The Washington times., 1894-06-10
Americans Are Not So Far Behind in
Producing Engines of War.
FACTS ABOUT OUR RIFLES
Magazine Guns Of American Manufacture
Are in Many Instances Superior to For
eign Products-A Lack Of Appreciation by
the Different Home Purchasers.

in the manufacture OF weapons, should give
less attention to similar home industries,
superior in many respects to the foreign.
When the Lebel and Mannlicher rifles were
brought out there were items and illustrations
by the SCORE for months, though these arms
are not more ingenious In construction than
our own magazine guns. and cannot be as
rapidly or as easily fired.
The history of the manufacture OF arms in
this country is one of rapid and varied i'm
provement The great variety of game, and
natural, perhaps hereditary, taste for rifle
shooting, has led to these results. To the
sporting inclinations Of our citizens, there
fore, the credit is due, rather than TO any
murderous designs upon our neighbors. 1t
is only lately that our military element has
walked from its Rip Van Winkle slumbers to
discover the antiquity of our ''Springhelds.
The first breech-loading rifle to demonstrate
its equal accuracy with the muzzle-loader ana
superior convenience of loading was the
Sharpe which has long since ceased to be
made Its contemporary, the old Remington,
is still manufactured, though partially super
seeded by later model. having Siding
breech block of steel depressed and raised by
means OF a thumb lever on tie side OF the
frame.
1t is a most compact and simple action, the
system of closing The breech being the strong
est possible to devise. The leverage might
with advantage be more powerful. since IN
the heavier calibers it is not always possible
to extract the shell. The accuracy of the
Remington is a matter of history, not only
here but in foreign lands, where it has been
extensively used in army service.
Somewhat similar to the Remington is the
Winchester single shot, a comparatively re-
cent production. Like the Remington, Its
breech block moves up and down in the
Frame actuated by lever. which is larger
and situated beneath the frame.
The lever is linked directly TO the breech
block, and the hammer is hung therein. The
forward movement of the lever drops the
brecch block and hammer, exposing the
chamber and extracting the shell; the re-
verse movement closes the breech and cocks
the hammer. 1t is extremely strong and
simple with the exception of the connection
between the hammer and trigger, which is
somewhat complicated. 1t is made by the
manufacturers of the magazine rifle OF the
same name.
Many travellers, hunters, and taxidermists
have written enthusiastically of the Maynard
rifle Its exceeding convenience arises from
the Interchangeable barrels and its accuracy.
The action is very simple and strong; 4 hand
lever beneath the frame, linked to the barrel.
tits the latter when thrown forward, opening
locks the barrel in position, and leaves the
hammer safe at half-cock.
Any number OF barrels either shot or rifle,
of different calibers, may be fitted to the same
stock and are detached easily by turning
down and drawing out small lever In the
side of the frame. One is thus permitted to
carry an assortment OF weapons, which can be
packed readily. all having the same stock.
This latter feature is of inestimable value
where the stock is fitted exactly to the indi-
viduars requirements OF length, drop and
shape. This has been for years one OF our
leading sporting and target weapon, rival
of the Sharp and Remington in the past, and
disputing to-day the claims of weapons OF
later date.
To any one who has ever visited shooting
gallery a little weapon in which you touch
the button and it does the rest is familiar.
Such is the Stevens-pressure upon a knob on
the side of the frame tilts the barrel, exposing
the breech and starting the exploded shell. 1t
is a mechanism especially suited to small cali
bers, such as the famous %, and is made in
all sorts of styles, shapes and weights. some
of which, such as the "hunters pet with
detachable barrel and stock. may be carried in
a valise, or a good, deep pocket. In conss-
quence, il is the multum in parvo of the
noest and bicyclist, and is favorite with
ladies.
The latest rife is the production Of the
Stevens Arms Company. and is perfectly
adapted to the use of any size of cartridge.
and will probably be made in all calibers. Its
especial feature is interchangeable barrels,
easily taken from the frame and replaced with
one of different caliber 1t is very much like
the Winchester in appearance and action, but
the hammer does not fall with the breecb
block. but is brought to half or full-cock by
link connecting the lever with the breech
block. The link is adjustable, SO that the
User can have his choice as to whether the
shall la 81 p
One of the most interesting chapters in the
history of firearms is that which relates TO
the invention and use of magazine rifles,
which, with smokeless powder. have SO revo-
lutionized modern warfare. They were first
efficiently used at the Battle of Kings noun
tain. y. c., during the late civil war; the
weapon being the old Henry rife, predecessor
OF the Winchester of to-day.
1t was great surprise to the Confederate
troops, who were beaten off by much inferior
numbers, owing to the continuous storm of
bullets from ihe Henrys. The Spencer re-
peating carbine, used in the cavalry service
during the war, was another attempt to uss
magazine arms. Frequent explosions of car
tridges carried in the tubular magazines of
tho weapons, occasioned by joiting on the
march, soon consigned them to a lasting des-
eutude. The objections to the tubular maga-
zine system used in all our sporting weapons
are (1) the danger of explosion from pressure
Of the bullet of one cartridge upon the primer
of the one preceding it; (2) the distortion of
the bullet by the same means, and 90 the
change of balance in the arm, caused by the
emptying of the magazine.
The first Of these faults has been remedied
by strengthening the primer and seating it
deeply in the shell. The other objections are
theoretically of greater moment than they are
practically; for years OF use on the plains and
In the forests and mountains OF our own coun-
try ana on foreign battlefelds have demon
strated the efficiency of American sporting
weapons. The repeated repulses of the Rus
slams at Plevna were due to the Winchesters
In the hands of the Turks for the same rea-
son the French were moved down by the
black flags in Tonquin, and undoubtedly had
Lobengula's savage hordes been similarly
armed the butchery in South Africa might
have been somewhat equalized Certainly the
way of the civilized soldiery is not howery
when they bump up against the untutored
savage with his Winchester.
To many the name Winchester is sugges-
tion OF dangerous exploits of sharpshooters
in hunting grizzlies, moonshiners and other
such adventure where rapid and exact work
counts for SO much.
1t is operated by finger lever beneath the
frame, which by its first movement drops two
upright locking bolts from their place in
grooves in the frame and breech bolt, unload
ing the latter and starting it backward. The
continued movement of the lever draws the
iochiHs Dclts lurliicr DOWN. purity III sipnt
below the frame, and draws the breech block
clear back. which in turn acts on the ham
mer, bringing it to full cock.
At the same time a cartridge enters the car
rier. the latter is then raised by pressure from
the lever on its rear end, held in position by a
spring until return movement of the lever
forces the breech block forward, pressing the
cartridge into the barrel. closes the breech
aad locks il by the return of the locking bolts
upward within the frame, leaving the arm
ready to fire. The magazine is steel tube
beneath the barrel containing coiled spring