THE RIBBON GUN.

Patea Mail, 25 September 1882, Page 3

THE RIBBON GUN.

The firm of Sir W. Armstrong & Co. has recently submitted for trial a breechloading gun upon a peculiar system of construction. This gun, though differing but slightly in its, breechloading arrangement from those of Government pattern, is altogether unlike those in general appearance and method of build ing up. The whole of the piece in rear of the trunnions is built up of steel wire, over which is shrunk ordinary yet thinner coils of great tenacity. The gun’s diameter where the charge rests, as compared with that of the War Office construction, c;is astonishingly small. Its outlines therefore form those of a long slim weapon. " Yet it is said to be capable of bearing the explosion of SOOlhs of the slow-burning service powder, with a much heavier weight of shot than that of the 10 4 inch bore Government gun. As a matter of fact, however, the exact weight of shot or shell to be fired with the new gun has yet to be determirien upon by experiment. So far the results have been deemed satisfactory. Ihe weight of the new gun is only 21 tons, 4 cwts., yet the diameter of its bore is 10-288 inches. ; Its length is similar to that of the Royal Gun Factory’s 24-inch gun of; 26 tons. Should experiments with this gun ; prove successful* says “ Engineering/’ a new departure in construction will have been taken, and a great step made towards an improvement of our ships and forts.