Fenghou

Chapter 807 Iron Thunder
Because of the long-term war with Liao and Xixia in the Northern Song Dynasty, it attached great importance to the research of weapons, especially the research of firearms.

The earliest firearms were used to support combustion. After gradually discovering its explosive properties, the formula and gunpowder technology were constantly changed to enhance the explosive power. From this, various names of ferocious thunder were born, such as Thunderbolt Fire Thunder, Tribulus Thunder, Earthquake Thunder, etc. .

But in the early days, due to the limitation of craftsmanship, we could only make paper fire mines. The explosion power was too weak, even if it exploded around the enemy, it would not hurt the enemy. So various patches came out, mixed with iron nails, iron sheets, caltrops or poison, Fire oil and so on.

At that time, lighting a fire was also troublesome. Soldiers in the firearms battalion would bring a stove with coal burning in it, and put a few iron bars in it.

However, the craftsmen of the Song Dynasty were really powerful, and they continued to improve the formula of gunpowder. After paper fire mines, wooden shell fire mines and pottery shell fire mines were also developed one after another. The poisoned iron nail explodes in all directions to exert its power.

By the late Northern Song Dynasty, the gunpowder formula was very close to the black powder of later generations, but the fineness and uniformity were not enough, so that the gunpowder did not burn fast enough to generate a large amount of gas instantly.

Many great inventions are often born at the most critical time. In the first year of Jingkang, Bianliang was surrounded by golden soldiers. At this most critical time, the iron shell fire thunder was finally successfully developed, and the sound spread hundreds of miles. The powder, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration, after all, it is black powder, and more than a dozen people around the explosion were killed and injured by the blasted iron pieces.

But even so, the Jin Bing was greatly deterred, and the Jin Bing retreated back to Hebei, and Li Gang's defense of Tokyo was a success.

Regrettably, in the second year when the Jin soldiers besieged the city, Li Gang was demoted, Tiao Dashen replaced Zhen Tianlei, and Bianliang City was destroyed.

But for some reason, none of the successfully researched iron-clad fire mines and technology was passed down. Maybe it was destroyed in the flames of war, or maybe the technology was not stable, and the success rate was too low. It also failed to create a thunderbolt.

Of course, there is another very important reason. The Kingdom of Jin doesn’t pay much attention to it. Jin soldiers don’t need this kind of iron-shelled thunder. This kind of iron-shelled thunder can only be used to attack or defend the city, and it is not very effective in the wilderness. , Jin Bing was invincible, killing the monarchs and ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Wanyan Wushu led an army of [-] to search the mountains and seas. Wherever he went, the soldiers and civilians in the cities all fled. If there is such a need for such inconvenient firearms, iron cavalry is enough.

When Sichuan and Shaanxi were attacked, the iron cavalry was useless, and the gold soldiers needed firearms. But at this time, the technology and craftsmen of making iron-shell fire mines had long since disappeared, and the technology returned to the starting point of ceramic fire mines and wooden barrel fire mines At most, Chen Qing improved it into a double-layer wooden barrel fire thunder.

The formula of black gunpowder has been developed long ago, [-]% of sulfur, [-]% of charcoal, [-]% of saltpeter, Chen Qing also knows this formula, but the reason why they can’t make iron-shelled fire mine is not the gunpowder formula, but the craftsmanship. One is gunpowder craft and the other is iron shell craft.

Not long after the gunpowder craft migrated from Ganquanbao to Chengji County, a breakthrough was made. The gunpowder had been ground finely and evenly enough, and they were paste together with egg white, and then crushed, so that it became a sesame seed. Pieces of gunpowder.

If you look at it with a magnifying glass, it is actually a honeycomb structure, and there are spaces between the very fine powder and the powder, which ensures that it burns quickly and fully.

Although there is no breakthrough in the iron shell technology, as long as the amount of gunpowder is large enough, it can also exert a powerful explosive effect, so the box-type gunpowder mine weighing [-] jin was invented.

It's a pity that the cost was too high, and the Song army only made ten such box-type gunpowder mines in the end, and it was impossible to make any more.

So when the steward said that the explosion just now was caused by iron shell fire and thunder, how could Chen Qing not be shocked.

