Chapter 60: That Weapon?! In this era?

Morgan and Sherman sat across from each other, sipping the hot tea that Amelia had prepared for them. The fragrant aroma of the steaming beverage filled the room, and they both savored the comforting warmth of the cups in their hands. Without Amelia's timely intervention, the tea would have gone to waste as they had been on the verge of leaving before she managed to prepare it.

As the meeting between Axelsen & Nielsen Air Brake Company and the two gentlemen drew to a close, Jonathan's acceptance of a lucrative seven-million-dollar contract to design and build a new weapon brought it to an abrupt end. Morgan and Sherman quickly made their exit, leaving Poul and Jonathan to exchange wary glances.

Poul appeared to be trying to process Jonathan's sudden move, and he voiced his concerns. "I think we should look into this thoroughly, Jonathan. Why did you accept their offer when we're not an arms manufacturing company in the first place?"

Jonathan's response was quick and firm. "Because it's a seven-million-dollar offer, Poul. It's hard to turn down when an opportunity comes knocking at the door."

Poul's unease was palpable as he said, "I thought we had a plan. That we would take things slowly and hop from one industry to another."

Jonathan's rebuttal was equally swift. "Yes, but would you be okay if that offer goes to someone else? If we're going to jump into the world of arms manufacturing, then why not jump now when there is a huge sum of money being offered?"

Poul hesitated before saying, "I think the problem would be that no one will be able to handle it. As you can see, we are fully booked. I have to work on the motors and fulfill orders from every major railroad company."

But Jonathan was undeterred. "Well, that's your problem, Poul, because I'm pretty much free myself. I don't have anything to work on other than building this company an eight-story building. You may not know this, but I'm a weapon enthusiast. I can do this...we can do this!"

The tension between the two men was palpable as they locked horns in a heated discussion until Amelia spoke up. She was their executive secretary, and her voice broke the tension that had been building up. "Uhm, Sir Nielsen, Sir Axelsen."

The two industrialists turned their heads towards her, and she offered a tentative suggestion. "May I give some advice?"

"What is it?" Poul and Jonathan intoned.

Amelia cleared her throat, her eyes bouncing between the two industrialists as she spoke. "What I suggest, sirs is that you take a closer look at the opportunity presented to you. Sir Axelsen mentioned his passion for weaponry, and while he may not have as much experience in the field as Sir Nielsen, his enthusiasm may prove to be a valuable asset. Furthermore, as you already have hired staff, this wouldn't negatively impact the company's current workload. In fact, it could bring in a substantial amount of revenue. So why not let Sir Axelsen take on the task of working with Mister Morgan and Sherman?"

Jonathan's eyes lit up at the suggestion, and he turned to face Poul, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Amelia, that's brilliant!" he exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that? You're right, we have a golden opportunity here, and we'd be foolish to let it slip through our fingers."

Poul was still hesitant, but he could see the glint of excitement in Jonathan's eyes. With a heavy sigh, he relented. "Alright, alright," he said, "I suppose we can give it a try. But we'll need to work out the details and make sure everything is above board."

"Of course, sir," Amelia said with a small nod. "I'll arrange for a meeting with Mister Morgan and Sherman to discuss the project in more detail. And we can work out the specifics from there."

"But have you already thought of one, Jonathan? What rifles are you going to introduce to Sherman?" Poul's brow furrowed in concern as he turned to Jonathan, waiting for an answer.

"Before that," Jonathan cleared his throat and looked at Amelia. "Uhm, Miss Weiss, would you please give us a moment?"

Amelia hesitated for a moment before nodding her head and making her way out of the room. The door shut behind her, and silence descended over the two men.

Poul raised an eyebrow, glancing between the closed door and Jonathan. "What's going on?"

Jonathan leaned in close to Poul, his voice a hushed whisper. "Well, we can't have her listening to what we are about to discuss," he said, indicating Amelia's presence. Poul understood what Jonathan meant; the topic was too sensitive for uninvolved ears. Jonathan was about to introduce a modern concept of firearms, the M1 Garand, in the late nineteenth-century era, and the conversation had to be held privately.

Poul was skeptical. "Okay, what do you have in mind?" he asked.

"A weapon that will dominate the field and bring us a lot of profit. I'm talking about the M1 Garand."

Poul's eyes widened in disbelief. "M1 Garand?! Are you serious? In this era?"

"That's right," Jonathan replied. "I know what you are going to say. You will say it's impossible to build that gun in this era, right?"

"Well, if you already know that, then why do you still want to do it?"

"Because I think the M1 Garand fits the United States Army of this era very well. And besides, it's not as impossible as you say it is. If we can make ten guns for demonstration, we can ask for more money to create a system that will mass-produce those weapons."

Jonathan was right. Building the M1 Garand in the late-nineteenth century was possible, provided they could develop the necessary manufacturing processes and key technologies. These processes included precision machining, steel production, heat treatment, mass production techniques, and standardized parts.

In precision machining, they would need a high degree of skill from the machinists. The production of the M1 Garand involved a combination of machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, and drilling machines, as well as hand-finishing techniques to achieve the required tolerances and surface finishes. These parts need to fit together with extremely tight tolerances to ensure that the rifle fires reliably and accurately.

The M1 Garand rifle was made primarily from high-quality carbon steel, a specific type known as "chrome-molybdenum" or "chrome-moly" steel. This type of steel is a common alloy that contains chromium and molybdenum as the primary alloying elements. The production of high-quality steel requires a complex set of processes and specialized knowledge, including the addition of ferrochromium and ferromolybdenum alloys to the molten steel, which is then stirred in to ensure even distribution.

After the steel has been refined and alloyed, it is cast into large ingots or billets, which are then rolled or forged into the desired shapes and sizes. This process involves heating the steel to high temperatures and then shaping it using large hydraulic presses or rolling mills.

Once the steel has been shaped, it undergoes a series of heat treatments to achieve the desired properties, such as annealing, quenching, and tempering, which are used to control the hardness, strength, and toughness of the steel.

The M1 Garand required a combination of advanced manufacturing technologies, specialized knowledge, and precision machining that would not have been available in the late nineteenth century. If the industrialist duo could solve all these problems using their modern knowledge, then it would be possible to create one. This would revolutionize warfare, providing a significant advantage in combat situations where an accurate, rapid fire was the difference between success and failure.

The Garand was designed to be highly accurate and effective at long range, with an effective range of up to 500 yards. This would have provided a significant advantage over many firearms of the time, which were often only accurate at much shorter ranges. It is also highly reliable and durable, with a robust gas-operated system that was resistant and would make the Garand an ideal weapon for soldiers operating in harsh and challenging conditions.

Poul was deep in thought, considering the feasibility and implications of this plan. "It's a risky undertaking," he finally said, "but if we can pull it off, it would bring us unimaginable wealth and power in the arms industry."

Jonathan nodded, his expression serious. "We have the knowledge and resources to make this happen. We just need to be careful and keep this project a secret until it's ready to be unveiled."

Poul agreed, and the two men began to discuss the details of the plan, mapping out the steps they would need to take to make the M1 Garand a reality. They talked late into the afternoon, fueled by the excitement of their bold new venture.

As Poul was about to leave the office to prepare for his trip to New York, Jonathan leaned in once again, his voice low and urgent. "Remember, Poul, we can't let anyone else find out about this. The M1 Garand must be our secret weapon, and ours alone."

Poul nodded, his mind already racing with the possibilities. He couldn't wait to see what the future held for him and Jonathan, and for their revolutionary new weapon.