Handbook for Light Artillery

by A. B. Dyer

The group of barrels and the breech-piece are bound together by the frame, and the whole system is supported by the trunnions in a forked pivot. The frame is a light bronze casting, consisting of two hollow side-bars connected by two hollow cross-bars. The forward one is journalled for the forward end of the main shaft, and the rear one is in line with the trunnions. A half-ring spans the shaft over the forward assembling-disk to form a seat for the front sight. The rear ends of the shafts are bolted in seats in the side of the breech-piece. The trunnions form part of the casting of the frame. The right forward cap-square bolt has a lever for clamping the piece at any desired elevation.

The pivot rests in a socket, in the side of which is a clamp for fixing the gun in any desired direction.

The feed-trough holds about eight cartridges.

The Rear Sight consists of a bar having its right edge arranged with alternate notches and points for each 100 yards or other unit. These notches and points are so arranged as to allow for the natural drift of the projectile. The bar is hinged at the bottom to lie flat on the breech-piece when not in use.

The Front Sight is of the ordinary steel-point pattern.

THE ACTION OF THE MECHANISM.

Suppose the crank to be in continual motion.

A cartridge is placed in the introduction-trough, the piston pushes it into the barrel, the barrels begin to revolve, and the cartridge is carried on until it arrives before the firing-pin, held in the solid part of the breech, and which has, in the meantime, been retracted by the action of the cam. As soon as the cartridge has arrived in position the barrels cease to revolve and the primer of the cartridge is struck by the firing-pin and discharged; the revolution of the barrels begins again, and the fired cartridge-shell is carried on until it comes to the extractor, which in the meantime has arrived up to the barrels, and the cartridge-head rolls into it. As soon as the head is laid hold of by the extractor the barrels again cease to revolve, and during this period the cartridge-shell is withdrawn and dropped to the ground. During every stoppage of the barrels the gun is supplied with a new cartridge, the firing and extraction are also performed, and a continuous but slow fire is kept up. Supplying the gun in this manner with single cartridges, about thirty rounds per minute may be fired.

DISMOUNTING AND MOUNTING THE MECHANISM.

To Dismount.—1. Open the breech-door by unscrewing the door-bolt. As the mainspring presses against the door, one hand should be pressed against the door to keep it from flying open.