The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-29
MILLIONS LOST.
KRAG-JoRGENSEN RIFLE A BIG
FAILURE.
inaccurate in Fire at. Any Distance
Over Three Hundred Yards-The
oldest Field Rifle Superior to the
New.

CHICAGO, Sept. Pa local paper
says: The Krag-Jorgensen rifle. that
cost the war department over $500, 600
for it's adoption, is daily proving itself
to be an expensive experiment, and
the chances for its condemnation as
military weapon are steadily on the
increase, as its qualities are called into
ordinary military use.
Ever since its official adoption as the
standard rifle of the United States
army there has constantly appeared
some point that, upon subsection to
the proper test, has proved a detriment
to it's utility. In every instance the
war department officials have been
called upon to designate some par
ticular body of troops to conduct a
series of tests in order that the rifle
might have a fair and impartial trial
in other hands than the fault-f1nders.
The result of the test in each instance
has stripped the new rifle of 4all the
superior qualifications that were
claimed for it,
Like many other things that have
been adopted by army boards, the new
rifle was accepted owing to the inf1u-
ence of the inventor, rather than upon
it's merits as a weapon. The tests made
were by officers whose knowledge of
a rife was limited. No complaint was
made to submit it to a thorough test,
as were a number of magazine rifles in
1885. When returns of target practice
began to come into army headQuar-
tiers opinions began to change.
A searching investigation was then
ordered, which resulted in a company
of the engineer battalion at Willets
Point, New York, being ordered to
| West Point, New York, where 1T was
required to make most Thorough test
Of the new rife.
! This test was conducted for a period
| covering thirty days, under the super
[ vision of rifle experts. The EeSult was
| the confirmation of the assertion that
the new gun was inaccurate in fire
! and could not be depended upon for
| accuracy under any cricums tances ait a
! distance greater than 300 yards and
not then if the elements were in any
/ way contrary.
General John McComb, a marksmar
! of distinction and a retired officer Of
the national guard of California, anc
other distinguished marksmen of tbs
Pacific coast, subjected the rifle to g
| fair test at the Shell Mound large
range at Oakland, Cal. They founc
that the soldiers could do more &C
curate shooting with the oldest pa tterr
of the field rifle than they could with
the Krag- Jorgensen rife, and that they
called for a greater number of shot;
from the Springfield in a. given timt
than they called for from the Krag
Jorgenson, even by having the advant
age of the five shots in the magazine.
With this confirmation from the
west, that the reports sent in by the
troops were correct, the war depart
| mo Of direct ed the com r1andinQ office
at Fort Sheridan to cause a. thorough
test to be. made of the new rifle.
These tests were concluded last even
! ing. This trial and all other trials THAI
the new arm has had have show
that the old rife was superior in al
respects to the one adopted in its stead
and the war department. officials ar
endeavoring to find some way Il
] remedy the defect.