Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-26
MORE THAN A FEW wAsHrNGToNIANs

MORE THAN A FEW WASHINGTONIANs
A'A have been very much interested in the
battle Of the rifles. which commenced when the
District National Guard team went to Creed.
moor. Such Of the New York newspapers al
have undertaken the task Of defending the
action OF prominent officials Of the so-cslled
National Rifle Association have been extremely
unfair In their statements and in numerous
instances overstepped the bounds of that strictly
veracious integrity which should surround
every journal that desires to possess the con.
fidence Of the public. In order that the differ
ences between the Springfield gun and its New
York competitor might be made very plain
Maj NJ. Pollard, inspector general of rifle
practice of the District National Guard, has
written the following:
Some genius, away back In the seventies,
| made breech-loading rife and ACCOMMODATING
| ammunition wherein absolute perfection Of all
| condltions was at once attained. The bullet
was wholly independent of the shell and was
carefully placed in the riled portion of the
bore just in advance of the chamber; the shell,
filled with high-grade uncompressed powder,
was then inserted. When fired the bullet was
upset into the grooves, exactly filling them.
The bullet could assume no shane EXCEPT that
of the rifed barrel. This combination won
rifle matches from the first, and won all the
time and will probably continue to win till
the millennium banishes firearms and other
relics of barbarism
But the practical utility of this refinement Of
target practice was at once questioned, and
1t was never popular-at present it is almost
abandoned. Once a year one or two old vet
Grams get out their old long-range rifles and
compete for the Wimbledon cup. The old
iong-range clubs have disbanded. For practi-
cal military and sporting purposes fixed am
munition is considered essential. The shell
and bullet are firmly connected in such man.
ner as to Dramatically seal the powder, and so
that the bullet cannot be accidentally or pur-
posely withdrawn. 1t will withstand years of
exposure to air and moisture and suffer no loss
in strength or accuracy and months of trans
portation over rough roads in heavy ammuni-
ton wagons do not in the least impair its
serviceable value.
RULES ADOPTED BY EXPERIENCE.
All experience-that of the great cartridge
manufacturing companies as well as that of all
military authority-has resulted in the adop-
ton OF the following rules: The bullet must be
seated not less than two-thirds its diameter in
the shell All cannellures and all lubricant
powder must be compressed and crusted in
order TO make the shell as short and compact
and as light as is possible. and the shell must
be firmly crimped around the bullet so as to
preserve both lubricant and powder. 1t is well
known that this Setracts from the accuracy. It
is thoroughly understood that every hairs
breadth that the bullet projects from the shell
and into the riiing adds to the certainty and
uniformity; because when fired the portion of
the bullet within the shell upsets, expanding
tne smell TO NIL the chamber, and is then driven
out and slugged into the BORE suffering more
or less distortion in the process. Furthermore,
1t Is impossible to get the shells exactly the
same In thickness or in length, so that some
bullets are upset more than others. All this
leads to differences in the combustion of the
m n WI lntta 10. H. IL. A.
bullets but this is accepted as an essential sac
rifice to utility and safety.
No LUBRICANT OUTSIDE THE SHELF.
Again, it is well known that a soft and pIenti-
full lubricant covering the bullet Just before
firing adds greatly to the accuracy for target
purposes. but as the fresh fabrication of bull
lets Just before going into battle would be i'm
practicable for an army, and any lubricant
outside the shell would be removed in trans
portation or handling, or destroyed by time,
the advantage OF its use is impracticable. and
hence the regulation of no lubricant outside
the shell is strictly enforced.
These regulations are world wide In the
great international military matches, the rules
OF the N. II. associations Of America and Great
Britain and in the provisions Of army rifle con-
tests they are strictly enforced. 1t il even for
hidden to reload ammunition for matches be-
cause an advantage pertains to freshly lubri-
Gated bullets.
SAMPLES OF NEW YORK AMMUNITION
Now. with this preamble the wrangle over
this Creedmoor business can be explained. 1
have four samples Of ammunition used by New
York in the Hilton trophy match this year.
One bullet Is seated one-eighth Of an inch
another twenty-three One-hundredths and two
Others twenty-four one-hundredths Of an inch
less than half the diameter of the bullet They
should all be seated not less than one-third Of
an inch.
The bullets contain four cannellures and of
these one is within the shell and three are out
side These cannellures, as well as the entire
cylindrical part Of the bullet, are covered with
a soft lubricant of about the consistence of
pumpkin pie. This covers even part Of the
conical point, extends somewhat more than
half inch outside the shell ard is of course
wholly unprotected. l easily removed each of
these bullets with the hands alone.
If you will go through army museums or ex-
anime the big display cards of the great car
fridge manufacturing companies you will find
nothing at all resembling these. No camel
lures or lubricant projecting beyond the she'll
no bullets that can be removed without DESTROY
ing the cartridge. The New York plan presents
advantages in target practice because the
cartridge is the very nearest approach to the
effort OF genius first described. but no one else
follows their lead because every practical
feature in a service cartridge is sacrificed for
the purpose Of winning target matches.
NEW YoRKS RECORD.
The Remington model fifty caliber rifle Of
the state Of New York was never inferior to the
Springfield forty-ive caliber at the targets
Some of the state ammunition at one time fur
nished was inferior. but the Winchester COM
pany supplied cartridge that was capable of
holding its own with the Springfield at all
ranges. Take the record Of the Hilton match
New York has entered thirteen times-has won
four times and lost nine, but in these matches
has beaten twenty teams armed with the Sharp
or Springfield, and has been beaten by thirteen.
On several occasions she has had four contest
ing teams armed with Springfelds, has van
pushed three of them and been beaten by a
few points only by the fourth. She has been
beaten nine times at 200 yards, eight times at
6OO yards and seven times at coo yards. Yet all
these years except the present she has insisted
upon aud received handicap for the Reming-
ton at 500 and 600 yards in all individual
matches. The logic Of this is hard to locate
NEW BARRELS IN THEIR RIFLES.
Some Of the crack marksmen Of the empire
state had new barrels inserted In their rides
Exteriorly the same gun as the service rifles
these were finished inside with ali the skill of
their celebrated makers--a greater number Of
grooves, q quicker twist, and to these were
adapted heavier and harder bullet and in
| creased powder charge. Instead Of promptly
ruling these out as specials tho National Rifle
Association voted them an equivalent Of the
state model and allowed them in all COMPETE