392 
TOPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
containing numerous — the one under trial thirty-seven — ordi- 
nary rifle barrels, with hexagonal exteriors, packed together 
and soldered into a wrought-iron jacket or cylinder ; it is dis- 
charged by a descending plate, which allows the separate 
springs in thirty-seven corresponding chambers to thrust for- 
ward their respective pistons to fire the cartridges in front of 
them. The cartridges are of the class known as “ central fire,” 
and very similar to those commonly used in the British service 
for the Snider rifles of the infantry. 
The gun, for the sake of explanation, may be regarded as in 
three parts : (1) the cylinder of thirty-seven barrels ; (2) the 
breech attachments or breech-box, consisting mainly of two 
deep vertical side-plates, between which the (3) breech-block 
slides horizontally to and fro, supported on suitable projections. 
The breech-box is screwed on to the cylinder of barrels by a 
ring, and has its rear end closed in by a transverse bar or plate. 
The breech-block contains the arrangements for firing the 
cartridges, and when pushed home by the lever closes the 
whole of the barrels at the rear. In the metal of this breech- 
block are bored short chambers, corresponding in number and 
position with the barrels ; in each of these is a small steel 
flanged piston pressed upon by a spiral spring. A plate per- 
forated for the protrusion of the striking points of the pistons 
covers the inner face of the block. In a space in front of this 
face the steel plate or shutter slides vertically up and down. 
In front of this, again, is an outer face-plate, containing as 
many small steel strikers as there are barrels — in this case, 
thirty-seven. When the lever is pressed down, the breech- 
block is forced forwards and closes the gun, and the springs 
acting on the pistons are put in compression, the pistons 
then pressing against the vertical sliding-plate or shutter. When 
the handle of the wheel-gear moving the shutter is worked, 
the edge of the shutter descends, and as it clears each pis- 
ton in succession, the latter dart across the vacant space and 
drive forward the strikers upon the fulminate in the car- 
tridges. The edge of this shutter is bevelled, to ease the 
action of striking, and is also serrated, or cut into steps, in such 
a way that no two contiguous cartridges can be fired, the dis- 
tending effect of the gases diverting the shots when the 
proximity is too close. When the breech-block is drawn back, 
a thick steel plate, perforated with thirty-seven holes, into 
each of which a cartridge is placed, being prevented from 
falling through by a tight fit and by the flange intended for ex- 
traction, is inserted in the opening. When the breech-block is 
slid forward again the cartridges are pushed into the open rear 
ends or chambers of the barrels, and the gun is closed up 
ready for firing. These ammunition plates are replaced as fast 
