The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-15
THE MAGAZINE RIFLE.
Its Distribution to the army Is Pro-
crossing satisfactorily.
From the Washington Star

From the Washington Star.
The distribution of the Krag-Jorgensen
maya ire rife to the army is progressing
satisfactorily. and will undou btedly be
completed within the specified time. The
two regiments receiving the first INSTALL
ments were the Second infantry. Col J.
/ Z. Bates and the Fourth infantry, Col
X. H. Hall. There are said TO be enough
OF these arms ready at the Springfield
armory TO supply three full regiments
and part of another The next veyiments
/ TO be ser ed are the Seventh infantry,
| Col h. c. Merriam; the Seventeenth,
| Col. j. ). Poland, and the Fifteenth, Col.
r. Z. A CroftOn
With the rifles 90 sets of accouterments
that are novelties. The new knife bayo-
net, foot long, with its short, straight
! handle about One-third that length and
made of wood and steel com bined, oilers a
! great contrast with the old-time triangu-
lar appliance The metal scabbard is
also new. of course, TO conform to the
shape of the bayonet, while the woven
cartridge belt, dark blue in color, and
holding 100 rounds, is still another nov
city.
Our army 80 caliber is the same as that
OF Russia, and was considered a very
small one when adopted, since that of
France and Austria is .3l5, that of Ger
many .3ll, that of England .303 and that
of Belgium .30l. But since Spain and
Chile have adopted the .216 caliber, Italy,
Holland and Roumania the $50, and our
navy the .236, it is possible that our army
caliber may eventually be decreased. as
experiments on that point will duly be
made Meanwhile, the present is great
change from the old Springfield AS rifle.
The first cartridges have been made
with the famous Wetteren smokeless
| powder of Belgium, which was used in
ri lc Of b.av n
| when the present arm was selected Con-
| siderable quantities, however of the
Leonard and the Payton smokeless
| powders, of domestic manufacture, have
been purchased.
The new rifle attains an initial velocity
OF 1000 feet per second, against only 300
for the ola one This gain gives not only
greater penetrative power, but very lat
! ira ectorY, thus insuring much more
deadly results. The smokeless powders
| have the triple advantage of far greater
! propeLliGg energy, producing only a light
| vapor instead of thick smoke, and
/ burning so as TO leave almost no residue
/ Nothing IS more striking il our Krag-
! Jorgensen gun than the bullet 1t is
| about an inch long, and in shape like that
length cut from an ordinary lead pencil.
! 10 send 1t with accuracy, when driven
! by velocity so great, it was necessary
! TO give the riding grooves a shorter and
! sharper twist, and, in fact, there are two
! and half complete twists in the 3O-inch
! barrel of our new rifle.
! The enormous range, power and dead
llness of the new army rife are beyond
! question At thirty yards it's projectile
is said to have penetrated thirty inches
of hard oak, giving about six times the
| penetration of the old riie and its bullet.
1t could kill man at two miles, al
though its sights are limited to $500
] rHC distant nv l,-in Il
! ground. Its highest arc of hight is only
four feet, or perhaps one-third of that of
tb old bullet. II will be seen, therefore.
why the fire of the new rife will be so
deadly against charging enemy.
Hey Chimmiel Dere's a show down
to de teayter dat takes de rag omn every
thing"
~ hat is it,"
| .eIiYiur pictnres. n=Rrnnlklvn Earla