I was the emperor in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1004 New Toys

The next day, Li didn't leave the other courtyard until noon.

One night of tenderness, naturally needless to say.

But he didn't go back to the palace directly, but set off to the arsenal located in the south of the city.

Liu Baohe, the current responsible steward of the arsenal, has already been waiting in front of the door.

Although they had talked a lot at the Tiangongyuan meeting yesterday.

But Li Tian is still a little uneasy. He is still uneasy if he doesn't come here to check the progress of various weapons in person.

In fact, there is nothing new to see, and the types of equipment are similar to those of the last visit.

In terms of changes, it may be that after adding the steam forging hammer, the manufacturing capacity of the arsenal has once again increased by a big step.

The quality of the manufactured weapons is more guaranteed.

The musket that was repeatedly modified and perfected was named the Imperial Type I musket, and the flat-firing gun manufactured based on the famous Krupp flat-firing gun during World War I was named the Imperial Type I land battle gun.

The reason why they are almost all named Type [-] is mainly because this year can be regarded as the first year of Hongxi, and it is the first year that Li Tian used his own year name.

The so-called new year and new atmosphere, new names are used for newly manufactured things, which is a tradition in the past and a new sustenance.

Li Tian didn't object.

For things like muskets, except for slight modifications in details, there are actually no major changes in essence.

Although they have exhausted all the means they have so far, the things they have produced still cannot be compared with the weapons produced by using modern machinery.

Not only is it incomparable in quality, but it is also far behind in terms of aesthetics.

It may be worse than those weapons created by Lao Maozi in order to expand production capacity and make weapons look beautiful.

But Li Tian didn't care much, because these weapons, no matter what, were born from his hands.

It is the result of his hard work for more than half a year.

Moreover, no matter how ugly and low-end it is, it is still the top weapon of war in the world.

It is said that they are the most powerful lethal weapons in the entire human being, and they are also worthy of them.

The warehouse is lined with rows and boxes of Imperial Type I muskets that have been built, calibrated, smeared with tung oil for maintenance and ready to be sent to the new army barracks.

Seeing these muskets neatly placed there, Li Tian still couldn't restrain the joy in his heart.

Gently pick up one of them and touch it up and down continuously, just like stroking a newborn baby. People can't put it down, even if their hands are covered with maintenance tung oil, they don't care much.

Liu Baohe was on the side, seeing Li Tian so happy, he couldn't restrain his joy in his heart.

Although, the design drawings, and even the production process of the musket were all based on the suggestions given by the day.

But he is also one of the personal participants after all.

If one day, the name of the Imperial Type [-] musket spread throughout the world, his name would also be passed on forever. What a noble honor it would be.

Sometimes he even feels that in this life, being able to accomplish this thing is enough to satisfy his whole life, and the front half of his life is not in vain.

Due to Li Tian's interest, he ordered someone to bring fixed ammunition.

Loading, compacting, opening the safety, igniting, launching, and clearing the chamber were done in one go, as if they had been drilled countless times before, with precision and speed.

In the eyes of outsiders, his operation is indeed smooth and smooth, but Li Tian knows that compared with those soldiers who have practiced countless times, his speed is still much slower.

A qualified soldier of the new army can almost double his speed at the limit speed.

It is not impossible for a member to launch twice, or even three times.

He is very satisfied with the improved musket now.

Regardless of the firepower, the ease of loading ammunition, or the most important accuracy and range, the Imperial Type [-] musket has almost reached the limit that the arquebus can achieve.

If you want to go further, unless you develop a flintlock gun that can be mass-produced, it is possible to surpass him.

You know, the matchlock gun was completely replaced by the flintlock gun, and it has persisted for a full 200 years in history.

This also invisibly explains the difficulty of developing flintlock guns and the current irreplaceability of matchlock guns.

Of course, it doesn't mean that flintlock guns can't be made.

The arsenal relies on manual polishing and people's hard work. In fact, they have already touched the production method of flintlock guns, and even created several experimental flintlock guns by hand.

But because the elasticity of the hammer is not enough, the service life is very short, and it will be over after firing thirty or fifty times.

It can be said that unless the technology of steelmaking goes further, mass production of flintlock guns can only be a luxury.

Although Li Tian is actually more inclined to the large-scale application of flintlock guns, Li Tian is not in a hurry.

In the original history, the arquebus lasted for 200 years before being replaced, and they only developed it for more than half a year, so why worry.

In his original plan, within three to five years, it would be enough to develop a flintlock gun that could be mass-produced, so there was no need to worry too much.

Otherwise, what will happen to the Imperial Type [-], which has just been mass-produced and armed for the new army?
Wouldn't it be too wasteful to discard it directly?

Seeing that Li Tian didn't seem to be enjoying himself, Liu Baohe was afraid that Li Tian would make a mistake and hurt himself.

He quickly ordered someone to bring over an exquisite small box and handed it to Li Tian.

"Your Majesty, please try this. These are two short guns that the craftsmen have painstakingly studied. Please taste them!"

Gently uncover the box.

Inside were two exquisite muskets made of brass, just over a foot in length, with handles inlaid with ivory agate and other decorations.

Judging from the hammer on the tail of the gun, this is a flintlock gun, and it is also the kind of flintlock gun whose craftsmanship has reached the limit of what can be achieved at present.

Weapons are naturally loved by men, and Li Tian is no exception.

He fell in love with the pair of muskets from the first moment he saw them.

Almost with trembling hands, he stroked the pair of babies.

"Beautiful, they are so beautiful."

Gently picked up one of them and looked it up and down carefully.

No matter in terms of feel or overall weight, these two guns seem to be tailor-made for Li Tian.

Below the long muzzle, there is a small buckle.

A copper rod slightly longer than the barrel is inlaid in the buckle.

(End of this chapter)