Chapter 302 - 132: Flintlock Gun Modifications, Armor, and Bow and Arrow (2)
But this doesn't mean the knowledge he gained is useless.
After some thoughtful improvements, Chen Zhou really created a peculiar firearm with performance far superior to the matchlock gun.
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Looking at the evolution history of modern firearms, it can be found that the difference in ignition systems alone between matchlock guns and modern firearms spans a whole generation.
The reason why the matchlock gun's firing rate is so slow is due to multiple limitations.
The most influential among them is the muzzle-loading and the matchlock ignition.
The matchlock ignition is relatively easy to improve.
As long as you understand the firing mechanism of a flintlock gun, converting a matchlock gun into a flintlock gun is quite simple.
During his study of firearm design, Chen Zhou had long successfully modified a flintlock gun, and its performance was even better than the flintlock guns that matured in the late 17th century.
But the firing rate of flintlock guns still hadn't qualitatively improved because muzzle-loading can only load one paper cartridge each time, and the gun has to be put down, the gunpowder poured, and the bullet rammed with a rod, steps that are too slow and cumbersome.
To solve this shortcoming, it is necessary to overturn the whole loading system of the gun and turn it into a breech-loading firearm.
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However, the transition from a muzzleloader to a breechloader involves more than just improving the ignition system.
The bullet, firing method, and even the structure of the gun all need major modifications in this process.
The most important impact ignition system not only requires a firing pin structure but also needs a primer on the bullet to cooperate.
Chen Zhou couldn't handcraft metal cartridge casings, nor did he have nitrocellulose to make propellants.
In the process of improving the matchlock gun, he tried stripping cotton from bedding, soaking it in grease, drying it, and then using it to replace nitrocellulose in self-made cartridges, but naturally, it was useless.
The lack of chemical knowledge led to various failures.
During this time, he regretted more than once why he didn't delve deeper into chemistry when he was in school.
If he had enough chemical knowledge, on this island where saltpeter can be found and volcanoes exist, he would surely be able to make concentrated nitric acid solutions, thereby producing low-grade nitrocellulose and crudely crafting inferior bullets.
Unfortunately, no matter how much effort he put in, he couldn't turn forgotten knowledge back, and it was impossible to gain knowledge he hadn't learned out of thin air.
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In the end, the firearm he created could only remain within the range of "flintlock gun modification."
The gun still used traditional flint impact ignition and muzzle-loading, with only some creative adjustments made in the optimization of the cartridge.
To cope with shooting environments of various distances, Chen Zhou specifically designed two improved flintlock guns of different lengths.
The precise shooting range of the long-barrel flintlock gun was limited to within 100 meters—
There was no help for it; without rifling, its bullets could fly over two hundred meters, but beyond a hundred meters, where they landed was basically up to chance.
There are two types of cartridges for the improved flintlock gun, one made of paper shell lead bullets and the other of wooden shell lead bullets.
The wooden shell lead bullets were individually hand-carved by Chen Zhou, with a larger charge than paper shell lead bullets, offering better airtightness and accuracy, but production was slow, and without interfering with daily work, he could at most produce two per day.
Under normal circumstances, using paper shell cartridges was sufficient.
Besides the long-barrel flintlock guns, Chen Zhou also manufactured two shorter-barreled flintlock guns for dealing with enemies within a 30-meter range.
These two short-barrel flintlock guns were easy to carry, and the cartridges were filled with many small metal fragments.
Once fired, these metal fragments would scatter, with power similar to a severely weakened shotgun, covering a large attack area, basically causing no damage to armored units.
But when dealing with Cannibal Tribes who don't like to wear clothes and prefer fighting naked, it worked just right, turning them into blood gourds with a single shot.
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The quality firearms among the matchlock guns brought from the ship were limited for modification.
Chen Zhou altogether modified four long-barrel flintlock guns and two short-barrel flintlock guns, loading ammunition in advance, ideally estimating that he could fire two rounds.
If the total number of Cannibal Tribes was around 30, after two rounds of shooting, at least 8 could be reduced.
According to the book's portrayal of the tribes, a reduction of nearly one-third would be enough to crumble their morale, even if a few fearless individuals charged in close, there were still revolvers available.
