638 



ORDNANCE. 



The Maynard primer, used in connection with 

 this rifle, and invented for it by Dr. Maynard, 

 consists of a narrow strip of varnished paper 

 of double thickness, having deposits of fulmi- 

 nating powder in cells between the two, at 

 equal distances apart. Each strip contains three 

 dozen of these cells, equivalent to the same 

 number of caps. The strip is coiled in a mag- 

 azine concealed beneath the lock-plate, and 

 brought up by the motion of a wheel in the act 

 of cocking, so as to bring a cell directly upon 

 the top of the nipple. The fall of the hammer 

 explodes it and at the same time cuts off the 

 paper behind, so that it is not seen again till 

 the gun is again cocked. Mr. Cleveland, after 

 long experience, prefers the smaller sized barrel 

 ( T 3 /, T inch calibre) to the larger, which is of half 

 inch calibre, as being better adapted to its 

 charge. He says of this smaller calibre, " In 

 accuracy and force I have never seen it sur- 

 passed by any gun fit for field service." We 

 subjoin two cuts of this rifle, one showing it 

 loaded, cocked, and with back sight raised ; the 

 other in position to receive the cartridge, and 

 with the magazine opened, showing the primer. 



The SMITH'S patent breech-loading rifle, man- 

 ufactured by Poultney & Trimble of Baltimore, 

 is another very simple, yet accurate and effect- 

 ive rifle. The cuts show its construction as 

 completely as any description. There is noth- 

 ing about it which can get out of order. Its 

 range is 2,000 yards or more, and it can be 

 fired ten times a minute. The cartridge used 

 for this rifle is a metallic one, but the case col- 

 lapses after firing, and can be withdrawn by a 

 single motion of the finger. It has not the ful- 

 minating powder, but uses an ordinary percus- 

 sion cap. 



The BURXSIDE rifle belongs to the same class. 

 It is now manufactured by the Burnside Eifle 

 Co. in Providence, and is a breech-loader, hav- 

 ing a breech-piece of wrought iron morticed to 

 receive the chamber and movable breech-pin. 

 The upper end of this breech-piece is screwed 

 to the lower end of the barrel, which is of cast- 

 steel and rifled with a gain-twist. The opening 

 and closing the guard and its attachments are 

 analogous to those of opening and closing a 

 door by a thumb-latch and catch. The cart- 

 ridge is similar to that of the Smith rifle ; but 

 by a slight peculiarity in its construction, and 

 that of the chamber and perforated platinum 

 case which fits to it, it is water and air-tight 

 when loaded. It is fired with a common per- 

 cussion cap. 



Of the rifles using the self-exploding metal- 

 lic cartridge, two only have much reputation, 

 among those which are not repeating guns, and 

 must be recharged for every shot. These are 

 F. Wesson's and Ballard's. The WESSON rifle 

 is light, the 24-inch barrel weighing only six 

 pounds, and the 28 and 34-inch barrels not 

 over seven and eight pounds respectively. Dr. 

 I. J. Wetherbee, of Boston, an experienced and 

 skilful shot, gives the result of extensive trials 

 of this rifle with others, and giv :s it the pre/' 



erence over all others in accuracy, penetration, 

 and range, and thinks it equal in rapidity of 

 firing to most others. The 28 and 34-inch bar- 

 rels he regards as preferable to the 24-inch. 

 At the Massachusetts State trial of breech-load- 

 ing arms at Readville, the Wesson rifle placed 

 twenty successive shots in the target at 200 

 yards, and 50 shots were fired from it in less 

 than five minutes. The annexed cuts repre- 



