Black Corporation: Joseon Chapter 840

Episode 840: Pursuit in Europe (7)

The answer given by Hyang to the request sent from our headquarters was returned to our headquarters.

According to the drawings sent by Hyang, the imperial army began practical evaluations with prototypes from Area 51.

In a practical evaluation conducted against magic bandits who were engaged in theft in the border area where the borders of the Mongol and Ming empires overlapped, the ‘Yutan (榴彈)’ and ‘Gray Gun’ made by Hyang received good reviews.

During this period, the cavalry was the main unit engaged in fighting against demonic bandits in the border area.

As the imperial army was ‘crazy about cannons’, artillery pieces were also deployed in the cavalry.

However, in the frequent chases against fast-moving magic enemies, artillery was a very cumbersome item.

In this situation, grenades and grenade guns were the best weapons for the cavalry.

It is easy to carry by hanging it on a horse’s saddle, has similar lethality as a throwing bomb, and has a range that clearly flies farther than a throwing bomb. It is the best weapon for secretly approaching the stronghold of magic enemies and striking them with a single blow.

After receiving the evaluation letter full of favorable reviews, the upper echelons of the Imperial Army decided to hire him immediately and requested Wan’s approval.

As soon as Wan’s approval ran out, grenades and grenade guns went into mass production and began to be deployed to the imperial army.

The reaction of the soldiers of the imperial army, especially the army, who accepted this, was somewhat ambiguous.

“It’s certainly more useful than throwing bombs, but…”

“But that doesn’t mean you don’t carry throwing bombs, right? You carry the throwing bomb as a throwing bomb, and this guy carries it like this…”

“It’s a hassle to carry a long gun when marching, so why don’t you carry one more on top of that? The youngest! From now on, carry the grenade gun with you!”

When one problem was solved and the next problem was faced, Wan and the ministers looked perplexed.

The challenge they faced was the proposal sent by Hyang.

– Proposal for improving standard bullets for the Imperial Army

“You sent it again…”

“Whoa… I wonder how many times it has already been…”

* * *

There was no significant change in the Imperial Army’s bullets after the adoption of the automatic long rifle.

The caliber, length, weight, and amount of gunpowder for propulsion of the warhead were the same regardless of whether they were used in military or military style.

The only change was the bullet casing. Casings for automatic long rifles were made by rolling paper on a copper bottom plate with a detonator embedded in them, and shells for military rifles and freight cars were made entirely of copper.

And the scent continued to send proposals to change this bullet.

-I’m not saying we want to change everything. All parts related to the warhead and propellant gunpowder are the same as now.

-There are only two things I want to change.

-One is to cover the warhead with copper, and the other is to remove the border at the bottom of the shell.

Hyang went on to explain why it was beneficial to make this change.

-Covering the warhead with a copper shell makes it easier to maintain the barrel.

The lead bullets used today deposit lead inside the barrel each time they are fired.

This lead causes malfunctions and problems with accuracy.

Most of these problems can be solved by covering the warhead with a copper shell.

-The same goes for removing the rim on the bottom of the shell.

The reason the bottom plate had a border until now was because of limitations in manufacturing technology.

In the case of the Eulsik long gun, the rim was used to ensure that the cartridge ejects after firing.

However, technology has advanced to the point where it is possible to manufacture military rifles and freight cars.

This means that there is no need to leave a border.

Rather, the border became an uncomfortable situation.

-It is a weapon that can fire multiple rounds of rifles, boxcars, and armored light vehicles. However, the operating structure becomes complicated due to such protruding edges.

-When the operating structure becomes more complex, it means that more parts are required. This means that it becomes more prone to breakdowns and the production cost becomes more expensive.

(omitted below)

“You are right in every detail, but… wow~.”

“Whoa~.”

Wan blurted out his words and sighed. The ministers also sighed.

On behalf of these people, the new Minister of Finance and Economy, Lim Soon-wook, spoke.

“As your Majesty said, the proposal you made is correct in every detail. However, considering the current state of the empire, the problem is that it is difficult to implement this proposal.”

After Im Soon-wook finished speaking, Kim Jong-seo sighed and continued.

“Whoa~. I made too much. No, we are still making it.”

* * *

The empire, which experienced the Liaodong War and the subsequent Second Yellow Sea Battle – to be precise, the landing battle that took place simultaneously with the naval battle – meticulously analyzed the war lessons of the time.

When the war broke out, the empire analyzed the enormous consumption of bullets and shells and produced them in large quantities every year and stored them in warehouses.

It was not known when the Ming or Japan would fight again, and large and small battles were still taking place in the northern border area with Mongolian tribes disguised as magic bandits.

Therefore, the empire produced and stored enough bullets and shells in preparation for an unexpected war.

-If a war breaks out anyway, a large amount will be extracted, but there must be enough to last until then.

The empire’s policy was at a standstill.

At the very least, the bullets used in the Japanese rifles and wagons and the shells used in the artillery pieces were okay.

As military rifles and freight cars became popular, it was possible to quickly clear inventory by selling the guns and freight cars that had been pushed back. No, additional production was even carried out due to the ‘Suez War Special’.

