The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1893-11-11


1t is stated in army circles that
there is n growing opinion that the
new small-caliber rifle for the army
will not be a favoritc with sharp
shooters. Generally speaking, there
91lpe eBShct" other THIN the knowledge
that in most European services where
small-caliber rifles are in use no at
tempt is made to provide the new arm
with finely gradual sights
Brigadicr-Gencral ID. w. Flsglcr,
chief of ordnance, United States
army, in his last report on the small
caliber arms of foreign services, pre-
scnted to the small-arms board, says;
at is distinguishing feature of the
sights, as compared with our own SER
vice sight, that none are adapted for
accurate target shooting; nor would
they prove satisfactory for sharp
shooters use in action. The rear
sights are gcneI ally adapted only for
Gxed elevations and have no arrange
ments by which compensation can be
made for drift or windagc allowance,
and for ordinary ranges only the plain
open notch, either square or N-shaped,
is provided. 1t appears that the OK
IRENE graduations of the sights range
from l,6i0 yards,-in the Belgium SER
vice, to D. 800 yards, in the British,
while the average is approximately
2,20o yards.
The new Krag-Jorgcnsen rifle
| adopted for use in the United States
army, gives an initial velocity close
| to $50 foot seconds. The Springfield
arm, which for so many years has
| done excellent service in the United
| States army, gives initial velocities
seldom exceeding l,200 foot seconds.
I ~. L.. Zoo -
Springfield arm remarkable sharp
shooting work has been done by Off
GERS and enlisted men of the army.
| Much of the excellence attained by
the Springfield gun has been due to
the use of closely graduated sights
and wind and draft gauges, and yet
| not so delicate as to make II ready adj
| iustment of the sliding leaf impossi-
BILE.
Tho new Krag- Iorgcpscn arm, with
its high muzzle velocities, if fitted
with sights rs excellent in comparison
as those given to the old Springfield
gun should be capa bic, it is declared
of running up target scores hardly
within the realm of the Springfield
rifle.
The high initial velocitics of the
Krag-Jorgense n gun mean low trajec
L v,
pheric conditions, and from the fact
that in long flights the ball travcrscs
plane in which atmospheric phases
are more certainly known, securing
greater accuracy. Assuming that Gen
cral Flaglcr pays to the sights of the
| Krag- Jorgcnsen gun the same atten
ton which the ordnance department
of the army has devoted in the past tt
the sights of the Springfield gun, it il
deemed extremely probable that the
sharpshooters of the army will soor
find themselves in possession of al
arm capable of remarkable shooting
work.
The Spring field gun has been mad,
to do good work over ranges no
exceeding 1,2O0 yards. The Krag
Jorgenscn gun, if fitted with goot
sights, can be made to do close worl
over ranges up to $500 yards.
Sharpshooting has long been
feature with American troops. 1t wa
because of the superior rifle work o
the Americans in 1872 that undrille'
levies were able to successfully con
tend with the veteran regiments o
Great Britain, and it was an importan
factor in securing the independents
OF the United States The familiarit