鸦片战争时期中英铁炮制造技术优劣的比较研究

A Study on Manufacturing Technique of Chinese and British Iron Cannons during the Opium War

鸦片战争时期,处在封建手工生产方式主宰下的清朝火器界主要用泥模铸炮法制造火炮,生产效率低,加工精度不高。复合金属炮的制造方法未得到广泛推行,早于欧洲的铁模铸炮技术限于部分新铸的铁炮使用。资本主义的英国在18世纪的最后15年内,采用了砂型铸炮技术,18世纪50年代以后,铸炮采用卧式钻孔镗床的实心钻膛技术,18世纪最后的10年,钻杆驱动力改为蒸汽机。以上措施使铸炮质量远远超过清朝火炮。技术是影响铁炮制造技术优劣的直接因素,社会因素通过影响技术而制约火炮制造技术的提高。

During the Opium War between China and Britain, the Chinese artillery bodies mostly were casted the model of pouring molten metal into a form with a core to treat a hollow cylinder, the productivity was not high, machining precision was not good. The technology of Gong Zhenlin Iron mould cannon technology was used little. A few of the Qing armies＇ cannons made use of the dual-layer cannons＇ technology, it was not popularization and its effect was limited. While the British army services cannons in 1750s was casted as a solid piece of metal, while the bore to creat a hollow cylinder. Steam power was used in the latter part of the 19th century. In the latter part of the last quarter of the 18th century were mostly cast in iron boxes or flaks filled with sand. The reasons of the weak performance of Chinese artillery in the war are discussed from the perspective of interaction between weapon technology and society.