MECHANICAL AND USEFUL ARTS. 59 



liable to derangement, and cannot be wrongly manipulated, even by 

 the clumsiest operator. The action is simply a plug and a cotter, 

 both of which are withdrawn in a second by the thumb and finger, 

 and replaced with equal speed and certainty after charging. It is 

 impossible to devise an action more simple and direct, or less liable 

 to objection than this ; and it is a great relief, after the complicated 

 arrangements of levers, joints, and screws, and the consequent diffi- 

 cult and unnatural twisting and bending motions which have hitherto 

 seemed inseparable from breechloaders, to find one at least free 

 from these objections, and likely to be of substantial use. In addi- 

 tion to the advantages we have named, we are informed that the 

 action of Mr. Wilson's breech-loader can' be readily applied to exist- 

 ing muzzle- loading guns, so that any number of Enfield rifles can be 

 converted into breech-loaders. — Arts' s Birmingham Gazette. 



FOULING GUN-BARRELS. 



A Correspondent of the Mechanics' Magazine writes : — To pre- 

 vent Fouling in Gun-barrels, two very neat and economical pro- 

 cesses for preventing rust have been submitted to the War-Office, 

 and the Gunmakers' Society. 1. If nitro-muriate of platina be mixed 

 with a fourth part of its bulk of ether, and the mixture suffered to 

 settle, the ethereal solution of platina will float and may then be 

 poured off. When this is poured into the barrel, its interior surface 

 will be covered instantly with a coat of platina that forms an in- 

 destructible coat, not affected by fire, or concentrated acids. 2. If 

 ether be added to a solution of muriate of gold, the gold will leave 

 the acid, and float upon its surface combined with the ether. To 

 such a solution of gold add about a fourth part of ether, shake them 

 together, and wait till the fluids separate ; the upper stratum, or 

 ethereal gold, is then to be carefully poured off into another vessel. 

 If this is poured into the barrel, and when poured out the barrel 

 is instantly plunged into a trough of water, its interior surface will 

 have acquired a coat of pure gold. 



IMPROVED ORDNANCE AND PROJECTILES. 



In this improvement, patented by J. Spurgin, the inventor applies 

 to muzzle- loading and smooth-bore cannon a tube of &te3l having 

 rifle grooves foruied within it. The tube is made to fit the bore of 

 the cannon, and so that it may be placed and locked therein, and 

 unlocked and withdrawn at pleasure. The tube is chambered or 

 made somewhat larger in the bore at the breech-end for a sufficient 

 length to receive a ball and cartridge. The ball should be furnished 

 with a leaden ring of a slightly larger diameter than the bore of the 

 tube beyond the chamber. The gun is loaded by placing the ball 

 and cartridge into the tube when it is out of the gun, the tube is 

 then put into its place and there locked ; the gun is discharged in 

 the ordinary manner. — Mechanics' Magazine. 



IMPROVED REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS. 



M. F. A. Le Mat has patented certain improvements in the 



