p. 181 | BREECH-LOADERS.-

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 25, 1866

BREECH-LOADERS.—

Austria has signified her adoption of an American arm—the new Remington breech-loader—and “all the resources of public and private works are to be employed in its manufacture.” The Belgian Minister of War has also applied for permission to manufacture under the Remington patent, while England and France have ordered additional samples, with which to complete their trials of the same.

The invention—mainly consists in the application of a swinging breech-piece, pierced by a firing-line, to a barrel bored “through and through,” and acting in combination with a tumbler attached to the hammer, so that the curved edges of the tumbler and the breech will interlock to brace against the recoil. This gun has shown greater rapidity of fire than any other, exceeding even sixteen shots per minute; and it claims superiority in the additional requisites of accuracy, extent of range, portability, durability, simplicity for purposes of cleaning and repair, safety and convenience of handling in action, and cheapness of construction. While this is likely to be the standard pattern for new guns, there is a desire on the part of our Government to avoid for a time the expense of an entire new piece, by altering to breech-loaders the Springfield rifles now on hand. The Remington plan for this purpose is also before the public.