Standing in the open space of the training ground of the Ministry of War, Zhou Jun looked at the heavy and sturdy musket in his hand. He had mixed feelings for a moment and didn't know what to say.
A flintlock musket that was only born in the middle of the 16th century came out eight hundred years earlier and appeared in the Tang Dynasty school.
Zhou Jun, who was a policeman in his previous life, based on his own memory, once explained the principles of flintlock shooting to the Anxi Arsenal in more detail, and provided the precautions for manufacturing flintlock guns as accurately as possible.
That's it. China's musket road has skipped detours such as muskets, muskets, matchlocks, revolvers, etc. After more than a year of research and development and experiments, it leaped directly to flintlock muskets and completed the first
The successful experimental product came into Zhou Jun's hands again.
The caliber is 19.8 mm, the gun length is 1560 mm, the gun weight is 5.69 kg, and the projectile weighs 32.1 g.
While reciting the parameters silently in his mind, Zhou Jun repeatedly looked at the firearm in his hand. Before he could be happy for too long, Zhou Jun suddenly stopped what he was doing because of something in front of him.
A flintlock uses flint to ignite gunpowder. During the firing process, the most critical part is the spring punch.
However, the spring punch of the flintlock gun in his hand disappeared and was replaced by a torque punch similar to that of a crossbow.
Zhou Jun pointed to the punching needle and asked the musket craftsman: "I have given the drawings to the Anxi Arsenal. Why is this fusel punching needle not made according to the drawings?"
After hearing this, the Anxi craftsman in charge of the development of the musket quickly knelt down and said to Zhou Jun in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, we have tried the wire drawing method and the iron drawing method for the spring you drew. No matter how we make it, it will not work."
Unable to meet your requirements, I can only resort to the next best thing, using the principle of crossbow torque to tighten the flint and then hit the medicine bin."
Zhou Jun was stunned: "Can't you make a spring punch needle?"
Craftsman: "Yes, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
After a second thought, Zhou Jun suddenly understood everything.
The springs used in flintlock muskets in the 16th century were not simple coil springs, but truncated cone parts made of scrolled metal sheets or forged blanks.
This kind of part looks simple, but when it comes to the compression pitch in Hooke's law, it is extremely difficult to make it just by hand.
Moreover, the materials used in spring punch needles are also particular.
Ordinary steel cannot be used, so chromium vanadium steel and silicomanganese steel need to be used, which must be annealed first, then cold worked, rolled and then hardened and tempered to finally obtain the finished product.
Zhou Jun was a little disappointed, but there was nothing he could do about it.
After explaining a few more precautions for making springs to the craftsman, Zhou Jun handed the musket to a soldier and began to test the gun.
I saw the soldier first pouring a certain amount of gunpowder into the barrel, then wrapping the projectile with a piece of linen soaked in grease and loading it into the muzzle.
This charging method reduces friction, not only speeds up the loading speed, but also plays a role in holding the air, thereby improving the accuracy and increasing the range.
This is the rapid reloading method that Zhou Jun has taught before. It was first invented by a gunsmith in Pennsylvania, USA, in the 17th century.
When everything was ready, the soldier raised his musket, pointed it at a large rock eighty meters away, and pressed the trigger.
After a loud noise, the boulder was smashed into pieces by a lead hammer, and the sound was astonishing.
Zhou Jun looked on and nodded.
The accuracy and power are good, but this is a short-range shooting of 80 meters. Any further away and the accuracy of the musket will begin to decline.
After the firing was completed, the soldier took out his gun, quickly cleaned the barrel, loaded the gun again, and started shooting a second time in the distance.
Zhou Jun was counting the time on the side. From cleaning to launching, the whole process took almost one minute and twenty seconds.
If you become proficient in reloading, the firing interval can be shortened by another ten to twenty seconds.
If you can form a skilled musketry regiment, you can use three-stage attacks to attack the enemy's infantry with the help of horse-repelling shields and other bunkers.
Assuming that the firing distance is set at 150 meters, the flintlock gun can probably complete two rounds of shooting before the two sides engage in close combat, which is six attacks.
But if the opponent is a cavalry, then they will only have time to complete one round of shooting, which is three attacks.
This result sounds like muskets are inferior to crossbows in terms of range and frequency, but the difficulty of training a musketeer is much lower than that of an archer or crossbowman.
It can even be said that those farmers who have never been on the battlefield can use muskets to confront an elite enemy soldier head-on after only three days of intensive training.
