The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-19
TIE MAGAZINE GUN
Calculated to Replace the
Springfield Rifle-Na-
tiOna1 Guard News.

Inc proposed orR9ntZAtiou OF q UaLtdl-
ion OF the National Guard in Hoboken Is
at present the all absorbing topic Of con-
versation In militia circles in this city.
| The matter IS of the utmost Importance
to the Fourth Regiment. and the efforts
of the Hoboken enthusiasts TO organize
the battalion are being watched with
| considerable interest. That the Hobo
| keDitss mean business is evident from
the way In which they are hustling /,
and It will Indeed De a big sur
prise to many members of the Fourth
| should they fail. sEx-Captain Laws. who
secured over forty-fve signatures to his
petition, Is satisfied that his efforts have
been in vain aud has given no all hope Of
ever having his company mustered IN.
The officers Of the regiment are treating
| the matter philosophioally aud not wor-
rying over the result as no doubt the Ho-
boken people expected they would.
1--WE ave eight good companies" say
| they, land we ought to be satisfied. The
| right plan for us to adopt Is to build mp
| these companies so that they will be
able to drill alongside OF any company
IN the State. This. no doubt, We will
do"
THE MAGAZINE GUN.
1t is highly probabls that the present
Springfield rifle which has served the
National Guard aud the Regular Army
faithfully for twenty years. will be re-
placed by the new much talked of maya
zine gun. The Springfield rifle superseded
the muzzIe leaders OF past generate ms,
but now it must give way to tho mlys-
zine gun, which, while capable of balm z
fred as an ordinary single loader, has a
supply of cartridges held in reserve In q
magazine, which can be put ipto use
--r 81
hand and the contents fired with
uncomfortable rapidity at the critical
moment of battle. The manufacture of
the new gun was begun last July at tbs
National Armory IN Springfield, Mass,
and the first installment Was promised in
three months from that date. The new
rifle has a callbre of 3O-inche,, about the
Is of the smoKeless variety; and the bull
lets, although weighing only $50 grains.
will kill a man at 1000 yards.
The whole cartridge weighs only
about one half as much As
the one now used. aud when
one considers the enormous num-
Der of them hat woult have to be used
In war he eau appreciate the importance
OF enabling the soldier TO carry twice as
many en- his person as for merly. When
we add TO this increased n and ac-
curacy and greater rapidity OF fire the
immense advantage of the new weapon
over the old will be apparent. II the
weapon passes the Govern mental test,
officers of the National Guard OF this
State will not be loath to adopt the same.
THE NEW TARGET.
The new regulation target has caused
many National G~uardsmeu to wonder
why the red circular bullseyss and rings
were changed. IN the new target the
bullseyes and the different rings around
kb m nr0 a1iinfiNnf with THAR lon uaF
axes vertical. This change was made in
order to make up for unavoidable defects
In the manufacture OF the rifle and the
ammunition: 1t having been found by
actua experiment that when tho former
Is fired from n fixed rest the bullets
been described. With the old circular
form of bnllseye there would be shots
striking Just above and below it, which,
had 1t not been for defects beyond the
control OF them in firing. would have
been in the bullseye itself. The ellipse,
moreover, corresponds more nearly to
the form of the vital part Of Il mans
body. as viewed from the front, than the
circle.
COMPANY NOTES.
At the last meeting OF Company AS
court martial several members were ar
raigned for non-paymsut OF dues. A
number were found guilty aud they will
receive QlSnOnOf1Dlo QlHCnar28S. CAD
tain Bumstei says that he is determined
to rid his command of all dead wood, and
the court martial will see that his inten.
ton Is carried out.
The members of Company B are husr-
ling for the coming entertainment &C the
Tabernacle. A fine programme has been
arranged, and no doubt the ex-caders
will realize q handsome sum. Toe pro-
ceeds will be used in furnishing the com
pauy room in the new armory.
Adjutant Gerardin Is without exception
the busiest officer in the regiment, He
devoJes all his spare time to the duties of
his office. He il the right mar In the
right place.
Lieutenant Byrues will re main Gom-
mandant of Company G until the Brigade
Court Martial renders It's decision In the
Graham Brown matter.
Sergeant Dunn of Company D obtain ed
much notorfety at camp through Captain
O'Neill. II you want to know how ask
any member of Company A what Captain
O'Neill said to Dunn after dress pa rade.
A history of the successful march of
Company A to Sea Grit is talked of by
the members. Tue history, il decided
upon. will be written by members of the
company. aud will be sold by subscription
only.
Sergeant Major Samuel G.. Bouker +.
filing his position in n anu that not
only reflects great credit upon himself
but upon Company A, where he received
his fraiDin0 b..