A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 711 Firearms Battalion

On August 22, in Li Zicheng's big camp, everyone in the exile camp, Li Zicheng, Liu Zongmin, He Yilong, Ma Shouying, Luo Rucai, Sun Kewang, etc., looked happily at the captured firecrackers in front of them.

According to the final statistics, a total of nearly 30 rounds of firecrackers from the East Road were seized intact, and at the same time there were also some fortification medicines. Wang Dou donated [-] rounds of fortification medicines to Cao and Wang. After these days of fierce fighting, some of these sub-medicines were still left, and Li Zicheng ordered them to be properly preserved.

What distressed Li Zicheng and others was that some firecrackers had been fired for too long and too many times, and the barrels were on the verge of being scrapped. Some new soldiers smashed these firecrackers before they died, in order to prevent their weapons from being seized by thieves. Broken and unusable.

However, these firecrackers and parts were collected patiently and meticulously by the people in the camp, and every detail on the plain was not missed. parts are still available.

At the same time, there were more than 700 wounded soldiers who had surrendered from the second battalion. Li Zicheng attached great importance to these people and handed them over to Yang Shaofan, the deputy general of the new army in Yutian Town who had recently surrendered.

Of course, Li Zicheng was not sure whether these new troops really surrendered, because all of these people looked numb and behaved silently, and many of them had many wounds on their bodies, and many of them might die in the end.

But even so, Li Zicheng and others were already satisfied, not to mention beforehand, they still captured a lot.

At this time, Li Zicheng looked at a firecracker in his hand. This firecracker was a little different from the Ming army firecrackers he usually saw.

First of all, the blunderbuss support, Li Zicheng felt like the neck of a swan, he tried to take aim, and felt that it was very convenient to hold and aim close to the cheek, and many blunderbusses of the Ming army could not be placed on the shoulders.

This swan neck style seems to have the consideration of saving labor and materials and reducing the weight of the blunderbuss. Li Zicheng heard that Wang Dou started his career by robbing bandits.

But it’s not right to think about it, because if you save labor and materials, you don’t need to use high-quality walnut wood for the entire gun body and bracket. This kind of hardwood has always been an excellent furniture material. That said, the paint is more glossy and the wood isn't cheap.

Not to mention, the bottom plate of the gun stock was made of brass, and it was locked with bolts. It would be terrible to be hit by a bludgeon butt. Li Zicheng felt a toothache just thinking about hitting his face with a bludgeon.

Looking at the lower part of the gun muzzle, you can see that there is a copper hoop to tighten it, and the middle part is also the same. The two ends of the cleaning rod head are covered with refined iron, and there are iron bolts to lock them. Many Ming army cleaning rods are made of wood, which often breaks. These East Road firecrackers obviously do not have this shortcoming.

At the front and rear ends of the gun, there is also a strap with a metal buckle, which can be stretched and tightened freely, and it is very convenient to carry it on the body while marching. Not small.

What attracted Li Zicheng's attention was the fire door device on the gun machine. He slowly pulled the trigger, and saw the yin machine slowly open. Medicine, in the face of the enemy, there is no danger of it not being released, and it saves the step of opening the fire door.

Seeing that the above workmanship is excellent, every part is polished smooth, the whole gun is exquisite in appearance, and it is very sharp in combat, Li Zicheng couldn't help sighing, compared with the guns used in the army, these firearms in front of him are like kings. Dou said it unintentionally, but unknowingly spread the words in Daming, high-end atmosphere and high-grade.

Tian Jianxiu was in charge of the logistics, so he couldn't help picking up a firecracker to look at it at this time, and he pulled the trigger like Li Zicheng, and sighed: "It's easy to say anything else, but this yin-yang mechanism is not easy to build. Yang is angry. I remember that during the Wanli period, Zhao Zhongshu developed the Xuanyuan gun, which was not afraid of wind and rain. But now, there are many fire guns among officers and soldiers, and there is no such yin and yang mechanism. Once the fire door is opened, when the wind is strong, the medicine will be blown. Let's go, it's often impossible to start a battle, and our rebel army captured more of that kind of firecracker."

Excitement appeared in his eyes, and he had finally seized advanced weapons. With these hell blunderbusses, the rebel army was even more powerful.

No wonder he said this. Although the yin-yang machine was created by Zhao Shizhen in the Wanli period, it has always been controversial. There is a saying in "Bing Lu": "... Recently there are bamboo beak guns and self-closing fire door birds. The blunderbuss was also a miracle for a while, but in the end it was troublesome..."

It is troublesome and difficult to manufacture on a large scale, which is why it is difficult to popularize bird guns with self-closing fire doors in the north. Many generals prefer to use three-eyed guns. Let it go, if the enemy cavalry breaks in, use this blunderbuss instead of the sap, which is simple and convenient.

Used well, the three-eyed gun is also good, but the bird gun is the historical development trend, after all, the range is here.

Looking at each firearm for a long time, it seems that each firearm is like a twin brother. Everyone in the camp keeps complimenting each other. Even if there are craftsmen in the camp who can make a few such firearms, some of them are not inferior to the level of exquisiteness. Here, no one can imagine such a large-scale and batch production.

