Smokeless P0 Wder
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S M O K E L E S S PO W DE R AN D N T R T I N G U N C O S U C O . JA MES ATK IN N L N RIDGE SO O G , E H M E M . F O OF E L A D U E M M S CI VI L E N G ON . O S . IN T . N RTH NG N IN TIT T O F MINING AN D M ECHANICA L ENGINEERS ; AUTHOR OF ‘ A TREA TISE ON THE A PP LICATION O F W IRE TO THE ’ U O O F O D A E ‘ E A L ALL S S CONSTR CTI N R N NC INT RN B I TIC , E E . TC ” TC E F N S O N 1 2 5 S T RAN D L O N DO N . P , , , N E W "O K : 1 2 CORTL AN DT ST EE T . R , R 1 8 9 0 . S M O K E L E S S PO W DE R AN D ITS INFLUENCE ON G UN C O N S T R T I UC O N . S M O K E L E S S POW DE R ITS INFLUENCE ON N N T RU T I N G U C O S C O . JAME ATK IN N N RID E S SO LO G G , L H M EM . O F O H OF E LA D E M EM S V EN G. ON . S U . IN T . CI I ; N RT NG N IN TIT T O F MINING AN D MECHA NICAL ENGINEERS ; AUTHOR O F ‘ A TREATISE ON THE APPLICATION O F W IRE TO THE ’ O S U O O O D A E ‘ E AL ALL S S C N TR CTI N F R N NC INT RN B I TIC , E E . TC ” TC F N O N 1 2 5 ST RAN D L O N DO N . E . SP , , , N E W "O RK : 12 CO RT L AN DT ST E E T . , R 8 9 0 1 . I N the last chapter of my recent treatise on Internal . ” ’ Ballistics I alluded to the n e w powders which were then l attracting the attention of arti lerists . R eferring to their probable nature , I observed that the introduction of any ingredients which would either i n crease m the volume of gas or its te perature , or both together, would not only explain the apparently anomalous action of O f these new powders, but probably result in the discovery a still more powerful agent . Since then this has apparently been accomplished , and the ol d charcoal powder appears to be doomed to yield to this w more po erful rival . of l But the adoption this riva , whose properties are as yet W t only imperfectly known , is not to be viewed ithou anxiety . it u w and al l t Can be sed ith advantage , above with safe y, in o u r I f W W new type forged steel guns not, hat changes ill its use involve in gun construction ? What will be its effect as regards erosion ? H ow will it be affected by storage and change of climate ? These are important questions, to which I do not pretend to give complete answers, but I hope that the following remarks w ill be of some u se in directing attention to the problems upon the solution of which future gun construction and ballistic practice largely depend . L J. O N I A GR DGE . ’ EVE D A ZET T E JE SE" GR , R . u u 1 9 A g st 8 0 . C O N T E N T S — " I IN TROD CTOR . U II — AT R E O F T HE PO DER— PROD CTS O F COM P S . N U W U U TION — POT EN TIAL — FORCE — COM PARISON W ITH O LD POW DER S III L ISTIC E F E CT OF N EW POW DERS FRE CH . BAL F IN N AN D GE RM A G N S— C OMPARISON O F B N AN D N U . ’ N O B E L S POW DER I PRE SS RE S I N T HE C HASE ITH N E W PO DE R V . U W W COM PAR I SON W ITH PRE SSURE S FROM PE BBL E POW DE R —E FFE CT O F T HE N E W PO DE R O N E "ISTIN G N S V. W GU . I —IN FL E N CE O F T HE N E W PO DE R O N T HE DE SIGN V . U W O F GUN S — VI L CON CL USION APPEN DIC E S POSTSCRIPT SMOK EL E SS PO DE R W . " INTRO DUCTO R . 1 of of . In few paths science has the march progress in the latter part of the nineteenth century been more remark in O f able than the development material for warfare . 2 hal f . ou r Less than a century ago , the heaviest guns in 68 - service were the old pounders, weighing about five tons, f 2 f o 0 . o and firing, with a charge lbs powder, a spherical 68 to 1 500 lb . projectile which it gave a velocity of about feet — per second a ballistic effect equal to an energy of 1 060 foot tons . 3 Th h Of . e eaviest service gun the present day is the - f 1 10 n o 1800 . O f ton gun , firi g a projectile lbs , with a charge 8 f of 100 50 . o 2 lbs powder , and a velocity feet per second, O f - equivalent to an energy foot tons . 4 of . In the absence, in this country, the definite know ledge of the action and properties of powder (acquired through f M o . of the researches Sarrau , in France) , the adaptation ‘ vice versci of the powder to the gun, and, , the gun to the of so powder, has been a problem , the solution which, far of as it has been solved, is an empirical nature, so that the progress made in gun construction and powder manufacture has been of a somewhat erratic description . 5 Of of P or . After the day pebble powder came that 2 0 of of C and 2 , then that prismatic, succeeded by that of so- brown cocoa, and finally that the called which B 2 P 0 WDER SMOKELESS . a few months ago was looked upon as the pl us u ltm of gunpowder for heavy guns . 6 . The line taken by gunmakers has been tolerably con sistent throughout . They have ai med at reducing the strength of the powder, keeping down the pressure, and making up for this by increased charges, enlarged powder chambers, and of increased length gun . Following ou t this line they have arrived at charges of - one of . half, or more , the weight of the projectile , and at guns 30 40 of to calibres in length, but with a maximum pressure limited to about 17 tons per square inch . 7 n . In vain the argument has been urged that , by stre gthen of ing the guns instead weakening the powder, the same ballistic results could be obtained with greater convenience an d less expense . It has been shown , both theoretically and l practical y, that wire guns can be made as safe under a pressure of 30 tons as forged steel guns under a pressure of 17 tons ; but though a few experiments in this direction have W in been made at oolwich, they have been made a half of u hearted way, extending over long intervals time, d ring ‘ which the construction of the type of forged steel gu n has been rapidly proceeded with , and may be said practically to f include the whole o ou r new armament. l of 8 . These latter guns are designed special y for the use such powders as the brown cocoa and that is to say , powder of which a very large charge is required . ou r 9 . Until quite recently artillerists have been in a m . happy frame of ind They had got, or were very rapidly getting a sufficient supply of large guns of what they thought E "E to be the best possible type, and they had the new . d powder . the best powder in the worl . They had but to rest and be thankful . f G an o . 1 0 . That rest has been short duration From erm y and France came rumours of a n e w powder giving wonder or ful ballistic results, and at the same time smokeless, nearly so . 1 1 . Although much secrecy has been maintained with P DER SMOKELESS 0 W . 3 e t respect to the nature of the new powders , y the results have been so far made public, that it is no longer doubtful that they will give bal listic results largely exceeding those obtained from cocoa and with considerably reduced charges m and no excessive maximu pressure . 12 . ou r This being so, the question arises, how far are w new type guns suited to the new po der, and to what extent u shall we require a new armament, in order to reap the f ll advantage of the new powder ? It is proposed to discuss these questions by the light of such knowledge as the author can bring to bear upon the subject .