1532

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIVE AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.

mm

[iigaiiiWiliiiitB

Skgudi

Fig. 5.

Colt's Repeating Uro-arms.

raised pin, which enters the sunken holes in the peripheryof the breech, as the charges are severally brought oppositeto the barrel, and thus prevents the breech from movingfrom its proper position, when it is intended to effect adischarge of the arm. When the hammer is on half cock,as shown at fig. 2, the breech is free to turn round to receivethe charges which are thus severally brought under theaction of the ramrod /. This rod is loosely joined to alever e, which is attached to the frame c, and hangs belowthe barrel: it is attached thereto at its outer end by aspring catch. The holster pistol was fired twelve hundredtimes, and the belt pistol fifteen hundred times, cleaningbut once a day. Neither of the pistols appeared to beinjured by the firing. The penetration of Colt’s holsterpistol was found to be through seven inches of board,and his belt pistol through six, while the highest pene-tration of the common dragoon pistol was only throughfive inches.

The weight of the holster and belt pistols were respec-tively 4 lbs. 4 oz. and 2 lbs, 0 oz.

Weight of balls, 14fi grs. and 83 grs.

Weight of powder, 30 grs. and 20 grs.

All the cavalry and mounted riflemen of the UnitedStates are now supplied with these arms. A considerablenumber of them were taken from the Exhibition, andsent for trial, in Her Majesty’s Service, to the Cape ofGood Hope , to be used against the Kafirs. Others arenow undergoing a series of experiments before the Honour-able Board of Ordnance, at Woolwich. Among the speci-mens exhibited were the revolving charge pistols. It hasbeen proved in actual service, that the effectiveness of atroop of horse armed with these weapons, which dis-charge six shots without reloading, has been tripled. Thefollowing extract from a Report of a Committee appointedby the United States Senate , relates to these weapons:

Cllb Ilf tjjt

“ Those repeating-arms, first constructed by M 1 '- p 0 rwere too complicated and easily deranged to be * j lt ,yrough service. Previous, however, to the year 18*yhad been so much improved, that many highly-expo' K i[lV y.officers recommended their trial in the army and 1 _ ^In the inspection returns of Major Thornton, a mem ,j s tolthe Board of Ordnance, he reports that only one ‘ sllI1 dfailed in the inspection trial, out of the last two tno 'and eighty-two tested in 1850, and this failure ' vab ,|.| ies ebuted to the imperfect metal of the particular arm. j () p timprovements have encouraged the department to ^ -oo j, sthem gradually into the service: first, in the raugeiemployed in Mexico , and afterwards in the mriflemen.” _ . to

Experience, it appears, has proved that it is di aIinScontend successfully against savages with the usinof mounted men, the ordinary dragoon pistol, !l ," , cC ess-carbine. General Harney employed Colt’s pistol lt ]yfully in Florida ; and those officers who have > (irinc dreturned from the frontier state that a drug 0011 ‘ ],apswith Colt's repeating pistol and a musquetoon, oi I y or .Simps’ rifle, would be the most efficient and in J oHl) tersmidable for frontier service; particularly wlieu enc ( ,. tt irieS,witli the savages occur, as they generally do, m 1defiles, and mountain gorges.]

035 Bam,, Tomkins, & Black, Ih-oadway, N eW

—Manufacturers. . gold.

Massive gold tea service made from Calif° r ?J*’^. Inand presented to E. T. Collins, Esq., of New i ‘fromthree months from the time that the ore was ' a ‘ Jllte d tothe earth, the service was manufactured and l , * eS p i i4B0«Mr. Collins. (Placed in the Main Avenue East.;-'

—Plate 394.

Iitjijilrniriit.