The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-21
USE OF MAGAZINE GUNS.
1t Began During the Great American
Civil War, Thirty Years
Ago.
Tho First Rifle Of tho Kind Was
Complicated and De-
fective.
Progress Made in the Work Of PerfectlnG
tho Pleoo During the Years
That Followed.

The first use Of the magazine rife CO.
CURED during the war of the rebellion,
thirty years ago, SAYS the New York Times.
The arm was a defective one because of tho
delicate and complicated mechanism, and
because paper cartridges were then the only
kind in service. Not until the invention of
the solid drawn cartridge case was there
any promised advantage IN introducing the
magazine rifle. This cartridge case was n
of the inventions of the war. but before its
utility for use in a magazine arm was
demonstrated, tho war was ended, and
little was done toward the development of
the magazine rifle.
The question was reorened by the Franco
Prussian war, and in 1872 all Europe set to
work endsavoring to manufacture a SUCCESS
full piece that would be simple in its
mechanism and able to fire as large charges
and be as safe and powerful as the single
loader. The French, As il usual in such
matters, took the lead by arming their
navy, in 1873, with the Kropatschek, an
undsr-barrel magazine rifle Of .433-calibrc,
carrying seven cartridges.
The next epoch in the development of
- tire nagasine rife oannet II witAEEnthS Knsso-'
Turkish war in 1877. During this struggle
the new arm was used with telling effect on
more than one occasion by the Turks. The
question of the value of the new expert
mental arm was finally settled In 1883 by
the SUCCESS attending the use Of the Krop-
atschek rife in the French engagements in
Tunis. Since then the Advancement and
Improvement have been rapid, all countries
contributing toward the new movement.
Tho different kinds Of magazine rifle that
have been invented may be divided into the
following broad classes: ~ Under-balrel
magazine rifles, in which the cartridges are
placed in a tube. or magazine under the
barrel Of the rifle; (2) butt magazine rifles,
in which the cartridges aro placed in 9 tube
or magazine situatsd; in the butt of the rife,
and (3) hopper magazine rifles, in which
tho oartridpea are placed in detachable hop
pers Or magazines. 5sa <
The first two classes are not in general
favor with any nation, excepting France.
TIE arrangement is one that increases the
weight Of the piece, makes 1t difficult to re-
load, and, as the cartridges are fred, the
weight OF the gun is constantly changed. A
further disadvantage is that the rifle must
always De carried lOAueu.
What is wanted is a magazine rife that
can be loaded when required-that is, II
single-loader which. when the time comes,
can be loaded and fred asa magazine rifle.
The third class is tho ono that best fulfills
the requirements. Hhe cartridges are
placed in the hopper, n on top Of the
other, SO there is no chance of an accidental
explosion from sudden iarring. TIL hop
per is detachable and is not put into the
gun until it ia ordered there. As soon as
ono hopper is emptied it can be quickly re-
moved, and another one, which is carried
filled in the cartridge belt, can be put in it's
place.
The only nation that has thought fit to
adopt a magazine rifle of the tirst-class.
which to carry the ammunition, is France.
This French gun is the invention of a M,
Lebel, and is known az the Lebel rifle. In
the magazine rifle eight cartridges are car
ried. The bullet is of hardened lead coated
with nickel; length, 1.1S1 inch; width,
231.4s grains. The muzzle velocity is 2,194
foot-seconds. 1t is reported that the bull
let can pierce fifteen inches Of oak at 220
yards. The composition of the propelling
powder, which is said to produce no smoke,
make little noise and induce O. very slight
recoil, is kept a secret. The weight of the
gun, with the magazine loaded, is OTIS
pounds; the length of the rife, 51.4 inches,
and the caliber 1916 inch.
The new Russian magazine rifle, which it
has been finally determined to adopt, Is to
BIO manufactured by the French R%unmakers,
but it is not an arm in any way similar to
the Lebsl. In the important matter OF
calibre it is smaller, being only 300. This.
of course, precluaes tho employment Of the
French ammunition in the un. A second
point OF difference is that tho magazine
will be of the detachable box type. Fur
thor particulars of the Russian magazine
rifle have not vet beel made public.
Russia is the last European nation to
throw aside the old-fashioned, large-calibre
breech-loading small arm and provide the
modern small-calibrc magazine rifle. With
in the past year, however, the Berdan rifle
has been superseded, and the French gun
shops are now at work on an order Tor
100000 riff of the new type.
England has accepted a modified Lee
magazine rifle az the best arm for her
soldiers. There has been considerable
adverse criticism of this gun, but it seems
that in the main it is as good a rifle ns has
has been adopted in any other country.
This Lee-Speed gun has q magazine box
quite similar to. that in use on the Lee
supplied. This vertical detachable box on
the English piece holds eight cartridges;
in the United States gun it holds i've. The
English rifle is Of calibro 1903. and ths
weight Of the Piece, unloaded, is 9.13
pounds. The sights are graduated to an
extreme range of $500 yards.
Germany was early in the field with a
magazine rifle, and began converting her
service guns into those of the new type.
The result was not as successful rs was
hoped, go in 1883 the present gun was final
ly adopted as the now infantry arm, and it's
manufacture was at once begun. The pres
Ont gun does not differ except in a few
minor particulars from the Austrian maya
zine rifle. Both are made according to the
Manlicher patents, and are known as Man.
lichey rifles. The German guns of calibre
.3ll, weighs 1888 pounds, and is fitted with
n vertical fixed cartridge box carrying five
cartridges. The bullet Is of lead incased
in German silver. A popularity Ct this
piece ia that thore is no wooden guard for
ward of the trigger rs In an American rife,
but instead. the barrel is enveloped in a
metallic cnse. The object of this envelope
ia TO prevent the piece becoming too hot to
be held in the hand during rapid firing. il
has not been found quite as efffcacious az
its inventors hoped it would prove.