Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-09-15
LOCKS AND BARRELS.
a United STATES ARMY OFFICER
TALKS AcOuT RIFLES.

Of Sote--S1a@azine Guns.
| "yvitst ran goa tell me about the history
md mcr.ts OF this rife asked the reporter Of
Capt. >. A. Day, picking up handsosne
/ Springfield
FLAT Is be,inning right at hon1e,s was the
| reply. 'srise Springfield rifle Is the one with
which oar own troops are armed 1t has the
hinged bree.h block, with the upward and
| forward action. 1t is good gun, and has
| done good service, but it Is little out Of
date. 1t IL good for 500 yards, but not foot
| further We have tried to shoot 1t at 600
yards, but our only hope with it at that dis
tance IL scratching, or accidental scores
NV hat is tbis3
| That il gun We have ali heard a great
deal about the Martini-Henry rife, with
wilicls the English army is provided It has
hem used In more countries than any other
| -ifie, except possibly the Remington In
ONE respects it Is just the opposite Of the
| American army gun Ii has the hinged
basech block. opening backward and down
ward. instead Of forward and upward This
| IL an excellent gun. The barrels are well
made and the British manufacturers have
| the knack of grooming it very effectively.
! Ii is the gun shot in international matches.
| American ridemen should have great respect
| for this gun, for it is the one with which cur
1 national teams have been twice defeated It
| Is handy gun-it is 'gsmny' gun 1t feels
| like gun in the hand A man would trust
| that gun almost anywhere if he had plenty Of
| ammunition
'.Here IS SharIs rihe-isn't that little
| out Of date, toos
There are no more of them made now,
except one once in while by hand This is
| the style Of weapon that was sent from the
east to border settlers in Kansas and Ne
| braska, along with Bibles, during the troub-
| losis times just before the war. This indi-
| vidual gum continued Capt. Day, patsing
| the butt affectionately, lis very fine long
| range Sharps-Borchardt. It Is gun with a
| history, having won many prizes at long
| range, not, however, in my hands It is
used by nlarksnlen when they lie down or
double and twist their bodies into almost
every figure known in the consultations OF
the heavens Its action is excellent, having
a square, falling breach block, containing
the hammer and lock 1t strikes the primer
in the proIongation of the bore, thus causing
the least possible disturbance Of the piece in
firing
'sWhat can you say about this Remington
THAT Is the gun formerly known among
national glIlrdsIIen the gas pipe There
have been more guns of this kind made for
and used by armies, raiding parties, flibus-
terin5 expeditions. instructions, etc, than
OF any other arm ever invented. 1t has
rolling block falling backward and down
ward, leaving a free way through the bar
rel for Inspection and cleaning. Is is simple
ity itself and has an excellent action. The
barrel, however, is too light for long range
or heavy work, bat it has killed many q
man in many a Cline
This other gun, l believe said the re-
BILE gun with a remarkable record Is it not
an ordinary Winchester repeating rifie.''
Rather an extraordinary one. This par
ticular gun has been fired more than 5000
times by DIR. Carver and is still in fair order,
showing only little weakness OF the MAIN
spring. The " Winchester is the leading SPORT
ing gun Of the world, and more game has
bean killed by it than with all other guns put
together.
but this brings US into the domain OF
magazine guns. There are three pronounced
leading types, with some twenty-five or
thirty variations Of which have knowledge,
and there are doubtless a great many more
individual notifications of these types For
purposes OF convenience have selected the
Winchester, the Lee and the Spencer as typi-
flying the three great classes.
1.-THE well known Winchester has a fixed
tubular magazine, with lever action The
Hotchkiss is bolt gun, with a tubular mag
ezine in the butt instead OF in the stock. as
Is the case with the Winchester and many
others. There said Capt Day, after eject
ing a number OF shells over his shoulder
from both guns, you caa see how compli-
Gated are the motions necessary in using
these guns.
1.-The Lee magazine stands alone of its Kind.
although there are many notifications OF it
1t Is a detached magazine, with cartridges
superimposed one upon the other like the
fingers on the hand The great and import
ant feature of this gun IS the detachabiIity of
the magazine. As military man, have no
hesitation IN saying that it is just as import
ant for troops to be armed with a detachable
magazine for cartridges as 1t is for them to
be supplied with fixed bayonets When an
order &c fix bayonetsr has been given and
obeyed, an officer knows that his men are
prepared to make charge at the word of
command. Why should not similar security
be felt when waiting 10 repel an attack!
After the command fix ma gazines.' an officer
may rely upon all his men having their
magazines full and in position. Nothing
could give him greater confidence in crisis.
This is the best system for troops of which
have any knowledge. The Lee, however,
has feature in common with many other
bolt action. \ prejudice is u heavy load for
any man to carry through this world, but
my whole experience has rendered to Increase
my dislike FOR bolt guns. The inventor of
this gun, however. Mr.. james P Lee, was so
expert with it that he could have thfes or
four shots ON the way to u eco yard target
at one time. Such skill is attainable by few
men, and the bolt action is necessarily slow
in the hands of an ordinary soldier.
'Mr. Z. NJ. Spencer, the ingenious inven-
tor OF the rifle 50 well known during our late
war, is still living. The Spencer rifle is some
thing new. Il is an American gun. although
it has been very remarkably improved by
Col George Y. Fosbery, an English army
officer now in this city, who is an expert nos
only in its invention, but in its manufacture
and Use. 1t has q sliding piece on the stock,
with trombone movement" Capt. Day
hereupon gave an exhibition OF the rapidity
and ease with which the Spencer can be fired
\ quick backward slide of the left hand
threw out the empty cartridges, while rapid
forward motion placed the piece again in
condition for firing, the whole not occupying
a second OF time. This Is an admirable con-
trivance,n he coat nued- lit requires the
use of two hands, however-one to reject and
had the cartridges into the chamber from
the magazine, while the other simply grasps
the small Of the stock and pulls the trigger"