The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-11-14

l pEosonteO-DmeAl Arms VfAc0 - ASeo
and short hange-rhs Ameriosa Car
bias and Rins viotortoas. SO.
select party Of military oncers and other gen semen
Interested in the great modern improvements IN nre.
arms met by appointment Saturday last, On
broad and extensive fields hundred rods or there
bouts from the old stone church oh Fiatbush avenue
Long Island The object Of the meeting was the trial OF
relative merits Of the best email arms in use al the
tme by sutjectng them 70 all the tests known
TO military science and mechanical skill There were sew
sra distinguished officers Of the British army present
among Lord Mahon Instructor Of Auskety to the
British Volunteers, and Colone Rowan. The American
army was well represented, and the civilians who
were scattered all over the ground were oil
more or less .spostsd" what IL technically termed
.gcoA rife shooting" The arrane for the fair
trial OF all guns offering perfect to the last degree
Although this not official meeting, the trial pcs
sessed all the interest and importance Of an exhibition
undor tho eyes Of The government for will DO difficult
hereafter to assemble many trained European and
American officers on a similar occasion
The targets at long range placed on eminence
about threequarters OF mile distant from tho spot
where the rinemen collected, and in plain view TO
the naked eye though many Of the officers were pro-
vded with telescopes watch tho effects OF tho shots
Colonel Berdan the ground with his rifle and
oarbne the former with the improved bayonet attach
ment, forming tho neatest and at the same time the
most effective weapon now existing. Each gentleman
who to take part In the shooting brought his own
rls or other arm, with tho corresponding am.
munition, that the trial should BIO fair a. 1t
possible make 1t. solid erected and 0rst
class reman, unknown believe, to any one present
elias flied as an expert" chosen fre the pieces at
long rance the regulation targets stationed at the dis
already mentionod The very best guns Ia the
world and TOR several hours the expert
banging away at the targets at various degrees
OF elevation, firing from the Whsworth rie the Wesley
Richards gun and Berdans Improvement OF the spring
field. 1t Is necessary TO partcuarize the various
efforts made AZ long range Suffice II to say that she
only rine that came up 70 the mark was Berdan's.
The other two, although making most excellent
practice, entirely without elect Berdnns rifle
hit the bulls eye seven times out OF twenty shots,
although tho expert had never seen nor handed the
gun before and at distance OF three-quarters OF
milo target thoroughly perforated ana the pro.
jectilas odged deepn the ground the other side
that 1t would be easy matter TO dig them This
settled the question OF the precision OF the dii
ierent III favor oi Berdsn's rifle.
The next tniLk order the trial OF the carbines
and rifles at short range. by shooting through i1eh
boards arranged IN the regulation bulkhead target,
This target made by placing inch boards inch
10 any extent that may be necessary On this Occasion
placed gether ong,tudnay the ground SO that in
hr rifle bal! should penetrate TO the full power OF
the arm from v hich it discharged.
The rst guo brought to the test was tho Whtworih
rio. ih's, may mention, is admitted to be about
the best arm OF the kind known up to the present
is 10 other gun that can for a moment
pretend compete with tho Swiss rifle and with
inch board target wing arranged 10 the full salts
tbs gentlemen, the firing began with the follow
ing result
Boards.
First firing, by Mr.. Ftch-Whitworth rifle, with
prepared grooved Cartridge. .................. 23I
soco.d-Wiih the bail making the groove after the
po 6der - ourneu wa
aud fired from q sort Of portable cannon called
Ciarkes patent muzzle loading rifle. His first
shot went through the holes made by the Whit
wor.h gun, aud be therefore directed to Gre
agau. His second shot went through the wood
ard gave as the result. ...............;....;. 1Sh
That l. TO say that the ball went clean through
seventeen boards and lodged in the eighteenth.
The Swiss federal rifle was then fred and pene-
trated 10
starr's breach loader a very fine arm, with thirty
grains Of powder.... ...................... 16
Snafps flHe 10
The Eoaeld rifle. lsH
stevens breach loading carbine, with 80 grains Of
The springfield, with IS grains i7s
The Springfield, with 80 grains. ..,..-...... l5ls
some other guns then Il ed, but with very small
results came to Colonel Berdan to try mis- ride
all the rests but he choose to his small
This cavalry gun and for effect Is unsurpas sed.
he first discharge OF this weapon penetrated less
hn boards, and lodge in the cnty seventh
rifles the ground. Every body expressed
At the power Of such sms, arm for thought
only very superior rifle could best the
Whitworth The small csrbine OF Berdau was however
far ahead, AS tho figures show.
Coore Berdsn next tried his rife at ten PAGES. In
first struck the ground, aud ricoc het
ting. entered the target ripping the wood into pieces
|
tile tore up the wood work terribly scattering the irag
bout and displaced the target still spccta
tors were not and requested the to take
another shot On the third occasion q all circle in
pencil made the right lower OF the tarsat
to this the Colonel directed his aim. The shot to
passing through no less tnan thirty boa IDS,
and lodging 10 the thirty second No gun ever
could DO the same thing The Whtworth did we'll, and
until Berrans rifle brous ut ahead OF all
rest The tests, however, proved beyond doubt the
sueri power and efficiency Of the American arms.
The rain which had been threatening all tho morning,
temen having pet guns Of whose safety they
apparently more eaoue tnan OF their own began
TO pack then away u their oskin coverings Colonel
Berdan carried his rife without covering any kind,
yet the rain had no manner OF effect upon it. When
shortly after brought TO the test In voley hiring two
hundred yards, was just rs ready for work IS II had
not been tired at all during the day, At two hundred
yards o! Mr. Berdans sharpshooters the ride
aud perforated the target every tme the balls poughng
up the ground behind, and throwing up the stones in
quite a lively fashion. The Whitworth and Wesley
Richards gun also did we'll at this voley firing;
but there is one advantage In the Berdan gun gun
the rfeman using the latter weapon load and IRE
just either OF the other two he throws
bna,on Of mechsnics skin and ingenuity tho Berdan
gun " constructed that ncan discharge ball.
asor A. close range the single proecte is preferred
for its enormous and fatal power but in battalion or
three round balls fired at the same discharge aud spread
rs the soldier may desire far preferable. In the
Of the spencer rife. which was also tried
shots be fred In succession but after these
hausted, the greatest dcuty experienced in reload
inc the piece To US II In truth appears that u
would be next to impossible to mako effective
resistance against enemy for any length OF time
with this weapon, formidable though II may be In
respects. With Berdan's rifle company regiment
advance fire. load reload clean up their pieces and
preserve their line while advancing. This comes from
the fact that the gun brcech loader simped to the
greatest extent possessing the advantages all the other
guns In any SERVICE and with power and range such
as rife has before been known to attain, be.
sides throwing three balls every discharge feat that
csn be accomplished by no other gun with the
effect
n Il fact which ought 10 be repeated hare that tina
Berdan rifle Ia the only gun that has beaten the Whit.
worth aud proved TO the world that II has competitor
In tho Southern army there thousands OF Whitworth
rifles, supplied by the British manufacturers, and
with those arms rebel shsrphooters have laid out
many OF our patriotic officers and soldiers. The
is, whether arm cannot be found that at
longer range can 10 the same not certain
tion than the Whtworh gun, with which the rebels
To a aYmed Tia nnastinn I'M