The inner diameter of the gun barrel cut and polished by hydraulic machinery is highly uniform, and it is also smoother and straighter. Its quality is much better than that made by craftsmen using some primitive tools by hand.
Turning the iron material into a hollow iron pipe, and then turning the iron pipe into a smooth barrel are the two most time-consuming processes in the gun-making process, and they are also the two most demanding steps for craftsmen.
If the technology is not good or a little careless, a semi-finished gun barrel will be scrapped.
Why is it said that a skilled craftsman can only make one gun in a month? It is because a lot of time is spent in forging the barrel, and the scrap rate is too high.
However, after using hydraulic machinery, it saves a lot of time and effort, and the quality of the barrel produced is better and the scrap rate is lower.
When forging, the hammer driven by water conservancy machinery exerts more even force than human power, and the landing position is more accurate. The quality of the barrel is much better than that of ordinary craftsmen.
When polishing the inner diameter, it is also a mechanical operation, and there is a unified standard. The barrel made in this way will not be the same as the one made by hand. There is a barrel made by one craftsman that is larger, and a barrel made by another craftsman. A smaller case.
The most important thing is that the above-mentioned process does not require senior craftsmen to operate it. Just find a young man to train for three to five days, and he can continue to perform such repetitive and boring operations.
Senior craftsmen only need to patrol back and forth and stare at the technical parameters.
Therefore, the ordnance production of Baoxiang Army is completely different from the ordnance production outside. Only in this way can we achieve relatively large production capacity even when there are relatively few skilled craftsmen.
After looking at the factories and equipment under construction, Luo Zhixue asked: "After the Nanzhao County Arsenal is completed, what will its production capacity be, and will it meet the requirements?"
Yuan Gaofeng said: "Don't worry, the General's Office. The new arsenal will be built in full compliance with your requirements, General. After completion, with the scale of the new arsenal's workshops and equipment, it will be able to produce six hundred muskets and six hundred kilograms per month." Robes with six doors.”
"In addition, if there is demand, we can produce more than ten 200-pound light cannons per month."
"In terms of traditional military weapons, it is estimated that there are 200 sets of cloth armor, 600 spears, and more than a thousand knives of various types."
"As long as the craftsmen and raw materials are available, and overtime work is done, the arsenal can equip two infantry battalions with one month's production capacity, and one artillery sentry with one month's long artillery production capacity."
Luo Zhixue nodded after hearing this. This was the goal he set for this arsenal.
While working overtime, we tried our best to reach the production capacity of equipping two infantry battalions and one artillery post in one month.
This goal is not random, but takes into account the Baoxiang Army's own military expansion needs.
Now the Baoxiang Army is expanding at a very fast pace. With the completion of the first batch of three infantry battalion plans, Luo Zhixue immediately launched the reorganization plan for the fourth infantry battalion.
As soon as the recruits of the Fourth Infantry Battalion arrived, Luo Zhixue was already preparing to launch the reorganization plan of the Fifth Infantry Battalion and the Sixth Infantry Battalion at the same time in the near future.
The preparations for the new recruits needed by these two infantry battalions had begun a month ago. At that time, Luo Zhixueren was still in Songjiazhuang.
These recruits are currently undergoing recruit training in Songshan Village. It is expected that they will be able to complete the most basic recruit training in another ten days and a half.
Although completing basic recruit training does not mean that they can go to the battlefield, it can still be used for reorganization training. Later, they can be stationed in a certain place while training to alleviate the current shortage of troops in the rural protection army.
The above is still the six battalions and two outposts plan. Later, Luo Zhixue wanted to control the Nanyang Basin and even go south to the Jianghan Plain. This force alone was far from enough.
Even if it is just the beginning, there must be at least five thousand soldiers.
Therefore, in the short term, Luo Zhixue will expand to three more battalions, and at the same time organize and train an artillery post, a baggage post, and a cavalry post.
Achieving the scale of nine infantry battalions, three artillery posts, three cavalry posts, and three baggage posts.
In this way, three brigade-level battle groups can be formed that can operate independently.
If we want to train three brigade-level battle groups in the next few months, food is not a problem, nor are soldiers.
The only problem is the ordnance and mules and horses.
The problem of mules and horses remains unsolved for the time being, and as for ordnance, at least the next three infantry battalions have to rely on the Nanzhao County Arsenal for their equipment.
It now appears that Yuan Gaofeng is still executing according to the plan he made at the beginning, and there is no case of cutting corners.
But Luo Zhixue also knows very well that even if the subsequent arsenal can be successfully completed, the machinery and equipment have been completed, and the workers have been trained, it is still unknown whether the arsenal can achieve the estimated output in the future.
Because this estimated production capacity is predicated on sufficient iron material.
The problem is that there are no iron ore mines in the areas controlled by the Baoxiang Army. Currently, the Baoxiang Army can only rely on captured trophies, private collection, and outsourcing of iron materials from the commerce and trade office.
In particular, the iron materials purchased by the Commercial and Trade Office account for more than half of the iron materials currently used by the Baoxiang Army.
Just like gunpowder, iron materials are also a big trouble for the rural protection army.
