The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-19
NEW ORDNANCE.
A New Magazine Rifle for the Army and
Navy.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-The Board of
Ordnance. which has had the duty of ad-
justing the smaller-caliber rife sights and
other details Of the new magazine gun for
the army, has handed in an interesting re-
port. The new weapon. " hich is moditi-
cation of the Krag- j Jorgensen gun, Is to be
made at the Springfield (Mass.) National
Armory for the army and marine corps.
The navy will also change its rifle to CORE
spond. 1t is hoped to have some of the
new weapons ready by January /. The
caliber OF the army rife will be reduced to
thirty.
The board recommends the cartridges be
the same in exterior form and dimensions
as that used in the tests which resulted in
the system presented by the Krag-J orgensen
rifle, No. s. being selected for trial; that
the bullet be of lead allOyed with tin or
antimony, having jacket of silver or nick
eled steel and without lubricant or can
nelures; that the weight OF the bullet be
900 grains; that the charge be 80 to 40 grains
of smokeless powder, or such less weight as
will give the above bullet muZZle velocity
of about 2000 feet per second, with chamber
pressure not exceeding $4,000 pounds per
square inch With the cartridge recon-
mended. in the opinion of the board, no
provision should be made for reioading by
the troops.
The board is of the opinion that the
sight for the military arm should be suited
for use in war, ard that with fiat trajec-
tory which the trial arm gives. there is no
necessity for graduations for the differences
in a range of less than 100 yards; that the
DRIFT or wind gauge Is not necessary for
war purposes, and that, as in time OF war
the arm would OF necessity be subjected to
very hard usage, the sight should be as SIM
pie and as strong as possible.
The board recommended a rear sight of
the same general pattern as those used in
the krag- JorgenSen magazine rifle No. 8,
with certain notifications taken from the
German infantry rifle. The main features
Of the sight arc as follows:
fixed base, graduated by steps from
300 to 600 yards; the leaf, capable of being
turned down, either forward or backward,
graduated to about 22Q0 yards, and provided
with notches on the side at every 100-yard
graduation for receiving the catch of the
slide; the tecs to be bright and carry black
ened graduation numbers, as in the German
sight. The front sight recommended is
similar to that of thesexperimental thirty
caliber Springfield rifle of the most recent
pattern. A front sight cover is not consid-
cred necessary.
The recommendations have all been ap-
proved by the Chief of Ordnance. with the
exception of those relating to the sight and
bayonet, which will be left open for further
discussion, and the necessary instructions
have been given TO carry them out.
Ine most important instructive test took
place Saturday at the naval proving
grounds at Indiana Head, with the armor
plate, fourteen inches thick, made of nickel
steel oy the Bethlehem Steel Company. 1t
is one of the heaviest plates yet forged and
Is type of the armor to be used on the
battle-ships. This plate was subjected to
the attack Of ten-inch naval rifled gun.
capable Of piercing fifteen inches OF solid
steel. yet the new compound Of nickel-steel
fonrteen-inch plate successfully resisted all
pro1ectiles, which were demolished