| Chapter I.—ANCIENT ARMS. | |
| PAGE. | |
| The bow—The sling—Crossbow—Field artillery of the Normans—Artillery of theancients—Range of the crossbow and longbow—The ram of Vespasian—Guns first employed in 1327—Guns at thebattle of Cressy—Cannon of 1390—Skill of English archers—Defensive armour—Portable firearms invented in1430—Primitive hand-gun—Iron cannon recovered from the Mary Rose, wrecked in 1545—“Chambers”—Matchlockand wheel-lock—Fire-lock—Damascus gun-barrels—Birmingham guns—Spanish pistol with magazine—Percussionlock—The revolving pistol not a new invention—Colt’s revolver—Breech-loading guns | [1] |
| Chapter II.—ON GUNPOWDER. | |
| Origin of its invention—Roger Bacon’s recipe—Accidental discovery by a Germanmonk—Gunpowder introduced by the Saracens—Its explosive and propellant properties—Composition of gunpowder—Nitreits essence—Properties of sulphur as an ingredient—Proportions and constituents of French gunpowder—Sulphur not alwaysindispensable—Chemical principles of its composition—Component parts of different gunpowders—Source of its explosiveforce—Explosion at Gateshead—Variations in strength and quickness of fire—Granulation of sportinggunpowder and of artillery gunpowder—Importance of suitablegranulation for different firearms—Large grain powder the more effectual expellant—Fine powder dangerous—Principle ofgranulation—Gun-cotton—Imperfect instrument for testing gunpowder—Charcoal—Operation of making gunpowderdescribed—“Glazing” detrimental—Utility of granulation—Fine grain powder—Dr. Ure on the projectileforce of gunpowder—Dr. Hutton’s calculations and experiments—Mode of controlling the destructive force ofgunpowder—Experiments to test the velocity of explosive force of different granulations—The grain should be proportioned tothe length and bore of the gun—Chlorate of potassa used by the French in making gunpowder—Similar powder proposed by Mr. Parr,and condemned by Sir William Congreve—Velocity in projectile force must be gradual—Curious experiment—Operation ofblasting stone, &c., with gunpowder—English sporting gunpowder—Military and naval gunpowder—Fame of Englishgunpowder makers | [18] |
| Chapter III.—ARTILLERY. | |
| Definition of the term—Modern field gun—English artillery behind the march of science—Officialobstacles to improvement—Various kinds of British artillery—Table of measurements, and range of iron ordnance—Brassguns—Their peculiar property—Firing of brass and iron guns compared—Range of brass ordnance—Paixhanguns—Traversing beds for ship guns—Ranges of Paixhan guns and howitzers—Mortars—Their uses andvarieties—Monster mortar at siege of Antwerp—Table of English mortar practice—Carronades—Table of weights of gunsand shot—Causes of Recoil—Guns of our ancestors—Metal required in rear of the breech—Results of Hutton’sexperiments—Weight in fore-part of gun injurious—Firm base for a gun essential—Leaden bed for mortarssuggested—New materials desirable for projectiles—Mr. Monk’s gun unequalled—Principle of itsconstruction—Wilkinson’s opinion—Waste of explosive force in ordnance—The propellant force should beaccelerative—This attainable by a proper granulation of powder—Governmentpowder—Gunnery only in its infancy—Compoundshot—Lead better than iron for cannon shot—Expenditure of shot at sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos—Hutton’sexperiments—The shrapnell shell—Improvements in gunnery—The Greenerian rifle—Dangerous inefficiency of Englishartillery—Best metal for cannon—Increased range destroys guns—Cause of mortars bursting—The Lancastergun—English cast-iron inferior—Mallet’s monster mortar—Wrought-iron unsuited to large guns—Reasonwhy—Shaft of the Leviathan—New method of welding iron shafts—Railway carriage axles—Nasmyth’smonster cannon—Light gun-barrels stronger than heavy ones—Brass guns inferior to cast-iron—Defect of hoop and stavegun—Form and dimensions of Mallet’s monster mortar (with engraving)—Cause of deterioration of Englishcast-iron—Russian cast-iron more durable, and why—Krupp’s steel gun—Laminated steel gun-barrels—CaptainDalgren’s improvements in American ordnance—Russian guns—Reinforce rings and trunnions objectionable, andwhy—Rifled cannon essential—Range of steel rifled cannon—Best form of gun—Professor Barlow on the strength ofiron—Our artillery not constructed on scientific principles—Russian 56-pounder, English 8-inch gun, English carronade,Monck’s 56-pounder, and 10-inch gun (with cuts)—Land and sea service mortars (with cuts)—Joseph Manton’s riflecannon—Projectiles for rifled cannon—Rifle rockets—Mr. Whitworth’s improvements in rifled guns—His polygonalprojectile—Experiments with Mr. Armstrong’s field-piece—Increased range and accuracy of rifled cannon with elongatedprojectiles—Table of comparative range of smooth-bored and rifled cannon—Shells for rifled cannon—Spiral motion ofprojectiles from smooth-bored guns—Breech-loading cannon useless and unsafe | [58] |
