The evening times., 1896-08-14
0IscARDINe LARGE RIFLES
Uncle Sans Soldiers Will Use
Small Caliber Guns.
POWER OF PENETRATION
These smaIl-stzed siugs and Bullets
VIII Pierce Three or Four Living
Targets without Losing Their We
locity-New Rifles More Accurate
Than the Old Ones.


the last few years in the caliber OF the
navy and army small arms. During the
next few weeks a delivery OF several
Thousand small caliber rifles will be made
for use in the navy and army.
Modern warfare is gradually changing
10 small caliber system and the slugs and
carnon-shaped bullets OF our forefathers
arc heing replaced by little bul.ct OF
terrible penetrating power
The reduction in the caliber OF The IN
raDtry weapon has teen accompanied by
marked progress over the old smooth bore
or 1850 with its caliber of 81 and 10
inches. Soniarkedis tn cdificrcnce thatIh
new rifles will have a CALLER OF only 236.
The bullet not only changes in size,
but also in shape and genera, construction.
IL has a steel Jacket and the leatiis slightly
hardened to keep IL from de eforming either
in the barrcl or after penetrating, its VIC
tim ~,
There has teen much said about the ad-
vantages and disadvantages OF the re-
duction in caliber. BY some it is claimed
that il is rot effective in combat, while the
ordnance experts of many of the Eurcpean
countries thatitseffectivenessis more
than doubled
Anexampleofi lack of ability to perform
the service expected OF IL is found in the
daily yreports From Cuba.
The Spanish soldiers are armed with the
Spanish MaHser rifle. small arm with no
greater caiiberl5 than .315. The Cubans
laugh at the stipging OF these tiny weapons
and say they can stand several wounds with
them. .ssffI sisf.i
If the cartridge strikes fleshy part Of
the body IL makes a clcaD.cut hoie clear
through, and the wound is in no wise
severe. In fact il takes several OF them to
place the soldier hors dc combat unless it
peBetrates a vital spot.
ADVANTAGES OF SMALL CALDER.
On the other hand, it has innumerab!e
advantages, particularly during campaign
in a country like Cuba, where not a round
of ammunition can be wasted. Withiighter
charges the soldier is enabled to carry
many mare additional rounds and thus have
greater chance at disabling the enemy.
Army officials claim that the battle of
the future will be fought at long range,
and men will not live to come TO close
quarters with an enemy who stands his
ground. Moreover out of 90 men wounded
in action, however slightly, at least 90 viii
go TO the rear without stopping TO invcs,i-
gate the severity OF their wounds. II tile
small caiiber gives three times as many
hits, as It will, says u naval official, we
can well afford TO have each hit less ef-
fcc:ive.
onthe other hand, it is claimed that it is
not true that the injury produced by the
blow OF very small bull ct Is so slight; fire.
quenuy it is more terrible than the effects
OF a large caliber-terr:ble in one way,
but not as inhuman as the large caliber,
which piows through the flesh. tearing and
shredding IL and splintering and shatterng
the bones.
II was found that the large bullet fire.
queniiy changed shape and the lead broke
and 1attened after being discharged from
the gun. making a jagged wound. The
new bullet VIII not do this. is some what
elongated, and has thin, steel jacket in
closing the leaden missive. which has been
slightly hardened by. tin and antimony.
But this shot is deadly because in certain
Instances it produces what is known rs an
explosive effect
During the Franco-Prussian war France
used .35caliber gun named the '.Afousque-
| ton de Cent Gardes," the wounds OF which
caused the Pr,Isjans to assert that their
enemies were using explosive bullets. UpoI
examination, however, it was found thai
there was no explosive contained in the
bullet, but that when it penetrated Ger
tain liquid zones of the body it caused an
explosive effect.
Two experiments illustrated this Tht
first was the firing through the side Of an
open-topped bucket of water. The iror
hoops4were rnptured and the bucket burs'
open. The second was the firing at short
range against hard oak. After Small pen
etration the bullet bulged, It's jacket spill
open and the lead spurted out and cut it
way onward in Jagged holes,
RESISTANCE OF HUMAN BODIES.
The first illustrates the action of thu
Small caliber bullet when it enters an orgar
OF the human body which contains con-
| siderable quantity of fluid The energ,
| due 10 the enormous velocity OF the bul
letis impaired to the elastic particles OF the
fluid and they are driven from it's path
| against the walls of the organ and burs
them. The second shows what happen
when bullet meets q bone Of strong ne
sisting power.
There is another advantage claimed fo
the small caliber. It is said it will pen
citrate three or four living targets and theI
not lose its velocity.
Gen. Lazellc, in Summing up its ad
vantages, says:
at has eight times greater accuracy two
thirds greater range and penetration an.
five times greater rapidity.'
The new gun is kno wn as theI.ee.
The Lee straight-pull rifle Is on what Il
known as the repeating system, the firini
being from magazine loaded by means o
clips or chargers. It's distinguishing fea
ture is the bolt, whose motion in working
the piece is simply forward and back, in
stead of requiring an additional movement
| of rotation for locking and unlocking, as Il
| usually the case.
| This omission OF one movement add
| greatly to the rapidity OF fire and enables
the gun TO be efired five rounds, the content
of one clip, very rapidly and with GOO
aim without removal from the shoulder
| For example. 1t was. found that n seaman
| entirely unfamiliar with the arm, after
| few trials, made the folio wing time witt
rough aim. from the shoulder: Firing tw,
minutes from the magazine, beginning
withmagazine charged and chamber empty
63. shots; same repeated. II shots; time O
| 20 shots, beginning with chamber loade
. but firing pin locked, % seconds; same re
peated. % seconds; time for five shots,
seconds
USING THE CLIP.