Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-23
TESTING THE GUNS.
now Weapons of Warfare Ars Triad
and Proved Before Accsptanee

1nere Is no weapon in use nv o,,r
forces today which has to stand So
terrible strain as the uuick-firing
gun.
This fires projectile weighing about
Isia pounds. 1t has range of over
Tour miles, and the shell, on Ieayire
the muzzle, travels more than s01
yards in the first second.
In all great gun factories there ia
a special department where this test
ing Is carried out. First of all the bar.
reli, from bore to muzzle, is aceur.
ateiy gagged with most delicate IN
struments.
Next guttapercha impression ia
taken of the inside of the barrel. This
is kept-filed, you might say to-
gether with full particulars and des-
cflption of the gun to which It be-
longs.
II all appears correct the gun is
sent to the proving ground.
Here the testing is most severe. the
charges used being considerably hea-
vier than those employed in actual
warfare. 1t speaks well for modern
workmanship that very few cannon
show any signs of damage from this
treatment.
Guns that have withstood the tests
are then returned to the works. where
the gauging process is gone through
all over again. Inside and out. the
whole barrel is carefully measured to
see II there is any enlargement due
to the heavy charges.
If the expert pronounces that the
gun Is satisfactory, off it goes to the
grinding shop, where the bore is lap
ped out with lead blocks in order to
give perfect polish and finish.
Tho final process is the Drowning"
which consists in treating the whole
of the outside Of the weapon four or
five times over with a certain acid.
This enables the metal to resist
weather in a remarkable fashion.
English field artillery is the finest
in the world, not even excepting the
German. 1t Is also fairly modern 1t
was only ten years ago that she re-
armed all her batteries. building 100
new guns which cost rather over $4,000
apiece. At the Okehampton range on
Dartmoor, England, one of these guns
established a record by firing 20 rounds
within one minute.
As in q cannon, so in a rifle, the bore
is the all-important part While can
non are built up, the barrel Of a rife
Is made by boring out solid rod Of
steel. These rods are fixed in a lathe,
and bored out by drills which enter at
opposite ends and almost meet in the
centre.
The first testing Of the bored-out
barrel is most ingenious. The breech
end Is sealed and made alright Then
at the muzzle end is inserted gauge
which exactly corresponds to the COR
rect bore.
If the diameter be absolutely true
the air compressed in the barrel will
support the weight of the gauge. II
there Is anything wrong the gauge
drops.
After passing this test satisfactorily,
|. the barrel goes to man termed a
Viewer" who places it on stand so
arranged that light from a mirror Is
reflected down the barrel. The viewer
notes whether any Of the rings OF
light reflected on the polished inner
surface are irregular.
II they are, he marks the barrel
accordingly, and sends 1t along to
another man who makes the required
alteration. His tools are so delicate
| that he can work to within the thou
sandth Of an inch.
Back goes the barrel to another
viewer. who, by means of magnifying
glasses, is able to Judge as to its per-
feet .5traightness to within the ten
thousanth part Of an inch.
Watch one Of these men at work,
and what strikes you most forcibly is
not so much that he Is able to gauge
the barrel with such marvellous &C
curacy, but that he seems to discover
by magic the exact spot where there
is any departure from the straight.
He waists no time about it. and, with
couple Of sharp blows with a ham,
mer, will instantly rectify small
errcr.--Answers.