Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-04-23
ARMS FOR C.,S.N.Y.
Test of the Savage Rifle by the
Board OF Examiners.
SUCCESSFUL In EVERY PARTICULAR
Four Hundred Continuous Rounds Fired
Without Cleaning-Fired with Defec-
tive Ammunition and Excessive
Charges-Tests of other Gnns.

tive Ammunition and Excessive
Charges-Tests of Other Gnns.
New York, April 21.-The New York
state board of examiners to select i'm
proved arms for the National guard
commenced the test of arms submitted
for examination in the Thirteenth
regiment armory, Brooklyn, yesterday
The board is organized for the selec-
ton of rifles for the equipment of the
National guard of the state of New
York, such rifles to be of American
in Gention and manufacture. Each rifle
must be accompanied by written
agreement to manufacture such arms
in the United States, not exceeding
$1,000, as may be required by the state,
at a cost not to exceed $50. The
Savage Arms company's rifle was
tested yesterday. The inventor of the
arm is A. w. Savage, who has spent
four years in perfecting his weapon.
The Savage Arms companys factory is
in course of building, and the rife
submitted was manufactured by the
Pratt * Whitney company of Hart
ford, Conn.
Successful Tests.
The tests to which the Savage rife
was submitted are much more severe
than those required by the government
in the case of the regulation army rifle.
In all 494 shots were fired during the
test. The board made a thorough test
of the magazine, with view of ascer-
tanning whether the gun could be
jammed in feeding the cartridges from
the magazine into the breech opening
or when used as single loader. The
magazine worked successfully, no mat
ter in what position the cartridge was
placed. The endurance test consisted
of firing 400 continuous rounds with
out cleaning, the gun being exam
med at the end of every fifty rounds
and cooled down. The weapon stood
the test without the slightest sign of
heating at the breach or in the action,
and without single displacement of
any kind. After the endurance test
the gun was tried with defective am
munition and excessive charges These
tests were for the purpose of observing
Lhe action for clogging and safety. For
the defective ammunition test five shots
were fred with alternate good and de
fective cartridges The cartridges
were made defective by thinning down
the cap almost to a transparency. The
result was very satisfactory. In two
of the defective cartridges hole was
blown right through the primer and
the gas driven back on tn c brcech, one
of the most dangerous experiments
without in any way injuring the arm.
Congratulated tho Inventor.
For the excessive charges, three
shots were fred with "a lanyard:
the cartridges were loaded with forty
grains of smolleless powder compressed
into the regular shell, In one case the
primer was blown clean out, and in
another the priming was burst, but
without any i'll effect on the action.
The arm was then taken apart and
thoroughly cleaned. The dust test
concluded the examination. This test
was almost twice as severe as the regu
lar test, but the rifle came through
with flying colors. The weapon was
placed in a closed box under an expo
sure of sand, blown into the box Four
exposures were made and after each
exposure six shots were fired. The gun
was not allowed to be cleaned, but be-
fore firing the dust was blown off and
the gun wiped with the hand. The
board of course would make no state
ment regarding the weapon until the
final tests, when their report viii be
submitted to the governor, but all the
members congratulated the inventor
on the splendid performance of his
weapon. To-day the Briggs Kneeland
rifle will be tested, and the examination
will be continued during the week,
one day for each gun.