The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-11
NEW GUN FOR MILITIA.
The Marvellous Arm TO he Adopted by tn
National Guard ofNew York.

inc mnrNeliouA arm 10 NC fA"SF'SN - "
National Guard ofNsw York.
New York Advertiser: International
Guard of this state Is TO be armed with
a new gun. It Is lntende to besuperior
to that carried by the regular army Oh
u new gun. 1t is intended TO be superior
to any small arm In existepce. This
is in measure due to the Venezuelan
war scare.
When a bill creating q board to select
n small arm for the New York state
National Guard was introduced in the
LEGISLATURE It contained a provision to
the eject that all guns submitted
should be protected by American pat
ents and be of American manufacture.
This provision was vigorously opposed
by representatives OF hte Rrag-Jorgen-
sen and other foreign rifles on the
ground that there were not enough
American manufacturers 70 compete TO
enable the commission to secure q real
ly first class weapon.
When the commission, which con-
sIsts OF Albert D. Shaw, Eliphalet W.
Bliss and Robert II. Thurston. with
Henry Z. Abel Us secretary, first adj
Vertised for sample rifles, Il looked as
though three objections would be real
lied. The time set for closing the COM
petition was Decembfr II, and but few
guns had been received. Then came
the Venezuelan war scare and the gun
makers from all over the country sent
IN requests asking that the time BIO ex-
tended. and this was accordingly done,
80 that now the final trials will not be
held until March 2neSt. In the mean.
time rifles are being received every day
and the prospects are now that the
al S,ekI hnV nhn0Ha
from, every one OF which Is OF Amerl-
can make.
At first II was proposed to adopt the
army rife, but that has developed so
many defects that It has been discarded
Secretary Abel. In speaking OF II, said
that II was a disappointment in many
respects. Beyond 30O-yard range the
gun shoots too high and to the left, the
bullet is easily DETECTED by the wind.
the hits vary after the fourth or nth
shot, when the barrel become heated,
the metal OF the bolt and chamber is too
soft, the magazine spring becomes weak
and will scarcely keep the gate shut;
the magazine cut-off Is enslly pulled
out and lost, the front sight is easily
bent spindle in safety lock and hinge
bar to magazine are constantly break
ing, the head Of the ramrod Is too large
for cleaning purposes and the necessi-
ty for keeping the bolt well fabricated
In order TO insure its working causes
much injury to the clothing of the men,.
Objection Is also found to the straight
butt plate and a curved one Is recon-
mended in It's stead; It Is also reported
that the metal In the butt-plate Is very
soft and wears rapidly.
Ali these objections will be overcome
in the new rife, which must not weigh
more than ten pounds and be Of 30 cali
Der. There will be magazine con-
tanning at least five chambers and may
be fifteen, and II must be capable of
dlscharging about five shotes second.
Two guns that meet most OF these re-
QuIrements are in the hands OF the COM
mission now. One OF them Is the work
of young mechanic in this city, who
has Travelled all over Europe studying
the arms OF the different countries.
Those who have seen It say that u Is
a marvel. II will shoot five shots
second. throws out its empty shells au-
tomatically. has an arrangement that
prevents gas escaping In the soldiers
face, and is so simple in construction
that child can operate II.
The tests for the new rifles will be
conducted by experts at all distances,
between 100 and 5000 yards. Army Off
GERS will be present, and II the hopes of
the commission are realized and per-
feet gun for army purposes Is discov-
cred, there Is no doubt but that II will
be adopted for the use :of the army, as
well as the New York state national
guard. 80