Chapter 3, New-Style Rifle

Zhao Xingkai raised his head to glance at Long Yufei, nodded slightly, and then focused his attention on his hands, continuing to hammer the blade that had yet to take shape.

"Is it Long Yufei? I remember you studied mechanical engineering in the UK. Do you understand firearms?" Zhao Yi asked.

"Father, this gun is different from the ones we have seen before, isn't it? However, it is quite beautiful!" said Zhao Yi's youngest son, Zhao Xingchuan

As a new member, Long Yufei was assigned to a small wooden cabin at the foot of the mountain, not far from his cabin was Li Hu's cabin. All the unmarried pirates mostly lived here.

Zhao Yi and his son both frowned upon seeing the excellent rifle design blueprints, yet due to a lack of tools, they were unable to manufacture it. This was akin to seeing a beautiful woman, completely undressed, only to realize that one is unable to become aroused at all

Uncle Zhao!" Li Hu called out hurriedly, and Long Yufei followed suit.

The pirates' stronghold, known as Flying Fish Island, is lush with trees. Although the island is not large, the terrain is flat except for the cliffs on the western side. Long Yufei noticed that many people were cultivating vegetables and grains on the island

"Young man, let's put this design draft here for now, and we will think of a solution later!" Zhao Yi said

"Uncle Zhao, in addition to repairing firearms, can you also manufacture them here?" Long Yufei asked

Although Zhao Yi and his son found some of Long Yufei's explanations difficult to understand, this did not hinder their grasp of the underlying principles. The Zhao family are experts in firearms, and with a little contemplation, they quickly comprehended the general idea. Often, new inventions are merely separated from previous ones by a thin layer of paper; with a gentle push, one can enter an entirely new era. The current state of the Zhao family undoubtedly reflects this. The design blueprints presented by Long Yufei clearly pointed them toward a new direction for development.

That is, Uncle Zhao and his son might have done it! Their family has a tradition of making firearms!" Li Hu said. Then he led Long Yufei up the mountain

"He is in the house!" Zhao Xingkai said

"Uncle Zhao, this is the rifle I designed. Do you think it can be manufactured?" Long Yufei said to Zhao Yi as he took out a piece of paper. He had put in quite a bit of effort to find paper and a pen, and it was only with the help of Huzi that he managed to find a sheet of white paper.

"Huzi, what is on this mountain? Can we go up to take a look?" Long Yufei asked.

On the mountain? The mountain is where Uncle Zhao and the others live, and there is a workshop used for repairing some damaged firearms" Li Hu answered honestly. Through the exchanges over the past few days, he had completely regarded Long Yufei as a brother on the island.

How should I put it? This production capacity is already considerable for a small workshop with only a few people, as everything relies on their manual craftsmanship. However, for those armories in the West, it appears rather insignificant

Li Hu then brought Long Yufei into the room. Inside, Zhao Yi was polishing a firearm with a young man.

The hill is not very high, only about several dozen meters. However, the path is somewhat rugged and not easy to traverse

Of course we can! My father, my son, and I, along with those apprentices, can produce five firearms in a month!" Zhao Yi said proudly

Upon entering the courtyard, Long Yufei discovered several roaring furnaces and books scattered about. A few young individuals were smelting iron blocks, while another bare-chested man was forging iron, seemingly crafting a blade.

"It's quite good. This is the standard rifle of the British Army, the Borker rifle! Its maximum range is 200 meters, and its effective range is 100 meters! However, the distance at which it can truly pose a threat to a person is probably within 80 meters!" said Long Yufei

Gradually, he became familiar with the pirates on the island. Although everyone still harbored some wariness towards him as an outsider, overall, he slowly integrated into this community. In particular, Li Hu held him in high regard. Over the past few days, Li Hu had taken him around the small island. There were more than 1,000 people on the island, but the majority were elderly, weak, women, and children. Only a little over 300 able-bodied men were capable of going to sea. Nevertheless, Flying Fish Island was quite famous for piracy in the entire South Seas region.

"Steam engines? We don't have any here! Manila does, however. But even if we had steam engines, our output wouldn't increase; we lack sufficient materials!" Zhao Yi said.

"Young man, what is the matter with your gun? There is no flint, how can it fire?" Zhao Yi inquired

"The firearms workshop? Are Uncle Zhao and the others still able to manufacture firearms?" Long Feiyu inquired with some experience.

Uncle Zhao, we have come to see you!" As soon as they reached the door, Li Hu shouted loudly.

"Uncle Zhao, firearms are not my major field of study, but I have also engaged in research in this area!" Long Feiyu replied

Uncle Zhao, without a steam engine, we can utilize hydraulic machinery for processing! However, there are no rivers on the island, so the hydraulic machinery cannot operate! Long Yufei said somewhat helplessly.

