Chapter 80: The Rifle 50 Years Later

"This year is your first year in office, Uncle, so to commemorate you, I decided to name it the Type 01 Rifle," Roland said deliberately.

"Type 01 Rifle! What a good name. Since you designed this rifle, why don't you go ahead and explain its performance to me!"

The Type 01 Rifle is actually the historical Minié Rifle, developed around 1849 by Captain Claude-Étienne Minié and Captain Henri-Gustave Delvigne of the French army's Orléans Jäger unit.

At that time, while the French army was fighting against the revolutionaries in Algeria on the North African battlefield, they found that although their rifles were much better made than those of their opponents, they couldn't sustain a high rate of fire.

Based on this, Minié and others boldly improved the French army's rifles, creating a new type of rifle bullet called the Minié ball. To accommodate this bullet, Minié and others repeatedly designed and developed a new rifle, which became known as the famous Minié Rifle.

The rifle is equipped with a safety lock to prevent misfires and weighs 4.8 kilograms. It has a caliber of 17.8 millimeters, and each bullet weighs 32.4 grams. The killing range can reach 918 meters, with an assured accuracy within 550 meters.

The Minié Rifle uses the round-headed, cylindro-conoidal lead bullet invented by Minié. Because this bullet is slightly smaller in diameter than the rifle bore, it solved the problem of older rifles where the larger bullets could not be easily loaded or would clog the barrel. The Minié bullet can be easily pushed into the barrel with a ramrod, greatly increasing the rate of fire. The bullet has grooves around its body to engage the rifling, which are filled with animal fat. The bottom of the bullet is made of a soft wooden plug. Upon firing, the gunpowder gases forcefully expand the plug, causing the bullet to expand and seal the chamber, preventing gas leakage and ensuring that the bullet's kinetic energy is not lost. This solved the chamber sealing problem of older muzzle-loading rifles, greatly enhancing the rifle's rate of fire, range, and safety.

Roland had absolute confidence in this rifle. After all, it was a weapon that wouldn't be available for another fifty years. In this era, this rifle could definitely be considered a groundbreaking creation. However, due to current technological limitations, the bullets were not the modern copper-jacketed pointed bullets but rather paper-wrapped ones.

Even so, its power was still formidable. To maximize the weapon's potential, using current black powder was insufficient; smokeless powder was necessary. This would also become Roland's future research focus. The importance of smokeless powder even surpassed that of the rifle itself, as its successful development would benefit not only rifle bullets but also artillery and even naval guns.

...

"Uncle Napoleon, my rifle is definitely worth its value. If you don't believe me, try it yourself." Seeing Napoleon's silence, Roland thought he might not understand the rifle's power, so he suggested that Napoleon try it out himself.

"Alright, to be honest, it's been a long time since I've fired a gun myself. Now's a good time to try it out." Roland's words piqued Napoleon's interest.

Soon, the uncle and nephew arrived at the shooting range.

"Uncle Napoleon, please!" Roland handed a sample rifle to Napoleon. Although it was a hastily made sample, it had all the necessary parts and could exert at least sixty to seventy percent of its power.

"Good gun!" Napoleon took the sample from Roland's hand and immediately felt its weight. This rifle was slightly lighter than the ones currently equipped by the French army. Don't underestimate the importance of weight reduction; during long marches, every bit of weight reduction can affect the soldiers' stamina and, consequently, the outcome of the battle.

Feeling the rifle's weight increased Napoleon's interest in this new rifle even more. The craftsmanship was indeed excellent. However, it still needed to be tested for accuracy.

For a rifle, accuracy is its soul. Napoleon raised the rifle, aiming at the target ahead. He aligned the sights in one smooth motion. Although Napoleon held a high position, he was fundamentally a battlefield general and still possessed the basic skills.

A loud "bang!" echoed.

The rifle in Napoleon's hands emitted a huge flame, followed by a bullet shooting out of the barrel. In an instant, a hole appeared in the center of the distant target.

"Good gun! Really a good gun! I can't believe it still has such high accuracy at two hundred meters. It's truly amazing. Roland, you are a genius." Napoleon was overjoyed as he looked at the damaged target, thrilled both by his accurate marksmanship and the new rifle's power.

...

"Murat, what do you think of this rifle?" Napoleon handed the new rifle to his trusted general Murat, seeking his opinion.

"Excellent! I can guarantee that if our army is equipped with this new rifle, our combat effectiveness will at least double," Murat affirmed.

When Napoleon mentioned testing the new rifle, Murat was already interested. The feeling intensified when he heard it was designed by Roland. Today, seeing it in action, Roland indeed lived up to his reputation.

Napoleon was equally astounded by Murat's words, understanding what doubling combat effectiveness meant. If the French army were equipped with this new rifle, they would be invincible in Europe and even worldwide.

"Roland, do you know how much it costs to open an arms factory? You need to buy equipment, purchase land, build factories, hire workers, and employ technicians. You also need to establish connections with the government and the military; otherwise, do you think anyone would buy your rifles? This is not something a child can handle," Napoleon said, bending down to pat Roland on the shoulder.

Hearing this, Roland's face immediately turned grim. Was Napoleon going to reject him? If so, all his efforts would be in vain.

Napoleon could see what Roland was thinking. He was still too inexperienced. Smiling, he said, "Don't overthink it, my dear Roland. Rest assured, your Uncle Napoleon is not a fool. This rifle is excellent; how could I ignore it? Don't worry, I will personally handle the arms factory. It will definitely be a success."

"That's really great, Uncle Napoleon. I'll leave it to you then. Let's strive to build the arms factory as soon as possible, so the rifles can be produced and equipped by the army quickly."

After hearing Napoleon's words, Roland realized he had misunderstood. Indeed, Napoleon was a renowned ruler. How could he possibly overlook something so valuable? His earlier worry was unnecessary.

"Uncle Napoleon, how will we divide the final profits?" Roland asked, still feeling a bit uneasy.

Napoleon looked at Roland and said, "Don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly. You don't need to worry about anything; just wait to collect your share. We'll split the profits seventy-thirty."

"What? Seventy-thirty? That's too harsh," Roland thought to himself. He wasn't naive enough to believe he would get seventy percent while Napoleon would take thirty percent.

He then put on a pitiful expression and said, "Uncle, that's too little. I spent nearly a year designing this, and I even got a few gray hairs from it."

"Of course not, Roland. You have to understand that I'm not only providing the funds, but I also have to handle all the social relations. Plus, I need to secure orders from the Ministry of War, and they are all greedy people. Although I am the First Consul of France now, I still need the support of those below me. If I can't successfully unite them, I'll be isolated. The ultimate way to unite them is based on their interests."

"Alright then," Roland said dejectedly. Although his share of the profits was small, there was no way around it. The arms factory could not function without Napoleon. As Napoleon said, the benefits of this new rifle were enormous, too much for Roland to handle alone.