Chapter 945

“Come, let’s try the Han-style rifle and the artillery.”

After the ammunition issue was passed over, everyone’s attention once again focused on the Han-style rifle and Chen Qi’s artillery.

The two were already prepared, leading the group to the training ground.

“Your Majesty, let me, your humble general, go first.” Niu Ben licked his lips, somewhat excited. His previous comments did not mean he disliked the Han-style rifle.

In fact, these generals in the army liked new weapons the most, but sometimes they had to consider the continuously increasing military expenses.

Luo Quan picked up another Han-style rifle. He challenged, “Niu Ben, today, let’s have a competition in front of His Majesty to see whose marksmanship is better.”

“Good! Whoever wins today, I will give him a tricycle,” Xiao Ming, busy with state affairs all day, rarely had leisure time. Now, he too was in a playful mood.

The two, hearing this, immediately had their eyes light up. Although Xiao Ming had bestowed upon each of them a bicycle, the tricycle was something just manufactured by the Qingzhou machinery department.

They had already seen this item. The eunuchs in the palace rode it to purchase palace necessities from outside.

Although they didn’t need to ride tricycles to buy things, it would bring honor to their households if their subordinates used them. The last time he was the first to receive a bicycle, it had already made many envious.

“This tricycle is mine,” Niu Ben took a steel-cased bullet from Song Changping. With a pull of the rifle, its breech was exposed.

After inserting the bullet, Niu Ben reset the bolt, then aimed at a target two hundred meters away.

“Bang.”

After just three seconds of aiming, Niu Ben pulled the trigger.

“Heh, this metal bullet is really powerful!” Niu Ben said loudly, “Its recoil is significantly greater than the Falcon Rifle’s.”

Song Changping explained, “That’s natural. This bullet is loaded with smokeless gunpowder, and its airtightness is much better than the Falcon Rifle’s.”

Luo Quan exclaimed in surprise, “This bullet hit the mountain!”

When he was observing earlier, the bullet Niu Ben fired passed through the target and kicked up a cloud of dust on the mountain behind.

“The maximum range of the Han-style rifle using metal bullets is 1,200 meters. Its effective range is 600 meters,” Song Changping added.

“Compared to the Falcon Rifle, it has indeed made great progress.” Xiao Ming showed a satisfied expression. From the history of firearms development, rifle barrels were getting shorter and shorter, and their effective range was also getting shorter.

Many modern firearms had an effective range of only three or four hundred meters. Only in an era lacking such long-range powerful weapons would rifle barrels be so long and their power so great.

“My turn,” Luo Quan said, clutching the Han-style rifle as if it were a treasure, looking extremely fond of it.

Like Niu Ben, he also aimed for three seconds, then pulled the trigger.

Soon, the result was reported: Luo Quan lost to Niu Ben by one ring.

“Hahaha, I, your humble servant, could hit a willow leaf a hundred paces away back in the day! Now I’m old, and my arm strength isn’t what it used to be, but my eyesight is still sharp,” Niu Ben laughed heartily.

Luo Quan was not annoyed. He said, “Lost is lost. But this Han-style rifle is truly a good thing. If it could be equipped to the army sooner, the British and French would also be crying for their mothers.”

After a pause, he said to Chen Qi, “This Han-style rifle is formidable. I wonder about this artillery?”

Chen Qi smiled mysteriously. Then he walked to a cannon covered with a black cloth. Pulling off the black cloth, a cannon gleaming with a silvery-white metallic luster appeared before everyone.

The appearance of this cannon was vastly different from traditional muzzle-loading smoothbore cannons. This cannon was completely hollow from front to back, allowing one to see through the barrel from the breech to the muzzle. Additionally, there was a square hole on the left side, thirty centimeters from the breech, and a corresponding square hole on the right side, resembling a slot.

“How do you fire this cannon?” Niu Ben and Luo Quan were both dumbfounded.

Chen Qi chuckled. He took out a heavy, square-column shaped metal object from a box beside him, treating it like a treasure. Half of this metal object was a round hole the same size as the cannon’s caliber, and the other half was a metal mirror surface the same size as the cannon’s caliber. “Your Majesty, Generals, this is the greatest secret of the breech-loading cannon: the wedge breechblock. Once this breechblock’s round hole section is inserted into the cannon, you can load ammunition through the continuous bore. After loading, slide the breechblock further to the right, and the metal mirror surface will seal the cannon’s breech.”

With that, he inserted the breechblock in his hand into the cannon. An artilleryman then picked up a conical shell and inserted it into the cannon. A cylindrical propellant charge was also inserted into the cannon barrel.

At this point, Chen Qi completely pushed the exposed breechblock in. The entire cannon became a single unit. The artilleryman then inserted a pull-igniter tube into the cannon’s touchhole, where the slow match used to be, connecting it to the propellant. In his other hand, he held a rope.

“Horizontal-wedge breechblock.” Niu Ben and Luo Quan were not experts, but Xiao Ming was a clear-headed person.

The horizontal-wedge breechblock, a typical type of breech-loading cannon, was what Chen Qi was now using. In contemporary times, the famous Krupp cannons initially adopted this type of breechblock.

Seeing this structure, Xiao Ming was relieved. Chen Qi’s efforts over the past few years had not been in vain. He had truly achieved something remarkable, directly bringing artillery to the same level as the Han-style rifle.

“Come, let me try it myself.” Xiao Ming took the pull-igniter rope from the artilleryman’s hand.

This rope was very long. To ensure safety, he walked five meters away before pulling the rope.

“Boom!”

With a tug of the rope, the pull-igniter tube exploded inside the cannon barrel. Flames instantly ignited the propellant, pushing the entire shell out of the barrel.

“Boom,” a loud explosion echoed. A mountain a thousand meters away lit up with flames and smoke, and dust and rock fragments flew.

Just then, two artillerymen immediately stepped forward. One pulled the breechblock, and the other loaded another shell. Ten seconds later, another shell was fired.

Within one minute, the artillerymen fired six shells consecutively.

Niu Ben and Luo Quan had initially thought the shells’ power was similar, but at this point, they were stunned. Six shells fired in one minute! The smoothbore cannons currently used by the Great Yu Empire could only fire one shell per minute, and even veteran gunners could only manage two.

On the battlefield, long-range firepower was key to victory. Artillery was also the primary target of enemy artillery. They knew very well what a difference six rounds per minute would make in a war.

“Amazing, truly amazing!” Niu Ben walked around the cannon, looking at it repeatedly. He said, “Your Majesty, this type of artillery deserves a resounding name!”

Chen Qi’s face showed anticipation. Song Changping’s rifle was given the resounding name “Han-style.” He wondered what his artillery would be called.

“How about ‘Imperial Guard Artillery’?” Xiao Ming said with a smile.