New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-20
GERNANYS NEW RIFLE.
TO REvoLuroYIzE INFANTRY TACTICS.
THE WONDERFUL PENETRATION LOW TRAJEc
TORY AND LENGTH OF RANGE OF
THE WEAPON.

Tho German military authorities have again issued
a new rife 10 their entire active army. 1t was ohIy
I'm las that the German army was armed WIN
magazine rifles. bat. owing to the discovery Z" "
bcttcr and moro powerful smolcleSs powder uio
nrescnt rife Is greatly altered one. and much more
.cstruotiye The rifle manufactures Of spandan.
Dauz and Erfurt have been busy At the Manufacture
for tbc last year and q haJ. and must have WORKED
with great activity. for seldom has large army oe'
rcarmcd in 50 short a time. With regard to the
Reserves and Landwchr, first levy, they VIII prop
ably be armed by April /. 1891
TN. chief characteristics OF this rifle are it IS
10 he used a, n repeating rife. and not as sinsl"
loader III bore is smaller than that Of any previous
military rife being only 81 inch. It's range is 3'poo
Yards, and it is actually sighted mp TO 1000, or nearly
600 further than the old rife (only two years oli'
roycvcrl in use by Germany. It's hatncSs Of
trajectory penetrating power and certainty Of aim
are considerably increased. and It's proiectle as well
A. s barrel and the separate pats OF IT, lock- are
unite different The weight OF It's ammunition Is
slight and the new smokclesS powder has much
stranger driving power than that hitherto in use.
This gives the bullet velocity Of $50 yards second
at twenty seven yards hom tho mu2le.
To prevent the oserhcating Of the barrel. conse-
ouent ON the rapid firing tho rifle has received a
barrel case invented b. Major Meg. which Is drawn
over the barrel proper while In red hot condition
The cartridges are packed In OF five, which are
constructed on the Mannlcher system.
Tho bull.t itself is a new improved prolectile. II
consist, Of a steel cased nickel plated. caden bullet
bapod like the section Of round lead pencil taper
inc IN a tine point. With an elevation NJ % degrees
rho cxtrcn,o range 5000 yards is reached ranie
which i, equal to a considerable field artillery range
From the muskctry instructions that have been
issued with the rifle, the following IS laid down a. INC
tablo OF penetration, ard Is certainly cNu1oNn'Il
:, pcnet,ates dry deal 81 inche, at distance Of ITO
yards. AT 44O yards, similar wood l. lh'hes tI'A d
so yards 10 inches; AT 1900 yards inches ana al
! q2o Yards iron plates 7-25 of an inch thick Inc
/ a,b tho shot pcnetratcs into newly thrown mp sand
,,,t At 10 wards To about 80 inches, at 4io
ID oo inches: AT $50 yards, IA inches, and AT 2ooo
yards to Inches -,
/ This new table Of penctratlons Is bound to brlns
,a,, , change I'm the present breast and earth WORK
s,r,ations Tor the protection of infantry III a'toi u,
aid fort icaton. Gho first sight oil TN, rIRe i t11
nm IN 3iO wards. anu ma, It's point blank rang .l"
! is the range at which thH point s'sh'o" "''" 7
| coincide at about $50 yards 80, 1900, ...,,. mai,
I'm mo hands OF thoroughly drilled ana Steady m,",
every bullet ought to hut within range ol l"t,,
mn IA $50 wards every shot ought to MT hHtr,,S
otunneut. M go yards kncelng He that II on" t
man behind the other-up 10 OoO Saius H'"'''o 49,
or any mounted udn G.. 4, ,ho cola
The French thought they would he hrsl III 'aV ~ :
with the Icbcl rife but they now VIII be soHV
hchnd the Germans, who also have great auVai'us,
over their former enemies IN the fact OF inc DaI.et IN
becoming nearly 81 rapidly heated; great oe'c'' III
| the lcbc une. .,t. Ans, r,do make
The extraordinary qualities OF this ne" rme i'no
shelter in the future. the bullet passes rlSht
them aud furthermore that bullet can pass "a %
several mcn the only consolation lett 10 INC 9o'"'1'
| bcing that the hole made Is small one ,Lts
Smokclcss powder and such terrible weapons a. .n,s
rife and those Of a kindred kind, must reNoI"'io'
the infantry tactics of the next war.