New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-21
1T STOOD ALL THE TESTS.
THE SAVAGE RIFLE. THE FIRST ARM
TRIED. WELL LIKED.
DID NOT FAIL TO COME UP TO THE SEVERE RE-
QUIREMENTs OF THE COMMISSION IN ANY
PARTICuLAR-orHER WEAPONS TO

THE BOARD.

BE TESTED TO-DAY BY
THE BOARD
The first OF the rifles Of American invention and
manufacture tested yesterday in the 18th Regi-
ment Armory by the State Board Of Examiners
The weapons are intended to be of the most i'm
proved pattern. but they must be the product OF
American heads and hands.
The Legislature of 1895 passed a law creating
commission to examine and pass upon SUCH rlnes
qualifying. already stated. might he sub
mitted TO it, with to select one for the use OF
the National Guard or. If none came up to the high
standard laid down. reject all Of them and call for
a set. The commission appointed by Governor
Morton consists of Colonel Albert d. Shaw. OF
WATERFOWL n. Y. chairman Eliphslet W. Bliss. of
this city, and Robert II. Thurston. Of Ithaca.
Colonel Shaw Is a veteran of the Civil War. served
in the Legislature and appointed United States
Consul at Manchester. England. Eliphalet W. Bliss
is too well known to need any introduction. except
10 say that he Is large manufacturer of presses
and other machinery in Adams-st. of the Lay tor
pedo and of projectiles generally for the United
States Government at his factory in Bay Ridge. The
third member. Robert II. Thurston. Of Ithaca. Is
professor Of mechanical engineering at Cornell Uni
versity and has charge Of Sibey College The secre-
tary is ex-Assemblyman Henry E. Abel. Of this city
preliminary examination Of nine rifles submitted
held some days ago in the office of Mr.. Bliss.
No. Il Adams-st. At this examination some of the
rifles were sent back for alterations. and will be
allowed to compete II they ready before me
armory tests close. Only one. that of pr. Mclean
Of Chicago. was absolutely rejected.
The first arm entered and tested yesterday Is
hammerless magazine repeating rife manufactured
by the Savage Repeating Arms Company Of Utica
n. Y. 1t Is handsome rife, %-nch barrel and 30
calibre weighing nine and one-quarter pounds with
out the sword baycnet. 1t is a lever action. the
magazine to hold five cartridges. being in the CEN
tire Of the frame Immediately behind the breech
There is wide opening through the framework
hoh 10 tnn Of
The lever operating the oreech-bock works easily
and smoothly 1t can be used either as a single
loader a magazine rife. The magazine holds
five cartridges. in addition TO the in the barrel
When used a single-loader. an automatic cutoff
prevents the magazine cartridges from entering the
barrel In this way the reserve ann unition is ever
ready for when a sudden emergency arises. No
clip or Of any kind FOR the cartridges is used.
They simply slipped in top, and are auto
matically elected. This be done rapidly that
the entire six In the air together The rife IS
asserted to have a range OF 1900 yards and point
blank range of 800 yards. with a trajectory Of only
four feet 1t rejected by the Government when
the Krag J0rgensen rife selected for the United
States Army. but has been improved upon since
then II holds the record for shots, fired at 100
yards IN twenty three seconds. The entire charge
of six shots be fired in less than four seconds
and 700 shots have been fired continuously from the
rife tried yesterday. when nearly many were
fired
1t was after II O'CLOCK When the commissioners
arrived There present, besides these officials
A. w Savage the INVENTOR NJ. f. Robinson and
z. H. Risey both members of the Savage Repeating
Arms Company. of Utica Private w. T. Crane.
Company A. 18th Regiment. the Boards expert
marksman Bethel Burton. Of No. q Irving Place.
Brooklyn. who also has rife in the contest; Lieu
tenant Thomas Austin. assistant Inspector o! rifle
practice on Colonel Watsons staff: number Of
newspaper men ano a mysterious. smoothly shaven
young man, VINO was unknown 10 any one present
and who consistently preserved his incognito and
said he was looking for the niger in the wood
pile In the decision OF the Commission He declined
70 say who he to tell his business, and the
general impression is that ne was there on behalf
of some company
THE FIRST OF THE TESTS.
The first test vas fifteen shots at go yards. as a
sngle-loader by the manufacturers expert with the
rife The scores made were:
FIRST SCORE.
s2ssss::::..:.:sSssstt4.as4.sssss.sS
SECOND SCORE
Savage ayyaase..-..............atss4t::tt.sssstsa.
Crane shot off-hand. while Mr. Savage used a
rest The mechanism then carefully examined
and the entire shells elected with so much
rapidty that the whole LOT in the air together
/ Next came the test Of endurance. Four hundred
shots fired at close range into box filed with
sand the sides being OF seasoned birch three inches
sn0tS
with ten minutes intervals to allow the TO cool
The first round fired. single loading in three
minutes: second. three; third three; fourth. three
hfth three and a half sixth. four; seventh three
eighth two and ee-quarter minutes. The weapon
was then closely examined and pronounced 10 be as
coed as at the start Defective cartridges
then used 10 see II the block or extractor would
Jam, but they worked splendidly.
Next came the Of excessive and defective
cartridges The powder used was Veteran smoke
less powder. made at Veteran. in Belgium. The
service charge Is thirty-six grains and this test
called for charge OF forty grains. When the
powder weighed on the scale provided. 1t was
| found 10 be much more than the shell would hold.
Mr. Savage thought the scale was wrong and with
Private Crane and Secretary Abel went TO drug
gist's and had the charge weighed II found
TO be seventy-fve grains enough probably If It
dent and possibly burst the gun. Three OF these
charges were fred with LANYARD, the gun re-
blown out of the shell. The test made
with defective CARTRIDGES the primers being thinned
shells were badly buped but the mechanism
mained uninturcd The primers were burst but
the gun was as good as new.
THE SAND TEST APPLIED.
The rife had then fired over 40 shots and as it
had been cooled with water II necessary 10
clean 1t before applying tho sand test. This
sists in placing the rife in box connected with
large bellows. Midway Is funnel containing fine
sand This is blown with great force into the box
barrel being stopped avoid Injury to the rinng.
The idea 10 to give the arm such test as II would
test six shots fired by Mr.. Savage and the
rife behaved admirably. lie was not allowed TO
| clean the weapon except with his hand and by
| blowing the sand out Just as soldier In action
would. The test a severe one and was made in
these four methods. six shots being fired after each
test. Only the first two were used at the Govern
ment trials. (a) Magazine empty. breech closed:
| 90 magazine full breech closed (c) magazine
empty breech open: I'D magazine full breech open.
No record was taken Of the first round, this
|
rounds follows:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. "a
3........................... 5.24
The score however. Is Ydlnahle. Indicating that