Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-09-28
COSTLY EXPERIMENT,
Tho Kag.JcrgtnsOn Rife Said 10 b
Inaccurate In Fire
AND Nor 10 he DEPENDED UPON.
The Chances for Its Condemnation as
a Military Weapon steadily
on the Increase.

CHICAGO, Sept. ga local paper
sayG The Krag-Jorge naen rifle, that
cost the war department over 100000
for Its adoption, 10 daily proving itself
TO be an expensive experiment, aud
the chances for Its condemnation rs a
military weapon arc steadily on tho In
crease, as Its qualities are called into
ordinary military use.
Ever siuce It's official adoption As the
standard rI1s Of the United States
army there has constantly appeared
some point that, upon subsection TO
the proper test, has proved a detrlnent
10 its utility. In every instance the
war department officials have been
called upon 10 designate nome par.
ticular body OF troops 10 conduct n
series OF testa In order that the rifie
might have n fair and impartial trial
In other hands than the fault finders.
The result OF tue test In each Instance
has stripped tho new rifle OF all the
superior qualifications inst were
claimed for II.
Like many other things that have
been adopted by army boarde, the new
RHO was accepted owing to the intiu.
onco Of the Inventor, rather than upon
lite merits NJ a weapon. The tesis made
were by oiilcofs whose knowledge Of
q ride was limited. No complaint was
made 10 submit IL to a thorough test,
AZ we're number OF magazine rifles
In 1855. When returns OF target pfAc.
tics began 10 come into army hoad.
quarters opinions began TO change.
A seaTchiug investigation was then
ordered, which resulted In a company
" tho engineer battalion at Willets
Point, New York, being ordered TO
West Point, New York, where 1t was
required ~ make y most thorough test
OF the new rife.
This test was conducted for period
covering thirty days, under the super.
vision Of rife experts. The result was
the confirmation OF the assertion that
the now gun was Inaccurate In hfc
and could not be depended upon for
accuracy under any circumstances al d
distance greater than 800 yards anu
not then II the elements were la any
way contrary.
General Jonn McComb, n marksmAn
Of distinction anu u retired officer OF
the national guard OF California, ami
other distinguished marksmen Of the
Pacific coat, subjected the ine TO n
iaiT test nj the 5neel Mound target
range Mt Oakland, Cal. They found
that the soldiers could do more ac-
curate shooting with the Oldest pattern
Of the field riilc than they could with
the Krag-J ofgenson rife, and that they
called for greater number OF shots
from the Springfield In u given time
than they called for from the krag-
Jorgensou, even by having the advan.
tage OF thu five shots In the magazine.
With this confirmation from the
wesi, that tho reports sent In by the
troops were correct, tho war depart.
ment directed the commanding oill,er
at Fort Sheridan TO cause q thorough
lest to DO made OF the new ride.
These tests were concluded last
| evening. This trial and all other trial,
that tue new arm has had have shown
that the old rife was superior In all
respects to the ono adopted In its stead,
and the war department officials ara
ondsavorlng TO hnd some way u
remedy tho defect.