Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-18
TESTING THE MAXIM.
WORK OF A LIGHT. crICK-FIRiNG
Gun AT SANDY HOOK.
A Weapon That Discharges More
Than COO shots n Minute. and Is
sLight Enough to BE Carried ON nm
Infantryman's Back.


I'm weight to twenty-five pounds, ana
otherwise arranged for the use OF infan-
try. was exhibited to the Ordnance
Hoard of the United States army at
the proying-s ground at Sandy Hook yes
terdav afternoon. The result OF the test
was eminently satisfactory in every way
and IL is likely that the board VIII adj
wise the government to buy some OF the
guns. All the members Of the board said
that the feat OF firing more than wv
nounas of .903-calibre cartridges from the
ON, in one minute. which the weapon
showed beyond question its ability TO do'
was wonderful, and they could not sus-
,,sst an improvement in the gun.
The gun exhibited yesterday mas peen
used long I'm other countries, put not III
the improved form to which II has now
- troueht. The gun was first fired
i'm the Sierra Leone campaign by Dir
francis de Wintar II was used also
Inv Henry N. Stanley during his African
travels but never before has u Deen
brought down 10 a total weight OF less
than forty pounds. With the case anu
other extras the weight was over sixty
rounds. and too much for any but cav
alrymen to carry. In its original loIui
the Maxim gun fired 1000 rounds IN 10
minutes Its maximum hring-soiii'y III
It's present form is about go ROUNDS
minute. -,
The gun itself IL simple-looking ar
fair. and the object Of yesterdays tests
v,as to show the members OF the Ord-
nance Board how easily it, could DE
handled by anybody after a Few hours
practice as well as It's immense Vaiue 'o
The infantry service With its great sole
leather case. an extra barrel, duplicate
mechanism. and tools, the entlte gun
when folded up and slung over a soldier
back. weighs but forty-fve POUNDS ~
4 claimed by the Maxim Nordenfeldt
C,o,nnanv that the value Of the gun in
mountainous country is inestimable. as
few OF them, If well placed. could wipe
cut an army. There is no pause IN the
firing after the trigger is pulled until the
cartridges are exhausted. unless the ope-
rator take his hand from the trigger.
Tho weapon is under the complete con-
troll Of the operator. and he can nre one
two. three. or half dozen shots from
If. Just as long as he holds the trigger
hack nud there are cartridges left in the
canvas belt which feeds the gun, the
weapon belches forth shot after shot
An inexperienced operator finds 1t I'M
possible to fire one shot from the gun, so
rapidly does the mechanism WORK. NO
matter how quickly he may pull or re-
lease the trigger, two. three, or more SHOTS
are fired. Major Phipp, the president OK
the Ordnance Board, was the only one
besides the expert displaying the gun who
succeeded I'm firing one shot al time
one or two others managed to stop on
two shots
The gun is automatic in its action after
lau
from the exploded cartridge gives the bar
rel which has a rear attachment, back
ward motion. The recoilng motion IL
limited TO about one inch, as crank
comes in contact with the breech casing
causing il to rotate and strike the burer
spring which returns II into firing posi-
ton The crank also works the breech
lock- The cartridges are fed into the gun
by means Of belt which passes through
feed blocks The recoil of the barrel from
| the discharge Of the first cartridge in
serts the next charge from the belt. raises
| the breech lock- cocks the hammer ana
| fires. extracts and elects the shells while
the succeeding charge Is being brought
| into position.
James Huber. the expert Of the Maxim
| Company. exhibited the gun to the mem
hers Of the Ordnance Board, several army
officers. and half a dozen newspaper men,
Major F. II. Phipps and Captain Frank
| Heath. the commander Of the proving
! ground. represented the Ordnance Board
! Captain Crozier being absent. Other ofil-
| GERS present were Captain c. II. Smith
| and Lieutenants Pierce and Ruggles.
The first test was general firing. and
| hundred cartridges were discharged IN
| patches Of six. The report from the gun
| Is neither very loud nor very sharp, but
] when a number OF shots arc fired IN rapid
| succession the noise is continuous. ana
J even the members of the Ordnance Board
| who virtually live in To- shadow OF the
| enormous guns at the proving-ground, ana
! are never bothered I'm the least by the
| firing from them. had 10 put cotton in
| their ears. The second test was TO show
! the ability Of the operator TO discharge
Z as many cartridges as he liked. At COM
mand from Major Phipps or Captain
: Heath. Mr. Huber fired one. two, three
! four. five. and more cartridges without
any difficulty. Not once did he hre NOR
. than the number ordered. yet so fast ala
. the reports follow one another that II was
I impossible TO count them, and an exami-
! nation OF the cartridee-belt had to be
/ made each time This test showed Mr.
I Huber to be absolute master OF the gun
| and il pleased The army experts I'M
! mensely.
The third test was the speed test. and
Mr. Huber announced that he would
/ show the ability OF the gun 10 hre 90
I shots a minute IL can do much better
/ than this, he said, but the ordnance peo-
J ole were satisfied with tho test proposed.
p box containing a belt OF nifty cart
ridges was attached to the gun, and at
the word from Major Phlpps Mr.. Huber
p,:lled the trigger The gun had been
! aimed at a sand-hill a quarter OF plIe
| away. and no sooner had the operator
| pulled the trigger than there was great
J coumotion at that point.
( The sand blew up in clouds as inc
? shower Of lead struck II. The disturbance
was brief II took but five and four
0fihs seconds TO explode the hfty cart
ridges. and the army officers looked sur
nrised when il was all over. The next
test was suggested by Major Phpps to
show the practical use OF the gun Tor
infantry. The weapon was taken apart
ana ycas hacked in its case. Then the
casa was closed and every strap fastened.
MIR Huber strapped the entire affair TO
his back. and walked around until Cap
tain Heath who he'd a stcp-"atch' sad:
..Now. we want 10 SEQ what could %
D-- An Ole