The New York herald., 1876-11-11

the system never became "A favOrile tho
and II was gradually abandoned after the introduction
OF the percussion lock. The Inventions OF Colt Sharp
and others IN The United States orciby drew the at
tentlon OF European governments TO the breech-
loading principle and Prussia the first nation TO
arm her soldiers with a weapon constructed upon II
that able command victory under very difficult
circumstances The principal features OF the systems
now IN use are the liked chamber, the movable chan-
ber the bolt or horizontal action and the hammer or
perpen icuar action II would occupy too much space
10 give even list OF inventors names who have made
improvements OF more or less value, let Il suffice TO
test OF time and hard service. The Remington
and Springfield rifles adopted by the regular
States; the chassepot. used by tho French; the
Aauser, or improved needle gun, In the
and Snyder guns used by the British. The Swedish |
and Austrian systems arc combinations Of one or
other OF tho above models A gun which has lately
come into prominent notice, because OF the simplicity
OF its mechanism and efficiency in practice, Is an
Americsn invention by Burton. As target and sport.
good records
The question OF rapidity in hring most vital mat
ter under all aspects received much attention from
inventors, aud tho appearance OF several repeating
rifles and magazine guns gives favorable evidence oi
the succcssfuincss OF their labors Indeed America
IS the only country that possesses really efficient
repeating magazine gun, and we are fortunate IN
possessing two:--the Burton magazine gun and tho |
Winchester repeating rifle, each OF these pieces being
capable OF CARRYING reserve OF from twelve TO |
sixteen rounds while tho marksman eau con-
tinue to use them single brcech-loadcrs Lately
another invention bearing the name OF Evans,
has been to pubic notice This magazine
Is capable o thfty-Iour TouuuSs uut IN
practice i, has been able 10 stand The tests TO
which il was submitted in 1873 by the ordnance Board
which had been appointed Tor the purpose OF selecting
brcech- -ioadibg system Of small arms lor the United
States service That Board, which was composed oi
General Terry Colones Hagncr and Ciity Major Reno
l.v ngs did hesitate in expressing
their con vction that future magazine gun must
take the place OF The single brccch loader Tho Board
placed record resolution couched III the following
ianguagc-
That in the opinion Of the Board the adoption Of maya
~ th1t IA le
which snail be effective single brcech oaner us the
same time shall possess safe easily mag
nzne every consideration Of public policy shall require It's
Resolved further. That the experiments before the Board
System springfe Anoy. and using the Metcaie
n nass \ mv asa n ,e q.
citizens alove speca.d han any other magazine gun tried
AMMUNITION.
With the introduction OF reech-loading arms came
the necessity OF vastly modifying tho description OF
cartridges heretofore in At first the percussion
cap and paper cartridge tried, but found nade
qua,c the order Of things. Combustible cart
ridges ihen tried. but practice they would not
answer. the wrapping couid not be consumed and
Always lett reslduum OF sometimes burning matter
the chamber which either impeded the entrance OF
the next charge exposed toe shooter the OF
premature explosion The idea Of completely Destroy
ink the wrapper by combustion was therefore aban.
doned and a non-comDustblc shell, at first Of
was substituted in us place. In France.
Germany England this sort OF cartridge is partly
sun IN use, while the Americans have completely |
abandoned It Tor the metallic cartridges that now
universally used the United States. This sort OF
ammunition herinetcaly sealed, that neither
nor MOST reach the powder In point OF fact /
the metallic shcl can carried about or stored tor
years and kept absolutely dry, that tho
volume and specific gravity remain all tho time un.
