The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-01
NEW WEAPONS OF WAR,
The Krag-Jorgensen Rifle to
Be Distributed to Uncle
Sans Soldiers.
Instructions Issued to Soldiers as to
How to Handle the
Weapon.

The members of the State military COM
panies have been looking forward to the
time when they will lay aside the old
Springfield musket and receive in its stead
the new Krag-Jorgensen magazine rifle
with which the United States soldiers are
being armed. The citizen soldiers of this
State have made remarkable scores at the
targets with the Springfield, and they are
DESTROYS of trying their craftsmanship with
weapon using smokeless powder and
sending a 30-caliber steel jacket bullet
! distance of two miles. They will be obliged
to wait for many months, and possibly a
year or two, before the Government will
issue the new rifle to the State military
companies. A number of army officers be-
lieve that it may be more than two years
before this death-dealer will be issued out
side of the regular army
The first organization to receive the new
army rife on the Pacific Coast is the First
Infantry Regiment stationed at Angel Is
land. The soldiers of this regiment will
receive the Krag-Jorgensen rifle to-day
and the crack shots will indulge in target
practice with their new arms as soon as the
supply of ammunition will warrant.
In appearance, construction and opera
ton it is similar to the Lee magazine rife
now used by the naval reserves. The
rapidity with which the weapon can be
fired causes the barrel to heat to great
degree, in fact to such an extent that those
making the first experiments In rapid fir
ing burned their HANDS. In order to in
form the soldiers to whom the new rifle is
being distributed the Secretary of War has
issued the following instructions regarding
the weapon, when heated by rapid firing:
After fifteen rounds fired rapidly (ten or
more minute) the piece should be handled
only by the stock, handguard, or metal parts
in rear of the chamber, as the barrel becomes
uncomfortably hot about this time, though
the rear sights and bands will not be found so
until from thirty to thirty-five rounds have
been fired.
In slow firing lat the rate of three or less a
minnte( the barrel of the piece should not be
handled after from seventeen to twenty
rounds. After forty rounds fired at this rate,
handle the arm only by the wooden
parts and those metal parts in rear
sight is raised during this firing las it prob
ably would be-, the sight can be adjusted, if
done quickly, even after a hundred rounds,
without fear of burning the hand
Two hundred rounds, probably the maximum
amount TO be carried by any soldier, or even
as many as he can possibly carry, can be fred
rapidly without injury to the arm, other than
the charring OF the wooden parts in contact
with the barrel.
If it be necessary or desirable to cool the
| posed merely to the air, remove the bolt, de-
| press the muzzle until nearly vertical and pour
! in water very slowly at first, until steam is no
! longer formed, when it can be poured rapidly.
| In service the canteen or cup could be used for
| this purpose. Owing to the large amount of
| water necessary to cool heated rifle-from
| four to six quarts being eguired-artifcial
cooling would not ordinarily be practicable in
the field. There is little to be gained, even if
employed, as after 200 rounds one can handle
the piece by the stock without burning the
hand. The soldier will soon learn to handle
the piece carefully after any firing, no matter
how little, and artificial cooling by water should
not ordinarily be practiced, as it may prove
injurious TO the barrel.
Note-The barrel of the Springfield rifle
caliber As, using black powder, becomes too
hot to handle (above the lower band) after
| about thirty (30) rounds fired at the rate of
seven minute. In other words, it appears to
take twice as many rounds In the old rifle as in
the new, to bring the barrel to about the same
temperature. Until further orders, the follow
ing spare parts only will be issued to COM
panies to be kept on hand for the repair of the
United States magazine rifle and carbine:
Main springs, magazine springs, scar springs,
cutoff springs, stocks. In case of damage to
other parts of the'rihe, such parts-if they can
be detached without further injury to the
arm-will be sent, properly marked for identi-
fication, to the commanding officer, Spring
| field Armory, with statement of the circum-
stances under which the damage was incurred.
If found advisable, the damaged parts will
then be ordered replaced. Company COM
manders should exercise a careful supervision
of all dismounting and assembling of the arm,
particularly in cases where any part is in
jured. The authorized dlsmounting and as
sembling by the soldier, described in the rules
for the management of the rifle, should be con-
fined to what is necessary only for instruc-
ton under proper supervision, or for the
necessary cleaning OF the arm.
Up to the present date the War Depart
ment has issued 1880 of the new rifles.
By the end of the present year the entire
army will be supplied. After the infantry
is armed the Ordnance Department will
issue carbines of the same pattern to the
artillery and cavalry. The soldiers at the
Preside will not secure their carbines I'M
til the LIST of September.
During the Franco-Prussian war the
Germans fired 80, 100000 rifle cartridges and
1863, 900 charges of artillery, killing or
mortally wounding 1900 Frenchmen,
showing that 400 shots are required to kill