Wichita eagle., 1888-03-21
LOCKS AND BARRELS.
A UNITED STATES ARMY OFFICER
TALKS ABOUT RIFLES.
The Leading characteristics of the Differ
ent InyeDtions-An Experts Expiana-
of Nofe-J1ara-ine Guns.

"U hat can You tell me aboub Tue hlspofy
and merits of this riflen asked the reporter OF
| C$pt S. A Day, picking up handsome
| Springfield.
| That is beginning right at home" was the
| reply. 'sThe Springfield rifle is the one with
which our own troops are armed. 1t has the
| hinged breech block, with the upward anC
| forward action. 1t is a good gun, and has
| done good service, but it is little out OF
| date. 1t is good for 500 yards, but not foot
| further. We have tried to shoot 1t at l,oOO
wards. but our only hope with it ct that dis
tance is scratching or accidental scores"
''What is thisF'
sThat is q gun we have all heard great
| deal about-the Martini-Henry rifle, with
which the English army is provided lt mas
been used in more countries than any other
| life. except possibly the Remington. In
| ONE respects it is just the opposite OF the
| American army gun. 1t has the hinged
Ireech block, opening backward and down
ward. instead of forward and upward inns
| is an excellent gun The barrels are well
made and the British manufacturers have
| the knack of growing it very effectively.
1t is the gun shot in International matches.
! American riae1nen should have great respect
| for this gun for it is the one with which our
| national teams have been twice defeated. 1t
| is q handy gun-it is 'gunny' gun. IL Ieeis
| like q gun in the hand A man would trust
| that gun almost anywhere if he had plenty OF
| ammunition"
s.Here is Sharps rifle-isnt that a little
| out Of date, toos"
s.There are no more Of them made now,
except one once in while by hand. This Is
hat
| east to border settlers in Kansas and Ne
braska, along with Bibles, during the troub-
lous times Just before the war. This lndl-
vidual gun" continued Capt. Day, patting
the butt affectionately, sis very fine long
range Sharps- -Borchardt. 1t is a gun with
history, having won many prizes at long
range, not, however, in my hands. 1t Is
used by marksmen when they lie down or
double and twist their bodies into almost
every figure known In the consultations OF
the heavens It's action is excellent, having
O. square, falling breach block, containing
the hammer and lock. 1t strikes the primer
in the prolongation of the bore, thus causing
the least possib BILE distur Dance OF the piece In
firing"
'What can you say about this Remington?'
s'That is the gun formerly known among
national guardsmen as the gas pipe There
have been more guns of this kind made for
and used by armies, raiding parties, filIbus-
tering expeditions, Instructions, ETC., than
of any other arm ever invented. 1t has a
rolling block, falling backward and down.
ward, leaving free way through the bar
rel for inspection and cleaning. It simple
ity itself, and has an excellent action. The
barrel, however, is too light for long range
or heavy work, but it has killed many a
man in many a cline"
"This other gun, believe" said the re-
porter, ''you referred to as being remarka-
BILE gun with remarkable record. Is it not
an ordinary Winchester repeating riie!"
s'Rather an extraordinary one. This par
ticuIar gun has been fired more than 10000
times by DIR. Carver and is still in fair order,
showing only little weakness OF the main
spriup. The Winchester is the leading sport
ing gun of the world, and more game has
been killed by it than with all other guns put
together
'But this brings US into the domain of
magazine guns. There are three pronounced
leading types, with some twenty-five or
thirty variations of which have knowledge,
and there are doubtless great many moro
Individual notifications Of these types. For
purposes of convenience have selected the
Winchester, the Lee and the Spencer as typi-
flying the three great classes
''The well known Winchester has fixed
tubular magazine, with lever action. The
Hotchaiss is bolt gun, with tubular mag
azine in the butt instead OF in the stock, as
is the case with tie Winchester and many
others. There,n said Capt Day, after eject
,l11l- L.
from both guns, "you can see how compli-
Gated are the motions necessary in using
these guns
s'The Lee magazine stands alone Of its kind,
although there are many notifications of it.
1t is a detached magazine, with cartridges
superimposed one upon the other like the
fingers on the hand The great and import
ant feature of this gun is the detachability Of
the magazine. ASS military man, have no
hesitation in saying that it is just as import
ant for troops to be armed with a detachable
magazine for cartridges as it is for them to
be supplied with fixed bayonets When an
order to fix bayonetsr has been given and
obeyed, an officer knows that lis men arc
prepared to make a charge at the word Of
command. Why should not similar security
be felt when waiting to repel an attack
After the command fix magazinesv an officer
may rely upon all his men having their
magazines full and in position. Nothing
could give him greater confidence in crisis.
This is the best system for troops Of which
l have any knowledge The Lee, however,
has feature in common with many other
guns which, personally, do not like-it is a
bolt action. A prejudice is heavy load for
any man to carry through this world, but
my whole experience has rendered to increase
my dislike for bolt guns. The inventor Of
this gun, however, Mr.. James P Lee, was so
expert with it that he could have three or
four shots on the way to ,0C0 yard target
at one time Such skill is attainable by few
men, and the bolt action is necessarily slow
in the hands of an ordinary soldier.
'.Mr c. II. Spencer, the ingenious inven-
tor of the rifle so well known during our late
war, is still living. The Spencer rifle is some
thing new 1t is an American gun, although
it has been very remarkably improved by
Col George V. Fosbery, an English army
officer now in this city, who is an expert not
only in its invention, but in It's manufacture
and use Il has sliding piece on the stock,
with trombone movement" Capt. Day
hereupon gave an exhibition of the rapidity
and ease WITH WhlCn tue cfellcei can DC IILed
A quick backward slide of the left hand
threw out the empty cartridges, while rapid
forward motion placed the piece again in
condition for firing, the whole not occupying
a second OF time "This is al. admirable con-
trivance,' he continued. ''It requires the
use of two hands, however-one to reject and
load the cartridges into the chamber from
the magazine, while the other simply grasTs
the small Of the stock and pulls the trigger"
New York Times Interview.