The morning call., 1890-08-04
GERMANY'S NEW RIFLE
Wonderful Penetration : Low
Trajectory-Length of Range.

The German military authorities have
again issued new rifle to their entire
active army. 1t was only in 1885, says the
New York Tribune, that the German army
was armed with magazine rifles, but owing
to the discovery of better and more
powerful smokeless powder, the present
rifle is a greatly altered one, and much
more destructive. The rifle manufactures
of Spandau, Dantzig and Erfurt have been
busy at the manufacture for the last year
and half, and must have worked with
great activity, for seldom has large army
been rearmed in so short time. With re-
gard to the Reserves and Landwehr. first
levy. they will probably be armed by
April /, 1891.
The chief characteristics of this new rifle
are: 1t is to be used as q repeating rife,
and not as single loader; its bore is
smaller than Of any previous military rifle,
being only three-quarters Of an inch. Its
range is 5000 yards, and it is actually
sighted up TO 2000 or nearly 1000 further
than the old rife (only two years old, how
ever, in use in Germany. Its fatness of
trajectory, penetrating power and GER
tainty of aim are considerably increased,
and its prolectlle, as well as its barrel and
the separate parts of its lock, are quite diff
ferent. The weight of its ammunition is
slight, and the new Smokeless powder has
much stronger driving power than that
hitherto in use. This gives the bullet
velocity of $50 yards second at twenty
seven yards from the muzzle.
10 prevent the oyerheating of the barrel,
consequent upon the rapid firing, the new
rifle has received barrel-case invented by
Major Meg, which is drawn over the bar
rel proper while in red-hot condition. The
cartridges are packed in cases of FIVE, which
are constructed on the Mannlicher system.
The bullet itself is new improved pro-
jectile. 1t consists OF steel cased, nickel
plated, leaden bullet shaped like the sec
lion of round lead-pencil. tapering to a
| fine point With an elevation of 81 degrees
| the extreme range, 5000 yards is reached,
range which is equal to considerable
| field-artillerv range.
From the musketry instructions that
have been issued with the rife, the follow
| ing is laid down as the table of penetra-
| ton, and is certainly extraordinary: IL
| pepetrates dry deal 80 inches at distance
| of 10 yards; at 40 yards, similar wood IS
| inches thick; at $50 yards. 10 incnes; at 20G0
yards, 2 inches; and at 800 yards, iron plates
| 7.25 of an inch thick. The depth the shot
| penetrateS into newly thrown up sand
| amounts, at 10 yards, TO about So inches;
at 40 yards, 20 inches; at $50 yards, IA
inches, and at 1000 yards to inches.
This new table Of penetrations is bound
| to bring about change in the present breast
and earth work regulations for the prOtec-
| ton Of Infantry in action or field fUrtitica-
ton. The first sight If this rifle is good up
to $50 yards, and has its point-blank range,
that is, the range at which the point sighted
and struck coincide, at about go yards.
In the hands Of thoroughly drilled and
steady men, every bullet ought to hit within
! range Of 2S0 yards; up to $50 yards, every
shut ought to hit kneeling opponent; up
to $50 yards, a kneeling file-that is one man
behind the other-up to $50 yards, Il stand
| ing file or any one mounted man.
The French thought they would be first
in the field with the Lebel rifle, but they
now will be some months behind the Ger
mans, who also have a great advantage
over their former enemies in the fact of the
| barrel not becoming nearly so rapidly
heated; great defect in the Lebel rifle.
The extraordinary qualities of this new
rifle make it apparent that even quite stout
trees will be no shelter in the future, as the
bullet passes right through them, and
furthermore. that one bullet can pass
through several men, the only consolation
left to the soldier being that the hole made
| is small one
Smokeless powder and such terrible
weapons as this rifle and those of kindred
kind must revolutionize the infantry tactics
| Of the next war.