The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-18
THE USE or THE RIFLE nv THE ENGLISH
Sf2t iastai,t b ARMY F.,naa. n u. = as5s
Prom the London sau.l

'Sta [h4al From the London sauI ~ ei1
In several of the lectures lately delivered at the United
Service Institution important questions raised
spcctng the construction OF red barrels and bullets
and the council OF the institution considering that nd
vantage might to the services from discussion In
which all those gentlemen who have been engaged in
experiments with firearms might be invited to take part
requested Colonel Lane Fox to the discussion
by giving account Of the history of the rife and its
introduction into the English army This Colonel Fox
consented to do and Monday evening read to the nst
tuition highly interesting and Instructive paper upon
the subject consisting chiefly Of extracts from private
journal kept by the gallant colonel during the period
which he has been engaged at Woolwch Enfield Hythe
and Malta from 1851 to 1857 II is not orr present
purpose to enter into the various practical questions
ably discussed by him. embracing many which have been
deliberately treated In the scientific fate years
we shall content ourselves with few It s otser
lions which throw much light upon the several modern
systems Of riAel small arms.
Mr. Whitworth's system may be said to consist in
alteration in the number and shape OF the grooves In
stead Of three shallow grooves with rounded edges he
employs six shallow angular grooves, 80 shaped as to
form the bore into hexagon Mr. Iancaster's system
may be said to be extension Of the principle of broad
shallow grooves and may be described az having two
opposite grooves broadened and extended TO run
into another and form the bore into the shape of
ellipsis Mr. Lancaster rife has the very great avan
tage All others of having angles to accumulate
dirt and fouling and II s therefore much more easily
kept clean The great superiority Of his rifrs In this
respect has been brought to my notice by having under
my superintendent for instruction, at Malta two com
psnes of the royal engineers which were armed with It,
The conviction Of the gallant colonel Is that throughout
the entire service and especially at places where soldiers
encanpcd the sea, the angles Of the groovof
Enfield rifles are IN state Of rust, which will show
itself before long by great dminution of accuracy
In the garrison Of Malta which consisted entirely of
regiments from the Crmea, the accuracy of the aim
found to be in inverse proportion 70 the time they had
been in USE and in those regiments which had had their
rifles longest large proportion found to be entire
iy past repair, and were exchanged for new ones Al
though it true that the and tear which they re-
ceved in the Ctimea is not fair criterion Of that which
they would experience under ordinary circumstances
sti evicnthat the subject Is worth serious atten
ton the ordinary examination Of tho head Of the ram
rod on parade Is Insufficient to detoct rust IN those parts
Of the grooves which may esapc the sweep Of the clean
ngrng Tho reports nom the School OF Musketry were
explicit In stating that but for the defect Of stripping the