Powder HoyNaval
A vessel designed for conveying powder, and may be distinguished by the red flag which she exhibits.
Powder Hoy to Primer
Page 490 of Patterson’s Illustrated Nautical Encyclopedia · 9 entries
Powder MagazineNaval
(See Magazine.)
Powder MonkeyNaval
A term applied to a boy who passes powder charges to the guns.
Powder TankNaval
A copper case for containing powder.
Power VesselNaval
Same as Powder Hoy.
Practice ProjectileNaval
(See Drill Shell.)
Pressure TableNaval
Figures showing the pressure sustained by the gun.
PrimeNaval
To prepare a muzzle-loading gun for being fired by pricking the cartridge through the vent and inserting a primer in the same.
Important: Safety Warning
This page contains instructions involving gunpowder or other explosive or pyrotechnic compositions. Preparing explosives as described has caused severe injuries and deaths, and is illegal in most places.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
PrimerNaval
An instrument for firing the cartridge in a gun.
A Percussion Primer is made of a quill tube, the lower end being closed. It is filled with powder, and capped with fulminating mercury and powder, and exploded by concussion.
A Friction Primer is made of a brass tube the size of a quill, filled with powder, and in the cap is a brass wire with teeth, the outer end of the wire having an eye formed by twisting. The cap is filled with sulphuret of antimony and chlorate of potassa. This primer is exploded by pulling the lanyard and breaking the primer, which causes the necessary friction.
A Quill Friction Primer is made of two quills, one inside of the other, and is filled with antimony tri-sulphide, potassium chlorate, flower of sulphur and a small proportion of gum arabic. Wires are contained within the quills, and the action of the lanyard is to withdraw these wires and explode the primer by friction.
Vent-Sealing Primer. A primer used in all modern B. L. R. guns, and is on the principle of a pistol cartridge. It is fired by a mechanism known as a "firing lock." The flame from the primer goes through the stem of the mushroom into the powder charge in the chamber of the gun, and the lead bullet closes the vent and prevents the escape of gas rearward.
External Friction Primer. The same as the vent-sealing primer, but is exploded by means of a wire and lanyard (the same as described for the ordinary friction primer) instead of a firing lock. This primer is used in the event of damage to the firing lock.
Electrical Primer. A quill primer filled to near the top with fine powder, and fitted to the size of the vent. Two wires pass into the primer and are bridged by a fine platinum wire with a slight wisp of dry gun cotton attached to the bridge. The outer ends of the wires are connected with a battery, and the primer is fired by closing the circuit, either at the rear of the gun or by the officer in the fighting tower.