The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-20
new RIFLES. OF The DAY.
The United States Would Be at Dis
advantage Even With the
Chinese
Modern Small Arms Have Been
Tending Toward Smaller
Caliber.
The Bullet Of Late Years IL Moro Merciful
Than That Used During tho
Rebellion.

The United States government did wisely
In making haste slowly before changing
from a small arm, practically obsolete. to
any of the patterns of rides that havs been
invented dating the past decade. Less than
twenty i've years ago the United States
forces were armed with the old-fashioned
Remington gas-pipe. a gnu with half an
inch caliber. and carrying any amount of
powder and lead. For some time past the
trend OF modern small arms inventions has
boon toward . smaller cnliber.
Should our country DO involved in a for
eiRn war to-morrow-say with the Chinese,
Turks or Patagonians-our troops could
never R.t within shooting distance of the
enemy. until either badly cut up or pos
sibly annihilated; and this because the
othe "a have better arms than we have. I
have studied the personnel of the best
troops In Europe. ! saw she Hollandese,
the French. Italians, Germans, Austrians.
BelGisus. Epglish and others at rifle prac-
tics. hut none OF these nations are individ-
ually equal to the line Of our own army in
fine rife work. They depend principally
upon volley firing: We pay strict attention
to individual work; and the result is our
men are simply a body OF sharpshooters
who, when the time comes. can instruct the
national guard and prepare them in short
order for the same duties.
The Springfield rifle ia q good gum. and
shoots we'll up TO 800 yards; fair to 1900
yards, but beyond the latter range is not
particularly effective. The caliber is forty
i've, powder seventy grains. bullet 800
grains and initial velocity about 1865 feet
per second. The danger space is too small.
because the trajectory is too high. Com
pare this with the krag-JorRensen rifle.
proposed by the ordnance department. for
adoption in our service. Caliber .3l5 Chat
Is, 1856 thousandths less in bore. which
means 9 great deal), 1916 grains of bullet.
1873 grains Of smokeless rowde; and al
initial velocity of 1908 feet per second.
This gives an extreme range of over 5000
yards and a deadly range of more than
1000 yards. Our army. with their present
rife, could never come within shooting dis
lance of al enemy equipped with such
guns, but to meet on even terms with any
nation in the world, l do not think There
could be any question of the result:
Our gun. in shooting at an object only
LOO yards distant. thu bullet attains at
its highest point an elevation of more than
nifty feet. Therefore, the danger space
would be SO slight, except. at the firing and
hitting points, that a brick house filled
with people midway between would be
positively safe; the bullet would pass far
figured put that it took a ton of lead dur
ing tho late war to kill a man. With a
small caliber and fiat trajectory, the dan
ger space would be increased, and greater
effectiveness secured.
A large bullet, ~ in our own Springfield,
- sn kho ~.n~ ~ h. ,s,,s k-J1
durinR the late war. by reason of the soft
lend of its composition, smsrges from the
bore with Jagged edges, which tear and ir-
tritate the wound. thus increasing the liza
bility of death. A soldier wounded by such
means, necessitates two others to carry him
from the field. The large bullet results in
unnecessary suffering and torture. followed
by an increased pc. cent of death; but the
chances of q fatal and mini
mum suffering (Iroved by late expert
ments) that may be caused by a small pei
let of lead, steel or nickel incased, ere
much reduced; for this projectile readily
takes the riding of the bore, and on leaving
the gun its surface 10 comparatively IN
1uffled and smooth.
Comparing our probable adoption with
the other small arms of recent invention.
the Krag-Jorgensen appears to be a beauti-
full gun, we'll balanced. strongly constructed
and worthy of the confidence placed in it.
1t ia the invention of two Norway experts
Capt. Krng, of the koenigsberg arsenal, and
the battalion armorer. Jorgsnsen. The
gun has a magazine carrying five cartridges;
the weight of bullet, powder charge, ira
jectory and initial velocity have already
been mentioned. and the total weight with
bayonet is 9.S3 pounds. The cost is in the
nelghborhood of $40. Tbs price of our
Springfield complete. with %bayonet, is
$13.12. The English Lee-Speed-G very
inferior weapon to the KraQ-Jorgensen-
A1oA, thn Rr,%fch ayk GEr TX o,nI
piece.
The new Russian weapon is hardly yet
we'll enough known to comment upon. but
this much is certain: 1t is a French in
v~entioD. patterned after tho Lsbel land
much superior to the latter. which has
trials), and for which the Russian govern
ment has placed an order for 5000, 600
pieces, with which it would seem they pro
pose to fight it out" on that line for all
time.
The Austrian and German Mannlicher
in mp opinion the Schmidt rife, adopted
by Switzerland, is superior to them al. 1t
has a smaller caliber than the others-.295.
requires only 293 Rtains of smokeless
powder, 2l5.6 grains of steel en- cased bullet,
has a magazine which holds twelve cart
ridges, and. best of all. the initial velocity
is 1000 feet per second, with an extreme
range OF 1921 feet.
The fnitinl velocity aud consequent low
TRAJECTORY gives Il greater danger space,
which. after ali, is the prime object Of war.
We do not wish to kill, but it seems that
we'must; and If We must. let Us have the
most effective weapone. The great krupp,
OF Essen, Germany, was in every respect Il
peaceable man, and yet he invented the
most destructive weapons IN the world.
The Improvements in destroying agencies
will ultimately lead to the srbitration of
difficulties between mankind, instead of re-
sorting to force OF q ms, and thus the world
will be spared the Wholesale and uuneces-
sary bloodshed which has marked the pro.
gsess Of past Centuries.
LIEUT.. j. T.. PARTELLo. u. S. A.