Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-06-04
Arrival Mt Boston Of EnsIIsh Rife HIaskets
for the Massnchusetts Volunteers.
iday's Boston Journal says;

Fridays Boston Journal says:
The Ordnance Department of Massachusetts,
was yesterday enriched by the arrival of
portion of the one thousand En6eld rife
muskets which were purchased in England
for this Commonwealth, by its agent abroad,
and which came in the steamer EtHa to New
York. Thirty. five eases, each containing
twenty muskets, making an aggregate of
seven hundred and fifty stand of arms, have
been received by the Master Of Ordnance, and
the balance are hourly expected.
This effective arm differs in many respects
from most approved rifle muskets of the
United States pattern, and is regarded by
some as superior to our own weapon. 1t is
called the Enfield rife, from being mauufac-
tured at place by that name, as We denomi-
nate muskets made at Springfield or Harper's
Ferry by the name of those places. English
rife mHskets are of the same pattern. are
made at Windsor The weight Of the En-
field muskst and the length Of the barrel is
the same as the United States arm Of the
pattern of 1869.
Beyond this is a marked difference. En-
glish soldiers being as skilled in clubbing as
IN firing, the butt end of the musket ia some-
what wider than that Of ours, adding in-
creased weight to the breech, and in resist
ing charge securing increased firmness for
the piece. The musket has swivel or chain
lock, without the Maynard primer. A very
useful appliance is attached by chain to
the lower sling-strap swival, consisting of
leaf OF cap which fits the tube, and which
being placed thereon, resists the force of the
hammer as it falls in drilling the recruits in
firing, thus protecting the rifle from injury.
It has graduating instead of q loaf sight.
| The bands are narrow and oval, where ours
are wide and fat. On the Enfield rifle the
bands have no spring, as is the case with the
United States arm. They are compensating,
in the form of a clasp, with set screw to
allow for the action Of weather upon the
breech. The upper swivel of the sling strap
may be attached TO either the upper or mid
| die band, whereas on our musket it iG per-
manently fixed to the middle band.
2 The bsyonet is secured by clasp similar
t0.our own, but in its shape it differs nate
rally. 1t is stouter in the shank, and in
stead Of being isosceles in shape, like the
| United States bayonst, its sides form q tri-
angle, with three cutting edges. The grooves
of the Enfield bayonet are deeper than in
bas grooved head adapted to swabbing the
barrel. r4s5 s4 i- s.e
The size of the bore is the same as that OF
the United States rifle musket, consequently
/ the MIME ball can be used although the
| English use the Pritchet ball with this rifle,
which is an inferior missile, being longer
and subject TO greater friction less conical,
and thereby opposed to greater resistance in
| its passage. Its surface is smooth, wher
the MIME ball is grooyed and fabricated
with grease. The barrels of new rifles are
Drowned and finished in superior manner
They have not yet been assigned TO any body
of troops, but in the hands Of the boys Of the
First Regiment Massachusetts, Volunteer
4 they would do good service in the cause o
that Union which was established under thl
showers of leaden hail from their antiquatet
predecessors, the old Kings arm of England