The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-30 00:00:00

Military Rifle Competition,

On ye aterday, the fifth day of the competition at
Winl )led'on for the prize of £lOO offered by Gene-
ral:he irquis of Tweeddale, with a view of elicit-
ing the host military rifle, both breech and muzzle
loading, the proceedings were brought to a close.
The deck don in this case involved a series of expe-
riments c f the highest interest and importance, and
in worki ug these out under favourable circum-
stances, in . the short interval elapsing since Monday
last, a goc cl practical insight has been gained into
the value 3f most of the inventions and adaptations

from time to time submitted to the public by in-
ventors ar gunmakers, loud in praise of their own
productio as. In many respects the results of the
competiti on took the Council of the National Rifle
Associat'am, and must have taken the public, by
surprisr.J. No one, for instance, could have been
prepared for the marvellous accuracy and rapidity
of fire obtained from the Whitworth muzzle-load•
ing rifle ; still less for the limited amount of success
attendant on the shooting of the breech-loaders.
The truth is that so severe a test as 440 rounds, of
which 110 were fired continuously every day, had
scarcely ever, if ever, been applied before ; and,
when resorted to, it naturally found out all the
weak places existing in the weapons, however highly
prepared these might have been for the contest.
The proceedings of the last two days were full of
interest. Oa Thursday what at one time seemed
the impossible feat of surpassing the performance
of the Whitworth rifle was accomplished by the
weapon in the hands of Mr Rigby, of Dublin. The
time of shooting
was still in favour of the Whit-
worth, but Mr Rigby made a score considerably
larger. The former fired its rounds in 28 minutes
48 seconds, obtaining 31 ball's eyes, 42 centres,
19 enters, 0 ricochets, and 8 misses—total
marks, 288. Mr Rigby occupied 37 minutes
and 19 seconds in his shots, but made 36 bull's
eyes, 44 centres, 15 outers, 0 ricochets, and but 5
misses—total marks, 306, or 18 beyond the number
2 ecorded for Mr Whitworth.
Yesterday Mr Rigby completed his fourth period
of firing, and in his 100 shots, which occupied 41
minutes 9 seconds, made 22 bull's eyes, 50 centres,

21 °titers, 0 ricochets, and 7 misses, his total marks
being 280. The subsequent ten shots for accuracy
yicl ded a score of 26. It will be remembered that
the other competitors, Mr Turner and Mr Boucher,
relived from the contest after one or two trials, con-

vinced that it would be hopeless to prolong their

efforts against the Whitworth in the hands of such
a skilful performer As Leace. Mr Rigby, however,
persevered against what at first seemed hopeless
odds, and made such unlooked-for progress as to
show that little real difference existed in the wea-

pons between which the straggle ultimately lay,
and that with slight additional preparation and

