New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-12
OHANGING THE ARMY RIFLE.
A BOARD OF OyNODN 10 SOLICIT A SUB
sr1Trrp FOR THE HpMNGyTDaDM UeKEr
DELAY IN OBTAINING FROM ABROAD TIE
sMoKE1Ess POWDER WITH WEIGH TO
MAKE THE TEsrs-rnE NEW RIFLE
10 HAVE SMALLER CALIpRE
OBTAINING FROM ABROAD THE
AND A MAGAZINE.
10y TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE

10y TELEGRAPH TO TIE yRIDUHEl
Washington. Oct. 1.-the Secretary Of War has oe'
tArnined 10 convene Board Of oihce'N AZ .'0
earliest practicable moment for the purpose VI seec'g
type OF gum which is To R adopted III pioce Vi
the Springfield musre now In use in the Army IL Is
lcancd that General John r. Brooke Win be the prts
dent of the BOARD Tie other members VII be selected
os> Zach from tho artillery. cavalry, infantry ana ora
napoA Tie Board wOnld have been organised some
time 80 lad It been possible t. obtain the snoHeess
powder which contracted for abroad last summer
This powder was aitae ured at the Wetter1n Powder
Works. near Client, belgium. for the particular phr
pose os testing spall arms to be submitted
and has been ready trtnsshpmcnt since the middle
of August. Great difficulty is always experienced III
securing transportation for powder, whether oy lain"
or sc:, aud steamers ara particularly reluctant
to tnhe board such dangerous cargo Tine seere'
try Of the Navy has asked to order the Baltimore
70 take tbs powder on board ~hen shc Is Fo@a! W
return to the United States.
The wonderful development within the last thre
years in the strength and character Of high explosives
has made il necessary TO make the proposed ciahec
With the Wettern sDokeleSs powder an initial velocity
of about 1000 feet Is gwen to the proiectie with
the ordinary powder the initial velocity Ia only 1850
feet Icr second. The new smN4ecss powder has two
elements Of superiority common powder 1t has
rrcatly increased velocity and only small amount OF
smoke which is quickly disspated BY the air. The
Increased velocity gives, as matter of course nater
Trajectory to the projectiH.
1t il expected that with the new gun much more
accurate aim be taken. At range OF TWO miles
the Springfield muskct has to be elevated at hgh
apele to secure effectiveness With the new gun the
angle Of elevation will be comparatively slight An
other Important feature about the proposed reSaVOh
gun viii be tho magazine 1t rs regretted oy the
ordnance officers that the mechanism OF the spring
field m,isict will not permit It's being remodeed ihlo
a gun OF the new type. The inability 10 effect this
the almost absolute SaCflucc o.
the 100000 muske;s used by the Army and the
militia. Each plusRet is estimated to cost about
So 49, but inasmuch the roaming Viii be gradual
It is thought that no special additional Appropriation
will be necessary. There is now an annual apprOpra
ton Of $4,000 900 for tho of the militia and THIS
sum can be drawn upon BY the States for the new
guns The Old will Be held IN reserve FOR IN
emergency.
Probably the most radical departure contemplated
by the War Department j. tie proposed reduction ~
the caEbre of the rifle from Is to so. This reduction
has been decided upon. and tie Frankfort Arsenal iaN
recently finished the 100000 shells and prOcct,' 10
be u,od in t." experiments before the Board. III
fact the size Of the CaJrc and the specification that
the gun must have magazine are tAo only reiniFe
Iuents thus far imposed Ly the Department. "t>
stated today by ordnance expert that coihO'"'
ton Of the Lee aud tn HotChki's guns would Hiah' a
highly satisfactory weapon. II Is understood mat Ut.
Gatlins Of Hartford, VINO has gained word'~id' rep
uuetion through his machin" gun las inveiied ne"
riushct, which is 10 DC tested. TIE proposed r5uia
ton gun will not De- heavy as the epri'tne!o
muSket. and the ammunition will he correap.n clgN
lighter that soldier VIII be enabled 10 carr; in'ic
rounds without adding 10 the weight now npo'ea up IN
him when In marching order .
The formula us.d in manufae turing the Wei'crin
powder ha. sccatd by the puI"nts 80 mat TIC
after dfAeu!ty viii be incurred In ob,anins h's
powder The NJ ain powder. an American iHNenoi'.
Is considered superior 10 the Wet0,in, but there is no
miami I'm this country which can manufacture ". IL
I, called cOdc. and comes in short oblonG ere
of g-lanCu, nnur. and is light brown IN color >r
TreIerrh ib,l the chemist of the English Army. as
sers that the Maxim similar IN its composition ~
in this country delegate 70 tie Iron aho >Ne'