Thinking of this, Zhou Jun asked the craftsmen: "How many muskets can be produced every month? What is the approximate yield rate?"
The craftsman replied: "Two hundred muskets can be produced every month, and the yield rate is about 60%."
Zhou Jun frowned after hearing this. The output was too low and the yield rate was too low. According to this production rate, it would take almost a year to equip a full-scale musketeer regiment.
Zhou Jun: "Tell Anxi Arsenal that the artillery production line can be suspended and all manpower and material resources can be concentrated on the musket production line!"
The craftsman quickly said yes.
Zhou Jun thought for a while and then said: "I will issue a decree to Liu Zai of the Anxi Protectorate, asking him to expand the Anxi Arsenal, recruit as many skilled craftsmen as possible, build factories and workshops, and increase production as soon as possible.
."
After finishing his work with the muskets, Zhou Jun drove back to the palace.
Arriving at the gate of the Imperial City Forbidden Garden, Fan Jinian, who had been waiting for a long time, jogged all the way to the royal chariot and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen has been waiting for you."
Zhou Jun was a little surprised when he heard this: "What's wrong with her?"
Fan Jinian was about to speak but stopped.
Zhou Jun: "Tell her that I have to go to the imperial study room first to correct the memorial, and then go back when I'm done."
Hearing this, Fan Jinian lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, the imperial concubine is here."
Zhou Jun was stunned and said: "Noble concubine? Which concubine?"
Fan Jinian: "It's the Yang family..."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Zhou Jun reacted: "Concubine Yang?"
Fan Jinian glanced at Zhou Jun and nodded slightly.
Zhou Jun pondered for a moment and said, "You will lead the way."
Fan Jinian bowed and said yes.
After passing through the palace corridor, Zhou Jun came to the other courtyard of the Forbidden Garden, and walked into the courtyard amidst the cheers of long live greetings.
Yin Yu was laughing and talking to Yang Yuhuan. When she heard the emperor's arrival, she quickly stood up, pulled Yang Yuhuan, and quickly came to the entrance of the courtyard and said blessings.
Zhou Jun made everyone stand up, turned his gaze to Yang Yuhuan, who was bowing his head, and asked: "What's going on?"
Yin Yu: "Erlang, the palace is usually quiet and there are few people. I can't even find anyone to talk to. Finally, Lady Yuhuan came to visit me. She and I are like sisters, and I can't wait to be with her every day."
"
Zhou Jun: "If the noble concubine likes it, she can stay here. I will ask my servants to prepare a separate garden in the palace. This will be more convenient."
Yang Yuhuan listened to Zhou Jun and Yin Yu's words and said anxiously: "The palace is a forbidden garden. I am still mourning the death of the Supreme Emperor. I'm afraid it will be inconvenient to move in and it will attract criticism from others."
Yin Yu approached Zhou Jun and asked with a smile: "Erlang, I have something to ask of you."
Zhou Jun: "Say."
Yin Yu: "It is indeed not good for Lady Yuhuan to live directly in the harem, but she can find a job in the imperial city, so that she can move into the provincial residence legitimately. If I go to find her from the harem, it will be much more convenient.
."
Zhou Jun: "Looking for a job?"
Yin Yu: "I heard that the position of deputy supervisor of the Xuanwen Museum is temporarily vacant. Lady Yuhuan is proficient in poetry, poetry, music, chess, calligraphy and painting. What does Erlang think about her taking up this position?"
Zhou Jun looked at Yin Yu and was silent for a moment, then turned to Yang Yuhuan and asked: "The Xuanwen Museum is in charge of the Tang Dynasty Library and books and newspapers. It is engaged in article selection, writing, screening, proofreading and other tasks on weekdays.
The tasks are heavy, and sometimes we even have to work until late at night. Do you really plan to do it?"
Yang Yuhuan: "I am in Yinanlu, and I am just wasting my time every day. If I continue like this, I am afraid my bones will be rusted. If I can find a job to keep myself busy, it will not be a bad thing."
Zhou Jun looked back and forth at Yang Yuhuan and Yin Yu, and finally said: "Tomorrow is the day for the overhaul of the Xuanwen Hall. We will start to get busy with newspapers, journals, book outlines, review, and collection of books. If you are interested, you might as well follow me.
Go to the Xuanwen Hall and have a look. If you feel you can adapt to it, it won't be too late to take up the post."
Yang Yuhuan bowed and said: "Everything will be subject to His Majesty's arrangements."