Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-23
A NEW NAVAL RIFLE
The Result of the Tests of an Investigating
Board
Points Of Alleged Superiority Over
the Arm Recently Adopted
for the Army.

The Navy Department has at last found
rifle that is suitable for the use of the
navy. 1t is the invention of Mr.. ]. P. Lee
of Connecticut, and is said to be superior,
in essential points of merit to the Krag-
Jorgensen rifle, a Swedish invention, re-
Gently adopted for the use Of the army. The
navy has long been in search of a suitable
small arm, and countless experiments have
been made with foreign and domestic in
ventions. with the view of securing one
fully adapted to the service. The small
arms board, consisting of Commander G.
A. Converse, Prof. p. II. AIger, Ensign N
C. Twining and First Lieutenant L. A.
Karmany of the marine corps, tested sew
eral inventions in this city last fall and
more recently it has conducted further
tests at Newport The result of these tests
was a unanimous report in favor of the
adoption of the Lee rifle, and the report
having been successfully approved by Capt
Sampson. chief of the bureau of ordnance,
and the Secretary of the Navy, the next
step will be to contract with the manufac-
turers for a supply of 10000 rifles of this
make for the navy and marine corps.
Points of Alleged Superiority.
new naval rifle is far superior to the Krag-
Jorgensen gun. 1t is not only lighter, but
it gives a fiatter trajectory, and en>rles a
sailor TO carry fifty more rounds of ammu-
milton than the soldier does. The rapi1ity
of fire. is greater than that of any other
small arm, five shots having been aimed
and fired in three seconds when the gun
was under test Ordinarily the fire does not
exceed forty rounds a minute, with DOS
sible speed of fifty.
The total weight of the gun with straps
Will not be more than eight and a quarter
pounds, or pound less than the army rifle
The magazine clip is the lightest in use
believed n he 10 taip
action. The trigger will be at all times I'M
der perfect control and there can be no ac-
cidental fire. The smallness of the bullet
enables a sailor to carry 200 rounds of am
munition. while the soldier carries but $50.
The barrel of the new rifle will be but
twenty-seven inches in length or three
inches shorter than the army piece At a
distance of 500 yards perfect fire can be
had. while at 1000 the accuracy will be
such to render it easy to bring down a
man. At 5000 yards the bullet would pierce
two or three men, enc behind the other
and at 5000 it would penetrate one mans
body.
One of It's Best Features.
Naval experts regard the small caliber of
the new navy arm one of it's best feat
ures, the diameter of the bore being only
six millimeters O.236 inches)-one of the
smallest calibers in the world
The new rifle will possess many novelties.
Some of its parts are to be made of alumni
mum in order to economiZe in the matter
of weight. and the arm will be a convenient
one to handle. A barrel made of steel con-
tanning four and a half per cent of nickel
after being fired 1000 rounds was still eff
Gent and will be used fpr-the new rifles
They are said to be strong. simple and
capable Of rapid manipulation without re-
qulring special experianc9 or aptitude in
their use by the operaeorl Capt Sampson
says that the new arm fs the best ever used
in the United States and expresses the be-
lief that it will eventually be adopted by
the naval reserve, nati$hal guard and other
military organizationsl ,C