The- Needle Gun. a 
end of the cartridge, an-aperture being in the centre of 
the breech, a needle inserted quickly would have the same 
effect. (Needham’s needle-guns are the nearest approach 
to this description). Now, it is obvious that there is con- 
siderable danger in this placing the detonator oufszde the 
cartridge. The Prussians, therefore, place it zzszde—namely, 
at the base of the bullet, or rather in a papier-maché sabot, 
between the bullet and the powder. The Prussian car- 
tridge consists of the bullet in front, the sabot, with the 
ziindspiegel (contained in a round cavity 1-6th of an inch 
diameter) and the powder behind, the whole being confined 
in strong combustible paper. This compact cartridge is 
placed in the barrel, the needle enters through a fine open- 
ing behind, pierces the paper, passes through the powder, 
and striking its point, the ziindspiegel or detonating disk, 
ignites it and the powder. 
“ Mark the advantagesof this process. No great force is re- 
quired, theaction ofthe needles is straight and easy, and after 
firing the whole of the cartridge is gone, the papercovering (in 
ammunition made of the proper material) being consumed 
by the discharge, No pasteboard case or metal cap re- 
quires to be withdrawn or ejected ; and if (as it sometimes 
may occur in wet weather, or with paper not combustible 
enough) pieces of ashes remain, they may either be blown 
out with the mouth, or left in the breech without hindering 
the next discharge. 
“The plan of igniting the powder in front (just behind the 
bullet), instead of from behind, as in all other guns, has a 
considerable advantage of its own. The powder burns 
backwards, and, resting against the breech, every grain is 
consumed before the bullct leaves the barrel. 
_ “Where the powder is ignited from behind, burning for- 
ward, as in all other muzzle or breech-loaders hitherto in- 
vented, a considerable portion of it is ejected before it has 
time to ignite. Sportsmen and those who use the Enfield 
rifle must be aware of this. Notice the muzzle of an En- 
field when being fired, you will observe the numerous grains 
of powder exploding in tiny clouds outside the barrel. 
“ These are the general principles upon which ‘ percussion 
guns’ (muzzle or breech-loaders) and ‘ needle-guns’ differ 
from each other. 
“ Now, as was said before, the ‘ needle’ system is applic- 
able both to muzzle-loaders and to breech-loaders. The 
officers of the Prussian army use a six-shooting revolver, a 
muzzle-loader, inasmuch as the cartridges are inserted into 
