The sun., 1891-05-25
TIE ARMY RIFLE TESTS



| e..t-t
Good Progress made In Exarirs.g Magp.
sine Systems ana snokeiess Powders.
WASHINGTON. May a. The general susees-
iion furnished By the protracted tests OF maya
zine guns that have been going on at Sprinp-
field during the last fortnight. and are now
suspended until June. must be that the time
has arrived for giving our army . repeating
rife. Drawbacks to such weapons have no
doubt been developed. and some OF the pat
| terms tested may not have shown themselves
to the best advantage. But In small armss az
In hrSer ordnance. the most that can b asked
Is gain upon an existing system. Prog
ress fs achieved from age to age. and by
comparing the magazine guns OF to-day with
those OF half dozen years ngo. these. with the
single breech loader which preceded. that In
turn with the muzzle-loading rife, the latter
again with the smooth bore. and so on. we rsal-
lie the progressive character OF gun making.
and become satisfied not to demand perfection
at any given stage OF the process OF develop.
men'. Tho Austro- -Prussian war showed what
might be accomplished BY the needle gun,
which is already obsolete in Germ any. yet was
OF Incompatible valno in its day. so tho Lsbel
and other repeating rifles already have changed
the battle tactics OF Europe. yet may DO relics
OF by-gone warfare In the year 1900. There
would be moro excuse for tho delay OF our
country to select magazine rife did II need
10 supply millions OF small arms for It's forces.
like France or Germany. But with an army OF
only 25.0o0 mon, o small organized militia 70.
serve. and q treasury like ours. further delay
on the ground that objections could be suR-
eested to each one OF the existing systems Of
magazine guns would be unreasonable.
The krag-Jorgensen rifle. for example. did
work before the Board on Magazine Guns
which certainly justihes Denmark In having
adopted 1t for her army. Its magazine IL
horizontal fixed box under the breech casihk.
which contains fve cartridges loaded into 1t
from tin chargers. while a cut.o of behind the
magazine allows 1t to be used az sinRle-load-
or. Its band Is oncased In q metallic covering.
liks tho German rife. Tho gun is about Az
feet iHns snS %ss1 p pounds The s
showed excellent results at Springfield. bsf6
the raridity with accuracy test; then it also
showed good results IN the second series Of
butt at snort range. The end urance test OF 800
and pnS 10 rouns withoas
2 single der. was also satisfactory. II was
We e Ss e such
found to work easily and satisfactorily;
entirely Worthy Of sdoption. H. at least b9 sSoss
nations which feel the need Of being as we'll |
to point out features Of excellence il. .ot6sr
SYST ems presented to the magazine Gun Board, |
SO on. The Springfield single loader Of the 80 |
Ga,ipre pre-, nxod l. VI npoh tor the new army rlae.
sd ALSO showed % sooS ressiss system AaoD''
Perhaps the greatest obstacle to the selection |
g. a. rifle S iSr our troops. as developed BY the
want Of a smoksIess powder. OF course. with |
the systems now in vogue one OF the new
50 hsR an initial velocity range. % and @ osue.rst. rat
lHg t3G power TO the p@ro,sstile @ that rife which
The cartridses eSe pfeyided M s's ss
o the NV A.
and authorities. while doing s,fayor
70 @ the GoyeEnmeqt % nave also gainea pYtns
anee By 81" sea " Under the % Ordinary r. 'Vx Chances
affecting lis servicesbilitv. But But
,ther poTde,s =, have also been m M tried such a
md also % the Maxim % powder :. On One ss ob!eetion
Ehich possibly may be urged In the report Of
or % 9
inform strength. Some Of them give out also
,uneent odors But other s.nokeless powders
Ia amifa9Is known nS one 81 !hess the S assn
ion oi Dr. senppphaus ef Brooklyn and y: 3.
ried At the Springfield srmory: The Duponss
re also expected to furnish the Government
Win valuable SmOk0leS6 pOWQoE yn0n, |
here is the gelbite invented by DIR. Emmens,
md very likely others may be offered.
When he experiments are resumed next !
luding the Bruce. and soma final com parative
rials may be made both with powders and guns
he promise is good for arriving before long
t the adoption Of q repeating rife for the army
nd the National Guard. Inspector. General
well said In his last report. that
1t Ia 70 injurious TO an army to know that ies |
rms are obsolete and inferior that the demand
Or something better than We have now 10 very
arnest." 1t is true that here and there an |
iiicer Is found who conservatively clings to
he single loader. Such man is Gen. Drogo-
iirov OF Russia. who puts his theory In the I
plerammslic form that tho country which
:on5iers; and be quotes the reply OF Fredsrick
is cavalry should be made two inchos longer
as to equal those OF the enemy: Let my I
oldiers approach By two inches instead and
} tstsblish the equilibrium in that way" OF
purse. however. no. such general notion q
ruction wrought by the repeating rife
an enemys hands upon brave troops a
arried to its legitimate conclusion this Z
leory would have the fate Of battles
trusted wholly to tho bayonet charge.
ur American Indians are wiser. since with tho
rrow as their traditional weapon. they have
1t been prompt in getting the most improved ,
,peatinG rites while our troops cnrred single
aders. The best reward for bravery ie not 10
andicap It BY an inferior weapon. but 10 put it
, equal terms with the enemy In that respect:
i'd such treatment Is also moro apt 10 be q
imulus than o detriment 10 patriotism.