The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-11-11
Friday Morning, Nov. Il, 1864
Col. Berdan's New Rife.

Col. Berdan, the well-known commander OF
the United States Sharpshooters, has been for
several months engaged in experimenting up
on rifles and their ammunition, with the view
OF constructing weapon which should COM
bine the requisites OF cheapness, lightness and
accuracy in greater degree than any now in
use. For several years before entering the
service Col. Berdan had enjoyed the Ieputa-
ton OF being one OF the most expert shots
with the rife in America, ard his three years.
service in the front have taught him the OBJ
jections to the various forms OF rifle In use in
the army. When we add that he is an excel
lent mechanic, 1t will be seen that the business
could not be in more competent hands.
The common Springfield or Enfield rifed
musket, though effective at short ranges, has
not the force or accuracy to fit it for the use
OF sharpshooters at long range. The best III
ne hitherto Known for accurate long range fir
ing, is the James telescope target rife but
this again, besides being very expensive,is too
bulky and weighty to be used as an arm for
marching regiments, and the few in use by
our sharpshooters are always from necessity
carried in the baggage-wagons on march
Roth the Springfield and the target-rifie are
muzzle- loadingi and the process of loading
them while in action compels the soldier to
stop from time to time when advancing, thus
tending to break the formation OF the line, ana
TO delay Jne march often at the most critical
moment. To overcome these objections
breech-loaders have been invented, and have
been employed to some extent, butt has been
o found impossible to give them high degree
OF accuracy on account OF the tendency OF the
ball to "upset" and to become slugged in its
passage from the chamber to the barrel prop
or. tFak hsF A
The problem which Col. Berdan undertook
t0solVe was no less than that of the construc-
ton ofa rife which should be breech=loading,
light enough for ordinary infantry, econpmi-
cal, and at the same time possess greater ac-
curacy and effectiveness at long range than
q any weapon known. AEkh az aoh
These results he claims to have effected, and
the rifle in which he has sought to combine
these desiderata was publicly tested by him at
pdca on the goth instant, in the presence of a
large humber of experts. Utica was appro-
priately chosen as thescene of this exhibition,
as 1t is the headquarters of rife-making in
the Union, the celebrated establishments of
Mr.. Ferris and Mr.. James being situated there.
: Mr.. James, himself an unsurpassed shot, was
present with one of his best heavy target ri
fies with telescope sight. Col. Berdan's rife
was externally an ordinary United States
Springfield rife with simple breech-loading
attachment. The target was placed at the ex-
trene distance of twelve hundred measured
yards, aAd after firing two OF three prelimina
ryshots to get the range, Col. Berdan, sight,
ing with the eye alone, without telescope aid,
struck the bulls eye FIVE times outof six shots,
and then gave place ID Mr.. James. who fired
at the target several hours without being able
70 reach This shots invariably striking the
ground two or three hundred yards short
At the end OF this time he gave up the contest,
admitting that his rifle could not compete with
Col Berdan's at such long range. Whenitis
remembered that breech-loaders have hither-
10 been wholly Ineffective at long range, 1t
will be seen how great revolution in fire.
arms this fact foreshadoWs.
md The penetrating power of the gyms was
then tested against target consisting of thir-
ty one inch boards, fixed in frame one be-
hind the other, with inch spaces between them
Mr.. James's rife penetrated eleven Of these,
Col Rerdan's twenty-nine and stnck fast in
the thirtieth; the Springfield musket penetrat-
ed eleven, Sharp's rifle fourteen, the Spencer
repeater thirteen. 9Ni saaa Us EsF 1p
Col. Berdan's invention comprises: First
a anew, ingenious and simple breech-loading
apparatus; second, a new form of rifing the
barrel and cartridge-chamber third an entire
~ new form of ammunition or cartridge, which
enables it to pass through the barrel without
any change OF form or loss OF power by fric-
ton, and which enables the soldier TO use al
discretion single ball for long range or three
or more round balls for close yolley firing
with equal etfect.-N. +. Eve. Post. p