The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-23
THE MODERN RIFLE.
Judge Ham Tells How 1t Has Beeu Slowly
Evolved


From the Honesdale Herald.
Within the writer's recollection
Smooth bore rifles We're common
enough. If a modern shot gun, small
of calibre and single barrelled, were
fitted up with fair allowance of silver
plated patch boxes" and the delicate
piratical looking stock of the ancient
smooth-bores, they would fairly repro
duce them. The bullets were intended
to be spherical, but owing to the warp
ing and twisting of the moulds, were
generally imperfect. They were in
closed in a linen patch" or covering,
and often We're rammed down to the
powder by an iron ramrod, by means
of which the sphere" when it reached
its home had generally assumed the
shape of a vest button. The bullets
in their flight represented an Indians
arrow equipped with no wreath of
feathers to give it a spiral motion. 1t
is mostly of such guns that the roman
GERS, Cooper, and the older inhabitants
tell their big lies. The feats of accurate
shooting recounted by them have no
foundation save in their own imagina-
tions. The bullet, battered out of shape
before it rested on the powder, was sent
ON its way, and as it was pressed for
ward by the explosive gas behind, 1t
bumped from side to side of the barrel
until its exit, where it often had lost
at least a third of its diameter. OF
course, accurate shooting with such
guns was impossible. Later the smooth
bore was divided into "lands" and
grooves" but as they ran parallel
with the barrel they were called
straight cuts" Still later a spiral
cut or twist was adopted which i'm
parted a rotary motion to the bullet,
and greatly increased its accuracy.
Then it became possible to drive the
nail" once in a while at distance of
five to eight rods, or to hit turkey
sixty rods away,
About forty years ago conical bullets,
swaged to perfection, came into vogue
along with steel barrels and bullet
starters. After that time, turkeys,
placed a quarter of mile away, were
in considerable danger when good
marksmen We're paying ten cents a
shot for the privilege of shooting at
them. Globe, or peep sights were then
in use, which also greatly facilitated
correct aim. Still later the weight
of the gun and its charge were greatly
increased, telescopes We're added, and
III became DOSSlDle W llltthc d
in ten shots at forty rods of five inches,
that is counting together the distances
of the center of each ball hole to the
center Of the mark or pin. This makes
an average of but one-half of an inch
for one shot, and at such a distance
must, be considered extraordinary
shooting.
Nothing better is done today. OF
late years the tendency, especially in
military rifles, has been towards di
minishing the diameter of the bullet
and increasing it's length. Larger
charges of powder are also used, which
give much more destructive force to
the bullet. The rifle given out to the
navy recently carries an elongated bull
let of but little greater diameter than
that used in the smallest revolver,
yet 1t goes with so much force that 1t
will almost blow the entire head from
the unfortunate person 1t strikes. The
next war will add large chapter to
the peculiarities of firearms