1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 214 Dresser Striker Gun

After several rounds of negotiations between Pan Zhengwei and others and the Fillmore cabinet, they finally led to the signing of the "Qingming-U.S. Free Immigration Treaty."

This treaty is of great significance. After the signing of the "Free Immigration Treaty between the United States and the United States", in addition to California on the west coast, Chinese immigrants can live freely in other states as long as they obtain legal American citizenship.

As for whether those Chinese immigrants can establish a foothold in other states besides California, it depends on their own abilities.

Liang Yao has tried his best to pave the way for them.

Not only Liang Yao and others were happy with the signing of the "Qing-U.S. Free Immigration Treaty."

Fillmore's cabinet and even the federal government were very happy.

Fillmore even claimed that signing equal treaties with Eastern powers and establishing diplomatic relations was a huge progress in the history of American diplomacy.

Moreover, a large number of Chinese immigrants are also conducive to the development of the vast western region. Unlike the Qing Dynasty, which lacked everything but people, the United States has a huge demand for labor, especially in the central and western regions, where there is vast land waiting for them.

Immigrate to develop.

However, to Liang Yao's dismay, his request to reduce California's tariffs was rejected.

Fillmore worried that once this opening was opened to California, other states would also ask the state to set its own tariffs.

Tariffs are the federal government's largest fiscal revenue. On the issue of tariffs, both Treasury Secretary Corwin and Fillmore have a very firm and consistent attitude, saying that there is no need to discuss the issue of tariffs. Tariffs can only be set by Congress, and each state

No right to set customs duties privately.

While Walter was concentrating on making a pedal sewing machine, Liang Yao announced the winner of the first Liang Yao Invention Award to major newspapers.

Ever since Liang Yao announced that he would spend 1 million US dollars to establish a foundation and use the income from the foundation to reward award-winning inventors.

The Liang Yao Invention Award has always been a hot topic among Americans.

Especially for those inventors, they are very excited about this award and hope that they can become the winner of the Liang Yao Invention Award.

The third winner of the first Liang Yao Invention Award is Erickson and Claver, who hold the most propeller patents.

The second place went to the team of Ward engineers who built the Pioneer locomotive.

The second and third place winners of the first Liang Yao Invention Award did not cause much controversy.

People still recognize the second and third place winners more.

Walter, who won the first place in the Liang Yao Invention Award, caused quite a controversy. Even the Patent Office protested to Liang Yao, stating that Walter was not the owner of the sewing machine patent.

But Liang Yao remained unmoved. It was not the Patent Office's turn to judge the awards he spent money on.

The most violent reaction was from Erics and Isaac, who traveled to New York to express strong protest to Liang Yao.

"Mr. Liang, I have to remind you that I am the legal owner of the sewing machine technology patent, and I have the patent number granted by the Patent Office!

If your award is fair, the first place should be awarded to the legal owner of the sewing machine patent! Otherwise, this award will lose its authority!"

Erics showed Liang Yao his patent document and the patent number granted to him by the Patent Office.

"The Patent Office is nothing! The Liang Yao Invention Award is an independent and fair award that is not subject to interference from external factors. Not to mention the Patent Office, not even the president can change my decision." Liang Yao's attitude was very firm.

"I have also seen the sewing machines produced by the Bridgeport Company. To be honest, your sewing machine is outdated. If you are not convinced, bring your sewing machine to New York and try it with Walter's new invention.

Whose sewing machine is more efficient and reliable?"

Erics was shocked, thinking that Walter had invented a new sewing machine?

But when he thought about it, Erics thought it was impossible. How could Walter invent a new sewing machine in such a short period of time? Furthermore, the circle of inventors was not large in the first place. If Walter invented a new sewing machine, he should also have it.

What you heard is correct.

"Okay, if I win the competition, you must give me the first place in the Liang Yao Invention Award." Erics said, he was very confident in his sewing machine.

"What if you lose?"

Liang Yao asked rhetorically.

"If I lose, I will give up my ownership of the sewing machine patent and will not appeal again!" Erics said.

"I will also join this contest." Isaac on the side said that he also wanted to participate in this contest.

"If I win, I hope you can keep your promise and award me the first place in the Liang Yao Invention Award. If I lose, I will give up my appeal and my ownership of the sewing machine patent."

At this time, both Erics' Bridgeport Machinery Company and Isaac's Singer Brothers were small companies that had just started to be established.

Singer, a giant in the sewing machine industry in later generations, was only a small factory with total assets of less than US$20,000 at this time.

The third place prize for the Liang Yao Invention Award is US$10,000, the second place is US$20,000, and the first place is US$30,000.

The huge bonus is a huge attraction for both Erics and Isaac.

When they heard that the first prize of the Liang Yao Invention Award was awarded to the main improver of the sewing machine, they were very excited and coveted the award.

If they can win this award, it will be both fame and fortune for them.

The US$30,000 bonus can be used to expand the factory, expand production capacity, and quickly seize the still almost blank sewing machine market.

Both Erics and Isaac were very optimistic about the market prospects of sewing machines and bet all their fortunes on sewing machines.

They all know that whoever can capture the sewing machine market first will become a giant in the sewing machine industry in the future and earn US dollars while lying down.

"No problem." Liang Yao said with a sly smile.

After Erics and Isaac left, Kony came to tell Liang Yao that the three thousand Dresser needle guns he ordered from Prussia had arrived. Liang Yao was very excited.

He excitedly rode to New York Harbor to personally inspect and accept these rifles.

