ELECTRIC GUNS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 97, 28 August 1908, Page 3

ELECTRIC GUNS.

There have been no' fresh developments in regard to the Simpson electric gun, which is under offer to the Imperial Government, but the French Government according to a cable message, is testing an electric invention capable of spraying a shower of small bullets over an approaching enemy. No explosive is used in this projectilethrower. Mr Simpson's weapon, it is claimed, has an enormous range, and can deal with huge projectiles, but the French invention, it seems, is of small calibre, and the, frequency of its shot is its chief feature. "Le Journal'' recently g.ive s<'-me particulars of the weapon invented by IM. I'uteaux, of Oi.'oii, which is now ii: the hand-, of the French inilit.uw aiith'Htier.. Of course, ■lO dr tails of (he 'essentia! parts of the "gun" are given bur i* is said to be a smidi machine, with a core of less than H ami lie/I,

haif an inch; There is 011 jajnbing or overheating, and 1200 shots a minute can be discharged without difficulty. The French newspaper, -in which the account of thcPuteaux gun was published, has received a large number of letters on the. subject. One writer claims that the credit for of the electric gun jjj dac to Birkt'land, •?.* Norwegian scientist, who in ]»!>■*, I described a projectile thrower, which he | had made. j;,';iv:;and, wc are told, .worked or the basis of the discoveries ' of Dcspre?, a P'renchman, concerning: the possible application of solenoids to produce electric energy. The solenoid its simplest form is a spiral wire with one terrain til turned straight back through.' the middle of the coil. If a circuit of electricity is sent through it the solenoid ar-.ta like a magnet, having powers of attraction and repulsion. ! BesidesF ?ench inventors, there are two ! British inventor?, and at least two ; others, a Swiss pastor and a French- ; man living in Brooklyn, who claim to ! have perfected electric guns, so that i the da.vs-ef explosives in war, at any ; rate .as a motive force, may be num- : bered.