A Noiseless Gun.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 38, 11 February 1899, Page 4

A Noiseless Gun.

Colonel G. Humbert, of the French army, &n officer who distinguished himself in the Franco-German war, and ig on the retired list, is the iriventor of an appliance which tenders cannofl and rifles not only flamelesa, but absolutely noiseless when discharged, Smokeless powder we have got accustomed to, but the doing away with the noise and flame is a very forward step indeed in adding to the effectiveness *nd tenor of the weapon. fly preventing the appeal ance of flame, the gun dan be fired at night without showing its position to the enemy, and therefore the position of the force Using it, while the abolition of the noise reduces to a minimum the possibility of an enemy discovering by this means the whereabouts of a, gun fired in dayjight from Under cover. Incidentally this latter consideration is an advantage for the soldiers by removing the din, which must unquestionably affect their neives as well as their ears. The conditions affecting the new invention depend on the discovery of the exact reasons why noise and fire were obtained in discharging a weapon. The noise is due to the sadden expulsion of the gases of the exploded gunpowder following the bullet and the return of the air into the barrel, while the flame is due to the igniting of the gases by heat. If, then, the barrel could be closed the moment the shot left it, there would be neither noiae nor flame, and this is to all Intents and purpose what Colonel Humbert's invention ddesi Over the mouth of the cannon a short tube is screwed, This is bored with a hole of exactly the same diameter as the cannon, and in the inside is a shutter working on a pivot, which normally lies in a horizontal position. It is so constructed that on the under side theie are two empty spaces left. As soon as the cannon is flied the shell is ejettei in the ordinary way; but the overwhelm »gp essur» of the gas following it gets under i, c shutter and causes it to rise. The gas is thus prevented from escaping at the muzzle, and is forced back to escape with gieatly diminished force through a number of small holes arranged in the back of the tube over the barrel and directed towards the gunner. In order to protect him from thia gas, a band is fastened round the middle of the barrel which completely disperses the gas in all directions. This backward rush of the gas also abolishes the recoil of the gun to a great extent, and in this way adds greatly to the efficiency of th« weapon.— English paper,