Luo Zhixue is now reluctant to pay salaries to the soldiers and officials of the Baoxiang Army because he has to keep a large amount of gold and silver to purchase supplies.
No, just after inspecting the arsenal under construction, Shi Wenbin, director of the Commercial and Trade Department, came to him and asked for money...
"General, the batch of sulfur and saltpeter we purchased before, as well as the finished gunpowder and iron materials have arrived. We only gave a batch of deposits before, and the final payment is still 13,000 taels short."
When Shi Wenbin spoke, he was embarrassed because this was the second time they asked Luo Zhixue for funds after arriving at Li Qingdian.
The last time, Shi Wenbin just asked for ten thousand taels of silver, but within a few days he came back to ask for money.
But he had no choice. Of the 10,000 taels of silver that Luo Zhixue approved to him a few days ago, part of it was used to pay the final payment for cloth and iron materials, and another batch was taken by the caravan to Xiangyang to continue placing orders for various strategic purchases. Supplies.
Now the supplies escorted by Fenghe Trading Company in Xiangyang have arrived at the dock across the river in Li Qingdian, and this time they are transporting saltpeter, sulfur, finished gunpowder and iron materials that are urgently needed by the Baoxiang Army.
They don't want to play with you by giving you the goods first and then the money. They all pay with one hand and deliver the goods with the other hand.
Moreover, Shi Wenbin did not dare to delay or even allow the military to take advantage of the situation directly, because Fenghe Trading Company was the largest single supplier of raw materials to their Home Guard Army.
It supplied the Baoxiang Army with 30% of the raw materials for gunpowder, about 10% of the finished gunpowder, and a considerable amount of iron materials.
If you take advantage of the situation this time, don't expect to continue doing business with them next time.
So after learning that Fenghe Trading Company had shipped the goods, Shi Wenbin hurried to find Luo Zhixue.
Shi Wenbin was a little worried, but Luo Zhixue didn't embarrass him.
Luo Zhixue knew better than Shi Wenbin that purchasing these strategic materials cost money, and it cost a lot of money.
Luo Zhixue did not want to fall out with Fenghe Trading even more than Shi Wenbin, so he cut off this strategic material supply line.
He immediately wrote a handwritten letter: "Take it and go to the Pay Office to get the money."
For such a large amount of expenditure, without Luo Zhixue's handwriting and personal seal, no one can expect to take away so much cash from the salary department.
After Shi Wenbin took over the handwritten letter, Luo Zhixue said: "The amount they transported this time is much larger than last time, and there is also an extra batch of iron materials. Yes, you tell them, as long as they can bring what we need Come here, we, the Home Guard Army, have plenty of this money."
"Even if they don't have it, we will sell it for them, so that they can come boldly and confidently. Not only will they have money, but I, Luo Zhixue, will guarantee their absolute safety on our land!"
Shi Wenbin said: "I obey my orders."
"I have dealt with people from Fenghe Trading Company several times. These people are very strong. Last time I went to Xiangyang, I watched them load our gunpowder onto the carriage right under the eyes of the officers and soldiers. Woolen cloth."
"As long as we give you the starting price, they will come again."
Luo Zhixue said: "That's good. When you go, entertain our guests well. Prepare all the delicious food and drink. The payment for the goods must be paid immediately. You can't fall behind the hospitality of our Home Guard Army!"
Shi Wenbin naturally agreed, and then took Luo Zhixue's handwriting and prepared to go to the food and salary office to withdraw gold and silver.
At the same time, a huge motorcade was parked at the dock on the south bank of the White River.
Two men in brocade robes were looking at Li Qing's store across the river from the pier.
Li Siyuan, the head shopkeeper of Fenghe Trading Company in Xiangyang, squinted at the Li Qing store opposite: "This Li Qing store has not changed much. There are still a lot of people across the street, and the pier is also crowded!"
"Looking at Li Qingdian and what I've seen all the way north, these people in Funiu Mountain do follow the same rules as the rumors say."
As he said that, he turned his head slightly and looked at a young man in a robe beside him: "Xiu Min, how long do you think we can make money from Funiu Mountain?"
Li Xiumin said: "If you start a small business, it's hard to say how long it will last. It's possible to do it for three to five years."
"But for a big business like this, it will be over in a month or two, or in half a year!"
"They are making too much noise now. Before, they just stayed in Funiu Mountain, and the government had no time to pay attention to them for a while. But now if you look at these people, it is clear that they want to settle here in Li Qingdian. , without the convenient location, they can’t stop the officers and soldiers!”
"It's okay in Nanzhao County, but Chen Yongfu in Nanyang Fucheng can't help but watch a bandit army of at least 2,000 people stationed here. Sooner or later, they will attack."
"When the time comes, I'm afraid they will still have to retreat to Funiu Mountain."
"When they return to Funiu Mountain and lose the money and food from these territories outside, how can they do business with us?"
"Third Uncle, we have to seize the time when we go back. Before the officers and soldiers go north, we can make a few big deals with them, and we must be ahead of other trading houses."
"I heard that they took away the Song family when they were in Lushan County. That was Song Shaoqing's ancestral home. There is probably a mountain of gold and silver in it!"
"We won't take this money, but it will be cheaper for other businesses."
