exploded. send
ing the shot 25 or 80 yards. the bird
4 had flown yards. perhaps. beyond It's
= position when the fowler first touched
the trigger. But by firing directly Al
the bird after it had passed. the Shot
charge had a strong tendency to droI
as it flew and the bird. flying on a
: level line, got in the way" of ths
charge.