Gunnery in 1858: Being a Treatise on Rifles, Cannon, and Sporting Arms: Explaining the Principles of the Science of Gunnery, and Describing the Newest Improvements in Fire-ArmsGreener, William
History
Gunnery in 1858: Being a Treatise on Rifles, Cannon, and Sporting Arms: Explaining the Principles of the Science of Gunnery, and Describing the Newest Improvements in Fire-Arms
Greener, William
Firearms; Gunnery
“I then examined Mr. Greener’s ammunition, and found he had not made
it up into complete cartridges, but that his ball was separate from
his powder. I then examined the ball, which being less than the barrel
of the rifle, went down very easily--indeed slided down, and is thus
formed. The ball is cast with a hollow in it, to which a plug of the
same metal is inserted, but not going home. The force of the charge is
said by Mr. Greener so to act on this hollow ball as to expand it,
filling up the whole barrel, preventing all windage, and so truly
keeping its flight that the head of the plug first striking the object
fired at, is then driven home; the ball becomes a solid, and as such
is equal to the present mode, as well as having more force and with a
less quantity of powder than at present used.
“A detachment of the 60th was then ordered to load with Mr. Greener’s,
and an equal number with his Majesty’s practice ammunition. The first
certainly had the advantage in quickness of loading, but this may be
accounted for by Mr. Greener’s ball being put in separate from the
cartridge; for I am by no means certain (it being necessary that his
plug should be exactly in the centre, either next the cartridge or
from it) whether, when made into a complete form, should the plug have
shifted from its position, it would not cost the soldier more time to
place it right; neither am I certain whether the plug might not be
liable to become jammed in the soldier’s cartouch-box.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account