In the case of cannonballs, pirates were helpful.

This was because shells were constantly being consumed in the process of eliminating pirates who boasted persistent vitality, and the artillery itself took a longer time to change generations than long guns or freight cars.

Afterwards, as military rifles and freight cars became standard, the arsenal in Area 51 produced bullets like crazy.

A huge amount of bullets were needed just to use them for training purposes in the units currently being deployed and for the conflicts taking place in the border area.

Considering the Imperial Army’s policy of emphasizing live-fire shooting training, future production would only increase and never decrease.

Therefore, the arsenal was producing new bullets like crazy.

Thanks to this background, the inventory of bullets for military rifles and freight cars was enormous. No, it was still increasing.

This was because they were replenishing the supplies consumed in the conquest of Messica and producing supplies to supply the imperial troops stationed in the Messica region.

* * *

That’s why Wan and the ministers who accepted Hyang’s proposal all looked embarrassed.

“Of course, the points you pointed out are correct in every detail. But considering the amount of bullets currently in inventory, it is impossible.”

“Is it unreasonable to take the bullets currently in stock and recycle them?”

Minister of National Defense Jang Hang-seon shook his head in response to Wan’s question.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but it’s impossible. Warheads are easy to regenerate, but the gunpowder and explosion in the shell are problematic. “If you do something wrong, a terrible accident will occur.”

Even in the 21st century, disposal of old military explosives was not easy. No matter how technologically advanced the empire was due to Hyang’s intervention, the technology of this period was not enough.

Therefore, disposal of old ammunition during this period was simple. It was shot at a shooting range built in a no-man’s land.

Following Jang Hang-seon’s words, Lim Sun-wook stepped forward.

“Modifying rifles and freight cars to match the new bullets is also problematic. Sang-tae sent us a drawing of the parts for this, but the time and cost of producing the parts, the time of selecting modifiable long guns and freight cars, the time of modifying the long guns and freight cars, the time required to re-train the soldiers, and the cost of all of this. Just thinking about it makes me dizzy. Considering the cost of equipment that needs to be replaced to produce bullets and long-gun wagons that meet the new standards, the defect rate and consumption costs that will occur until craftsmen become accustomed to it, it is absolutely impossible.”

“Ugh…”

After hearing Lim Sun-wook’s answer, Wan groaned and frowned. Lim Soon-wook, seeing Wan’s expression, quickly bowed his head.

“It is impossible to solve the problem in the current situation with the power of belief. “God forgive me for my shortcomings.”

“Please forgive the gods for their shortcomings!”

When Lim Soon-wook and all the ministers bowed their heads and asked for forgiveness, Wan waved his hands.

“It’s not that there is a lack of officers, it’s just that the situation is unfavorable, so I won’t mind.”

“Hwang Eun is devastated!”

“Hmm… Then how about selling all the rifles and freight cars we have produced now and producing new ones? Just like the time of the Japanese rifle and the Japanese wagon.”

Jang Hang-seon stepped forward and responded to Wan’s suggestion.

“It is impossible. In the case of automatic rifles and freight cars, we were able to adopt that method because they were inferior to military weapons. But in this case, nothing has changed other than the specifications.”

“Right. It’s truly a pity. Tsk!”

Wan couldn’t hide his disappointment at Jang Hang-seon’s answer and quenched his appetite.

As Jang Hang-seon said, the weapons the empire sold to other countries were always weapons that were one generation behind. Therefore, Wan’s proposal was impossible.

“Whoa~. I can’t help it. “I will come to a conclusion.”

At Wan’s words, all the ministers looked at Wan with nervous eyes.

‘Are you really going to decide that it’s impossible? Or will you use your authority to push it?’

Looking at the nervous ministers, Wan announced his decision.

“I will not accept this offer from you. The reason I committed great disloyalty by choosing not to accept the proposal even though it was reasonable was because the situation in the empire was not easy. “I hope you will understand my painful feelings and try harder.”

“I follow your orders!”

“Let’s take a break!”

Wan, who declared a brief suspension and came out, looked up at the sky and sighed.

“Whoa~. “How can I write a letter so that I get less criticism?”

* * *

“Tsk! “I knew it would be like this, but…”

Hyang clicked her tongue after receiving and reading Wan’s response in the next regular episode.

Hyang also did not think that his proposal would be easily accepted.

Because it was he who decided to mass produce and store it.

Nevertheless, continuing this proposal was for later purposes.

‘As firearms develop, bullets must also continue to develop accordingly. However, the most conservative part is weapons, especially military guns. If I do something stupid like this, future generations will not forget the necessity and we can continue to move ahead.’

As long as there was a record of Emperor Xiang continuing to suggest it, the next generation of military engineers would not neglect the bullet part.

‘Yes, but…’

“Tsk!”

Hyang clicked his tongue and grunted.

“Is it impossible because there is too much inventory? “Is this MacArthur?”

While developing a new rifle for the U.S. military just before World War II, MacArthur was stubborn.

-Fit for .30-06 Springfield bullets!

The reason for MacArthur’s stubbornness was the enormous inventory of Springfield ammunition.