Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-11
THE NEW GERMAN RIFLE.
4 ForCibie Arm, Smokeiess and Rapid
Busy German Gun-Factories.

The manufacture of the new small calibre
reneatinp-cuns of the model of 1883 for the
German standing army has Just been COM
p,etod. Within n year and a half the gun
factories of Spandau, Danzig. and Erturt
have produced sufficient number OF guns
TO arm almost 100000 soldiers. German
military authorities declare that this
rapidity of manufacture Is unprecedented,
and direct attention to the fact that the
German army will have been provided with
its new arms in much less time than tho
French required 10 introduce the Lebel
gun.
has received at least one gun Of the new pat
tern. with full instructions rs % the use OF
it. All the infantry on the Nnth corps
have been armed with the new gun since
February 26th, and on Aprll lst the new
srming of the whole infantry was aOOnt
completed. The new arming of the re-
serves and Of that part Of the militia which,
case of war, must respond 10 the hfst
call is expected to follow, although the
plans Of the Government and the general
staff in this regard are unknown 10 the
country at large. The militia OF the Sc
cond call" and the Landsturm Will pro-
badly use the guns just discarded by the
standing army. .,
Technically and mechanically the new
repeating-gun Is declared to DO vastly SUI
nerior TO any repeating-gun heretofore
placed in soldiers hands. II Is exclusively
a repeating-gun and cannot be utlllZod as
a sinple-lOader Its calibTe u only eight
millimetres, considerably less than the
calibre of the gun IL supplants. It's range
is 1880 feet--that Is. about Z,buO teSt
greater than the range Of the old gun. III
possesses unequalled power OF penetration
and sureness Of aim. IL Is very iight, ana
il constructed for the use or smOkeless
powder. 1t is supplied with cartridges tlye
at time by means Of a tin frame OF the
Mannlcher pattern. After the fifth shot
the frame falls TO the ground. The bullet
il of the form of a small cross section OF
lead-pencil, has lead kernel under coat
inc of steel. and nickel outside. The
barrel of the gun is provided with me
cbanical device TO keep it cool during
firing u-..
trates well-seasoned, close-graIned hr-
wood TO the depth Of thirty-two inches
at a distance OF 300 feet to the depth OF
eighteen inches; at distance OF Z,iOO leeI
10 depth of ten inches. A brick wall,
unless unusually thick. affords no protec-
ton against shot from the new gun. Earth
breastworks less than two and half feet
thick are also penetrable. In treshly-piled
sand at a distance Of S25 feet the ball SINKS
three feet nj distance OF 1900 feet,
twenty inches; at distance 2,7OO feet
fourteen inches; at distance OF 5,oOO feet
four inches.
A, q distance of $50 feet tbs new gun il
almost absolutely accurate. ~ Is sure
shot at single kneeling man 100 rect
away. or at two men kneeling side by slde
1000 feet away, or ut two men side by SIDE
1000 feet away.
ITO illustrate the wonderful efficiency
of the new gum says military writer IN
the Munich ADqemeinS Zeliung. VIII give
few concrete examples of what its effect
on warfare will be. From now on even the
stoutest trees will give the foot soldier IN
battle little protection. for the DailS Iroli'
the new guns will simply pass right
through the trunks. Six men IN acolumh'
each seven PAGES from the man before nin'
may be shot through with one bullet, pro-
vided that II comes IN contact Win no me-
talic substance on the persons Oh any y.
them. The advantage that the ouii 'IS
of the new gun leaves only a slla;i
hole behind it is comparatively lnsisIiu-
cant. Moreover. should an enemy, as mas
often happened, defend himself oehihu
village or courtyard walls. be VIII 90
protected only in case the wall IS relI isi'-
ably stout, for balls from thenew guns nave
repeatedly penetrated with ease walls
brick and a half thick. The present re-
arming OF the German infantry, together
with the introduction OF the smoAeless
powder, is, of all the rearmlng Oh infantry
in this century. the most important. a
gun has been introduced wnleh III every
respect is superior 20 all other suns. tn ..5
fact Is OF the greatest impossasee A ~
cannot fail of considerable eject on IN
fantry tactics, especially in the direcsio y,
of the more frequent formations "a i'no -
compared with formation in columns