IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH OR MUZZLE-LOADING ORDNANCE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles John Burnett, of Number Twenty-one,
Ainslie Place, in the City of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH OR MUZZLE-LOADING ORDNANCE."
ealed the 12th April 1861, and dated the 16th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles John Burnett at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th October 1860.
I, CHARLES JOHN BURNETT, of Number Twenty-one, Ainslie Place, in the
City of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH OR MUZZLE-LOADING
ORDNANCE," to be as follows, namely,-
My improvements are applicable to either breach or muzzle-loading ord-
nance, and consist in constructing the gun in such a manner as to render it
capable of throwing its projectiles to a much greater distance in proportion to
their weight, and with greater accuracy of aim even at long or extreme ranges
than is effected by the ordnance now in use. The principles on which these
results are obtained are,
First, by giving the projectile used as great a. velocity as can be given
without increasing too much the resistance offered to it by the atmosphere,

page_text: and this extreme velocity is attained or rendered attainable,-1, by the use of
a very elongated projectile, say, from two and a half to five times as long as it
is in diameter; 2, by having the gun of sufficient length to enable it, beforo
the projectile leaves it, to burn the full amount of powder requisite for the
production of this great velocity, and also for getting it up in a sufficiently
gradual manner so as to prevent unnecessary strain on the gun; and, 3, by the
smallness of the gun's calibre, consequent ou the elongated form of the pro-
jectile admitting of sufficient strength and stability to resist any vibration
disturbing to the aim without adding too much to the weight of the gun.
Second, by giving to the rifling of the gun sufficient amount of twist to keep
up the rotation of the projectile to its extreme range at which it is intended to
be generally employed; this amount of twist varying, however, according to
the size of the gun and the weight of the projectile. The rifle grooves to be
so employed are to be in number from five upwards, and are to be shallow,
and either channelled angularly, as the Government Enfield rifle is, or else
rounded; but I do not confine myself to any particular form of rifling.
Third, by the form of the projectile to be used, which is to be cylindrical,
pointed at one or both ends, and with or without a cavity at the base, and
with or without a plug; the proportion of length to diameter from two and
a balf to five in length to one in diameter; the material lead, or lead. with a
point of iron or zinc, or hard alloy, say, of lead and zinc, lead and antimony,
or other; the greater specific gravity of such bullets giving advantages as to
rauge and penetrative powers. They may also be made of malleable iron, or
of iron coated with lead. Shells similarly elongated may also be used. Pro-
jectiles of different lengths, and with different charges, may be employed in
one and the same gun, according to the work required of them.
As to the material of the guns, they may be, preferably, of malleable iron,
or one of the less brittle and more tenacious alloys, such as gun metal, or the
alloy of copper with silicon.
The great advantages to be derived from the use of such guns are,-
I. The greater range consequent on increased velocity given to the pro-
jectile, thus rendering a much lighter ordnance employable, especially for
field service, the ammunition also being much reduced in weight, and even
in bulk. For the smaller class of guns, which will thus be admissible in field
service, the use of leaden projectiles will, from their reduced weight, no longer-
involve any material addition to expense.
II. The greater penetrative power of the shot at these great velocities
valuable, especially in maritime warfare, and against iron or steel-plated
vessels; and,

page_text: III. The carrying the accuracy of aim to the extreme ranges.
In none of the guns now in use is any attempt made to attain any velocity
at all nearly approaching that which a rifle bullet possesses. By giving such
a velocity the range would be greatly increased, as (gravity apart, which acts
in exact proportion to the weight of the projectile) the range is, deducting
friction of the atmosphere, as is the momentum, while the momentum is the
weight multiplied by the velocity; and, as to the friction of the atmosphere,
that, instead of increasing, diminishes greatly as we increase the weight of the
projectile, (keeping the same form, or anything like it,) from the proportion of
the surface to the mass and weight of material diminishing rapidly.
I believe a gun constructed on the above principles with a one to two
pounds elongated leaden projectile would (not to push the velocity to its
extreme limits) be for field use as effective and more convenient than Whit-
worth or Armstrong six or eight pound guns now in use.
I do not mean to say that the guns before mentioned are to be constructed
or used in all cases for the production of such an extreme velocity; but what
I do claim as one of their most important characteristics is their being con-
structed so as to admit of giving their elongated projectile a velocity and range
greater in proportion to the projectile's weight than any obtained in the pub-
lished or public trials of the Whitworth, Armstrong, or other guns; the
general principles on which this increase of rango and velocity is obtained
being those which I have above described.