The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-06
SELF-SHOOTING GUN.
Weapon with Which the Army and Nav
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-
quiring to be aimed. 1t is the Colt au'
tomato gun.
/ This wonderful gun weighs only 4e
pounds. 1t is magazine rifle, with one
barrel, the caliber of which is the same
,as that of the improved rife newly
adopted by the navy, little less than
q quarter Of an inch. This means that
the bullet which is of lead, with a
steel jacket, is much less in diameter
than IN 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 projectiles
each second, and they leave the weapon
with q velocity Of nearly half mile q
second.
The rapidity Of the discharge is SO
tremendous that there seems to be q
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 belt,
which are coiled in boxes and readily
attachable to the breech. The boxes
hold from 400 to 500 cartridges. All the
marksman has to do is to pull the trig:
ger once and the gun goes on firing OF
its own accord as long as the cartridges
are supplied. In fact, the instrument
is repeating rifle with an inexhausti.
BILE magazine and a rapidity of fire that
is almost uncomfortable. It uses the
same bullets es the new navy rifle, and
they are discharged with the same We
,locity. but the discharge is automatic,
the firing mechanism being operated
by powder gas.
The weapon may be carried comfort.
Iably In a boot" at the side OF troop.
er's horse. Ordinarily, on land, it Il
designed to be mounted for action upon
light tripod. It is provided with q
pivot, set into a 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. On.
of these weapons at a distance of
mile might NOW down an entire regi.
ment within two minutes. so that hard.
ly a man would be left unwounded
The Colt gun is sighted ordinarily for
2 900 yards, which is a little over
mile, but it is as effective at twice that
distance. However it is not practica.
bic to fire at individuals beyond 1900
yards.
The marksman uses both hands IL
aiming the gun, whether it Is set on a
tripod or on the rail of weasel. 1t re-
spends so readily to adjustment that he
is able to write his name with bullets
upon a good-siEed target. and to do il
with considerable rapidity. II tbs
weapon is mounted upon tripod. he
seats himself on saddle that looks
ike 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 IL
back as long as be desires the gun &c
keep on firing. varying the aim just as
q person directing garden hose would
do.
The United States army is also going
to have guns of the Colt type. The war
has orfiered a trial of them.
Guns Of this pattern are conparative-
~ cheap. Thsy can be made in quaDti-
lies for a selling price of about $500.
The cartridges cost only s2j per 1.oc1
-2is cents each.-E. Y. Journal