360 
NATURE 
[ Sepé. I, 1870 
from different points, is that whichis at present being 
made the subject of a great variety of experiments at 
Shoeburyness. It was constructed under the super- 
intendence of Major Fosbery, and, although improved in 
detail, in all essential points resembles the Montany 
gun. It is the latter that we shall describe in what follows, 
making free use of the careful report on the subject 
presented by Major Fosbery about two years ago to the 
Government. 
Like the Gatling gun, the Montigny Mitrailleur is 
made of three sizes, the smallest containing nineteen guns 
and the largest thirty-seven. Major Fosbery’s gun is of 
the latter size, is of ‘534 inch calibre, and weighs 400 lbs. 
The barrels are planed exteriorly to an hexagonal form, 
those of Major Fosbery’s gun being rifled on the Metford 
system. They are fitted and soldered together, and to the 
wrought-iron tube which surrounds them and forms the 
barrel of the weapon. To this barrel, it will be seen, are 
screwed at the breech end two broad plates of wrought- 
iron. They are placed vertically, and are connected 
together at the end nearest the barrel by the ring into 
which the latter is screwed, and near the other end by a 
transverse bar. These plates form what is calied the breech 
attachment. Placed between them are the breech-block 
and the lever, of which the long arm forms a handle—in 
Fig. 3 raised, depressed in Fig. 4. Attached to the short arm 
of the lever is a cylindrical mass of gun metal, confined 
to a box or recess of similar shape, in which it can be 
played freely to and fro. Short tubes are bored in the 
metal of this cylinder, corresponding in number and 
position with the barrels of the gun, and in each of these 
are placed a spiral spring and a sinall steel piston, On 
the face of the cylinder a perforated steel plate is screwed, 
through which the pistons project. They also pass 
through corresponding holes at the bottom of the recess 
in which the cylinder moves. Ina vacant space which 
now occurs slides a vertical steel plate or shutter, 
and beyond we come to a second plate, screwed to_ 
the face of the main breech-block, containing a small 
point or striker, corresponding with each barrel, and 
therefore with each spring and piston in the movable 
cylinder. The vertical plate or shutter by which the 
strikers and pistons are separated, is moved by a trans- 
verse axle by means of two ratchet wheels, which take 
into tooth racks placed on the back of the plate. The 
axle is kept in position by a coiled spring, and is pro- 
vided with a handle, which may be seen in both Figs, 3 
and 4, on the right of the gun. 
Turning back to the lever, we find that it is secured to 
the breech attachment by trunnions working in brass 
bearings attached to the side plates, and forming its fulcra. 
Its short arm is connected with the breech-block hy a 
link formed of two pieces, furnished with left-handed 
screws, and united by a screwed collar, by turning which 
the link can be lengthened so as to compensate for any 
wear and tear in the working parts. By raising the 
handle of the lever the breech-block is drawn back by 
means of the link, and by the same means it is pushed 
forward and forced against the rear end of the barrels 
when the handle is depressed. As the lever, when the 
handle is depressed, rests against the bar uniting the 
plates of the breech attachment, it is obvious that the 
breech-block could be removed from its place only by a 
force sufficient to fracture the bar or the trunnions of the 
lever. No force is ever applied to it greater than that 
which arises from the explosion of a single cartridge, 
The only remaining part of the gun is the cartridge- 
holder. It is asteel plate about half an inch thick, in 
which holes are bored, corresponding in position with the 
strikers and barrels of the gun, and made to fit accu- 
rately the heads of the cartridges. On either side of the 
gun is an ammunition-box, plates being carried ready 
filled in one, and boxes of cartridges occupying the other, 
Flanges forming perpendicular grooves are attached to 
the face of the breech-block, and in these the cartridge 
holder and extractor is made to slide vertically. , - 
If the gun is to be loaded the lever is raised, when the 
breech-block is withdrawn to its utmost limit, the lock 
springs are freed from compression, and the points of the 
pistons rest lightly against the steel shutter behind which 
they are placed. A full cartridge-plate is dropped 
into its place, the strikers being pushed back by its 
bevelled edges as it descends. Next, the lever is de- 
pressed, when the breech-block advances, the cartridges 
are forced into their barrels, all the springs are com- 
pressed, and the pistons are urged against the steel 
shutter in front of them. When the gun is to be fired 
the handle to the right is turned. The shutter which is 
connected with the axle to which the handle is attached 
at once begins to descend, and as a vacant space is thus 
left for the pistons, they shoot, one after the other, across 
it, and come into contact with the strikers. The latter 
couimunicate the blow to the cartridges, which are im- 
mediately fired. To avoid friction between it and the 
pistons, the upper edge of the steel shutter is bevelled, 
and it is so cut into steps that two contiguous barrels 
are never fired consecutively. The whole thirty-seven are 
fired by 1} turns of the handle. At any point the 
firing may be stopped, and the fired cartridges be re- 
placed, or the whoie may be fired by a rapid motion of 
the handle. When the cartridges are exhausted, the lever 
is raised, the breech-block is drawn back, and the plate 
containing the empty cases istaken away. A fresh loaded 
plate is substituted, when the breech is again closed and 
the firing renewed. 
Neither in tue Gatling nor Montigny do the barrels radi- 
ate, as is generally supposed; they are arranged perfectly 
parallel. That such must be the case is indeed evident 
on slight consideration. For were it desirable to render 
the tubes in any way divergent it would be necessary, in 
the first place, to fix upon a specific range at which the 
Jarm should be used, as upon the locality of the target 
would depend the degree ot radiation ; thus, if the charge 
were regulated to spread in the most advantageous man- 
ner at a hundred yards, its effect would be very insig- 
nificant at ten times that distance, by reason of its 
very scattered nature at a point so remote from the 
gun,. On the other hand a sufficient separation of the 
bullets is always brought about by the unavoidable dis- 
crepancies inherent even to a well-finished arm with 
parallel barrels; for even if the tubes were all mathe- 
matically true—a condition practically impossible to ful- 
fil—very slight variations in the powder charge of the 
cartridges would always prevent the whole series of 
rojectiies from pursuing a perfectly parallel course and 
odging in the target within the same limits as those 
whence they started. As a matter of experience we may 
mention that the shooting is considered to be exceed- 
ingly correct, when at a fair range the whole thirty-seven 
bullets from the Montigny are lodged in a target 
measuring twelve feet square, 
We need not here enter into the disputed question how 
far machine guns are capable of competing with the ordi- 
nary field guns, There can be no doubt that if the 
former be well constructed, they ought to be much more 
easily worked inthe fieldthan the latter. 1t is intheir favour, 
too, that the effect of their projectiles does not, as is largely 
the case with field guns, depend upon the proper action of 
a fuze; and the extraordinary rapidity of their fire (the 
Gatling gun may be fired, when well manned, from 400 to 500 
times per minute, and the Mitrailleur 370 times, ar “mare) 
is a decided adyantage. The absence of recoil by whic 
they are distinguished is also noteworthy, The weak 
point of the Mitrailleur is its comparatively small range, 
There is no evidence that it can be fired with effect. 
much oyer 800 or goo yards, so that it is comparatively 
useless at distances which a field gun commands with ease, . 
Moreover, its trajectory at short distances is said to be 
