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Chapter 857 Good things come in hard times
The new type of musket was developed at the beginning of last year, and there were two models at once. However, they are both in the small-scale trial stage and have not yet been officially named. They are temporarily distinguished by Luanzhou type and Haihe type.

Although they are called new models, in fact, the two guns are exactly the same in length, caliber, appearance and other parameters. The only difference is the loading and firing device. The purpose is also only one, to target two different new projectiles.

There is a big difference between these two types of projectiles. One is similar to the silk and oil paper fixed bullet currently in use, but with a small accessory, a copper cap the size of a grain of rice. The other is a copper shell fixed bullet with a small hole sealed with paraffin at the bottom.

The Luanzhou model is a breech-loading rifle. The spring is moved to open the rear magazine, and the oil-paper fixed bullet is loaded. When the magazine is closed, the built-in steel sheet will cut the oil paper to expose the propellant. Then the small copper cap is buckled on the thin mouth at the rear of the magazine, and the trigger is pulled to cause the hammer to strike.

The special gunpowder sealed inside the copper cap will explode due to the impact, and will be transferred into the magazine through the fine mouth, igniting the fixed-charge propellant and launching the bullet out.

The rear of the Haihe-type barrel has a magazine with a rectangular window, and a short steel rod is placed inside. It is locked by turning the angle, replacing the rear plug of the barrel. The principle is a bit like the breech block of a breech-loading artillery, and is called a bolt.

Pull the bolt to open the magazine and load the copper shell bullet, push the magazine up and pull the trigger. The spring inside the bolt will eject a steel needle, penetrate the wax seal at the bottom of the copper shell bullet, ignite the propellant, and shoot out the bullet.

Why can a steel needle ignite the propellant? The secret lies in the propellant at the tail of the copper shell. There is a small pill hidden there, made of the same material as the special ignition powder in the copper cap.

This pyrotechnic powder is much more sensitive than the propellant and can be ignited by impact. A steel needle can also pierce the small tablet through the wax seal and ignite it, thereby setting off the propellant.

It is said that this mysterious gunpowder was the culprit that killed Zhao Shizhen. When Wang Zheng took over and continued his research, it exploded more than ten times in three or four years. It was very dangerous and difficult to deal with.

However, no matter how big the problem was, it could not withstand years of repeated experiments regardless of casualties. Finally, Wang Zheng found a method for mass production and summarized a relatively safe process, and at the same time produced two new types of projectiles.

Why do we have to make two types? Why can't we combine the advantages of the two and produce one type? It would be much simpler. Wang Zheng must have thought so, but he couldn't do it. The two new projectiles each had their own advantages and disadvantages and could not be replaced.

The copper cap is called a percussion cap, and the musket that uses it to fire fixed bullets is called a percussion cap gun. The percussion cap is very small, and when it is produced, it will be glued between two layers of oil paper, which is moisture-proof and easy to carry. It will not explode by mistake as long as it is not hit hard.

Even if it explodes, it will not hurt anyone as long as it is not placed together with fixed ammunition. It is safer to use soft materials to separate it during transportation and then pack it in a sturdy wooden box to prevent strong collision.

When using it, just tear the oil paper, take out the primer and buckle it on the primer. Since the primer is very thin, as long as the rear of the gun is not soaked in water and the magazine is not flooded, it will not affect normal firing even if it rains. The opening of the copper cap is sealed with paraffin, so it will not affect its use even if it is thrown into water for a short time.

After using fixed bullets and percussion caps, the loading process of the musket is significantly shortened and the speed is increased. With a little practice, you can reach the level of six rounds per minute, and you can improve it further after you become proficient.

In this way, the percussion cap gun has the advantages of being easy to use, simple in structure, quick to fire, low in cost, and able to fight in rainy days, which should be very practical. However, despite its many advantages, the percussion cap still has prominent shortcomings. Explosive powder is highly corrosive to metals, and its sensitivity will be greatly increased when combined with oxidized metals, so the finished products cannot be stored for too long, and are limited to two months.

The General Staff was not happy about this. To be responsible for the logistics of the army and navy, they had to store sufficient quantities of various weapons and ammunition. As a result, they could only store them for two months. Once a large-scale war broke out, how to arrange production and transportation would become a big problem. If there were too much, it would be dangerous, and if there were too little, it would not be enough.

At the strong request of the General Staff, the second type of projectile and the second type of musket were born. Because it has a steel needle in the bolt, it is called the needle musket.

The ignition powder in the copper shell bullet is wrapped by the propellant and does not come into contact with the copper shell, so there is no concern about corrosion. Relatively speaking, the storage time is much longer, which is more suitable for mass production.

Compared with the percussion cap gun, the acupuncture gun has a more closed magazine and is more waterproof, moisture-proof and resistant. As long as the quality of the steel needle is up to standard, the acupuncture firing rate is comparable to that of the percussion cap.

But... needle guns and copper shell bullets also have disadvantages. The first is the safety issue. Since the ignition powder and propellant of copper shell bullets are packed together, if they are accidentally ignited, it will cause a big explosion, and all the ammunition will be destroyed. Therefore, higher requirements are put forward in terms of storage and transportation, at least small batches must be stored in isolation.

The second issue is cost. Copper is currency, and stamping copper shells requires a relatively complicated process, which is dozens of times more expensive than paper shell bullets. When the ammunition reaches its expiration date, it costs another cost to disassemble and reload it.

Small-scale use is not a problem, but if it is equipped to a large force, the future combat costs will increase at a rate visible to the naked eye. In addition, due to the easy loading and increased rate of fire, the usage will also increase significantly. Whether it is cost-effective is worth careful consideration.

Finally, it is practical. Since the needle gun has a relatively good sealed bolt, the problem of cleaning the magazine comes with it. If dirt gets into the magazine or it is not maintained in time, it is likely to cause bolt failure. It must be used reasonably and maintained regularly.

In addition, the steel needle is also a consumable part. If it is blunt, crooked, or short, it will affect the firing rate. Soldiers must learn to replace it by themselves, which not only increases the amount of training, but also increases the cost of use.

Even the emperor, who was always known for his foresight, couldn't decide which one was suitable, so he had to resort to a big move and experiment!
These two types of guns have been sent to the Luzon Special Region in small batches and handed over to the Marine Command for actual combat testing in tropical humid areas to see which one is more suitable for the current war needs.

In fact, Sun Chengzong did not ask for too much, let alone the use of new muskets. As the person in charge of the Qinghai Campaign, he only hoped that the emperor would dispatch enough troops and that the logistics of the General Staff would not lag behind.

Having more would be useless. As long as he had two main guards and a sufficient number of mules and horses, he would be able to drive the Tumed, Ordos, Chahar and Khalkha tribes entrenched west of the West Sea out of the Qinghai area within half a year.

As for annihilation, I'm not sure. After all, they are a nomadic people who grew up on horseback and have the advantage of the terrain. Even if they can't beat them, they can definitely run away. If they really want to run, no one can catch up with them.

(End of this chapter)