"When was the Iron Shell Fire Thunder developed?" Chen Qing asked.

Xie Ying whispered: "The day before yesterday!"

Chen Qing was suddenly annoyed, why didn't he tell himself about such an important matter?

"Why didn't you report it?"

"Reporting to the county king, because it is still uncertain, only one of the ten iron-shelled fire mines exploded, and we dare not report hastily."

Chen Qing could accept this reason, and he asked again: "Have you found the cause of the explosion?"

Xie Ying sighed and said, "It should be that everyone is impatient and wants to make it as soon as possible. The three craftsmen on duty tonight experimented overnight. They mixed oil and iron powder, which accidentally caused an explosion."

"Just a thunder explosion has such a great power?"

"The one that exploded should be an iron dog."

A five-hundred-jin box-type fire mine is called a rhinoceros, a one-hundred-jin box-type fire mine is called a black pig, a thirty-jin gunpowder barrel is called a wild dog, and a five-jin powder barrel is called a hedgehog. Dog and Iron Hedgehog. "

Chen Qing got off his horse and, accompanied by several officials, walked into the gate of the firearms station
The explosion site of the firearms station is in the warehouse. There are dozens of warehouses behind the firearms station, all of which are built with green bricks. Each warehouse is very strong. It is a waste warehouse, full of failed firearms, ready to be dismantled and taken out of gunpowder.

At this time, the entire waste warehouse collapsed, leaving only ruins and ruins. Dozens of craftsmen were cleaning up. The soldiers and craftsmen who died in the explosion were being carried aside and wrapped in mats.

There was also a craftsman sitting on the ground with a white cloth wrapped around his head, and the commander of the internal guard, Han Zhengfu, was questioning him.

"Is that an eyewitness?" Chen Qing glanced at the injured craftsman and asked.

"Exactly, he is the only survivor."

At this time, Han Zhengfu, the commander of the inner guard, stepped forward to pay respects, and Chen Qing asked, "Did you ask clearly? What's going on?"

"I have already asked clearly. It should be that the lantern was accidentally damaged, which caused the fire. When everyone was fighting the fire, a large gunpowder barrel suddenly exploded."

These craftsmen have a good sense of secrecy. Except for themselves, even the internal guards are unwilling to reveal the real reason.

At this time, Xie Ying brought Chen Qing to a warehouse. He pointed to several fire thunders on the shelf and said, "This is the iron fire thunder, five iron hedgehogs, and one iron dog."

Chen Qing stepped forward and patted a few iron bumps that looked like pumpkins, and then asked, "Can all of these be used?"

Xie Ying smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know, but it's more likely that it won't explode."

"How is the sealing problem solved?"

"The iron shell is cast in one piece with molten iron. The key lies in the mold, so that the iron shell is neither thick nor thin, and the thickness is very uniform. The mold is very difficult, and then a hole the size of a little finger is left, and the gunpowder is poured from this small hole. Go in, and finally insert a small wooden tube into the hole, and the wooden tube is wrapped with a matchlock.

Just now a craftsman came up with an idea. Since the fire mine that failed the test would suddenly explode, maybe the problem with the formula and the iron shell is not a big problem, but the small wooden tube is not suitable for the iron shell fire mine, which will cause a lot of heat to be ejected directly from the matchlock. , the possibility of this reason is very high, we must abandon the idea of ​​wooden shell fire mine, and reconsider the new method. "

"Is there a backup method?" Chen Qing asked.

Xie Ying shook her head, "Not yet!"

"Let me give you a plan. There are snails in the fields, the kind that circles around. When casting, the small mouth is made into a snail shape, so that the hot gas will not be sprayed out so quickly. The combustion is completed in an instant, and a large amount of gas expands. In fact, what we want is to buy that little time, before the heat leaks out, the iron shell explodes, right?"

The snail plan mentioned by Chen Qing is basically impossible and too difficult, but Xie Ying understands the principle, that is, the entrance is made a little more complicated, so that the gas does not rush out so quickly and buys a little time.

Xie Ying thought for a while and said, "We can try it, it's just that it will be a little troublesome when filling the gunpowder, but as long as it succeeds, it doesn't matter if it's a little troublesome."

(End of this chapter)