Especially the kind of standardization left a deep impression on everyone, the sub-drugs are integrated, and can be used after being put into the gun, unlike in the army or the Ming army, everyone's lead is big or small, and it is often difficult to use it. Logistics pose a serious test.

But it seems easier to do than to do it, just like the unity of the caliber, Li Zicheng felt that it was very difficult and difficult to do it.

Everyone in the fifth battalion of Ge and Zuo was also very excited. According to the agreement afterwards, among the firecrackers seized, [-] rods were awarded to those who broke into the camp, and the rest were distributed between their battalion and Luo Rucai and others. Thinking about these captured firecrackers , even those people who were killed or injured earlier were all worth it.

Li Zicheng sighed contentedly, and smiled at Yang Shaofan who had been silent all the time: "Li has always admired the firearms of the new army. I don't know Brother Yang, can you demonstrate one or two for the brothers, so that I can open my eyes?"

Everyone in the exile camp looked at each other sideways. They didn't know what emotion they had towards Yang Shaofan, but they didn't despise him. In each camp, many officers and soldiers surrendered, and there were not a few generals. They themselves surrendered and rebelled, and were often recruited.

Everyone didn't have any special feelings about the change of family, but it was the first one who was as outstanding as Yang Shaofan to beat them so badly.

However, in Liuying, strength is the most important thing. After the tragic battle, Yang Shaofan surrendered and immediately won a high position in the Chuang army. He was tied with Yuan Zongdi and others, that is, the fifth battalion of Ge and Zuo, and the various departments of Cao Ying. , also held the meaning of closeness to Yang Shaofan.

Everyone looked at him, but Yang Shaofan couldn't see any expression on his face, he just clasped his fists and said loudly: "The last general takes orders!"

With a wave of his hand, about a hundred gunmen from the new army came over. They were all silent. Under Yang Shaofan's arrangement, they were divided into four rows, with 25 people in each row. Everyone held guns in their hands, and watched them line up. , Some exile generals were a little vigilant, and the guards behind each headed house were also on guard, but Li Zicheng acted as if nothing had happened.

He noticed that the matchlocks used in these firecrackers are somewhat different. They smolder more slowly and produce less flames. There are also custom-made paper tubes for the new army, which seem to be popularized in the army. After all, this thing seems relatively It's simple, but Li Zicheng can't figure it out. Where did Wang Dou get so much gunpowder and be so powerful?
In addition to the captured officers and soldiers, Li Zicheng and others did not think of making gunpowder by themselves, but at this time there was a shortage of good nitrate. To make good nitrate, egg whites, radishes, and a series of other things were needed to absorb and remove impurities.

What are these egg whites? The army doesn’t have enough to eat, and they use them to absorb impurities?Therefore, apart from a small amount of gunpowder, large-scale black gunpowder should not be produced in the camp.

Asking this question, Yang Shaofan also didn’t understand. In Yutian, he still wanted to make gunpowder on a large scale. The formula of Weijinzi was also very greedy for the generals. However, looking at Daming, it seemed that only Wang Dou had this ability. Their military factory is also classified as top secret, and there is no secret work to find out.

The new army began to practice firearms, which is a layer-by-layer shooting tactic. After Yang Shaofan gave an order, the first three rows of gunmen squatted down, and the back row took aim with guns. There was a bang, and amidst the smoke, the wooden signboard used as a target dozens of steps ahead was shattered.

Li Zicheng looked solemn, Tian Jianxiu wiped his hands, both happy and fearful, He Yilong stuck out his tongue, and murmured: "Good guy..."

Only when you feel it up close can you know the horror of the East Road firearms.

Li Dingguo clenched his fists, obviously thinking of his adoptive father Zhang Xianzhong who died at the hands of Wang Dou. They roamed all over the place, playing tricks on Yang Sichang. Unexpectedly, when he returned to Xiangyang, he was ambushed by Wang Dou. With sharp firearms in hand and a powerful army in his hands, he himself is even more weird.

Afterwards, when Li Dingguo thought about it, he always had a creepy feeling, as if Wang Dou would be a prophet. Apart from this, Li Dingguo couldn't explain how Wang Dou accurately planted an ambush in Xiangyang.

There were bursts of explosions, and the pungent gunpowder smoke filled the air. Under Yang Shaofan's order, the new soldiers shot again and again, and there were many soldiers who broke into the camp watching. Each of Fang's targets had an expression of awe, but Li Zicheng and the others who were watching behind him no longer knew what expression it was.

Finally, Li Zicheng shouted: "Stop!"

Yang Shaofan ordered to stop shooting, and everyone in the camp was exiled, only then came to his senses.

Everyone still has the feeling of being in shock, and everyone only feels that their hearts are jumping with fear. This is a force that cannot be stopped by human beings.

Li Zicheng breathed a sigh of relief. In his feeling, apart from the power of the firecrackers, he also admired the speed at which the new soldiers reloaded the sub-drugs. Usually, the Ming army fired a single blunderbuss, and they could hit several blunderbusses. Of course, in this There is a credit for the fixed paper cartridge ammunition.

