The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-11
,xrvprsrIYG TO ,UR VOLUNTEERS.

snug places for that many of the same
gentry?
rxrRRFsTING TO ,UR VOLUNTEERS.
The hoard of officers Of the United
Stltes Army, appointed to examine ana
ranort on the best magazine rife Win
which to arm the army, after long ana
natient investigation has recommended
the Danish Krag-Jorgensen rifle. Inc
magazine holds five 90 cartridges ana 1t
NAV he used either as a single hre single
loading gun, or a magazine one' III Is
cooked automatically. as in the new Ger
mln Infantry Rife, S. which 1t resem-
bios in many respects, having fmong
other points of similarity a barrel cover
Of thin steel, to which the sights are al
tachcd.
The length of the rife without the bay
onet is (. 80 feet: with bayOnet. Oh feet'
weight with bayonet, 0.S3 pounds There
are six grooves in the rihing, and the
twist is one turn in lis inches
II is clumsy looking piece, due to the
size of the barrel, but we do not see the
true barrel. which is not large, except
lust at the muzzle. 1t is concealed py
the outside steel casing, which is strong
enough TO protect the shooting barrel
from injury and to carry the sights ana
bavonet. The space between the TWO
barrels is filed with air sufficient to pre-
vent the outer barrel becoming so not
IN rand firing as to burn the hands or
melt the sights off.
The true barrel is secured to the outer
one at the breech only, so that it can ex-
pand or contract freely.
The calibre of the gun is 49, and II
carries a bullet that weighs 237.6 grains
with a charge of 33.9 grains of smoke
less powder, giving an initial velocity
of 1865 feet per second.
The experiments which have been made
in European military circles with rapid
fire rifles has not been highly satistac-
tory. The New York Herald in recent
issue made the following statement:
Reports of experiments in European
countries indicate that continuous rapid
I
sult satisfactorily in consequence OF the
heating OF the gun and lack of endurance
| OF the soldier.
| A recent experiment in France gives
good idea of the rapidity of fire possible
with their magazine small arm.
Ten soldiers were selected 10 hire with
maximum rapidity at target JS+ feet
! distant. representing fifteen men standing
q few inches apart
These soldiers selected kneellng posi-
| ton for firing, and each had companion
standing near him to supply him with
another rifle as soon as the one he was
using heated to such Il degree as to be
| unfit for use. The hits averaged only
| SO per cent. The rifles all heated be-
tween the twentieth and twenty-iifth
shots, and new ones were impedlately
! handed to the men. The soldiers We're
compelled, from physical exhaustion
alone, to cease firing. at the end OF
| time averaging ten minutes for the en-
tire party, during which the average
shots per man for the entire party were
154.2..
1t is believed that the Krag-Jorgensen
rife will show much better results.
The Herald also gives the following
statement of the way in which foreign
armies are now armed:
At this date majority of the Euro
pean and Asatic Powers have adopted
magazine rifles for their armies but some
still adhere to the single loader. Austria
and Bulgaria are armed with the Mann
licher." calibre .313. sighted up to 2, 10
yards: England, the Lee Metford." 1903
calibre. sighted up to $500 yards France
Germany. Infantry Rifle S. 81 cal
ibrc 2.242 yards Holland, the Beau
nont-Nitali," .433 calibre. 1,9GS yards;
Itrly. the ''vetterli-Vitali," 4O7 calibre,
1.749 yards: Japan. "Murata." .312 cal
ihre. 2.1S7 yards; Portugal, the "Kropats-
cbek." .315 caliber. 2.400 yards; Swift
zerland. the "Schmidt-Iubin, 1882 cal
ibre 295, sighted TO 2,1S7 yards Bel
GUM the "Mauser,' .30l calibre; China,
the Lee" .433 calibre; Denmark. the
"Krag Jorgensen," .315 calbre; Turkey,
The following armies are still armed
with single leaders: Egypt aud Rou-
mania. the 'Martini-Heury." calibre
400. sighted to 1.450 yards; Greece. the
"Gras." 1853 calibre. 1900 yards Ser
via. the ''KokaMauser. 800 calibre:
Spain, the modified Remington" 433
c5litre, sighted TO 1,190 yards. The arm
OF Norway and Sweden is now in an ex-
pCrimental stage, and while Russia is
| WIFI tue lLtDtl tune TlUp OF
France. but with a slightly larger calibre,
800. yet experiments are now in pro-
gress looking to the adoption of another
| arm.
A year or more back the Herald had
an article contributed to it by distin-
guished officer las the Herald stated of
the Ordnance Department of the United
States Army upon the ornaments of Eu-
rtpean armies. This paper stated that
the French "Lebel' rife and the Ger
man "'SS' rife would shoot, at point
blank range, through the body of tree
one foot thick and through brick wall
one foot thick. This is interesting if
true, and it may be true But, to an
old soldier, it sounds very much like one
of those tales adapted exclusively to the
marines.
Out at the Fair they give blue ribbon
as first prize and n red one as second.