FIRE-ARMS 389 



riflo barrel, one inch in diameter at the breech, with a boro of' O'*u inch, a leaden plug 

 18 inches long, as tightly as it could be driven home upon the charge. It was fired 

 with an ordinary charge of powder, and the leaden plug being expanded by the explo- 

 sion remained in the "barrel, the gases generated by the gunpowder all pi;f?ing out 

 through the touch-hole. With such strength great durability must of necessity co- 

 exist, unless the quick turn of the rifling should tend to its rapid deterioration. But 

 this is not the case, Mr. Longridge's elaborate investigations having proved that the 

 amount of the force expended upon the rifling of the Whitworth rifle scarcely exceeds 

 two per cent, of the total force of the powder. 



Perhaps the most remarkable testimony which has been borne to the merits of this 

 rifle is that of General Hay, the director of musketry instruction at Hythe. After 

 admitting the superiority of the Whitworth to the Enfield in point of accuracy, Gene- 

 ral Hay said there was a peculiarity about the Whitworth small-bore rifles which no 

 other similar arms had yet produced, they not only gavo greater accuracy of firing, 

 but triple power of penetration. For special purposes, any description of bullet 

 could be used, from lead to steel. The Whitworth rifle, with a bullet one-tenth of 

 tin, penetrated 35 planks, whereas the Enfield rifle, with which a soft bullet was 

 necessary, only penetrated 12 planks. He had found that at a range of 800 yards, 

 the velocity added to the hardened bullet gave a power of penetration in the propor- 

 tion of 17 to 4 in favour of the Whitworth rifle. This enormous penetration is of 

 the highest importance in a military weapon, in firing through gabions, sandbags, and 

 other artificial defences. Mr. Bidder, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 

 says, the Whitworth small-bore rifle, fired with common sporting powder, would 

 never foul so as to render loading difficult. He had himself fired 100 rounds one 

 day, 60 rounds the next, then 40 rounds, and so on, and left the gun without being 

 cleaned for ten days, when it fired as well as it did on the first day. The words of 

 Mr. Whitworth as to the application of his principle to the Enfield weapon must be 

 quoted in answer to the objections of cost, &c., urged against it. ' With regard to the 

 cost of my rifled musket, which has been stated to be an impediment in the way of its 

 adoption for the service, I may state that there would be no difficulty in adapting the 

 machinery and plant already in operation at Enfield, or any requisite portion of it, for 

 making rifles on my system. The change would not cause an increase in the manu- 

 facturing expenses ; and, supposing the quality of the workmanship and the materials 

 to remain the same, the advantages arising from the use of my bore and turn, and 

 hard metal projectiles, would double the efficiency of the rifle without increasing the 

 cost.' 



Amongst arms requiring some notice from us, the more remarkable, as involving 

 some excellence in construction, or peculiarity in principle, are the following : 



Coifs Repeating Rifle. This weapon is constructed mainly on the principle which 

 was introduced by Colonel Colt, in his 'revolvers,' to be noticed presently. The 

 Secretary of War of the United States reported as follows on this arm, which is shown 

 in fig. 906, and in section fig. 907. Fig. 908 is a vertical section of the revolving 

 barrels, and. fig. 909 the wiping rod. 



' The only conclusive test of the excellence of the arms for army purposes is to be 

 found in the trial of them by troops in actual service. Colonel Colt's arms have 

 undergone this test, and the result will be found, in some measure, by reports of 

 General Harney and Captain Marcy, who used them in Florida against the Indians. 



These reports relate only to the rifle, but are clear and satisfactory A 



board of officers recently assembled to consider the best mode of arming our cavalry, 

 made a report, showing the present appreciation of the arm by officers of the army 

 standing deservedly high for their services, experience, and intelligence.' 



In its internal construction this rifle differs in some respects from the pistols and 

 early revolving rifles. The catch which causes the breech cylinder to revolve, instead 

 of acting against ratchet teeth, and on the cylinder itself, works in teeth cut on the 

 circumference of the cylinder-end of the base-pin, in such a manner that the base- 

 pin rotates with the cylinder itself, being locked by a small mortise in the cylinder ; 

 and the stop-bolt gears into corresponding notches, also cut in the end of the base- 

 pin, and thus locks it when required. This is an improvement in the arrangement 

 of these weapons, and by a simple arrangement the small spring catch, which, by 

 means _ of a circular groove in the front end of the base-pin, keeps it in place, is 

 immediately released by pressing on a small stud, and the cylinder can be instan- 

 taneously removed or replaced. Instead of the pin, which, in the pistol, is used to let 

 the hammer down on, when carrying it, a small recess is cut between each nipple, in 

 the cylinder itself, into which the hammer fits when let down, and makes security 

 doubly secure. 



The rifle is provided with two sights : the ordinary leaf-sight usually employed is 

 also provided. The hinder sight is adjustable to suit long or varying ranges, and the 