Li Zicheng made up his mind to promote this in the army. Although there will definitely be many difficulties due to the different caliber and quality of the gun barrels, it must be firmly implemented.

and also……

Li Zicheng took over the firecrackers from the gunmen. When they demonstrated just now, they played four or five rounds in one breath, but they still looked like they could fire a lot of guns by touching the guns in their hands.

Tian Jianxiu also noticed this. He said: "Of the bird guns seized in the past, there were often guns that were too hot after being put in three times. They needed to be wrapped in a damp cloth. These firearms don't have this problem."

He did know the reason: "This is because the barrel of the gun is not bright."

Liu Zongmin snorted coldly: "The officers and soldiers make all kinds of inferior firearms, how can my rebels use them?"

Li Zicheng looked at Yang Shaofan. He wanted to know why Wang Dou was able to manufacture bird guns on a large scale. He now has more craftsmen in the army, but left and right, he can't make many guns in a month. It is difficult to drill one in a month.

Yang Shaofan knew only a little about these things. He said: "I heard that the waterwheel used on the East Road can drill a blunderbuss in ten days and half a month, especially their drill bits are made of hard steel and do not need to be replaced frequently. So the drilling speed is fast."

Among the craftsmen of the Ming army, there were also manual drilling machines. For example, it was very common in the capital. In fact, no one thought about hydraulic drilling machines. The key is that the drilling tools are made of low-carbon steel, which is not hard enough. , The tool loss rate that cannot be mass-produced is very high, and it feels that the loss outweighs the gain, so slowly, all aspects are changed back to manual work.

Moreover, firearms combat at this time does not mean that guns are mainly used, and there is no need to build them on such a large scale. Cao Bianjiao also tried it in Yutian, and finally decided that it would be better to build it slowly with a master.

Yang Shaofan said: "The general still thinks that the firecrackers on the East Road are made by rolling, not splicing. However, the guns on the East Road are not easy to explode. The mystery of this is really unknown to ordinary people."

Generally, the splicing method is relatively high-quality, because when the gun barrel is made, several short pipes need to be welded into a long pipe. It is impossible for craftsmen who are not more than ten years old in this line of work to make it.

The rolling method was advocated by Qi Jiguang. The two-layer wrought iron plate is directly rolled. The advantage is that no welding is required, and the craftsman's level is not high. The disadvantage is that if it is not done well, the texture of the front and back of the gun body will be different, and it is easy to explode. There are many bird guns in the Ming army, just like this.

But why did Wang Dou also use this method, but the barrel is relatively uniform and the thickness is guaranteed?
Everyone felt a headache, Li Dingguo suddenly said: "Dare to ask General Yang, I heard that the Thunderbolt is used in Wang Dou's army, and it can be fired without a match?"

Yang Shaofan looked at him, the young general in the exile camp attracted his attention, because he felt that Li Dingguo always had a different temperament.

He said: "Yes, it is called a self-generated firearm among the officers and soldiers. In the eighth year of Chongzhen, Bi Yushi made firearms. It does not need matchsticks and can be used in rainy and snowy days. However, the inner spring steel sheet is not easy to manufacture. Before Shuhuomen is widely used, it is too early for rebels to use self-generating firecrackers."

He didn't intend to tell the crowd too much, the knowledge he knew would be the basis for him to settle down in the future, how could he say so easily?

However, he felt that the self-generating firecracker invented by Bi Maokang was much more complicated than the one used by the Jingbian army, but he did not know that because of the problem of the spring steel plate, the self-generating firecracker designed by Bi Maokang was actually more similar to a revolver.

The flintlock is fired by flint, and the scythe of the flint is also the cover of the fire door. When the flint is struck down, in order to ensure successful ignition, the steel sheet of the spring needs to be very strong. This requires a lot of steel.

Also because the hammer spring is not strong, Bi Maokang had to add a lot of parts inside, and finally it was similar to a revolver, but it was still different from the Jingbian Army's flintlock.

Li Zicheng and the others listened to the conversation between Li Dingguo and Yang Shaofan with great interest, but the topic was too far away from them. The thunderbolt must have a self-closing fire door. At present, there are not even self-closing fire door guns in the army. Even more out of reach, we can only talk about it later.

Li Zicheng was even thinking about it. Now that the army has seized a lot of firearms from the East Road, and there are elite new troops joining, it should be possible to build a special firearms battalion.

I have to collect more gunpowder to prevent the seized gunpowder from being used up. When the time comes to make gunpowder, even if it is not as powerful as Donglu gunpowder, even if I have a good bird gunpowder in hand, I will use second-class gunpowder , It is more than enough to deal with ordinary officers and soldiers.

Sun Kewang was fiddling with the firecracker in his hand with great interest, thinking about what he should do after getting the share.

But he suddenly became aware that the firearms that his people treasured were only a very small part of Wang Dou's army. He still had cannons, sharper thunderbolts, and various weapons that he didn't know, even if he had some firearms. What about guns?

He was dripping with cold sweat, thinking again, I heard that Wang Dou was fighting the Mongols outside the Great Wall, what is going on now?
(End of this chapter)