The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-06-06
THE cRossBoW.

the CROSS6OW.
| ammunition business Of the period and
IN later years guiding spirit In the
bennington organization. interested his
partners and others In the opportunity,
and ON Aug. 8. 1867. the Union Metal
TIC Cartridge company was Incorporate
cd. In later years combining with the
Remington Arms Company. The oak
had taken root.
At hrst the new firm made rim fire
cartridges ror, the center are had not
been invented,. percussion caps and
shotguns. but soon dropped the guns
to concentrate on ammunition.
The Genius Comes.
Mr.. Hartley and bis associates BY
their business sagacity had created the
/ opportunity and we're on the lookout
for a mechanical genius. He came.
His name was Alfred c. Hobbs, super
intendent Of the Howe Sewing Ma.
chine company. After FIVE years Mr.
Hobbs brought bis great ingenuity
solely to the problems of cartridge
making.
charge. inventing nearly all the special
machinery that made the business SO
successful 1t is dificult to get a per-
> init to visit the Bridgeport factory
the mechanical secrets are so valu-
able.
Paper Shells Are Mads.
In 1873 the company bought from
G. D. Wells Of Springfield his equip
ment for making paper shells which
were practically all handmade Soon
machines were invented for this work
an important development. because
shotguns were rapidly increasing in
use. This was due to the fact that as
the country became settled and big
game grew harder to find sportsmen
gave more attention to wing shooting
A supposedly ample stock was made
up. and the company advertised that
such shell was on the market Or
ders aggregating 10000 900 fairly food
ed the plant. thus showing the power
Of advertising and the size of the mar.
ket
The first U M C shot shells were
Of brass. but the paper shell followed
At first furnished to be loaded by
sportsmen, the factory began supply.
ing them ready loaded In the eighties.
Today several hundred millions are
turned out each year
A Glimpse At Ammunition Making.
Doesn't It strike you as remarkable
that In an output of something like
100000 per day every cartridge should
be perfect.
Such things are not accidental. The
secret IL IN INSPECTION. Let US see
what that means. It means laboratory
tests to start with. Here are brought
many samples Of the body paper. wad
paper. metals. waterproofing mixture,
illuminate Of mercury. sulphur, chic
rate Of potash, anthony sulphide. pow
der. wax and other ingredients and
even the operating materials. such as
coal, grease. oil and soaps. In this
room we see expert chemists and met
allurgists with their test tubes. scales
Bunsen burners. retorts. tensile ma.
chimes. microscopes and other scientific
looking apparatus busily hunting for
defects.
For example. one marker u examin.
Ing a supply Of cupro nickel such as
10 used In jacketing certain bullets. A
corner Of each strip is first bent over
1T right angles, then back In the other
direction until II Ia doubled. then
It does not show the
highest sign Of breaking or cracking
In spite Of the severe treatment; there
fore 1t II perfect. Let but the least
daw appear and the shipment Il re-
jected.
Just read this little summary Of one
stage only In the inspection Of empty
shells:
SHOT SHELLS are received by in.
Ipection department after the heads.
tubes. bodies. primers and battery cups
have been carefully examined. gagged.
sized and tested They are then
"First.-Gauged for body diameter
In chamber gauges.
Second. -Gauged for head thickness
and head dia meter, and IL any quantity
,f these defects be found all shells In
Inspection department Of that particu- |
ar brand are returned to manufactur-
ng department to be either corrected
" strapped.
Third. Primers carefully examined
Fourth Entire shell examined for
my blemish which might mar the gen.
,rai appearance. Slight scratches on |
lead or spots on bodies are suflcient !
causes for their rejection. The aver
lge consumer would be unable to de- |
ermine In many cases. II shown our
crap pile. why the shells In question
had been rejected"
Similarly metallic cartridges must