The herald., 1893-02-26

ordnance. The main object OF this board
wac to report upon the magazine system
CT services arms as applied TO the necessi-
ties of q modern army, and to recon-
mend such Bystem rs might seem the
most advantageous. The board met in
New York city, at the army building,
in the early days of its session,
and afterward conducted ita tests at the
Springfield srmory. The fact that such
board was in session wac largely ad-
vertised and American inventors were
solicited to send in models of guns con-
forming to requirements stated to them.
The first work of the board consisted in
furnishing information to inventors, as
also specimens of the 80 calibre ammuni-
tion to be used; 80 calibre bullet be-
ing adopted by this government as diff
feriDg from any other nation, since most
had decided on slightly larger calibre.
The board remained in constant ses-
sion, and up to last fall had tested and
examined 53 guns. These included, be-
sides the product of American inventors,
the small arms officially adopted by
Austria Hungary, Belgium, Denmark,
England, France (for cavalry, Ger
many, Japan, Portugal, Roumania, Rus
sia and Switzerland. In its report the
board states:
Each of the different magazine guns
examined can be placed in one of the
two general classes, dependent upon the
manner in which their fire can be de-
livered.
First--Those which, while the maga-
zine ia charged, can be used as single
leaders. Theee arms should be more
properly termed repeating guns.
Second-Those in which the magazine
can be charged and then held in reserve
while single fire is delivered, magazine
fire being, however, available at any
moment.
Therefore guns of the first class can
be employed as single-loaders only when
the magazine is empty those of the
second class when it is either empty or
loaded.
The small arms of Austria Hungary,
Germany and Roumania are typical of
the first class; for them the cartridges
are habitually carried in the ammuni-
tion trains, and by the soldiers in pack
cts OF FIVE, the packet being introduced
bodily into the magazine.
Typical of the second class are the
arms Of Denmark, England, Switzer-
land, and the improved Mauser gun.
With the best developed of this class
the cartridges are carried by the soldier,
both singly and in packets, the latter
being employed to facilitate rapid charg-
ing of the magazine, though not essen
tial thereto.
This classification compelled the board
to consider not merely the mechanical
features of the guns it has examined,
but all their merits and defects as an
armament; and from such considera-
tion the board is of the opinion that
magazine syatems OF the second class
are more suitable for our service than
those of the merely repeating type.
A number ofguns Of both classes were
subjected to supplementary examination
and test, the Springfield 80 single
loader being introduced as standard
comparison.
Amongst American weapons sub
mitted. California, Kentucky, New
York, Michigan and several other states
were represented. It was decided by the
board that each weapon should be sub
tests, carefully conducted;
Rapidity with accuracy-Piece to be
fired from the shoulder at target six
feet by two feet, range 100 feet, under
following circumstances, cartridges dis
(a) Time of firing and number of
hits for 20 shots; magazine to be loaded
before beginning test and then held in
reserve until remainder of cartridges
have been fred HaingsGun as single
loader; then firing those ii magazine.
(b) Number 81 Hhnts and hits firing
| Tor two minutes, psing ggnn as single
loader; tests Begun with empty cham
| hal. a7seis3-tiQais ss-Fs's--s JSS
(c) Number of shots and hits firing
for two minutes, using gun'ss magazine
arm only; test begun with magazine
empty.
Any cartridge missing fire in this or
other tests to be tried with a prick
punch, or opened, to ascertain cause of
failure.
| Rapidity at will-Same as test L, ex-
cept that each piece will be fired from
| the hip, without aim, at stcp butt at
short range; hits not considered, and
| time OF firing for parts b and C reduced
to one minute.
Endurance--(a) Each gun to be fred
500 continuous rounds without cleaning,
using magazine. The state of breech
mechanism to be examined at the end of
every SO rounds.
(b) With magazine loaded but held in
reserve, each gun to be fired as single
loader 100 continuous rounds without
cleaning; !; condition of breech mechan-
ism and Of the cartridges in magazine to
be examined at conclusion of firing.
Dust--With the mechanism closed.
the piece to be exposed in the box pre-
pared for that purpose to blast of fine
sand dust for two minutes, removed,
surpluu sand removed by blowing there
on and wiping with bare hand, and then
fired 20 rounds under the following con-
ditiops:
(s) Magazine empty when exposed.
Before firing load m gszine, fire balance
OF cartridges as single-loader, then those
in magazine.
(b) Magazine loaded when exposed.
Remove and wipe cartridges, reload and
fire as above.
Defective cartridges-Esc gun to be
fired once with each Of the following de-
fective cartridges: ID Cross-6led on
head to nearly the thickness of the met
al; (2) cut at intervals around the rim /;
90 with longitudinal cut the whole
length of the cartridge from the rim up !;
fresh piece OF white paper marked
with the number Of the gun being laid
over the brseeh to observe the escape OF
gas, If any occur.
Excessive charges-The piece to be
fired five times as single loader, with
cartridges in which the charge OF pow
der ie so increased as to produce pres
sure in the chamber about oDe-third
greater than that caused by the Frank