Hotchkiss Point Percussion-fuze.
The Hotchkiss Point Fuze ([Fig. 9]) consists of four main parts: the body A, the plunger B, the head C, and the safety-plug D.
The Body is cylindrical and of brass, with a screw-thread and stout shoulder at the upper end for securing in the shell. The outside of the shoulder is shaped to the ogive. A chamber is fashioned in the body, whose base has a conical hole bored for the safety-plug.
The Plunger is a hollow brass cylinder with a lead lining to give it weight, and containing a chamber in which is a small charge of powder with a fulminate cap over it, the whole being covered with foil as a preservative against moisture. A small brass wire is inserted in the lower part of the plunger, bent up so that the ends project through the safety-plug hole.
The Safety-plug is a lead stopper forced tightly into the hole in the bottom, and by pinching the ends of the brass wire holds the plunger steady.
The Head is of gun-metal, the outside following the ogival contour and being provided with a screw-thread for securing it in the body. In the centre of the lower surface is fixed a small point forming a striker for the fulminate.