ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



31 



barrel revolver, is constructed with a view of 

 obviating the objection to most self-cocking 

 pistols, of the aim being disturbed by the cock- 

 ing move-incut. This is effected by the intro- 

 duction of a double trigger, one part litted for 

 the middle finger, and the other for the fore- 

 finger of the right hand. As the first is pressed 

 the hammer comes up, and a fresh chamber 

 turns to its place. As the pressure is slack- 

 ened, the cylinder springs forwarjJ, making a 

 close connection with the barrel; when the 

 aim is secured and the piece is fired by pre.-s- 

 iug the other trigger with the forefinger. The 

 pistol is provided with two sights, and its size 

 and length are such that, in the hands of a 

 good marksman, it should prove a formidable 

 weapon, even at 150 yards. The other pistols 

 named, all have a revolving cylinder with sev- 

 eral chambers. The cartridge employed is a 

 copper cap, resembling a percussion-cap, ex- 

 actly fitted to enter the open breech end of the 

 chamber. At the close end it is enlarged by a 

 flange, which affords a thin annular receptacle 

 for the percussion priming, and at the same 

 time prevents the cap from passing into the 

 bore. In the base of the cap is placed the 

 charge of powder, and over this, as a stopple, 

 a Minie bullet, the pointed end of which pro- 

 jects out like the end of a cork from a phial. 

 Different devices are adopted for releasing the 

 cylinder, so that the cartridges may be intro- 

 duced into the ends of the chambers. In Smith 

 & Wesson's pistol, the barrel is hinged upon 

 the stock, so as to be easily turned at right 

 angles, thus making room for the cylinder to 

 be slipped off the spindle upon which it re- 

 volves. It is then easily freed of the remains 

 of the old cartridge cases, and new ones are in- 

 troduced. In Allen's pistol the barrel is fixed, 

 and the cylinder is slipped out to one side. In 

 Warner's, too, the barrel is stationary, and the 

 cylinder can be removed sidewise for clean- 

 ing, or it may be charged through an opening 

 in the side of the stock. In discharging the 

 pistol, the blow of the hammer is directly 

 against the close end of the cartridge, driving 

 its edge in upon the percussion powder. The 

 explosive effect backward of the powder is, in 

 some of the larger pieces, resisted by a fixed 

 guard against the end of the barrel, leaving 

 room only for the thin flange, and a slit through 

 this guard admits a thin projecting portion of 

 the hammer to strike the cap. These car- 

 tridges have the advantage of extreme porta- 

 bility, being carried even in the vest pocket ; 

 and being made perfectly tight by the close fit 

 of the bullet stopple, they are always preserved 

 dry, and are exceedingly convenient, as requir- 

 ing no preparation nor even priming. 



Artittgry. All the ordnance used by the 

 United States Army for land service, is fur- 

 nished by private armories in different parts 

 of the country, and of the following kinds and 

 calibres of cannon, as given in the " Ordnance 

 Manual." There have been some recent modi- 

 fications introduced in the new steel guns of 



Mr. Wiard, and in the Parrott gun, both of 

 which will be described below : 



Large columbiads of 12 and 15-inch diameter 

 of bore are exceptional pieces, one of each of 

 which only have been cast for trial. The can- 

 non designated by this name were invented by 

 Col. Bumford, U. S. A., and are recognized by 

 their uniformly decreasing diameter from the 

 breech to the muzzle. They are used for throw- 

 ing solid shot or shells ; and when mounted 

 in barbette, their vertical range is from 5 de- 

 pression to 39 elevation, around a complete 

 horizontal circle. They are now made with a 

 uniform bore ; but were originally chambered. 

 The 15-inch colnmbiad, now at Fortress Mon- 

 roe, known as the Union or Rodman gun, was 

 cast by Knapp, Rudd & Co., at Pittsburg, un- 

 der the directions of Capt. T. J. Rodman, _of 

 the Ordnance Corps, who conceived the design 

 of cooling the piece, cast hollow, by the intro- 

 duction of a current of water flowing through 

 the core, thus securing a uniform texture and 

 maximum strength throughout. The dimen- 

 sions of this great gun are as follows : 



