, 1877-08-10

tlf 6aiAt.tHx, hhh thtrthJ tEeNTF, m F1HF a.
ftrfxfa, the efcclitt Ut Mr.. cnrdntH.
'flits circular 6ccnsutl tu LCflat OF Mr.. I'LL
tn't, anil lc ifa hevcr fnrGattcn TIC fnnL that II
was t" the ursInan rlclutht that hc awcti hi1
retirement from llG Bench. LARHoE.t-
BREECH.L0ADlNG RIFLES.
Tho Ainrtini-TtenrS Weapon of the Turks.
EanrtunuH Commercial.
The Masttni-llrmry hrecc',.toatnC rifle with
which tie Turkish sn!lsery IA armed, aud which
llls brcn recently tactl with sttrh deadly effect
ApuE the llsaatiA. nItcars to l'c the result ot
Government lest tn Englantf fn 1868. AtnUn9
The rifles that ro.npelcd werc tlie Martini, West.
Icy. ill.r,ls, I.crLa,,, :lnI Henry. Tue trial
,lucyI competition 10 The Martini and llonry,
t1,e Martini giving letter satsiartlo1.. cunning
uT Min, ID rrriGvt order, txs,cs having. the
advantage Ur nl1nltrr and simplicity III parts.
II has uniy thirty pircrs, against f,rtr-unc IN
tac lirnry. I!c c"useGlsenrt' M was tfe ui,ton of
lie ,rtx|uetlu,, Of tic Sfartiuf.tltnry rifle ~
INV ,,se,l Ivy the Turks. Aiu'g qualities that
te,,ll,ll.r, the 1lcnry l'arrc Is The u,,c tint 1t
run tte examined ati cleaned from tic brccs!l
end, uu Important puint III afi urtlls VI precis-
Tic stast!nlf ficusy Is ttcvoIi Ut side lock. All
It's wurkity parts arc tuclsscl except the trigger
mud the lever behind It for exy4aell. tlv empty
partridge stell 4ln' sel.a,llng the gum ln IuaI-
luz the run, the irycr bchllil tlv triggtr-.uu,t
is thrown hrtsk,y forward; this, by MI ingc,!i.
nisa apparatus. eaust4 The 1,lcctlr6loek u fall
be|nw ihc l,urc "l the Garrcl, thu disthasglng
spring to 1cvuInpresscd, and Tic empty cart
ridge case 10 bc lcrkcl Oh. over the shoulder IT
the haa,ipu1atOr ui The weapon. 4 fresh
metallic cartridge ia Slipped il, the lever Is
thrown buck, whse. raises the block to slosr tsle
t,rctct,, at.! the aFHl Is really for tlrng. The
Eutl ta rocked hy et,rin,s furwur.l /. thumb
pierc al the side. An iMltratur near by sl,ows
whether the gun is csxkcd or moi. The gnn Is
tired by dIrest.acliug pston bcthg driven
agnnEt the cartridge by tlr strung spiral spring
within Tic l'rrct,-uek, anu wl,irl, Is iILcratcI
OIL pulling thu trigger.
Tic Turkish wsspon is bclercd to he tho
very. best. generally speaking. yet put Into
! service hs mn army IL War. t)1Lcrs have bCtn
| fired mere rapidly. Fur tnstA,Irc, frptn the
| lopcr rifle ~ filany us sixty s1lots rtr nitnr,e
have been tired 'y AZ ex,wrt-witi,out taktng
alsu, Of course In target. ps;rt'ee thirty shots
per minute tnve becn ltrett. 1usucl, rnplt! lrins
u tl.is the harrcl l'etrllhrs so. hot that the
soltlerel-on buck sights le1lu1.
desired for rai,lIty. Trials Of ias, Hiring, WITH.
out aim, frnn number VI rifles, havr rcslltctl
III MI average for tbr Lopcr Vi Iifty stiota
minute; Mattin.lienry. iofty; Wcet'sy-is,ci..
luu. thirty; Frrncl, Chassc,p., p1ncircn; Bcrlan
{ttusafat,h cishtccn; Ind the nctsllc.sun, nine.
Tl,u cnek,ng arTangenscnss oE the Chassrpot anil
ncedle-gun are very stt,w IN action.
