US Weaponry advances in the Late 1800's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

US Weaponry advances in the Late 1800's - Essay Example The bullet was driven out of the muzzle at a velocity of about 1,200 feet per second, and it could travel more than 1,000 yards. In 1874, the U.S. Army also used the Colt single action Army revolver. This pistol fired six .45-caliber cartridges. The effective range of the Colt revolver dropped off rapidly over 60 yards. During the campaign, the Army employed various kinds of artillery as well. Colonel Nelson A. Miles, for example, had two Gatling guns that fired a .50 caliber bullet. The Gatling gun was capable of firing up to 300 rounds per minute. At the Battle of Red River on August 30, 1874, Col. Nelson Miles used the Gatling against the Southern Cheyenne—the first time the gun was used in combat west of the Mississippi River. Miles also brought along a 10-pounder Parrott rifle, which was actually a small cannon. The Parrott rifle fired a shell that measured 8.8 inches long by 2.86 in diameter. The shell exploded upon impact and the shell casing became the shrapnel. The maximum range of the 10-pounder Parrott rifle at five degrees elevation was about 2,000 yards. 1 By 1877 "Bulldog" was the first Gatling gun to feature a fully enclosed bronze housing over the barrels and breech. The "Bulldog" was a five-barrel .45 cal. tripod mounted weapon. A few were mounted on a light cavalry cart. A rear mounting hand crank permitted a very high rate of fire of up to 1,000 spm(single point mooring), almost twice the rate of a typical World War II machine gun. By 1889, it was a ten-barrel .45 cal. gun fully encased in a bronze jacket. A side mounting hand crank produced a rate of fire of up to 800 spm, but could be rear mounted to increase the rate up to 1,500 spm. Internal components were strengthened to withstand the punishment from the higher rate of fire. This model had a new flexible yoke that permitted a wider angle of traverse and elevation than