changed. II the troops would only take care OF the
ammunition served OUT 10 them the adoption oil tho
metallic cartridge would IN The cnd be great saving
the government; but us the soldiers are too ire
quently careless, and IN action the brecch.loadng
trcd rapidy, II follows that frequent
waste OF ammunition is the result
AND PENETRATION
The different systems oi small arms exhibited here
give degrees oi range and effectiveness. Mill
tary arms for The Inantry are usually sighted up to
yUJ yards while small bore target rifles tangent
scales graduated TO 200 aud 3CO yards. Az tho
latter distance the long range rifle is lar Lorc effective
than the military rifle ut 500 yards. The
tnls The target rifle carries better shaped
proJectc and burns a TAR larger quantity Of powder
than the mntnry gun; hence greater initial velocity,
fainess oi trajectory and longer range, with in
creased accuracy, the very desirable results. IL
may pc asked why the army are not supplied with such
weapons which vciy natural question the reply Is
that appears be no good reason al all why
soldiers whose business IL is 10 be expert Shots should
not aavc placed thcir bands The best arms that
cnanical hk can produce. upt 900 or 500 yards I
weapons at present III tho hands Of the army aud
OF the National Guard reliable enough but bey ond
these distances they not to be depended upon The
present hat-incn cabre rifle is altogether TOO large
tho bore, the proectie faulty in shape and the |
charge too small. Tncre only reason for
retaining the hanch calibrc and that that II II
diameter OF bore would serve well larger
for this purpose But as ABOUT the t,ine o the
Crmcan the principal military Powers OF Europe
a.rced employ explosive bullet Tor small |
arms. for continuing to the half
inch bore no longer exists As all military missile
weapons for The purpose OF destroying lie II
is difficult appreciate the wny civilized
tons exclude the Of explosives In small arms but
admit oi their being nrcd from great guns The qnes-
ton canbrc tor military rifles was partly settled by
TIM SMALL ARMS HOARD or 1873,
who by a unan declared that forty five hun
drcllhs oi inch Is tho diameter best adapted for
military purposes. This IS compromise between the
hanch barrel now III the hands Of the United States
httnhr hrottI mail hnrn
winch : always preferred by long range experts. In
all the hong range contests at Crccdmoor, Wimbledon
and elsewhere, the small BORE with pIoJectic OF over
500 grams OF lead, driven by 105 grams OF powder
the charge which gives the Lost practice. The military
powder The result cannot be doubul the best marks
could not make crcdltablc record with the mil.
,ary arm al any distance over 600 yards, while an
average shot would get on the target nearly every |
time double the distance with the small bore
AS II the business OF regular soldiers to be expert
shooters, certainly that riic and ammunition which I
give the best practice ut extreme ranges should be
those used by them The Remingons have on exhi- |
b,tion an arm which Is known us the especial mili-
taryn rifle 1his gun Is oi calbrc "a, the cyn
drocon cal ball o three aud hall calibres long and
takes charge OF 90 grains ot powder Wncn accu-
ratcy sighted tho piece gives satisfactory practice
900 yards; yet in every military match where II is
entered II is handicapped certain number OF points
against the common military gun. Whether this |
Is the proper way TO encourage improvements III |
military lire arms is matter Tor the public to deter
nine But there can be no doubt OF the weighty iact
that u Is better for soldier 10 carry an arm that viii
o efficient work at thousand yards than which
will only be good for GOO yards Tnc states OF Counec
ticut and Rhode Island have both adopted the AS |
calDre rifle, and the results, as witnessed on the
ranges at Crccdmoor aud near Providence have
been exceedingly favorable TO the change which
thought to much Tor the better. The great num-
bcrs OF the Remington gun which have been manu-
fscturea for the Spanish Egyptian and Turkish gov
ernmcns all oi cabre 40; but Russia ana the
South American republics have, until lately, used Tho
larger or hainch bore specimens OF our American
systcms OF small 10 found here cxhib
ton the departments OF Russia, Brazil, spain.
sweden and other Powers. thus showing that In the
fl.a Hmm
ahead OF other counlrcs In the nufacturo Of mi
tary rifles
MrzzLE-LoApIxG LONG RANGE EiPLEs.
Major Icceb, late Captain ot The IRISH kinc Team
has gone elaborate statement to show that tho
four defeats of hrs counrymen atribu-
table Ia unaccountaDlc series OF accidents which
have always wres,cd vctory from their haDds IL ~
true that ne OF johnson aud vi Milncr at 900
aud 900 yards cquaied Their achieve
mcnts are credited the excellence OF the muzzle-