At this time, what was placed in front of Yang Fan was a new breech-loading rifled rifle and a special Gatling gun.
Because at this time, the mercury fulminate firing powder was finally completed.
Mercury fulminate is a key technological point in the development of percussion guns. Only with mercury fulminate can all-metal bullets, trigger bolts and firing pins be used.
With mercury fulminate, the next generation of rifles can completely say goodbye to open flames and flint fires in the future. After all, these two methods of lighting are greatly affected by the weather. Strong winds will scatter the ignition powder in the medicine pool, and heavy rain will also cause the flintlock gun to fail to fire. Full metal bullets are not affected by weather.
The main components of mercury fulminate firing charges are detonating powder, flammable agent and oxidizer. It may also contain additives such as desensitizers, sensitizers, and adhesives. After being triggered, a hot spot is generated, the detonator decomposes, and then causes a combustion reaction between the combustible agent and the oxidizer. The flame formed is used to ignite the propellant, ignition powder, delay powder or detonator.
The principle seems simple, but research and development is very difficult.
This involves chemical knowledge and industrial production of chemical raw materials. After all, the laboratory cannot produce so much mercury fulminate. Yaoguang's fifty-person ammunition team spent a lot of energy.
Yang Fan spent a year and a large number of manpower to solve many chemical problems in developing this thunderclap triggering drug.
In line with the policy of equipping one generation, producing one generation, and pre-researching one generation. After trial-equipped with three generations of flintlock muskets, percussion guns and rifled guns have finally matured.
Now, while the third-generation flintlock muskets have been fully commissioned, the breech-loaded percussion rifle has been successfully developed. It is about to be put into industrial production, and a large number of produced rifles will be reserved for future replacement.
Yang Fan's next-generation infantry weapon will be directly equipped with a breech-loading rifled percussion gun. Skip the muzzleloading rifle and minie stages.
Just like when Yang Fan jumped from the Huomen gun to the matchlock gun and went directly to the flintlock gun. Because the arquebus and the flintlock gun differ only in the mechanism of firing. Everything else is exactly the same.
There is really no need to waste a generation of equipment. The change of uniforms of the troops is a very important matter and has a great impact on the army. The cost is also extremely staggering.
Therefore, unless there is no way around it, there is no need to equip the matchlock gun.
The same is true for the next generation of weapons. Rifled guns and breech-loading percussion guns are developing at the same time. After repeated comparisons and demonstrations. A consensus has been formed that the rifle can be used directly on the percussion gun.
There is no need to install front-loaded rifled guns and Mini bullets.
On Gatling guns, the production of full-metal cartridge cases has matured. Now all it takes is to change the firing powder of the metal cartridge case from the original glass powder, sulfur and copper shavings powder with only half the fire rate, to fulminant mercury.
After replacing the primer with an all-copper metal bullet, the fire rate will increase to three nines.
With bullets with metal shells, there is really no need to use Mini bullets that are difficult to load.
Mini bullets must be made smaller than the caliber of the gun and are a sub-caliber bullet. But it cannot be too small, it can only be slightly smaller, and the butt is concave to facilitate deformation under the pressure of gunpowder and seal the gunpowder gas tightly against the barrel of the gun.
This kind of special-shaped lead bullet is very troublesome to produce.
Soldiers had to use sticks and mallets to pound bullets into the gun chamber. Only in this way can the ammunition be loaded, which is very troublesome. Waste valuable shooting time on the battlefield.
"The new rifle hasn't been named yet," Yang Fan said, picking up a long rifle.
The length of this rifle is about 1350mm. With the bayonet, it is 1800mm long. It looks like a spear. After all, in this era, hand-to-hand combat with cold weapons has not been eliminated. The rifle must also have stabbing capabilities.
"Master, I haven't given a name yet, please give me a name," Chang Zhu said.
Now Fu Laoliu is specializing in artillery. As the leader of the artillery team. As another master craftsman, Chang Zhu is responsible for the research and development of light weapons, mainly rifles, machine guns, and supporting ammunition.
"From now on, weapons will be named according to the year. This year is 1628 AD, so let's call it the 1628-style rifle."
Chang Zhu quickly said yes. He didn't understand why he used Western dollars. But he would not object.
What's the name? As long as the master likes it. It's not a technical issue. If it were this kind of issue, he would definitely argue it out.
