Because the Northern Song Dynasty had long-term wars with the Liao Kingdom and Xixia, it attached great importance to the research of weapons, especially the research of firearms.
The earliest firearms were used to support combustion. After gradually discovering its explosive properties, the formula and gunpowder technology were constantly changed to increase the power of the explosion. From this, various thunders with ferocious names were born, such as thunderbolt fire thunder, caltrop thunder, shaking thunder, etc.
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However, due to limitations of technology in the early days, only paper fire mines could be made. The explosion power was too weak and could not hurt the enemy even if it exploded near the enemy. So various patches were made, incorporating iron nails, iron sheets, iron caltrops or poison.
Fierce fire oil and so on.
At that time, lighting a fire was also a troublesome matter. Soldiers in the firearms battalion would bring a stove with coal in it and insert a few iron bars. When lighting the firearm, they would take out a red-hot iron bar and burn it.
However, the craftsmen of the Song Dynasty were really powerful and constantly improved the formula of gunpowder. Following the paper fire thunder, wooden shell fire thunder and pottery shell fire thunder were also developed one after another. However, the impact power of this kind of fire thunder itself was still not enough, and it could only rely on the mixed gunpowder formula.
The poison-quenched iron nails explode in all directions, exerting their power.
By the late Northern Song Dynasty, the gunpowder formula was very close to the black gunpowder of later generations, but the fineness and uniformity were still not enough, so that the gunpowder did not burn fast enough to produce a large amount of gas instantly, and the Song Army's iron-shelled fire mines were never able to break through.
Many great inventions are often born at the most critical time. In the first year of Jingkang, Bianliang was surrounded by Jin soldiers. At this most critical time, the iron shell fire thunder was finally successfully developed. The sound spread hundreds of miles, and all humans and animals within half an acre were killed.
The powder, of course, is a bit exaggerated. It is black powder after all, so only a dozen people around the explosion were killed and injured by the flying iron fragments.
But even so, the huge earthquake still frightened the Jin soldiers, who immediately retreated back to Hebei, and Li Gang's defense of Tokyo was successful.
Unfortunately, in the second year, the Jin soldiers besieged the city, Li Gang was deposed, Tiao Dashen replaced Zhentian Lei, and Bianliang City was destroyed.
But for some reason, the successfully researched iron shell fire thunder and technology have not been passed down. Maybe it was destroyed in the war, or maybe the technology is still unstable and the success rate is too low. Even after the craftsmen were kidnapped by the Jin soldiers and sent to the north,
There was no way to create a sky-shattering thunder.
Of course, there is another very important reason. The Jin Kingdom does not pay attention to it. Jin soldiers do not need this kind of iron-shell thunder. This kind of iron-shell thunder can only be used to attack or defend the city, and is of little use in the wilderness.
, the Jin soldiers were invincible, killing the emperors and ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty to the point of pissing themselves off.
Wanyan Wushu led an army of 100,000 men to search the mountains and seas. Wherever he went, the soldiers and civilians of the city all fled. There was no need for such inconvenient firearms. Iron cavalry was enough.
By the time they attacked Sichuan and Shaanxi, the iron cavalry had no use and the Jin soldiers needed to use firearms. However, by this time, the technology and craftsmen for making iron-cased fire mines had long since disappeared, and the technology had returned to the starting point of ceramic fire mines and wooden barrel fire mines.
, Chen Qing at most improved it into a double-layer wooden barrel fire thunder.
The formula of black gunpowder has been developed long ago, with 10% sulfur, 15% charcoal, and 75% saltpeter. Chen Qing also knew this formula, but the reason why they couldn't make iron-shelled fire mines was not the gunpowder formula, but the craftsmanship.
One is the gunpowder process and the other is the iron shell process.
Not long after the gunpowder technology moved from Ganquan Fort to Chengji County, a breakthrough was made. The gunpowder had been ground finely and uniformly. They were pasted together with egg whites and then crushed, so that they became as large as sesame seeds.
Bits of gunpowder.
If you look at it with a magnifying glass, you will see that it is actually a honeycomb structure with gaps between the very fine powder and the powder, which ensures that it burns quickly and fully.
Although there was no breakthrough in the iron shell technology, as long as the quantity of gunpowder was enough, it could produce a powerful explosive effect, so the five-hundred-jin box-type gunpowder mine was invented.
Unfortunately, the cost was too high. In the end, the Song Army only built ten such box-type gunpowder mines and could no longer build any more.