tsaining he might have won as much eclat as his
eta stinguished rival. In describing the efforts made
by Mr Rigby against Mr Whitworth's representa•
tine it is only fair to add the substance of his own
statement. According to this, he and Mr Boucher
w :re the only persons who originally sent in their
names as intending to compete. Unless a third name
had been added to the list, the prize under these
conditions must have been withdrawn, and no com-
petition would have taken place. A long interval
elapsed before the secretary to the National Rifle
:Association was in a position to announce that the
en napetition would go on, and to mention the time
at which it would take place. The period origi-
gin elly named as the limit for making entries passed
meanwhile, and Mr Rigby, believing that the
matter had fallen to the ground, abandoned his pre-
parations, and it was only on receipt of a telegram
that the arm with which he has since made such
excellent practice was rifled and completed for
the contest. To the very end of the proceeding.
the Whitworth rifle loaded with the same remark-
able facility as in the opening stages of the contest;
and the members of the Council present, when its
440 rounds were completed, among whom were
Lords Elcho and Ducie, tried some experiments
with a view of ascertaining whether the bullet was
at all likely to be displaced. They also shot with
the rifle at the 800 yards' range, but in every re.
spent its performances proved most satisfactory. At 1
the breech-loading range the Lumber of competitors,
though stilt numerous, was further diminished on
Thursday by the withdrawal of the Mont-Storm
converted Enfield. This result was in some respects
inevitable, because the gentlemen interested in the
success of the patent, in their desire to comply with
a suggestion attached to the conditions, adhered
too closely to the notion of exhibiting a converted
service weapon, and shot with the full length of
barrel, the ordinary service bullets, &c. Other
competitors, on the contrary, discarded military
notions altogether, shortened their barrel by several
inches where they thought this likely to improve
its shootitig powers, used cartridges specially pre-
pared, and the new Mitford bullet, which is light.
ened at the point. " Mont Storm" was also unsuc-
cessful in its handling; but to put in the scale
against these disadvantages one result was achieved
to which great importance is attached by its pro-
motors, This consisted in the proof afforded that
miss fires and explosions are not likely to occur
with the gun, however rapidly it may be die.
charged. An allegation unfavourable to the gun
in this respect had been put forward, and the
patentees showed themselves even more anxious
to refute this than to win the prize. Before relin-
quishing his position on the roll of comretitors,
Mr. Brandlin, the manager of the Mont Storm
works, claimed the right of firing his 100 rounds,
not at the target, but into a pit, with a view
to illustrate both its rapidity and perfect secu-
rity or action. The 100 rounds were completed
in 13 minutes 30 seconds, and might have been fired
in less, but for the regulation compelling him to put
the gun to his shoulder at each discharge. There
was no hitch of any kind in connection with this
proceeding; and in illustration of the importance
attached to the principle of the invention, irrespec-
tive of any particular weapon or cartridge to which
it may hitherto have been applied, probably the
largest private manufactory of arms in England,
about to comm.:lee operations in Birmingham, is to
make a prominent feature of the Mont-Storm breech
in its productions. The Snider rifle—an invention
also claiming to afford facilities for converting
muzzle-loaders without weakening the arm—fired
its 100 rounds on Thursday in 12 mine. 48 secs.,
making 7 bull's-eyes, 20 centres, 26 miters, 0 rico-
chets, 47 misses,—total marks, 144. Its 10 accuracy
rounds produced 21 points. Yesterday its allotted
number of rounds were fired in 14 mins. 28 sees.,
and the following score made :-13 bull's-eyes, 28
centres, 17 enters, and 42 misses ; total marks, 170.
26 marks were recorded for its 10 accuracy shots.
The Snider rifle, in common with that advocated by
Mr. Hew y, uses a central fire cartridge. containing
its own ignition ; and it is contended on its behalf
that the copper base of the cartridge, while pro-
tecting the fulminate from liability to accidental
explosion, closes the breech-chamber more effectually
then the greased wads in use in many breech-loading
systems. On Thursday the Henry rifle discharged
its 100 rounds in 16 rains. 4 secs., making 14 bull's-
eyes, 39 centres, 29 miters, and 18 misses ; total
marks, 231. There was one missfire ; and its 10
accuracy shots yielded 30 points. Yesterday its 100
rounds were fired in 16 minutes 40 seconds, and
the score was 19 bull's-eyes, 35 cen tees, 19
outere, 27 misses, 1 ricochet; total marks, 219.
As on the previous day there was one miesfire,
and its accuracy shots gave an average of
enters. The performances of Green's breechloader
were very dissimilar on the two consecutive days.
On Thursday the 100 rounds took 27 minutes and 13
seconds to fire, in which time 3 bull's-eyes, 13
cectoes, 22 eaters, and 62 misses were recorded,
giving a total score of 95. There were eight miss-
fires in the 100 rounds; one of the cartridges also
broke, and had to be drawn with a rod and knife—
a very delicee and tedious operation. Yesterday its
100 rounds were all shot off in 20 minutes 16 seconds,
and the score included 13 bull's-eyes, 30 centres, 21
(niters, 1 ricochet, and 36 misses, making the total
number 184. On this occesion there were no miss-
fires. The cooper rifle yesterday shot through its
rounds in 16 min. 32 sec., scoring three bull's-eyes,
21 centre?, 21 enters, S ricochets, and 56 misses,
;.t total 115 marks. The 10 accuracy shots
L
hailed to strike h
e target in i72st,lnce. This