| Chapter IV.—MANUFACTURE OF IRON FOR GUN-BARRELS. | |
| Improvement in gun barrels depends on the iron—Continental manufacturers advance while English standstill—Cheap and inferior guns of “Park-paling”—Scarcity of horse-nailstubs—Importance of iron manufacture—Great value ofsteel in ancient times—Iron originally made with wood charcoal—Coal coke unfit for making best iron—British iron oreinferior—Mr. Mushet on steel-iron—English workmen employed abroad—English gun-makers’ names forged inBelgium—Indian Iron and Steel Company—Indian process of making steel—Hammer-hardening recommended—Difference of“Silver steel” and “Twist steel”—Method of making laminated steel—It is spoilt byover-twisting—Watering of Damascus barrels—Proportions of carbon in steel and iron—Damascus barrels oftenplated—Modern method of making Damascus iron (with cuts)—Objection to wire-twist iron—Figured barrels—Damascusbarrels made in Belgium—Damascus iron inferior in strength—Use of old horse-shoe nails for gun-barrels—Stub iron aloneinsufficient—Prejudices of provincial gun-makers—Mixture of steel and stub iron—Importance of welding on an airfurnace—Proportions of steel and stub iron—Efficacy of hammer-hardening and reworking iron—Improvements in superior ironowing to gun-makers—Explosions of steam-boilers owing to neglect or bad construction—Boiler ironimproveable—Steel-Damascus barrel iron—Manufacture of “charcoal iron”—Imitation of “smokebrown”—Gains from using inferior iron—Frauds in barrel making—Advice of Edward Davies in1619—“Threepenny skelp iron”—“Wednesbury skelp”—Test of a safe gun—“Sham damnskelp”—Base guns made to sell—Their injurious effect on the gun-making trade—“Swaff-iron forging.” | [146] |
| Chapter V.—GUN-MAKING. | |
| Barrel welding—Birmingham welders—Different twists of metal (illustrated with cuts)—Processof welding—Hammer-hardening—Belgium welders—Mode of plating barrels—Belgium method (with cut)—Profits offraud—Qualifications of a good gun-barrel maker—Processes of boring and grinding—Proper inclination of doublebarrels—Elevation of barrels should be proportionate to charge and distance—Brazing of barrels detrimental—Mr.Wilkinson’s opinion—Solid ribs requisite—Advantage ofthe patent breech—Best shape of breech (withcut)—Gun locks—Their scientific construction—The Barside lock—Messrs. Braziers’ locks—The stock,fittings, &c.—Recipe for staining steel barrels—Birmingham method of browning—Belgian method—Varieties ofiron for best barrels—Laminated steel barrels never known to burst—Base imitations of laminated steel—Cost of laminatedsteel barrels—Author’s method of laminating—Stub Damascus passed off for steel—Birmingham guns—Practice offorging names of eminent makers—Author’s offer—Improved metal for axles—Author’s imitation Damascus (withplate)—Joseph Manton’s merits—Prize medals awarded to author—Advantages of Birmingham for gunmaking—“London-made guns”—Foreign imitations of English guns—Periodical exhibition of gunsrecommended—Steel-twist and stub Damascus (with plate)—Barrels of charcoal iron—Inferior guns—Cost of skelp-ironguns—Cost of “sham damn iron” guns—Sham guns (with plate)—Cost of “park-paling” guns | [185] |
| Chapter VI.—THE PROOF OF GUN BARRELS. | |
| Proof-house of Gun-maker’s Company—Proof Acts of 1813 and 1815—Provisions of Gun Barrel ProofAct of 1855—Penal clauses—Schedule B—Proof marks—Scale of charges for Proof—Mode of proving (withcut)—Number of barrels proved in 1857 | [243] |
| Chapter VII.—THE SCIENCE OF GUNNERY. | |
| New principle—Improved rifles—Useless inventions—Scientific principles of gunnery: 1. Theexplosive power and its velocity. 2. The retarding agents. 3. Construction of the tube. 4. Form of projectile—Robins’stheory—Hutton’s experiments—Suitable velocity the germ of the science—Author’s experiments and theirresults—Penetrating power of bullets—Resistance of the atmosphere—Friction detrimental—Construction of thetube—The Cylindro-conoidal form best suited for projectiles—Jacob’s and Whitworth’s bullets—Lengthenedprojectiles tend to burst the barrel—Amount of heat needful to explode gunpowder—Advantage of unglazed powder—Percussion powder—Best form of nipple (withcuts)—Propellant velocity the grand desideratum—Why short guns shoot better than long ones—True science ofgunnery—Cause of guns bursting—Mr. Blaine’s difference of opinion with the author on explosive force—Shootingpowers of different gun barrels—Tables of strength and pressure—Colonel Hawker’s axiom—Mr. Daniel’sremarks on shot—Duck and swivel guns—The wire cartridge—Bell-muzzle guns—Mr. Blaine on long barrels—The justmedium—Belgium guns will not stand English proof—Cause of their inferiority—French gun-makers behind theage—Author’s notes on the “Specimens by French Gun-makers at the Paris Exhibition”—On recoil inshooting—Causes and experiments—Mode of determining the size of shot suited to the bore of gun—Mr. Prince’s doublegun | [257] |