! HE HluHklAu UEtujE-Eun aIhl knE f{EHC1
Chasecpot ure quite similar in principle. Al thc
bTecCl fs bolt. resembling the co.lIlu0n lour-
| holt IT, action: III loading, tho dlschAnsing.
nce1le ia withdrawn by a thutnb-trigEer. by lis
The left, then drawn backa ard, leaving suill-
| cicnt opening t. receive cartridge. The holt
| IL returned to lis place, pushing the cartridge
forward Into thc bore. The piece Is then ready
contained The spIrnl sprlng and needle, iron,
which tho gun takes ita nnmr, a,,d by which the
cartridge il exploited. BY pulling The trigger
tue liberated spring shoots the needle forward
ii lie cartridge. Thc CEasscpot Is m inprosc-
nent In several regards over the original
nccdlc.gun Of the Prussans, among which
arc efficiency at tho longer ranges. In both,
KNOWN a. ''consuming c.rtri1gcs," In contra.
distinction to metallic cartridge cascs. Tue ron.
scquenges ls that !n firing there Is an escape Of
gas at the erecc Joint, very dttatrceab1e for the
soldlcr, and serving to fou! the chamber aad
rcMlcr the Eun unit fur action.
| The Martini-lIcnry rifle will perform rcasona-
bly, accurate firing from 300 to 800 yards. The
rAnrc Of the prussian needle gun il from COO to
| 1oD yards, yet IL proved a HDst obstructive
weapon IN thc hands Of the prusslan sollierv.
given at l,so0 yards.
AT trials made between the Chasscpos and
tho Mattlntl]cnry rifle. at 6D0 yards runge, tho
accuracy Of tue latter far excellei that OF the
former. The chassctpt. II adapted to metallic
cartridges, will never be rap!l-nrinG weapon,
owing io the stiffness and tedtousness q fta CORK
Inc Arrangement. The extreiue 5apidity OF the
Matt'nl-l Henry rii!cs hrng capacIty Is not, how
ever, of itself its grcat merit, but It lies In It's
CARRYING out the principle that rife that can
be lfrel the greatest number Of timcs In given
10 EtYc confidence aud ctIlcleuCy to troops. Very
rapid firing in BATHS Ia not the point; It Is III,
The accuracy Ut It. Hut with Improved ant!
quick k-aeito'i guns the expenditure of asnnuul-
| tim Is mt 4 rrprNlIy Nff1ytnHA6. 4
Drii!sh otllCGr writes follows ubout Tic cx'
pentitnreof small-aErn ammunition In the prus-
6lan army In lts campaign Of l6B:
/ "Fhc gTcatcst humber Of rounds fired during
the VA 81 tic second Army was by thu Forty.
thru. Regiment ut Frantel'au -forty-thrcc
rounds PER man Al Koenlggratx tho First
Battalion Of the Guards. DIS strong, fired
laatj9i rounds, II 13.a rounds per man. The
Third l.attai,an of the same regiment, 00l
strong, llrc.i l2,2:5o rounds, or 1873 rounds per
nau. The expenditure of Tho Fifth Corps,
about eo,000 strong, tn tho actions prior u
knenIsgratz. where II did not fire slut, was
5l7,oo5 rounds, or about twenty:six pounds per
tnan. In llo First Army, the Twsnt y.tcyensh
Regiment. *,G'g sncn, at The hattie Ut kocnlg-
gratz, cxrentlc1ed :a,0N rounds, ur under
First Army drew upon the reginental reserves.
| Thus the THREE battaona of thu Ecycnty-hrst
Regiment, nt the battle OF koenigrTatz, ex'
rendca IL, ,u0 rounds, Ur about seyrnty.two
rounds rer .nan. It must however. be torne 4,
!nltl ttJat tic First Army was tn actou four outs
longer than the Second There was total ol
about 100000 .000 cartridges prepared OH tlls
sassS ss for thc war u lb S4d material.
pentiit,lFe during the war Of all tho armies. ol
about lOU QUO ncIl, was ouly l.a54. 600 rounds. 0.
betwcen four and lire rouuAs per man. The
ball cattHdges,-lorty rounds In his pouch 4nd
! twenty in Ills knapsack."
THE LUMBER TRADE,