The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-26
THE NEW MILITARY RIFLE.

On Thursday next q regiment of United
States infantry will be equipped with the
new army rife. Ii is a magazine gun of
the krag-J 0rgensen tyne. the caliber be-
ing 80, differing very slightly from the
weapons with which the armies of Great
Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Aus
tria are armed. The United States have
ceen slower than the European nations in
choosing a rifle; being less likely than
they to be precipitated into war, we could
afford to 60 slowly and TO take advantage
OF their experiments. After a careful
comparison Of the results. the Krag
JOrgensen gun OF 80 caliber seems more
nearly perfect than any of its competitors.
1t fulfills the requirements of the Ordnance
Bureau in regard to range. accuracy of fire
and effectiveness when its bullet strikes
better than even the new German gun
which is supposed to be perfect. The
momentum of the bullet is such that it
will go through tissue and even bone
without shattering either, and at the same
time the edges of the wound will be eau
terized by The rapid passage of the pro-
jectile so that there will be no bleeding to
death, and a wounded man will not cost
the Amy the services of two other men TO
carry him off the field.
The Government arsenals are now pre-
pared to deliver a thousand of the new
rifles per month, and they expect to be
able to supply 1000 per month when the
machinery is in complete running order.
Thus the whole army will De equipped by
New Year, 1885, and the Ordnance Bureau
will then be able to begin TO supply the
States for the use of the militia. With the
new rifle the new cartridges. charged with
smokeless powder, will begin 10 be served
out. Two contracts have been made for
a supply of this powder, one with Cali
fornia firm. Each contract calls for 5000
pounds OF powder. which will be fully
tested before larger orders are given. 1t
appears from the reports or the ordnance
officers that the American smokeless pow
ders are equal in many respects to the
European powders and superior TO some,
but doubts are entertained as to their
keeping quality. 1t will, OF course, be
necessary to determine this question be-
fore making definite selection. Some of
the French powders which on the trial test
came up to requirements were found to
lose their strength after they had been
stored for few months.
The United States navy authorities are
not satisfied with the Krag-Jorgens sen gun
and are experimenting with new types. 1t
is held at the Navy Department that the
caliber OF 80 is too large. Most of the
European armies are equipped with rifles
Of 81 caliber, and some are still carrying
old-fashioned weapons like our old Spring
field with caliber of As and over, but the
sblest officers OF the navy think the ten
6QppU the bQr w him hanan
ten years ago may be pursued even further
than the army authorities have thus far
ventured to recommend. Their expert
ments are watched with interest. If they
succeed in turning out a rifle with caliber
of % or .27 which will propel ball with
as much impact force as can be got out of
the .3O-caliber gun the manufacture of the
latter will cease.
Experiments continue to be made with
heavy shells constructed for the purpose
of piercing ship armor. At a recent trial
ten-iDch steel shells, weighing 500 pounds,
went through 1115-inch nickel plates, and
penetrated far into the backing. Such
shells would go through the armor of any
vessel afloat. aud il they exploded in the
hole they made they would convert the
deck of the vessel into a shambles. 1t is
now demonstrated that no armor which a
ship can carry will resist the impact OF
modern shell, propelled by sufficient force
from fighting distance; thus the armor
problem may be said to be solved.
Gunners are necessarily opportunists,
that is to say. they can only plan for the
hour. They know perfectly we'll that the
march of invention will presently render
their most perfect weapons obsolete. But
in the meantime the army which is
equipped with the best weapons will win
the battles, and SO long as war is a posi-
bility this axiom must govern the action
of war departments.