So when the steward said that the explosion just now was caused by iron shell fire thunder, how could Chen Qing not be shocked.
"When was the iron shell fire mine developed?" Chen Qing asked.
Xie Ying whispered: "The day before yesterday!"
Chen Qing suddenly felt a little annoyed. Why didn't he tell himself about such a major matter in time?
"Why didn't you report it?"
"Reporting to the prince, because we are not sure yet, only one of the ten iron-shelled fire thunders exploded, so we dare not report in a hurry."
This reason was acceptable to Chen Qing, and he asked again: "Has the cause of the explosion been found?"
Xie Ying sighed and said: "It must be that everyone is anxious and wants to make it as soon as possible. The three craftsmen on duty tonight tested it overnight. They mixed oily iron powder and accidentally caused an explosion."
"Is just a thunder explosion so powerful?"
"It should have been an iron dog that exploded."
The five-hundred-pound box-type fire mine is called a rhinoceros, the one-hundred-pound box-type fire mine is called a black pig, the thirty-pound powder barrel is called a wild dog, and the five-pound powder barrel is called a hedgehog. The iron-shelled fire mine they developed is iron.
The Dog and the Iron Hedgehog.”
Chen Qing got off his horse and, accompanied by several officials, walked into the door of the Firearms Institute
The location of the explosion at the Firearms Institute was in the warehouse. There were dozens of warehouses behind the Firearms Institute, all made of blue bricks. Each warehouse was very strong, from the raw material warehouse to the finished product warehouse. The explosion was at the very edge of the warehouse. It was actually
It is a scrap warehouse filled with various failed firearms, ready to be dismantled and the gunpowder taken out.
At this time, the entire scrap warehouse collapsed, leaving only broken walls. Dozens of craftsmen were cleaning up. The soldiers and craftsmen killed in the explosion were being carried aside and wrapped in mats.
There is also a craftsman sitting on the ground with a white cloth wrapped around his head. Han Zhengfu, the commander of the inner guard, is asking questions.
"Is that an eyewitness?" Chen Qing glanced at the injured craftsman and asked.
"Exactly, he is the only survivor."
At this time, Han Zhengfu, the commander of the inner guard, came forward to greet him. Chen Qing asked, "Have you asked clearly? What's going on?"
"I've already asked clearly. It should be that the lantern was accidentally damaged, causing the fire. When everyone was putting out the fire, a large gunpowder barrel suddenly exploded."
These craftsmen have a very good sense of confidentiality. Except for themselves, even internal security investigations are unwilling to tell the real reason.
At this time, Xie Ying brought Chen Qing to a warehouse. He pointed to several fire thunders on the shelf and said: "This is the iron fire thunder, five iron hedgehogs and one iron dog."
Chen Qing stepped forward and patted a few iron bumps that looked like pumpkins, and asked: "Can these be used?"
Xie Ying smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know, but it's more likely that it won't explode."
"How is the sealing problem solved?"
"The iron shell is cast in one piece with molten iron. The key lies in the mold, which is very difficult to make the iron shell neither thick nor thin, but very uniform in thickness. Then, a hole as big as a little finger is left, and the gunpowder is poured through this small hole.
Go in, and finally insert a small wooden tube into the hole, with a match rope wrapped inside the wooden tube.
Just now a craftsman came up with an idea. Since the fire mine that failed the test will explode suddenly, maybe the problem with the formula and the iron shell is not big, but that the small wooden tube is not suitable for the iron shell fire mine, which will cause a large amount of hot gas to be sprayed directly from the mouth of the match rope.
, the possibility of this reason is very high, we must abandon the idea of wooden shell fire mines and reconsider new methods."
"Is there any backup method?" Chen Qing asked.
Xie Ying shook her head, "Not yet!"
"I'll give you a plan. There are snails in the fields, the kind that come in circles. When casting, the small mouth is made into a snail shape, so that the hot gas will not spurt out so quickly. The combustion is completed in an instant, and a large amount of gas expands.
In fact, all we want is to gain that little bit of time. The iron shell exploded before the heat could escape, right?"
The snail plan mentioned by Chen Qing is basically impossible and too difficult, but Xie Ying understands the principle. It is to make the entrance a little more complicated to prevent the gas from rushing out so quickly and buy a little time.
Xie Ying thought for a while and said: "We can give it a try, but it will be a little troublesome when filling in the gunpowder, but as long as it can succeed, it doesn't matter if it's a little troublesome."