The New York herald., 1864-11-12
Improvement in Small Arms.
THE NEW Nu1pLE MusEKT OF PRUSSIA.

81
For almost the first time England has taken
lesson frqm war in which she has not been en-
gagged. ne success Of the Prussian ne cdlcgun has
Induced our military authorities to direct their at
1ention 70 the question Of srming our troops with
SFssek kJoading rifles; the Secretary for War has
askedfo tenders for the conversion OF the Enfield
E1ee INTO breech-lOader; many models have been
gabmttted for the inspection of the War Office. and
NJ Army 10 anxiously awaiting the announcement
6 shat description Of frcsrm is to be adopted
lDthe service.
There are two prominent questions connected
With this conversion Of the rife; the first, whether
the advantage in rspidty Of FIRE Of breech-loaders
over the old muzzle-loader will repay the expense
OF the change; and secondly, whether II is advsa-
ble 10 adopt breech-loading rifle which, similar to
ths.carbines already issued to some cavalry regi.
ments, will require Gaping. or modified form Of
the needle gun which will require no Gaping. The
former question has been virtually decided BY the
application Of the War Office to the gunmakers,
but on the latter there is great variety Of opin-
ton. Many officers consider that the cartridge re-
quirsd fora ncn.capping rifle, which must ncces.
Carily contain some form Of dctonating powder,
Will be extremely difficult, II not dangerous, to
transport in quantities while the dctonating pow
der is new, and that this powder WILL II the car
tsidges be kept, be acted on by the atmosphere,
become unfit for printing, and the ammunition then
will be useless; others argne that with q Gaping
rie .s our soldiers EN., viii be s. inferior to those
adopted non.capring systems AZ men armed
with the ole Brown Bees would be to those In
possession Of our present rife. The question ap.
pears to turn on the cartridge. III cartridges can
DC made so as TO carry thcig own cap, and also
tapabIe Of transport without danger there can be
uo difference Of opinion on the subject. The ad.
vAntages Of Q system which does not entail cap
ping over one which does are 40 obvious that II IL
almost superfuous TO point out any Of them. We
may cite one example-that Of picket which has
neen out the whole Of cold winters night, and is
attacked at daybrcak (the timS that attacks are
generally made); the mons hands are numbed
witn coid-as they themselves express the sensa-
aon, AL their Mngcrs are turned TO thumbs and
they can't feel the tips none II them''t is al.
most impossible to extract cap from the pouch
Or to fit on the nipple, and even when the opera.
zion ID successfully accomplished there has been q
considerable loss of time during which the shyer.
lng soldier has been made target a.
We wish to bring before the notfce of The an
tAorites the fact that hitherto breeci con
structsd on the non-capping principle have uni.
formly been rejected, on account Of horror of the
Aetonating powder necessary in the apmunitsop
without any experiments being made ofthe possi.
bility Of Transporting the cartridges with safety
We trust that on the present occasion obsolete
and old-fsshioned prejudice will not be allowed
- stand In the way Of faif Trial on their re-
gpsctivs merits being given TO both systems
The Prussians transported the ammunition for
their nsedle-guns Without accident during the
late campaign, and we think that Woolvicl
ought to bt&able TO turn ous cartridges a. trust
worthy. and eerviceablc as those made at Span
Sau. Experiments made by private indivi&usAl