The Dickinson press., 1913-07-19

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business of the period and
In later years a guiding spirit in the
Remington organization, interested his
partners and others in the opportunity.
and on Aug. 8. 1867. the Union Metal
lie Cartridge company was %incorporat-
ed. in later years combining with the
Remington Arms Company. The oak
had taken root.
At first the new firm made rim fire
cartridges (for the center fire had not
been invented), percussion caps and
shotguns, but soon dropped the guns
to concentrate on ammunition.
The Genius Comes.
MI. Hartley and his associates by
their business sagacity had created the
opportunity and were on the lookout
for a mechanical genius. He came.
His name was Alfred @. Hobbs, super
%intendent of the Howe Sewing Ma
chine company. After Eve years Mr..
Hobbs brought his great ingenuity
solely to the problems Of cartridge
making.
For twenty years he remained in
charge. inventing nearly all the special
machinery that made the business so
successful. It is difficult to get a per-
init to visit the Bridgeport factory
the mechanical secrets are so valu.
able.
Paper Shells Are Made.
In 1873 the company bought from
@. 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 a shell was on the market Or
ders aggregating 100000 fairly food
ed the plant, thus showing the power
Of advertising and the size Of the mar
kets
The first u NJ O 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 ont 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 is IN INSPECTION. Let us see
what that means. It means laboratory
tests to start with. Here r brought
many samples Of the body paper, wad
paper. metals, waterprooling mixture,
illuminate Of mercury, sulphur, chic
rate Of potash, anthony sulphide, pow.
der, wax and other ingredients and
even the operating materials, such az
coal, grease, oil and soaps. In this
room we see expert chemists and met
allurgists with their test tubes, scales,
Bunsen burners, r~etorts, tensile ma.
chimes, microscopes and other scientific
looking apparatus busily hunting fol
defects.
For example, one marker is examin.
ing q supply Of cupro nickel such az
is used in jacketing certain bullets. A
corner Of each strip Is first bent over
at right angles, then back in the other
direction until it is doubled. then
Strengthened. It does not show the
slightest sign Of breaking or cracking
in spite Of the severe treatment; there.
fore@it IL perfect. Let but the least
flaw appear and the shipment Is re.
jected.
Just read this little summary Of one
stage only in the inspection Of empty
shells:
SHOT SHELLS are received by in.
spectton 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
andshead diameter, and If any quantity
Of these defects be found all shells In
inspection department Of that particu.
lar brand : returned to manufactur'
ing department to be either corrected
or strapped.
..Thfrd.-Prmers carefully examined
Observation-Disclosures ahoIl nYauino6 n,