Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-21

times left bright. In my judgment il should al
ways be Drowned. The martinez idea of having
bright barrels and mountings, to keep the soldier
busy in leisure hours has little application in our
country, at the present day.
Besides the Enfield rife musket, or long En-
field as il is usually called. with angular bayonet
there is the Enfield rife proper, or short Enfield,
with sword bayonet. The weapon resembles the
o.her in appearance and finish and has the same
calibre but its barrel is thirty three inches only
1t weighs, without the bayonet, about ten pounds.
Ii costs, on account of the popularity OF its bayo-
net, from three to four dollars more than the long
Enfield.
Yet do not consider IL, for ordinary purposes,
as servceable weapon as the long rife musket
It's weight (more than three-quarters of pound
greater than that of the latter) is an objection
The gun, with bayonet attached, is badly balaiic-
ed, so topheavy to greatly to deraage the aim.
And though, doubtless, in the hands of our ex-
pert Zouaves, the sword bayonet is a very formd
able weapon, il requires much time and drilling
to give the requisite expertness in using it. Our
own ordnance Department prefers the long gun
with angular 5ayonet.
There are three qualities of the Enfield gun
now in the market, known as No. |, No. 2, and
No. 3. No. 1, the first quality. is the only one
that ought to be purchased. These are not, of
course, manufactured by the English Govern
ment, but at private armOries, chiefly in Birming
ham. No Enfield gun should be bought unless
its barrel bear the Government proof mark.
which it is felony, by the English law, to coun
terfeit.
BELGIAN GUNS.
Rifles of the Enfield pattern are manufactured
Mt Liege in Belgium. They of various quail
ties, depending on the makers, who, in that great
workshop of arms, are numerous. | have seen
pattern of one, from the armory of Perot freres.
which | consider little, if any, inferior 10 the
English made Enfield 1t was the short Enfield
IL cl.o
er than the English pattern) but the bayonet of
pattern similar to that used on the carbnes of
NapoeOn's Cent Gardcs; light, long, and slender,
of lance rather than sabre shape Its length
is such, that. with the short, thirty inch
barrel the rifle and bayonet measure six feet two
inches, the same Springfield rife musket.
This rife with its bayonet weighed ten pounds
and quarter. | prefer the pattern of this
weapon to that of the English made Eenfield.
With the bayonet fixed it is better balanced
arm.
These Belgian made guns are usually from two
to three dollars cheaper than English made guns
of similar pattern; and, if selected with care,
would prove, think nearly. if not quite, as SER
viceable. They should not be purchased unless
they bear the Belgian Government proof mark
This granted, after trial. for which the maker
pays one franc per gun.
SWISS RIFLES.
have not found, among the Prussian or other
Continental guns, in the New York market, any
which was tempted to buy. | did not, howev-
er, meet with any Swiss rifles, which do not APP
pear to reach market. The Swiss rifle is
generally admitted to be, both for accuracy and
range superior to any osher European arm, and
probably to our Springfield rifle musket. OF
these there are two varieties: the Federal rife
and the Chasseur rife musket; the former shade
more accurate than the latter. Its weight, with
bayonet, is ten pounds eleven ounces, that is,
thirteen ounces heavier than the long Enfield;
while its length, with bayonet is three inches
shorter than the Springfield arm. The Chasseur
rifle nusket is scarcely inferior in range and accu-
racy to the Federal rife, and is of the same
weight (9.9 pounds) and length az inches) as
our own rifle musket. 1t is probably the best in
fantry arm in the world. The Springfield and
Enfield arms, however, closely approach it in ex-
cellence. / am not able to speak of the finish
of its workmanship, not having seen a sample of
it.
OTHER CONTINENTAL ARMS.
As to the other Continental guns SO far as
found samples of them in market, they seem
ed strong, and, / dare say, would bear severe
usage; but they are heavy, clumsy, of rough
finish and such ] was unwilling to place in the
hands of our volunteers.
MISSISSIPPI RIFLE.
Our own mississippi Rifle" is an excellent
gun, similar to the short Enfield, with thirty
three inch barrel. 1t is however heavy; weigh
ing, without a bayonet, as much as our rifle mus
ket with bayonet; namely, nine pounds fourteen
ounces 1t has no bayonet, being intended for
sharp shooters. 1t may be adapted TO ordinary
service by adding sabre or lance bayonet, at an
expense of about five dollars. Great care, how
ever, must be taken in brazng the side-button by
which such bavonet is attached to the rifle. In
unskllful hands the barrel may be seriously injur-
ed. This rife is of thesame calibre as our rifle
musket.
RFLING SMOOTH BoREs.
The cabre of The old smooth bores, as manu-
featured at Harper's Ferry and Springfield pre-
vious to 1855, was 069. These, by .riding and
by employing the elongated bullet, may be made
what is called the Mimic rifles But do not re
commend this The calbre of 0.69 is too great
for the MIME principle While the MIME ball for
our new calibre of 05S weighs little more than an
ounce 900 grans,) that adapted to the old bore
of 0.69 weighs upward of AN ounce and half,
$50 grains.) Thus, as soldiers carry into the
field of battle sixty cartridges, the weight of lead
in the cartridge box would be about five pounds
and three quarters instead of three pounds and
nine -tenths. A corresponding increase in powder
is required to propel so heavy bullet. The
total increase in weight for sixty cartridges is
very nearly two pounds; serious item. The re-
coil too, with so weghty projectile, is increased
to an extent that may seriously injure the Shout
of the soldier. By accurate experiments it has
beel ascertained, that the recoil from the old
smootl bore, rifed and loaded with the MIME
bullet, compared with that from modern
rifle musket of 05S cabre, is very nearly as
seuen to nine and one-thrd; about one-third
greater.
1t seems to me better, therefore, to use the
smooth bore, unalrered, and with the round bull
let. Within its appropriate range, say hundred
or two hundred Yards it is nearly as effective in
general contest, as the rifle
PRICES.
| IL, of h.. al L..
lock bayonet, in ordinary peace times, is about
ED l5s sterling that is about Sl3 So delivered in
London or Liverpool. The exnNpses of freight,
insurance. &c, is about so cents so that the
guns might be delivered in New York at about
Sl4 90.
The short Enfield, with sabre bayonet, usually
costs about 50 more.
The tariff duty is thirty per cent on the origi-
nal cost, with two and half per cent added TO
that cost-about four dollars on the long Enfield.
No duty is at present charged on guns brought
by any loyal State of the Union. And the duty
on all guns brought by any such State since the
lst of May last, is RENTED, and paid back the
proper vouchers.
At the height of the present war excitement
long Enfields have been sold as high as $25 90,
without duty. The present prices for first class
quality may be quoted at about Sl9 to $40 00 for
the long Eufield and $50 or S23 90 for the short
Enfield, delivered in bond in New York.
Enfield rifles of good quality and of Belgian
manufacture might probably be had, in the same
way, at about SIC to SIG so for the long and
SIS 80 for the short.
The price of the Prissian and Austrian rifles
which found in the New York market-heasy
and roughly finished weapons-is somewhat low
er still. ROBERT DALE OWN.
New York, August 5, 1861.
rY- The Cincinnati Commercial, ian its issue OF