The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-10-14
SELF-SHOOTING GUN.
Weapon with Which the Army and NAVY
Is to BE Equipped.

Weapon with Which the Army and Navy
Is to BE Equipped.
The navy department at Washington
has just ordered so of the most remark.
able guns in the world. Each of them
is able to discharge 400 rifle bullets 4
minute, and continues at that rate
until the marksman wants to stop.
More that that. it fires itself. only re-
curing to be aimed. 1t is the Colt all.
tomato gun.
This wonderful gun weighs only 40
pounds. 1t is magazine rifle. with one
barrel, the caliber of which is the same
as that of the improved sifie newly
adopted by the navy, little less than
quarter of an inch. This means that
the bullet, which is of lead, with IL
steel jacket, is much less in diameter
than an ordinary lead pencil. The bull.
let is about an inch long, almost cylin-
drical in shape, tapering somewhat
and rounded at the front end. The gun
discharges seven of these p:'ojectilea
each second, and they leave the weapon
with velocity of nearly half a mile u
second.
tremendous that there seems to be a
continuous stream of bullets flying
from the muzzle of the gun. So great
is their velocity, however, that there is
actually an interval of 300 feet between
each two. Cartridges are fed to the
weapon automatically by feed bells
which are coiled in boxes and readily
attachable to the breech. The boxes
hold from 100 to 500 cartridges. All the
marksman has to do is to pull the trig-
ger once and the gun goes on firing OF
it's own accord as long as the cartridges
are supplied. In fact, the instrument
is repeating rifle with an inexhausti-
BILE magazine and rapid;ty of fire that
is almost inconceivable. It uses the
same bullets as the new navy rifle, and
they are discharged with the same vc-
locity, hut the discharge is automatic.
the firing mechanism being operated
by powder gas.
The weapon may be carried comfort
ably in Boot at the side of a troop
er's horse. Ordinarily, on land, it IS
designed to be mounted for action upon
light tripod. It is provided with a
pivot, set into socket on the tripod
or into similar socket on the rail of a
vessel. All the ships of the navy will
soon be provided with these guns. One
of these weapons at a distance of q
mile might NOW down an entire regl-
ment within two minutes, so that har'l-
ly man would be left unwounded.
The Colt gun is sighted ordinarily for
1000 yards, which is little over n
mile, but it is as effective ut twice that
distance. However. it is not practica-
BILE to fire at individuals beyond 1000
yards.
The marksman uses both hands in
aiming the gun, whether it is set on a
tripod or on the rail of vessel. 1t re-
spends so readily to adjustment that he
is able to write his name with bullets
upon good-sized target. and to do it
with considerable rapidity 1t the
weapon is mounted upon tripod, he
seats himself on saddle that looks
like bicycle saddle. attached to the
leg of the tripod, which projects to-
ward the rear. The saddle is so adjust
ed that his eye is brought directly in
line with the sight of the weapon. Pull
ing the trigger once, he simply holds it
back as long MS he desires the gun to
keep on firing. varying the aim just as
person directing garden hose would
do.
The United States army is also going
to have guns of the Colt type. The war
department has ordered trial of them.
Guns of this pattern are comparative
ly cheap. They can be made in quanti-
ties for selling price of about $500.
The cartridges cost only $25 per 1000
--2A cents each-N Y. Journal.