I Am the Crown Prince in France

Chapter 535 Weapons that subvert the battlefield model

Compared with the Migne rifle, the Thuvinant rifle requires two more clicks when loading, resulting in a slightly slower reloading speed, but the difference is minimal.

In addition to the difficulty of research and development, the current level of technology and logistics capabilities are also more suitable for Tuwennan rifles - the irregular shape of the Mini bullet requires very high processing accuracy, so it can only be produced in the rear factory, and then Transported to the front. This will undoubtedly increase logistical pressure.

Tuwennan's lead bullets can be melted and cast when given to frontline soldiers - the current flintlock bullets are made using this model, so the army's logistics supplies will only contain gunpowder, but no projectiles at all.

As for the long-term goal, Joseph even wanted to skip the Migne rifled gun directly.

He glanced at the Ferguson 1776 breech-loading rifle on the wall.

Although this gun was widely ridiculed in the UK and was not taken seriously for half a century, he knew very well that that was the future development direction of rifles!

The Ferguson 1776 was very creative. It loaded ammunition from the back of the barrel, and then used an upright iron block to close the barrel. It is the world's first breech-loading rifle put into actual combat.

The rate of fire of this gun reaches a terrifying 6 rounds per minute. In comparison, the best flintlock shooters can only fire 4 rounds per minute, and the average soldier can fire 3 rounds to be considered qualified.

And the biggest advantage of breech-loading guns is not the rate of fire, but that they can shoot while lying down.

For muzzle-loading guns, the gun must be stood up before ammunition can be loaded into the barrel, so the shooter has to stand all the time.

Then you can complete the process by lying down while loading the gun.

It is conceivable that when two armies are facing each other, if one side stands upright and the other side lies down and shoots, the former will definitely be massacred.

In fact, the Ferguson 1776 rifle was installed in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War, and the American Chasseur Company commanded by Ferguson himself achieved good results on the battlefield. But in the end he himself died in battle in North America, and this gun became silent.

Of course, the core reason why this gun has not received much attention is technical factors-poor vertical bolt design and rough processing level, which caused serious air leakage in the barrel. After Ferguson died, no one continued to improve it.

It was not until 1819 that the American Hall developed the first relatively reliable breech-loading gun, but it still used a flint firing method, which made it not very practical.

In 1841, the Prussian Dresser invented the flash cap-fired breech-loading rifle, and helped Austria win the Prussian-Danish War within a week, finally vindicating the name of the breech-loading rifle.

Since then, muzzle-loading guns have gradually withdrawn from the stage of history, and breech-loading guns have begun to dominate the battlefield.

Joseph's plan was to first use the Tuvinant rifle to create a mature rifled gun production system in France, and then let his father slowly develop breech-loading guns.

As long as it is successfully developed and equipped with troops, it will not be a dream for 10,000 French troops to defeat any 50,000 European troops!

Moreover, he is very clear about the technological development direction of breech-loading guns——

Rotating bolt, high-strength firing pin, paper-cased fixed-loading ammunition, plus the flash cap firing that the French army has already equipped in large quantities, there is no need to detour at all - the historical research and development process for decades, in the "first craftsman of France" "Under the auspices of the company, it is likely to be produced in just ten years, or even less!"

Over there, Louis XVI's assistant Aymeric came over with a dozen cylindrical bullets that had just been poured.

Louis XVI took the bullet, immediately put the fresh rifled gun on his back happily, and took his son and rushed towards the Royal Ordnance Factory next to the Palace of Versailles.

On the shooting range of the Royal Ordnance Factory, Joseph loaded the ammunition into the August 1790, pounded it hard with an iron rod a few times, pulled the trigger, inserted a copper flash cap, and completed the loading. The time consumption is almost the same as that of an ordinary flintlock gun.

After testing it several times on a fixed wooden frame and feeling that there was no risk of exploding the barrel, Louis XVI ignored the dissuasion of the guards and picked up the new gun himself, squinting at the wooden target in the distance.

After a loud bang, the staff at the shooting range cheered, picked up the target and ran over. Everyone present looked shocked when they saw the bullet holes in the target.

A hundred paces away, the bullet accurately hit the center of the wooden target.

For a flintlock gun that relies entirely on faith to hit a target from 40 steps away, this is simply a crushing level of transcendence.

In several subsequent test firings, the August 1790 even directly hit a wooden target 140 steps away, demonstrating the terrifying accuracy of the rifled gun.

Louis XVI excitedly patted Joseph on the back and shouted loudly: "My dear son, we have once again stood at the pinnacle of European musketry!

"I really look forward to the moment when the enemy is defeated by the warriors of France, and I tremble to ask, 'What weapons did you use? It's so powerful.'"

"They will get the answer - the August 1790 type, developed by our great King himself!" Joseph said with great approval, and then the father and son looked at each other and laughed happily together.

When his father calmed down, Joseph leaned into his ear and said, "Dear father, do you want to create another gun that can subvert the battlefield pattern in Europe?"

"Oh God! How many fantastic ideas do you have in your head?!" Louis XVI looked at his son in shock, "What kind of gun is that?"

Joseph smiled slightly: "A brand new breech-loading gun."

…

After Joseph arranged the production plan of Auguste 1790 to the Royal Armoury, he returned to the Royal Workshop and told his father about the design ideas of the breech-loading rifle.

It was not until the king's attendant came to remind the father and son that it was time to rest that Joseph realized it was already 11 o'clock in the evening.

He tiredly put down the sketch in his hand, agreed with his father to continue discussing the technical plan tomorrow morning, and yawned and returned to his bedroom.

The maid Camelia had been waiting at the door for a long time. Seeing His Royal Highness coming back, she hurriedly greeted him and knelt down:

"Your Highness, do you want to rest directly or have some supper first? I have prepared nut puff pastry and fruit tea for you."

"Oh, then have something to eat, thank you very much." Joseph looked at her and was slightly startled.

The girl in front of him was wearing a black and white maid outfit, yes, the kind of puff sleeves, lace lace collar, butterfly waist, lace hem black long skirt, and white stockings. With her violet eyes, bright and full lips, white and tender skin, and a chest that is about to burst out, she is just like the embodiment of a beautiful girl in the second dimension.

"You, what is this?"

Camelia bit her lip and whispered:

"Your Highness, I asked Mr. Candice to make me a set according to the "uniform" you mentioned last month... Do you think it is inappropriate?"

"Well, it's very beautiful and suits you well."

Joseph thought to himself: I just mentioned it casually at the time, and you really made it! No, Baron Candice seems to be the chief designer of fashion for the queen. How much did you pay him to make it?