"What are you two here for?" Zhao Yi put down the firearm in his hand and asked.

In this regard, Long Yufei indeed has some expectations. Since he has officially joined, it is only a matter of time before he participates in the operations. For a homebody, the life of pirates feels very novel to him

"Huzi, what are you shouting about? Can't you see we are working?" A strong voice responded from inside.

However, since arriving on the island, Long Yufei has not seen Luo Sangu again. According to Li Hu, the head of the gang is planning a major deal, and if it succeeds, life on the island will be worry-free for the next two years

"Uncle Zhao, this gun is not flintlock, but rather a percussion type! In Europe, several decades ago, they developed fulminate, and they are using this substance to design a completely new rifle. This rifle employs a breech-loading mechanism. The bullet has a metal casing, which contains gunpowder, along with a bullet tip. The firing pin strikes the primer at the base of the bullet, igniting the gunpowder inside, and then the bullet is fired out!" Long Yufei explained

Mr. Long, this is Zhao Xingkai, the eldest son of Uncle Zhao! Brother Zhao, this is Mr. Long, our new partner! Huzi introduced.

This is the design drawing of the Mauser Model 71 rifle created by Long Yufei. The overall length of the rifle is 1,344 millimeters, and the barrel length is 852 millimeters. It employs a breech-loading mechanism, and the firing mechanism differs from that of flintlock devices, featuring a firing pin mechanism.

To manufacture firearms, in addition to wood and iron, copper is also required. Furthermore, the bullets for the firearms are made of lead, along with gunpowder and other materials. For these pirates, all of these resources are relatively scarce

Uncle Zhao and the others' residence is located at the foot of the mountain and near the * map * book spine. Before they even entered, they could already hear the clanging sounds coming from inside

Uncle Zhao, let's just take a look! Isn't the boss asking me to show Mr. Long around?" Li Hu said with a smile

If only there were a steam engine, the efficiency could be increased by more than ten times!" Long Yufei said in a low voice

"Do you still design rifles?" Zhao Yi said with some surprise. However, when he saw the rifle on the white paper, he was completely stunned.

Long Yufei nodded slightly; it was just a blueprint, and if he wanted, he could draw a better one at any time! In recent days, Long Yufei had developed a thought: since heaven had brought him to this era, it would be a waste not to accomplish something significant! Feiyu Island, being remote, was not a problem as a pirate's lair, but if he wanted to develop it, there was no future at all. Luzon, although backward, was rich in resources; if he could occupy it, it could undoubtedly develop into a military base. However, Long Yufei was currently a lone commander, with no one else to follow him besides himself. The Zhao father and son were experts in firearms manufacturing; recruiting them would be beneficial for establishing his own military industry!

"Brother Zhao, where is Uncle Zhao?" Huzi asked

Uncle Zhao, manufacturing this type of rifle is not an easy task! First of all, the barrel must be made of high-quality steel. Additionally, the interior of the barrel needs to be rifled. This type of rifle requires four grooves to ensure the bullet's power. Furthermore, both the cartridge case and the bullet head must be made of copper!" Long Yufei said. The rifling is the key to the new-style rifle; without advanced machinery, it is simply impossible to achieve, and manual labor is absolutely out of the question. Moreover, the copper needed for manufacturing bullets is also in short supply. If these issues are not resolved, his design will merely be a fleeting illusion!

The furnishings in the cabin are very simple, with no bed at all; just a few stones topped with a wooden plank, serving as a makeshift hard bed. However, meals are provided on the island, with two simple meals a day. Breakfast consists of steamed buns with salted fish, while dinner features millet rice with salted fish, occasionally accompanied by some vegetable soup. For Long Yufei, having something to eat is already quite good, and he does not make any other demands. However, having only two meals a day makes it somewhat difficult for him, as he is accustomed to three meals a day. Often, he finds himself feeling hungry long before mealtime arrives.

Oh? I didn't see that coming; you are quite the expert! Zhao Yi was greatly surprised. In China, there are not many people who understand firearms, especially among the younger generation, where it is even rarer. However, considering that Long Yufei had returned from studying abroad, it made sense.

Haha! Kid, this design is great! If it can be produced, the firing rate of this rifle will be greatly increased! Zhao Yi said. The rifles currently in use can only fire four to five shots per minute, even for skilled soldiers. Generally, on the battlefield, it is only two to three shots! The rifle designed by Long Yufei can undoubtedly increase the firing rate by more than three times!

Oh? Then take a look at these firearms. These are the guns we seized from those foreign devils. Many of them are damaged, and it took my son and me a great deal of effort to repair them!" Zhao Yi said, introducing these firearms with a proud expression, clearly satisfied with his craftsmanship.