Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/801

* RAPID-FIRE GUNS. ro7 RAPID-FIRE GUNS. of firing at least twelve aimed shots per minute. About the same time the French Department of Marine invited designs for a 3-pounder to fulfill relatively the same conditions. These two advertisements resulted in the pro- duction of the rapid-fire gim. 'Sir. Hotch- kiss, an American who had established works in France, brought out a series of gims, 1, 3, and 6 pounders, and it is per- haps interesting to learn that the first order placed with him was from the United States Navy Department. Mr. Kordenfeldt brought out similar guns in England. The 3-pounder and 6-pounder rajjid-fire guns advertised for by France and Great Britain were intended for iise against torpedo boats, and it was consid- ered that the calibres selected were amply large. Later experience has modified this view, but it must be remembered that the torpedo boats of 1881 were small, slow, and weak. Rapid-firing guns soon began to increase in size. In a short time the calibre of 6 inches was reached, but the fixed ammunition was found to be un- wieldy and easily sprung out of shape. The next step was the separation of the projectile and powder in the larger guns, but retaining the brass case for inclosing the powder charge. The speed of fire in these guns was not reduced b.y the change, as the separate parts of the ammunition were more easijy and rapidly handled. In 1897 ^lessrs. Vickers Sons & Company brought out a new type in which no powder case tion at the same time. The system was almost im- mediately adopted for use in the new guns of the United States Navy, and it bids fair to be univer- sally accepted for guns of 5-inch calibre and over. TICKERS-MAXIM BBEECH MECHAKISH. — HOKIZONTAIi BECTIOK. The increased speed of fire in the intermediate calibres naturally led to a general improvement in the loading mechanism of all guns, and it is now safe to say that the rate of fire of large guns has been doubled in the past four or five j'ears and gains are constantly being made. Krupp brought out what he called a nipid-fire 24-centi- meter ( 9.45-inch ) gun four or live years ago and in 1000 a 'rapid-fire' 28-centimeter piece, but they are not faster working tlian the new pieces of like calibre in the United States, British, and VICKERS-.MAXI.M BBEECH MECHANISM POH 6-lNCe BREECH- LOADING RIFLE. — END VIEW. 1, Ereech-plug; 5, carrier arm which siipijorts the hreech- phif:-; 9, luug arm of toggle-joint lever for rotating the ping ; 10. pin connecting toggle-joint lever to breech-plug; 11. pivot of toggle-joint; 12, short arm of toggle-joint lever ; 13, pivot of short arm ; 14. intermediate pinion with circumferential teeth set at angle of 45 and which gear into similar teeth on round end of short arm ; 1."). verticle pivot of 5. V2, and 14; 16, operating lever; 17, stop on interme- diate pinion which prevents its turning independent of the carrier arm after the breech-plug is adequately rotated ; 18. projection on carrier arm which presses against 19 and forces the loading trav into position ; 19, stop ou loading tray which takes aga'inst 18 and causes tray to rise: 20, firing mechanism: 21, loading tray. is used. The breech mechanism is of the rapid- working type and the olituration (i.e. the pre- vention of escape gas to the rear) is effected by means of a modified form of the Dc Bange gas check. (See Guns, Natai). The primer is eject- ed automatically when the breech is opened and a . loading tray is' automatically drawn up in posi- VICKERS- MAXIM BBEECH MECHANISM FOR 6-INCH BBEECB- LOADINS BIFLE.— VERTICAL SECTION. French navies. Krupp's nomenclature was so obviously misleading that many oflicers are now avoiding the use of the expression nipid-fire. In the United States Navy the terms rapid-fire (lun. and quick-fire gun are now officially defined as follows: (a) "A rapid-fire gun is one that has a quick-working system of breech closure