| Chapter VIII.—THE FRENCH “CRUTCH,”OR BREECH-LOADING SHOT GUN. | |
| Breech-loading fire-arms unsafe and inferior—Objections specified—Trial of breech-loading againstmuzzle-loading guns—Danger from using breech-loaders—Excessive recoil | [329] |
| Chapter IX.—THE RIFLE. | |
| Robins’s prediction verified—Barrels first rifled at Vienna in 1498—Earliest elongatedbullets—Captain Delvigne’s bullet—The author’s expansive bullet—His memorial to the Board ofOrdnance—Report of its trial by the 60th Rifles in 1836—Decision of the Board of Ordnance—Progress of the author’sinvention—Captain Delvigne’s patent of 1842—Captain Minié’s bullet of 1847—Unsuccessful attempts ofauthor to have his claim to the invention of the expansive bullet recognised by Government—Secret report of Select Committee on hisinvention—His priority admitted by the Emperor Napoleon—The British Government award the author 1,000l. for hisinvention—Principle of the expansive rifle bullet—Projectiles may be lengthened with increase of range—Action of the expansive bullet—Defects of the Miniébullet—Colonel Hay’s improvement—Author’s experiments, and their result—Spiral curve of the riflebarrel—Failure of the “Pritchett bullet”—Captain Tamissier’s theory—Minié and Greenerian bulletcontrasted (with cuts)—Author’s improvement of 1852 (with cut)—General Jacob’s bullet (with cuts)—Remarks ofLieutenant Symons—The Whitworth rifle—Its defects—Report of trial of the Whitworth and Enfieldrifles—Author’s comments thereon (with cuts)—Importance of safety from accident—The expansive bullet can be madesuperior to the Whitworth—Fallacy of experiments—Comparative cost of ammunition for the Whitworth and Enfieldrifles—Defective cartridges—Hints to obviate defects—Vital principle of elongated projectiles—A hollow bulletproposed, its defects—The Swiss bullet—Doubtful utility of the deepening groove—Government rifle, with swordbayonet—Double rifles—Hints on rifle shooting—Author’s expanding screw bands—Mr. Prince’sbreech-loading carbine—Revolving rifles—French school of rifle practice—English school of rifle shooting atHythe—Double rifled carbines recommended—Revolvers costly and fragile—Lieutenant Kerr’s opinion of the Enfield orGreener’s carbine—Government pistol and carbine—Efficient arms of the Irregular Cavalry of India—First use ofgreased cartridges in India—The three-grooved and poly-grooved rifle (with cut)—Spherical bullets indispensable to smoothbored muskets—Length and bore of military rifle—Elliptical bored rifle—Mr. Lancaster’s bullet superseded by theGreenerian bullet—Report of committee on Lancaster’s rifle—The oval bore not a new invention—Inferiority of thetwo-grooved or Brunswick rifle—The Prussian needle gun—Enfield rifles made for France, Russia, and other states ofEurope—Trials of Whitworth and Enfield rifles—Unsatisfactory results of the Whitworth rifle | [338] |
| Chapter X.—REVOLVING PISTOLS. | |
| Immense demand for them—Their value—Best manufacturers—Colonel Colt’s repeating pistoldescribed—Its double action discussed—Machine-made pistols not equal to hand-made—Dean and Adams’s revolver described—Its improvements onColt’s—Tranter’s double trigger revolver—His lubricating bullet and other improvements—Webley’srevolver—Comparison of self-acting and cocking-lock pistols—Tendency of revolvers to foul—Lieut. Symons’sopinion—Other defects to be overcome—Author’s preference for double-barrelled fire-arms in warfare | [413] |
| Chapter XI.—ENFIELD RIFLES. | |
| The name explained, and weapon described—Its origin—Author’s share in itsconstruction—American machinery for gun-making—Extent and products of the Enfield manufactory | [429] |
| Chapter XII.—THE HARPOON-GUN FOR WHALE-SHOOTING. | [432] |
| Chapter XIII.—SHOT, CAPS, AND WADDING. | [435] |
RIFLES, CANNON,
AND
SPORTING ARMS.
CHAPTER I.
ANCIENT ARMS.
From the earliest ages of the world, the jealousies and bickerings of mankind have been fruitful causes of war. Sometimes, perhaps, justified by political reasons; at others, it may be, arising solely from a desire, on the part of ambitious chiefs, to extend their territories by multiplying their conquests; while, in too many cases, the struggle for religious ascendancy has led to the most sanguinary and cruel battles.
War has been considered as a science from the most remote ages, and the ingenuity of the talented has successively been taxed to render it as perfect as possible. It is true—
“Man’s earliest arms were fingers, teeth, and nails,
And stones and fragments from the branching woods;”
but these soon gave place to others, more calculated to decide unequal, and often protracted, conflicts.