Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-23
THE NEW ENGLISH RIFLE.
The Claim Il Made That It VIII HIT
Man Point Blank at 500 Yards.


The Claim Il Made That Il VIII Hit q
Man Point Blank at 500 Yards.
An official army order gives all the de.
tails of the mechanism Of the new maya
zine rife with which the army is to be
supplied. The weight with magazine
(empty) is nine pounds eight ounces, the
new sword bayonet fifteen and one-hah
ounces, the scabbard four and three
fourths ounces, the magazine when filled
with eight cartridges thirteen ounces.
The length of the rifle is four feet one
inch, and the sword bayonet one foot
four inches.
The magazine consists of sheet steel
box inserted from under the body in
front of the trigger guard through an
opening in the body. 1t is held in posi-.
tion by a spring in the body engaging in
a notch on the magazine. 1t will con-
tain eight cartridges, and may be filled
when in position in the rifle or when de-
tached, by inserting the cartridges one
by one. A spring at the bottom Of the
magazine presses upward movable
platform, forcing the column of cart
ridges also upward.
A "cut Off is fitted to the right side Of
the body, which, when pressed inward,
stops the supply of cartridges from the
magazine, SO that the arm may then be
used as a single loader. When the "cut
Off is pulled out the lower edge Of the
bolt on being driven forward engages
the top edge of the uppermost cartridge
in the magazine and forces it into the
chamber, and so on till the magazine is
emptied. The magazine can be removed
by pressing small lever inside the trig-
ger guard.
One magazine is attached to each rifle,
being secured from loss by chain link,
A spare magazine is also issued with
each arm. The stock, like that of the
Martini-Henry rifle, is in two pieces, the
fore end and the butt. Under the hinder
part of the small of the butt is a projec.
tion forming so called "pistol grip.
The butt is secured to the body by 6
"stock bolt" The butt plate is fitted
with trap, giving access to the unoccu
| pl6u pOTtlOu VI Ill0 bCOCh UOlU ACOCoo
which is arranged to contain an oil bot
tie and a jag.
The rifle is provided with two sets o.
sights. The foresight and the backsight
are fixed in the usual position on the bar
rel. The foresight isa square block with
vertical cut through it, showing fint
line of light. Aim is taken by fitting
this square into corresponding square
notch in the backsight, so that lines o.
light of equal width may be seen OF
each side of it, and aligning the centra
line of light on the point to be hit. Th
lowest or "fixed sight" is that for 30
yards. Using this sight, head ant
shoulders figure can be hit at any dis
tance between 375 and $50 yards, Will
six-foot figure can be hit up to abou
500 yards without in either case aiming
off the figures. The highest graduation
is for 1900 yards. The rife is also fittet
with extreme range sights. The from
sight, which is called the dial sight,
graduated from 1900 va rds up to $50
yards. There are two kinds of ammuni
ton pouches, one holding forty round
and the other fifty. The cartridge i
made of solid drawn brass and is charge
with ordinary gunpowder pressed int
the form of pellet, with both end
slightly rounded. - Manchester Guard