382 



FIRE-ARMS 



then shifted to another hole in the dividing plate, and the operation of grooving is 

 repeated till the whole number of riflings is completed. The barrel is next taken out 

 of the machine, and finished. This is done by casting iipon the end of a small iron 

 rod a core of lead, which, when besmeared with a mixture of fine emery and oil, is 

 drawn, for a considerable time, by the workmen, from the one end of the barrel to tho 

 other, till the inner surface has become finely polished. The best degree of spirality is 

 found to be from a quarter to half a revolution in a length of three feet. 



Military Rifles. An essential improvement in this destructive arm has been in- 

 troduced into the British service. 



The intention in all rifles is to impart to the ball a rotatory or spinning motion 

 round its axis, as it passes out through the barrel. This object was attained, to a 

 certain degree, in tho rifles of the old pattern, by cutting seven spiral grooves into the 

 inside of the barrel, in the manner shown by^. 880, the spherical ball.^y. 881, being 



880 



883 



a little larger than the bore, was driven down with a m .illet, by which the projecting 

 ribs were forced into the surface of the ball, so as to keep it in contact with their 

 curvatures, during its expulsion. Instead of this laborious and insecure process, the 

 barrel being now cut with only two opposite grooves,^. 882, and the ball being formed 

 with a projecting belt, or zone, round its equator, of the same form as the two grooves, 

 fig. 883, it enters so readily into these hollows, that little or no force is required to 

 press it down upon the powder. So much more hold of the barrel is at the same time 

 obtained, that instead of one quarter of a turn, which was the utmost that could bo 

 safely given in the old way, without danger of stripping the ball, a whole turn round 

 the barrel in its length can be given to the two grooved rifles ; whereby a far more 

 certain and complete rotatory motion is imparted to the ball. The grand practical 

 result is, that better practice has been performed by several companies of tho Eiflo 

 Corps at 300 yards than could be produced with the best old military rifles at 150 

 yards ; the soldier being meanwhile enabled to load with much greater ease and 

 despatch. The belt is bevelled to its middle line, and not so flat as shown in tho 

 figure. 



This modo of rifling is not, however, new in England. In fact, it is one of tho 

 oldest upon record ; and appears to have fallen into disuse from faults in tho execu- 

 tion. The idea was revived within the last few years in Brunswick, and it was tried 

 in Hanover also, but with a lens-shaped (linsenformig) ball. Tho judicious modifica- 

 tions and improvements it has finally received, have brought out all its advantages, 

 and rendered it, when skilfully used, a weapon of unerring aim, even at the distance 

 of 700 yards. 



The locks, also, for the military service generally, are receiving important im- 

 884 



provemcnts. In Lovell's lock the action of the main spring is reversed, as shown by 

 fig. 884 ; thus rendering the whole mechanism more solid, compact, and convenient ; 



