Boni Johnson frowned and immediately spotted the key issue. "But if we open a gap on the side, won't the gunpowder gases leak out through it when it fires? They might even injure the soldiers' hands."
"I thought of that!" Tennyson immediately picked up the thread, gesturing toward the inside of the cartridge-box lid. "We can line the inside of the lid with a layer of oil-soaked burlap. When it's closed, the burlap will seal the gap. Even if a little gas leaks out, the oil will block it, so it definitely won't hurt anyone. Burlap is cheap, too, and we can replace it after use. It won't be any trouble."
Paul's eyes lit up at once. He stepped forward and felt over the rifle blueprint, his fingers repeatedly rubbing the spot Tennyson had indicated. The more he thought about it, the more ingenious the idea seemed.
"Excellent idea! Mr. Tannimoni Perez, you're quick-witted indeed. This method is incredibly practical!" Johnson's modification had reminded him of the French snuffbox rifle.
He turned to Hoffman, unable to conceal the excitement in his voice. "We're currently equipped with a large number of muzzle-loading rifles. If we can modify half of them this way and issue them to the Vanguard Force first, won't that temporarily solve the problem of rapid-fire support? Once you've solved the air-sealing and firing-pin problems with the needle guns, we can gradually switch to the new rifles. That way, we won't delay the campaign on the grasslands, and we'll also be able to make use of all our existing old rifles. The time and materials saved will be considerable!"
Johnson lowered his head and pondered for a while before nodding in approval. "It's certainly feasible. The modification is simple; any blacksmith will learn it after being shown once. Besides,