Chapter 211: Dresser Needle Gun

After several rounds of consultations between Pan Zhengwei and others and the Fillmore Cabinet, the signing of the Qing-US Free Immigration Treaty was finally achieved.

The significance of this treaty is very significant. After the signing of the Qing-US Free Immigration Treaty, Chinese immigrants can live freely in other states as long as they obtain legal American citizenship, except for California on the west coast.

As for whether those Chinese immigrants can gain a foothold in other states outside California, it depends on their own ability.

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

The signing of the Qing-US Free Immigration Treaty not only made Liang Yao and others happy.

The Fillmore Cabinet and even the federal government were very happy.

Fillmore even claimed that signing an equal treaty with the Eastern power and establishing diplomatic relations was a great 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 except people, the United States has a huge demand for labor, especially in the Midwest, where there are vast lands waiting for immigrants to develop.

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

Fillmore was worried that once California was given this loophole, other states would also ask their states to set their own tariffs.

Tariffs are the largest fiscal revenue of the federal government. On the issue of tariffs, both Treasury Secretary Corwin and Fillmore were very resolute and consistent, saying that there was no room for negotiation on the issue of tariffs, and that tariffs could only be set by Congress, and that states had no right to set tariffs privately.

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

Ever since Liang Yao announced that he would take out $1 million to establish a foundation and use the income of the foundation to reward the winning inventors.

The Liang Yao Invention Award has always been a topic that Americans talk about with relish.

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

The third winner of the first Liang Yao Invention Award was Erickson and Clover, who had the most propeller patents.

The second place went to the Ward engineer team that built the Pioneer locomotive.

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

People still recognized the second and third place winners.

The first place winner of the Liang Yao Invention Award, Walter, caused a lot of controversy. Even the Patent Office protested to Liang Yao, saying that Walter was not the owner of the sewing machine patent.

But Liang Yao remained unmoved. It was not the turn of the Patent Office to make comments on the award he spent money on.

The most intense reaction was that Erics and Yin Sak went to New York to protest strongly to Liang Yao.

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

If your award is also 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 book 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 affected by external factors. Not to mention the Patent Office, even the President cannot change my decision." Liang Yao's attitude was very firm.

"I have also seen the sewing machines produced by Bridgeport Company. To be honest, your sewing machine is outdated. If you are not convinced, bring your sewing machine to New York and compete with Walter's newly invented sewing machine to see whose sewing machine is more efficient and more reliable."

Erics was shocked and thought that Walter had invented a new sewing machine again?

But on second thought, Erics felt that it was impossible. How could Walter invent a new sewing machine in such a short time? Besides, the circle of inventors was not large. If Walter invented a new sewing machine, he should have heard of it.

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

"What if you lose?"

Liang Yao asked back.

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

"I will join this contest too." Yin Sak said he would also participate in this contest.

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

At this time, both Erics' Bridgeport Machinery Company and Yin Sak's Singer Brothers Company were small companies that had just started.

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

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

The huge prize money is very attractive to Erics and Yin Sak.

When they heard that the first place 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 could win this award, it would be a double gain of fame and fortune for them.

The $30,000 prize money can be used to expand the factory, increase production capacity, and quickly seize the almost blank sewing machine market.

Both Erics and Yinsak 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 Yinsak 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 striker 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, who was wearing a dark blue military uniform with a waistband, gave Liang Yao 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 with the number 18 embroidered on it, which represented the 18th Infantry Regiment he belonged to before retiring.

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 stopgap 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 native goods brought from California.

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

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

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

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

The total weight of the Dresser needle gun is 7 kilograms, and it will be heavier if a bayonet is installed.

The length is 142cm (54 inches), of which the barrel length is 91cm (36 inches), and the caliber is 4 mm. The bullets used are acorn-shaped lead bullets, and the lead bullets are wrapped in paper casings.

With a rotating bolt, breech loading, rifling, and the use of integral bullets, it can be said that the Dresser m1841 striker gun embodies the most advanced firearms technology of this era.

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

And the Prussians had already pulled the big bolt.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to striker guns.

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

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

When the barrel expands when exposed to heat and gunpowder residue adheres to the barrel, it takes a lot of effort to pull the bolt, and the junction 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 uses metal shell bullets, even if it is 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 lever-action rifle is not as powerful and firing range as the needle-fired gun, it has a faster rate of fire. It is still very good for equipping your own guards, and it also has great prospects for being sold 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 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.

"What a gun!"

Liang Yao immediately fired again without firing, and the loading speed was not even a bit 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.

And the skilled shooters of the California Infantry Regiment using the Springfield m1842 could only fire two bullets per minute.

However, the bolt felt more and more astringent as the Delyse striker was used, not as smooth as at the beginning, which Liang Yao felt was a pity.

Liang Yao pulled the bolt and saw a lot of unburned black powder residue in the magazine, which was the reason why the bolt felt more and more astringent.

In general, Liang Yao was very satisfied with the performance of the Delyse striker.

Taking this thing to Japan would be like hanging a Japanese hammer.

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