MECHANICS AXD USEFUL AKTS. 93 



has not yet been adopted, either in the French or any other service. 

 The effect of the two balls is quite the same, the Minie ball being 

 only preferable from the fact that it may be shot from any gun -wheth- 

 er rifled or not, (though better rifled than otherwise,) while the balle-a- 

 tige can only be used as a balle-a-tige, by having a p'm-tige inserted in 

 the chamber (center of the breech-pin 1^ inches long,) in order to 

 receive the ball and produce the operation of slugging by the force 

 of the rammer an arrangement which will be described further on. 



The balle-a-tige is of the immense range of 1,000 to 1,200 metres 

 (1,080 to 1,300 yards,) with an elevated "back-sight" perfectly with- 

 in the command of the marksman, and just as easily used as any 

 short-range or point-blank sight. The " back-sight," placed just in 

 advance of the lock, is about two inches high, open in the centre, and 

 graduated with a scale, so that the angle at which it throws the ball 

 above the range of the target may be easily known at all distances. 

 The usual target range of the Chasseurs de Vincennes is 650 yards ; 

 and then, as their practice improves, they retire a hundred yards at a 

 time, their eyes in this way growing well accustomed to the distance, 

 and their practice being consequently good. 



On a recent occasion, some American officers were invited by Ma- 

 jor Minie to take part in some experimental firing at Yincennes. The 

 gun used was of rough construction, rifled half a turn, and percus- 

 sion. The balls used were the Minie balls, weight 50 grammes, (1^- 

 oz. about,) the charge of powder 5 grammes, or one-tenth the weight 

 of the ball ; the cartridge so constructed that the ball is encased in 

 paper, and greased by dipping the ball end of the cartridge in tallow, 

 which then slips into the barrel easily, without the aid of the rod, un- 

 til it arrives at the charge. A great saving of time in loading is thus 

 gained. How, then, is the windage stopped, and the ball slugged so 

 as to make it shoot correctly ? Here is the great desideratum and 

 the great peculiarity in the Minie ball. These important points are 

 gained by the shape of the ball, which is cast oblong, with a conical 

 point, with its base hollow for two-thirds the length of the ball. Into 

 the opening of this internal cylinder, there is placed a small concave 

 section of iron, (cut out by power-press,) which the powder, at the 

 moment of firing, forces into the ball powerfully, spreading it open, 

 and causing it to fit tightly to the cavity of the barret in its course 

 out, thus giving it a more perfect direction than any other form of 

 slugging can do, while at the same time it stops windage, or rather 

 destroys it. This is the entire secret of the success of the Minie im- 

 provement. 



With the gun and cartidges above described, the shootin^ bejran at 



o ^j ^j ^j 



400 metres, equal to 432 yards. The target was of board, six feet 

 square, painted white, with a black spot a foot diameter in the center. 

 Major Minie placed three balls in the black, which is a most extraor- 

 dinary feat. Only think of driving three balls into a mark the size of 

 a man's hat, three times in succession, at a distance of three-quarters 

 of a mile, off-hand ! and Major Minie says he can do as well all day, 

 and teach any other man of ordinary capabilities the same accuracy. 