If unexpected situations arose, for example, the tribes locked their morale and remained courageous despite losing two-thirds, Chen Zhou could only fight while retreating.
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During those days, while expanding cave dwellings and designing firearms, he didn't forget to continue learning vine weaving and studying armor.
He planned to create a set of vine armor inlaid with metal to withstand the tribes' wooden arrows.
He also wanted to make a rattan shield to resist the tribes' heavy wooden spears.
Initially, he considered cutting Damascus Steel Billets into small squares and directly binding them to the vine armor.
After estimation, he found that such a set of vine armor would be too heavy, with the helmet and breastplate alone weighing more than fifty pounds, making normal movement impossible once worn.
Fortunately, among the rewards delivered several times, there were many materials available for use—such as thin sheets of iron from the outer layer of a safe.
Using space-time cutting to sharpen Damascus Steel Billets into chisels enabled puncturing holes in the iron sheets, then tightly binding them to the surface of the vine armor with hemp rope.
The entire process was not complicated; Chen Zhou altogether made three sets of vine armor.
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Due to lack of experience, the first set of vine armor he made was overly cumbersome, offering full defense but extremely poor joint flexibility.
The second set of vine armor he made later was slightly more lightweight, providing ample joint mobility, yet lacking comfort.
By the third set of vine armor, Chen Zhou had improved the flaws, achieving relatively high defense and lighter weight, with ample mobility space.
However, the aspect of comfort was only resolved by using seal skin as padding inside the vine armor.
A suit of battle armor couldn't be as comfortable as homewear when worn.
With more adaptation, there's nothing that can't be accustomed to.
After all, as a crucial source of life-and-death defense, even if wearing it caused discomfort or chafing the body till swollen and painful, it had to be endured.
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As for the shield, Chen Zhou made a great shield that could cover the entire body; by lowering his head and hiding behind the shield, he could fend off the tribes' attacks.
According to the book, the tribes' bows and arrows couldn't penetrate the defense of ordinary vine armor.
But since they also used wooden spears apart from bows and arrows, the piercing ability of those once thrown was astonishing; Chen Zhou didn't wish to be skewered from several meters away.
Therefore, the great shield was indispensable.
Once the tribes exhausted their ranged means and closed in, he could lower the great shield and let them see the power of armor.
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Of course, advanced equipment is just one of the many winning factors.
To prevent various accidents, Chen Zhou also practiced other skills.
For example, archery.
He knew the performance of traditional bows, especially compound bows, was excellent, with limbs made of composite materials of wood, horn, and animal sinew.
But, due to limited understanding of traditional composite material manufacturing, he could only make pure wooden bows.
For this, he selected various kinds of wood for experiments, eventually creating over a dozen longbows of varying sizes, hanging them on the storeroom wall, looking like a bow gallery at first glance.
Upon completing the bows, he started making arrows.
Although the bow limbs were made of outdated pure wood material, Chen Zhou spared no expense crafting the arrowheads, using Damascus Steel Billets cut into triangles.
The arrowheads cut by space-time were exceptionally sharp, easily penetrating thin iron sheets within thirty meters.
He bonded the arrowheads with a proper-weight, sufficiently strong straight arrow shaft using self-brewed fish swim bladder glue, then wrapped and reinforced with fine thread, making the exquisite and practical Damascus Arrow two-thirds complete.
The final feathers for the arrows used wild goose feathers, which while not outstanding, were decent.
Throughout making bows and arrows, many detours were inevitably taken.
However, since arriving on the deserted island, the failures and setbacks Chen Zhou had faced were far more than just a few, and he had already grown accustomed.
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From transporting rewards back to the cave, to completing the gun modifications, and putting the woven armor and shield into use, and succeeding in making bows and arrows.
Altogether, it took nearly two months.
During this time, the rainy season ended, a new drought season began, the crops were harvested and sown again, chilies grew and blossomed, garlic expanded its scale, and lambs gradually matured...
With the excavation of the cave dwellings, the completion of the root cellar, among many other tasks, and the acquisition of four rounds of rewards, Chen Zhou was extremely busy.
In a blink of an eye, it was May 10, 1661.