Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-28
SMALL ARMS FOR THE NAVY.
The Government Not to Undertake Their
Manufacture.
The Cost OF the Plant Too Great-Ad-
vantage OF the Small Caliber
Adopted for the Navy Rifle.

Some time ago 1t was thought probable
that new industry might be established
at the Washington navy yard AZ q result
OF the adoption Of a new small arm for the
use Of the navy. and 1t was suggested that
shop might be fitted up at the yard with
that particular object in view The mani
fold advantages to the District Of such
action are SO patent as to renier their emu
meration unnecessary. Now, however, that
the plan has been entirely abandoned as
utterly impracticable 1t Is almost a waste
OF time to undertake to say what fine re-
suits might have been accomplished If the
original plan had been carried into effect.
Commodore Sampson. chief of the naval
bureau of ordnance. has direct supervision
OF all matters relating to the construction
Of ordnance for the navy. A Star reporter
had talk with him yesterday and was .n-
formed in the most positive terms that
there was no possibility whatever of the
manufacture of the new naval rlrie by the
government. He explained that it would
take less than 1000 arms to equip the entire
navy and marine corps and that the estat,-
nshment OF a plant Tor their manufacture
would cost more than the purchase of the
Sons complete from private firms already
PROVIDED with the necessary plant. He sa:d
ne had also considered the possible con-
urgency OF supplying these arms to the
rapidly increasing naval reserve for Use en-
1t had not changed his mini as TO the
advantage. economical and otherwise. OF
obtaining the rifles l,y con tract with private
nrms. who were able. n, said to meet
promptly all demands Of that kind. Com
modore Sampson said 1t was Internationally
true, as a general pre- position, that It woul
De better for the government 10 manu-
tacture all the ordnance and ordnance ma
terlal II needs. put under existing condi-
tons where the government lacked the
plant he Thought IL best that Il should
make terms with the outside manufacturer.
eespeciaLy wnere the latter possesses all the
iacihUes ana can do the work cheaper than
II Is possible for the government to do it.
The Small Caliber RIFLE.
The magazine arm adopted for the use Of
the navy is Of .234 caliber said to he
smaller than that used by any country in
the world. The caliber Of the Krae-Jor.
gensen rifle, adopted for the use of the
army, Is 80. and the difference will prevent
any interchangeability in ammunition be-
tween the two services. Commander
foiger. the former chief Of the ma
val bureau of ordnance. had recon-
mended the provisional adoption Of the
ag-Jorgensen gun for temporary pur-
poses In the navy II a sufficient number of
rifles could be procured from the army fac
tory, but he thought the final choice should
De OF rine having the qualities Of what
Is known as repeating arm. rather than
those furnished by purely magazine
type"
The army's breech mechanism may or
may not be adopted in the navy That de-
pends on the tests in which both foreign
and American inventors are invited to
compete. using their respective breech
mechanisms on .234 steel barrels to be fur
nished free by the Navy Department. But
the new caliber Is itself a radical change
from the army standard. and the naval
board has made 1t under the conviction
that its advantages incomparably outweigh
EMPLOYING 20
the two services.
Since the days Of the old AZ bore adopted
by England and the United States, and the
.433 caliber Of France. Belgium, Austria
Spain. Holland and Germany, the tendency
has been steadily toward decreased cali
bers In magazine arms. When France
made break to the .3l5 caliber a new
standard was Set, which was followed In
the Mannlicher, used in Austria and else
where. But even that was lowered by Eng
lands Lee-Speed, with 1903, and Belgium's
Mauser. with .3o1. Then came the selec-
ton OF our own army caliber Of 30 which
set a still lower standard. Shortly after
ward Russia adopted the same caliber and
Italy took an advance step to 1885, being
and Chile have adopted a rife of about .275
caliber. Hence the reduction Of the caliber
of the rifle Of our navy to .234 may be re-
garded as fully in the line Of modern pro-
gress.
Advantages OF the Small Bore.
greater initial velocity. a fatter trajec-
tory. greater range and penetration and
less shock Of recoil. with the additional ad-
vantage of allowing a larger number CT
rounds to be carried by each man. Among
the drawbacks are mentioned the greater
difficulties of manufacture, increased cost
greater strain under higher velocities and
increased twist Of rifling 1t Is also con-
tended that a smaller proportion Of the men
struck will be put hors du combat but this
is a matter Of dispute. and can be settled
only by actual experience.
The naval board. in comparing the .2s6
calber with our new army 80. finds that
the former is the lighter. and that, as the
weight Of its bullet Is 162 grains against
200 for our army bullet, and the weight of
the round complete 1888 against 40, a mug
zle velocity of 1880 foot-seconds Is secured
in the .256 caliber, against only 1000 in our
Krag -Jorgensen gun This means a fatter
Trajectory, greater penetration at effective
ranges and the carrying Of one-fourth more
rounds per man. The comparative effect
iyeness Of the two arms can only be de-
termined by practical experience. and as
this naturally involves the wounding,
manning and killing of human beings 1t is
hoped that 1t will be an unsettled question
SO far as this country is concerned for
many years to come.
THE (ITY,S HEALTH.