"Now that it's finalized, when will the production line be ready and small batch production start?" Yang Fan asked.
"Sir, the current production lines are all producing third-generation flintlock muskets, and now the army is undergoing a large-scale re-equipment. This new production line needs to be rebuilt and cannot be modified with flintlock muskets. Therefore, it will not be built until at least March next year. Completed, after debugging and inspection, small batch production will begin in early May.”
Yang Fan nodded, not in a hurry. Anyway, it is produced as a reserve for the next generation to use for replacement.
The mass production of new weapons involves a process from small to large quantities, as well as a process of gradual improvement and adjustment. New processes and technologies are prone to problems. These need to be gradually solved in small-scale mass production.
"How is the next generation pre-research project going? Is it progressing smoothly?" Yang Fan asked.
"Sir, the next generation rifle we are pre-developing is mainly a five-round magazine, a rotating bolt action, a locking mechanism, a cartridge extraction mechanism, etc. It is still in the theoretical stage. There is some progress." Chang Zhu said, this area The time given by Yang Fan was ten years.
Many projects can be done slowly and not in a hurry.
After Yang Fan finished looking at the rifles, he turned his attention to several new Gatling guns on the table.
"Sir, after repeated demonstrations, we have made second-generation R&D improvements to the first-generation Gatling gun. It is divided into two directions, namely large-caliber and small-caliber."
"Because we already have high-precision punching machines and boring machines, we can reduce the caliber and ensure the shooting accuracy and power, while making the bullets as small as possible and reducing the weight as much as possible. In this way, soldiers can carry more ammunition . The pressure on logistics and transportation has also been greatly reduced." Chang Zhu said
Yang Fan nodded and said: "Your idea is right. If the bullet is smaller, the loading capacity of the magazine will be greatly increased, which is of great significance to the machine gun. Because changing the bullet will cause interruption of firepower, resulting in The enemy is coming."
Chang Zhu said: "Master, I clearly see that in the past, 15mm bullets were very heavy. Fifty rounds of bullets in a magazine was the limit for soldiers to carry. No matter how heavy it was, it would be difficult to continue changing magazines for a long time. At present, we have reduced the specifications of bullets. After dropping to 7.92x57mm, one magazine can hold 100 rounds. This greatly improves the continuity of firepower."
Yang Fan was very satisfied. The 7.92x57mm rifle bullet was the bullet specification determined by the German "Rifle Testing Committee" and was used by later generations for many years. Rifles were used again, and machine guns were also used. They were used for fifty or sixty years until the end of World War II.
Bullets of this specification have been tested in both world wars and are a very mature and reliable design. For the 79 bullet, the early propellant was black powder, and later it was changed to smokeless gunpowder, that is, collodion propellant.
Although Yang Fan was given the drawings and technology, Yang Fan was still very satisfied with how it was actually done. This is a modern type of bullet, the process is relatively complex, and the requirements for the punch machine are also high.
With mercury primers, full metal cartridge cases, and small-caliber 79 rifle bullets. The power of the Gatling gun is greatly improved.
The original 50-round magazine could only fire 25 rounds due to fire rate issues. Now, as bullets become smaller, their power remains the same, but one magazine can hold hundreds of rounds.
In addition, the fire rate has been greatly increased, reaching a few thousandths of a blind fire rate.
This is equivalent to increasing the firepower by four times. Greatly reduces fire interruption caused by changing magazines. If a canvas single chain can be developed in the future, made into a 250-round chain, and installed in a small iron box, the firepower will be even more terrifying.
The reason why Yang Fan vigorously developed Gatling guns. This is because it is machine guns, not artillery, that ultimately eliminate cavalry. And this time, it will be a decisive battle between him and the Mongols.
After defeating the Mongolian alliance this time, he will unify all the Mongols and reorganize them into a Mongolian regiment with unified military orders. The spearhead will point at another enemy that has become stronger - the Rakshasa people.
Yang Fan will lead the Mongols to launch a new Mongolian Western Expedition. Reshuffle the Eurasian steppe zone. This time, those marching westward will no longer be the Torgut tribe who moved westward in history. It was the Han-Mongolian coalition armed with advanced firearms, excellent horses, and massive camels.
Nip the Rakshasa people who pose the greatest threat to China's territory in the bud.
No more today, more updates tomorrow.