Also arriving with this batch of rifles were ten retired Prussian Army officers.

In the end, Prussia did not have trouble with gold and sold the Dresser firing pin gun to him, and agreed to his request to hire Prussian officers.

After replacing these striker guns, the combat effectiveness of the California Infantry Regiment will be further improved!

"Retired Major Wilhelm Hans von Kluge, 18th Infantry Regiment, Third Army of the Kingdom of Prussia, it is an honor to serve you!"

Kruger, wearing a dark blue military uniform with a waistband, saluted Liang Yao with a military salute.

Compared with the complicated designations of other European countries, the Prussian army's designations are much simpler.

Basically, numbers are used as designations. Liang Yao glanced at the red epaulette on Kruger's shoulder, which had the number 18 embroidered on it, which represented that he was in the 18th Infantry Regiment before he retired.

The common military salute still looked comfortable, so Liang Yao returned a military salute to Kruger.

Kruger was surprised by Liang Yao's standard of military salute.

Kruger introduced the other nine Prussian officers to Liang Yao one by one.

Except for Krueger, who is a school officer, the rest are lieutenants, and two are non-commissioned officers.

Using retired British Army officers was only a temporary measure. After all, given Liang Yao's situation at the time, he could only hire retired British Army officers and American Army officers to help him train his troops.

Compared with the British Army, the Prussian Army is a more worthy subject to learn from.

"Sir, where are these guns stored?" Kony asked, pointing to the wooden boxes being unloaded on the dock.

"Pull one box to the manor and store the rest in the warehouse at the dock."

Liang Yao bought a warehouse at the New York Harbor pier to store his gold and Chinese goods brought from California.

The warehouse is manned 24 hours a day by three companies of infantrymen from the California Infantry Regiment.

Storing guns in this warehouse is not a big problem. These guns will be shipped to California later, and it is more convenient to store them in a warehouse at the dock.

Back at the manor, Liang Yao took a Dresser striker gun and played with it carefully.

This batch of Dresser striker guns were specially customized for Liang Yao, with a unique dragon head pattern printed on the bolt.

The entire weight of the Dresser needle gun is 4.7 kilograms, and it will be even heavier if a bayonet is installed.

The length is 142cm (54 inches), the barrel length is 91cm (36 inches), and the caliber is 15.4 mm. The bullets used are acorn-shaped lead bullets, and the lead bullets are wrapped in paper shells.

Rotating bolt, breech loading, rifling, and using integral bullets, it can be said that the Dresser M1841 striker gun combines the most advanced firearms technology of this era.

You know, this year the British army began to gradually replace the old brown bass front-loading muskets with front-loading rifled guns.

And the Prussians have already pulled the big bolt.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to striker guns.

For example: the spring that pushes the firing pin is fragile and easily damaged.

The firing pin can easily misfire if it is not cleaned properly.

When the barrel expands due to heat and gunpowder residue adheres to the barrel, it takes a lot of effort to pull the bolt, and the interface between the barrel and the barrel is prone to wear.

After continuous shooting, the air tightness of the gun bore decreases, and the leaked gunpowder gas can easily burn the shooter.

But no matter what, this is already the most advanced rifle in active service in this era.

Liang Yao was not content with just using the Dresser striker gun. Based on the Dresser striker gun, he developed a bolt-action rifle that used metal shell bullets, even if it was a single shot.

As for the shutter gun, who would use a shutter gun when there is a big bolt? The bolt action structure of the shutter gun is too complex and the operation is cumbersome. It is okay to play with it by yourself. But for mass deployment in the army, a bolt-action rifle is more suitable.

Liang Yao planned to create a lever-action rifle. Liang Yao bought out all Walter's patents, one of which was the lever-action rifle.

Originally, Colt was also very interested in Walter's lever-action rifle, but because the lever structure was too complex and expensive, Colt ultimately did not buy the patent.

Although the power and range of the lever-action rifle are not as good as that of the needle-fired gun, it is superior to the rapid fire rate. It is still very good for equipping one's own guards, and it also has great prospects for sale in the civilian market.

After Kruger explained to Liang Yao how to use the Dresser striker gun.

Liang Yaozhao opened the safety with his thumb, turned the gun and pulled it back, took a bullet and stuffed it into the magazine, then pushed the bolt upward and aimed at a target on the Hudson River through the V-shaped groove and the front sight.

A duck pulled the trigger.

With the sound of a gunshot, the duck swimming on the river fell dead and floated on the water.

"Nice gun!"

Liang Yao immediately fired again without firing, and the reloading speed was not even a fraction faster than the front-loading rifle (Springfield M1842) equipped by the California Infantry Regiment.

It only took Liang Yao 1 minute to finish shooting these six bullets.

This is still when he is loading and aiming slowly. If he trains diligently and shoots with a little aim, it will not be a problem to fire 10 to 12 rounds in a minute.

The skilled shooters of the California Infantry Regiment using the Springfield M1842 could only fire two to three bullets per minute.

However, as the Dresser firing needle gun was fired to the back, the feel of the bolt became more and more astringent and not as smooth as it was at the beginning. This made Liang Yao feel that there was a fly in the ointment.

Liang Yao pulled the bolt and saw that there was a lot of unburned black powder residue left in the magazine. This was the reason why the handle of the bolt became increasingly astringent.

Overall, the performance of Liang Yao's Dresser striker guns is very satisfactory.

Using this thing to go on an expedition to Japan wouldn't be like hanging a little Japanese hammer.

(End of chapter)