A NEW STEEL GUN.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3302, 22 July 1879, Page 2

A NEW STEEL GUN.

"The British War "Office has "been "invited by Herr Kr^pp,tg -send representatives to be pretfettt'at^«P«ia|s of a neir steel gun of extraordinary size, to take invitation has been accepted by the War Office, which-wilL) be represented by two o(licers deputed 'for that purpose. Th« gun to be experimje.njpgd with on this oeca* sion ia the largest specimen of steel ordi> a calibre of 40 centimetres, of 15|- inches. The lengthcpf^the jpup.^ fafflfy. Bin., and that of the bore 28ft. 6in. The English 80-ton gun Jbas, a calibre of 16 inches,-a total length of 27ft, and a bom #)2^ W^Th* eajrenor Wth of bore in the Krupp gun pi thus apparent, being 21f calibres, as against 18 of which the Krupp gun is composed if steel through^™ r TJ|e A^e of the gun consists of a tube running its entire length;; Mjinhthpi^polwichgan^b^oiifli at the rear, the loading being at the breach inate^d of ithe mngzlft. ThßiMh«./>f E t>i^ large weapon being of such great length it bust been Tnwiein! two pertiohsv) tkmjttdt being secured in a peculiar manner. We may observe that * seetiorial^k^lß^bf # Krupp gun is npt to be obtained ; that the exact mode 6fbuirding^ up is not discoverable, except by cutting the gun to pieces. Over^the tube are four "jackets," 11* cylinders, of various lengthvauppkiaea* ted by a ring over the breech portion. Th'ecjlindersTare'much/lesSmai^tbffl in the Eraser-gup, and approximate mo* to the pattern of the Armstrong ordnance. The gun*is cbatiibered—tlvitisWsay, the powder chamber has "a greater diameter thaW :tl>e bore. The: forni #rfci/t<U» powderrprisms, and thejadjas^Mint of the cartridge in the bpr^aHow altogether an amount of space; which gires^n^r^e^ of air to the powder actually rompsjunj| the charge. The gun is rifled ,PiiS,fjjJ| polygroove system, with a UMfarjff twist, and the shot is rotated by inejftt of a -copper > 'ring; rlet« r ifftP//=iti)tr«iif curaference near ( the *.-. ba§e»)T ;:Xhia~ ring, by filling the grooves of the rifling^ also acts-as a gas check, and seihVtlSp bore from the moment it i» rammed ifcto ; its place, without waiting for any " setting lup ? by the, pressure pf, ,the p^wder-flgsr on igniting tWj&W*-rMi''m!WißfF sliding wedge, which passes across the ;bpr;e» and is there fixed. construction ;of this wedge is highly ingenious and j simple, one feature.- being, -that -o£, jrendering it impossible to fire the gun until,'tli^ breech is effectual Closed/The wedge is rounded at the backing jthe form of the letter D, so as to prevent the splitting of the ; gujfe,by sharp angles. 'This modification of the wedge hai made the Krupp guns much more seoure t!ian: they= were some years agoiCffcffctfce jwedge was made square at the rear. The charge for this monster gun ii to be ,285 pounds of prismatib powdtef;tll*,projectile being a chilled iron shell of 1660 pounds* with a bursting charge of 38 pounds of powder. It is estimated that the velocity bf the projectile as it leaves the muszle of the £in will be ■ 500 rnctres, Or/l6iafc<* per second, corresponding to an energy of very nearly 31,000 foot tons. Calculation* hare been» made; for certain/diitimeflii^namely, at 647 yards a velocity of 1569 feet, at 1094 yards a velocity of 1503 feet, at lOil yards a Velocity ofilMSfliA at 2187 yards a velocity of 1391 feet, and jit 2734 yards a velocity of 1345 feet per lecond, This last range, it willbiMfci. is equal to 2500 metres, the other distances given being respectively 509 metres, 1000, 1500, and 2000iiCHTfiellHi|#ft% shooting ground is admirably adapted for the trial of this great gun, there being an Available range of 17,000 Mirietrd^AQr nearly eleven miles, with a breadth of 4000 metres. It is not likely that the ? un will : be fired at! any: great •: id* 1* " of elevation, or even this noble range would be insufficient. It is estimated, rather as a mattor of curiosity tHanfcUl*' ivise, that if the gun were fired with its axis raised to an angle of 43deg. with the horizon, it would send.a ipr6je«til«llo7i . distance of fifteen miles. Great accuracy is also claimed for this weapon, as for all > tihe Krupp breech loading guns. At the forthcoming trials targets will be placed sit suebb a-distance that the cuafrill, have to be directed'by o^r'^el^'thirtho visibility of the object to be hit. As may be supposed, the cost of this great steel gun will considerably exceed that of tLj , Fraser^gtm bf 80 W 7The laVst Iltel a jiuns previously made are KruppY two 56 tonbree<>h loidera,idy is at Constantinople and the other Cronstadt.