Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-15
The New Navy Rife,

~ tho .2.I calibre for its new magazine
arm has naturally caused much surprise.
That 10 would accept the army hr'S-
Jorgens.n rifle was always doubtful
Commodore Folger. the former Chiei OF
the Naval Ordnance Bureau, had' IN
deed. recommended IT'S provisional adop-
ton for temporary purposes II a sum
cicnt number Of rifles could be procurei
from the army factory. but he thought
the final choice should be Of a rife hay
ing the Qualities OF what is known as a
repeating arm rather than those furnish
/ 81 bv "a purely maga2inc type The navy
has always struck ont In ordnance paths
Of its OWL, and the Lee gun WAS taken up
by IL years ago when the army had no
MAGAZINE rife at AN. san. even had the
Kr4g system OF brecch mechanism been
/ rejected. there seemed T. be Il chance
that the 30 calibre Of the army might
be accepted on account Of the advantage
I'm Notwithstanding ia ammunition he
tween the two services. And the army
would naturally be- relied upon 70 take the
lead In the choice of y calibre from lts
much greater use OF small arms. Besides.
n had shown its progressive spirit I'm So
/ lecting a calibre smaller than those or
most of the leading European powers,
such as France. Germany. England ana
Austria.
Hence tho navy's selection not OF
u cailbre different from that ~ the army,
but Of one smaller than any country IN
the world had adopted, arOuses discussion.
The suggestion arises that If the "a rlIie
is best for the navy. II IS probably best
also for the army. Every argument cited
by the Naval Board which examined the
subject AZ Newport and has had It's con-
c~lusi0us sanctioned by Secretary Herbert
applies 10 the aSY, and win as mUSl
greater force as lie latteTs employment
Of small arms IS relatively greater. IN
fact. the whole subject Of calibres IS re-
opened bv the navy's selection. II may or
NAV not be that the army's tbreech
mechanism will be adopted in the navy.
That depends on the tests, In which both
foreign and American inventors are in
vited to compete. using their respective
breech ~mechanisms on .24 steel barrels
to be furnished free by the Navy Depart
ment. But the new calibre IS itself a rad
zeal change from the army standard ana
the Naval Board has made 1t under the
conviction that its advantages incompara'
bly, outweigh that of employing the sans
ammunition for the two services.
The tendency toward decreased calibres
has been very marked since the days OF
the old .fj-bOre adopted by England and
our country. and in the .i3 Of France,
Belgium, Austria. Spain. Germany, and
ollan the latter being sometimes APP
piled even 70 the magazine arms. Nhei
France made a break 10 the 80 caIlDrt
a new standard was set, which was toi-
lowed In the Nannlicher used In Austria
and elsewhere. But even that was low
cred by England's Lee-Speed, with .5o}
and Belgium's Mauser, with .10l. Ihen
cana the selection OF our own army cali
q "a -.L..L - q sill lower gfHn0lFI
although we believe the Swiss had already
cone 10 .295. Shortly a~fterward Russia
a1opted the same calibre as the United
states. But since our country took thal
advanced step Italy has gone TO 30. ana
nor evamplr. we believe. has been FOL
logged bv Roumania and Holland. SPAN
and Chill are also said 10 nave auop'eu
"a rifle OF about .275 calibre. Hence II oui
navy makes the still more eAtraordlhary
reduction to 2.3i. II Will be IN the line VI
modern progress.
The question is %hether this radical re-
ductlon is justified. on that point the
Naval Board urges hat Improvements III
rranufacture permit II. AS IL well known,
reductions Of calibre nave produced great
or initial velocity, a tiatter trajectory
greater range and p~enetratons ana IOss
shock OF recoll, with the addIVpnal au-
vantage OF allowing Il larger nWnber OF
rounds being carried by each MN. Ihe
main question is where reduction shalI
stop-for drawbacks have been found IN
this process. Among them have been
greater difficulties OF manufacture In
creased cost and greater strain under
higher yelocities and increased TWIST Oh
riding. II is also urged. though, az the
Naval Board thinks, purely as theory
that a smaller proportion or the meI
struck will be put hors de combat. Bu'
the board. by comparing the .2o6 callbre
with our new army 80, finds that TIRE
former Is the lighter. and that, AZ tht
weight Of its bullet is lG2 grains against
23O for our army bullet, and the weight
Of the round complete 1913 against 4lO, q
muzzle velocity OF 1880 foot-seconds Is
secured in the 1856 calibre against only
1000 in our Krag-Jorgensen gun. This
means a fiatter trajectory, greater pene'
tration at effective ranges, and the carry
ing OF one-fourth more rounds per man
Accordingly, 1t believes that since 20
guns have actually been constructed, al
though not yet definitely adopted, 1t Is
simply following a modern tendency tC
fix upon that callbre for our navy.
The actual test, therefore,, or the ~
calibre. which Is next TO be made, mus
prove OF the greatest interest. 1t Will bt
additionally so since the barrels which
the Navy Department Will furnish 20 in
ventors for the competitive trial OF th2tl
! breech mechanisms will be made OF nicke
steel, which, It is believed, will prevent
rapid wear.