The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: A Revolutionary Weapon

Joseph briefly introduced, “This gun will adopt a completely new ignition mechanism. Its reloading speed and power are significantly improved compared to current flintlock muskets, and it’s notably more resistant to rain and has a much lower misfire rate.”

Louis XVI’s eyes brightened further. Even someone completely unfamiliar with military matters could understand that this new gun would have a revolutionary impact on warfare!

In truth, Louis XVI was well aware of the whispers throughout France that described him as “incompetent” and “unfocused on state affairs.”

He longed to be a king revered and adored by his people, like the Sun King. But governing a country often required a kind of innate talent.

And he simply didn’t have that talent.

However, gunsmithing was a domain he excelled in—thanks to his expertise in precision mechanics. Many gunsmiths of this era came from clockmaking backgrounds.

He was, after all, a master craftsman certified by both the Locksmiths’ Guild and the Clockmakers’ Guild.

Previously, no matter how exquisite a lock he crafted, it never earned him genuine acclaim.

But guns were different! They were the backbone of a nation’s military strength!

If the new gun he developed could help French soldiers sweep away their enemies, who would dare call him a useless king?

Joseph motioned to the guards outside the room to fetch a flintlock musket and pointed to the firing mechanism at the rear of the gun.

“The current flintlock musket works by having the flint on the gunlock strike a piece of steel, producing sparks that ignite the priming powder in the pan, which then ignites the main charge in the barrel to fire the bullet.”

Louis XVI nodded. He was very familiar with this process due to his frequent hunting.

Joseph removed the flint from the gunlock and continued, “A few years ago, the English synthesized a substance called ‘mercury fulminate.’ It explodes upon impact. If we fix mercury fulminate behind the barrel and use the gunlock to strike it, we can ignite the main charge directly.”

Louis XVI frowned and asked, “But how would you fix the mercury fulminate? Moreover, it explodes upon impact, so wouldn’t it be unsafe for soldiers to handle? For example, if they accidentally dropped it, they might lose their lives.”

Joseph smiled slightly. “That’s precisely why the English have yet to successfully use mercury fulminate to manufacture weapons.”

Louis XVI looked at him expectantly, knowing his son must have found a solution.

“I call it a ‘percussion cap,’” Joseph said, picking up a sheet of paper used for printing, tearing off a small piece, and folding it into a bowl the size of a mung bean. “This represents a shell made of copper.”

He pinched a bit of wax mixed with mercury fulminate. “This is the mercury fulminate.”

He pressed the wax into the paper bowl and compacted it. “And there you have it, a percussion cap. The copper shell protects the mercury fulminate from external impacts, making it less likely to explode accidentally.”

“If we then store the percussion caps in ammunition pouches cushioned with cotton, they would be even safer.”

Louis XVI exclaimed in astonishment, “How would the gun ignite it?”

“Because copper is malleable,” Joseph replied, picking up a small hammer and striking the base of the paper bowl. “If we make the gunlock into a hammer-like mechanism, a strong enough spring can drive the hammer to crush the base of the percussion cap, igniting the mercury fulminate inside.”

Louis XVI picked up the flintlock musket and pondered, “So the priming pan can be removed. Instead, we drill a hole here at the breech, insert the percussion cap, cock the gunlock, and it’s ready to fire.”

Joseph was startled. Truly a master! He was even anticipating the answers!

He nodded and said, “Drilling a hole would make it difficult to remove the percussion cap after firing. It’s better to install a hollow cylinder at the rear of the barrel. The percussion cap can be pressed onto the cylinder. Upon firing, the flame would enter the barrel through the hollow space, and the percussion cap would be easy to detach afterward.”

Louis XVI’s expression grew increasingly animated.

When firing a flintlock musket, the process involved removing a powder packet, pouring powder into the priming pan, packing it down, cocking the gunlock, and then firing.

With a percussion cap, the process would only require cocking the gunlock and inserting the cap, reducing the firing time by at least two or three seconds.

Do not underestimate these two or three seconds. On the battlefield, even half a second could determine life or death. A seasoned soldier might only be a few seconds faster than a recruit in reloading speed after years of training.

Moreover, the percussion cap musket would eliminate the priming pan, which often caused gas leaks. The full force of the gunpowder would act on the bullet, substantially increasing its power compared to flintlock muskets.

He looked at Joseph, his eyes brimming with pride and affection.

“My dear son, how did you come up with such a brilliant idea? Oh, I suppose God Himself must have kissed your forehead.”

Joseph thought to himself that he had seen it on a military forum but smiled and said, “Thank God.”

He retrieved pen and paper and sketched the structure of the percussion cap musket from memory, handing it to Louis XVI. “This is a rough outline, but the specific dimensions, proportions, and craftsmanship will depend on our great King to determine.”

Louis XVI puffed out his chest with enthusiasm. “Don’t worry! Together, we will create a weapon that will astonish all of Europe!”

As Joseph left the royal workshop, he couldn’t help but sigh. Why hadn’t he thought of involving the King in weapon development earlier?

In terms of equipment, the royal workshop had the most complete and highest-quality tools and instruments in all of France.

In terms of skill, Louis XVI and his assistants were the finest craftsmen.

Most importantly, with the King himself spearheading the project, there was no need to worry about technical leaks. If this had been developed in an armory, at least a hundred people would need to monitor it to prevent espionage.

This realization made him consider that issues of technical secrecy would become increasingly prevalent in the future. The implementation of a patent law needed to be expedited.

Additionally, once the percussion cap musket was developed, the production of mercury fulminate and firearms would need to scale up quickly. The weapon would not only be a simple tool but also a means of exerting influence over the military. Therefore, it was best for his personally controlled armory to handle production...

As Joseph pondered, he returned to his chamber and absentmindedly unbuttoned his coat, his hand brushing against a letter from Madame Sanberant given to him earlier that evening.

He pulled out the theater tickets inside. The play was scheduled to be performed four days later at the Comédie Française.

When he flipped to the back of the ticket, he froze—the play’s title was none other than Breaking Through the Heavens, a novel that had only been serialized for three days!

It was then he remembered Denico reporting yesterday that a theater had expressed interest in adapting the newspaper serial into a play. Joseph hadn’t given it much thought at the time, leaving it entirely in Denico’s hands. Who could have imagined the play would debut in just four days?

The novel had only been serialized for three days. How desperate could the theater company be?

Moreover, with no more than a week for writing and rehearsing, how had they managed to pull it off?

Over the next few days, Joseph first visited Dr. Lamarck’s pharmaceutical workshop to discuss the processing of ferrous sulfate.

Then he arranged for the Paris Angel Company to publicize and sell their new product, Ladies’ Delight Elixir, while occasionally checking on His Majesty’s progress in the royal workshop.

Four days passed swiftly. At noon, Joseph’s carriage stopped at a corner on Rue de Richelieu. The entrance to the Comédie Française was already teeming with a dense crowd of people.

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