Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-18
"A N A u S 7 RlAN G U N
Severe Tests Put Upon the skoda Rapid
Fire Arms.
Contfnuing the Tests Yesterday-Post.
Trimls-Other Guns Tried.

The trial Of machine guns to have taken
place at Indian Head today was postponed
on account Of some needful repairs to the
tug which was to have conveyed the board
to the proving grounds.
For the time being The tests at the navy
yard are completed. having been concluded
with the trial of the Skoda gun yesterday
Early yesterday morning the Robertson gun
was put OIL the stand snd went through the
trisl very we'll The result Of yesterdays 8
efforts showed a noticeable absence of Jams
anil misfires. The record of the Robertson
cannot we'll be compared with that Of each
OF the other guns. as it's representative an
nounced before the beginning Of the trial
that he would limit himself in speed. he
being afraid his ammunition was not so
good. Following the Robertson was the
Skoda, a peculiar piece Of mechanism un-
Ike the other guns heretofore tested The
Skoda gun belongs to the class Of automatic
machine guns and Is the Joint invention of
Archduke Salvador and Major Ritten Won
Dormus Of Austria, and Is manufactured
by Emile Skoda at Pilsen, Austria
The Shoda somewhat resembles the Max
im-Nordenfelt, in that II has but ono bar
rel and Is cooled by a water Jacket but
the breech action Is very different The
gun is operated by the shock of discharge
opening the breech, while at the same time
the firing pin is cooked and the cartridge
placed in position. and the breech closed.
Underneath the gun IS a pendulum with a
sliding ball The pendulum controls the
rapidity of fire. which may be varied at
will by the firer by running the ball up or
down the pendulum as desired, either to
Increase or diminish the rate Of fire This
pendulum Is swung by the force OF dis
charge and on its forward swing strikes
the trigger which releases the firing pin
The gun can be fired with a speed of from
300 to COO rounds per minute, and by catch
ing the pendulum the operator can fire at
intervals OF one shot or two shots or as
many as he chooses.
This pendulum is SO light that il IL oper-
ated by motion of the finger. In the trial
yesterday II was demonstrated that the
hang-fires which the new smokeiess pow
der causes cannot possibly occur In this
gun. as pressure from the explosion Is re-
quired to open the breech, and until this
Is done the gun remains inactive. A special
feature of the gun is it's adaptability for
use In the cavalry on account of its light
weight, which. complete. is but thirty two
pounds. 1t is already in use in the Austrian
navy and cavalry.
As result Of yesterdays trial 100 rounds
were fired deliberately and rapidly, after
which the following record was made for
hiring 100 300, 800 and % rounds, viz :
Nineteen seconds and fraction, 43 seconds
ard Z seconds and a fraction. The Skoda
gun fires In feeds of twenty-five rounds
and the next on the program was the firing
OF charges Two charges, amounting to 80
fouhus' were Hreu IN II seconos,, three
charges T5 rounds) in Il seconds and a
fraction, and four charges 600 rounds) in
"A seconds and fraction. This was at an
army target feet by Q feet at distance
Of p yards, and with the gun clamped.
The gun was afterward unclamped and
two charges fired In 10 2-10 seconds three
charges in IL S-1O seconds and four charges
In IL 6-1O seconds. The gun was then Aired
continuously for half a minute, clamped
with a result of 197 rounds, and unclamped
for half minute, 143 rounds. To test the
effect of miss-fire 100 rounds were fred
deliberately into the butt, every fifth car
fridge being a dummy. The result was per-
fectly satisfactory.
Today was spent In photographing the
guns and their parts, to be embodied in the
report of the board, and as soon as the tug
is repaired the board will go to Indian
Head to make further trials.