Iron County register., 1897-09-09


the lack of familiarity among the men
with their new arms. The present
carbine is the Krag-Jorgensen type,
and beautiful arm it is. although
many a trooper from long attachment
sighs for the old Springfield rifle. as
| he feels the weight of the stranger on
his saddle The Sd Cavalry received
the new arm among the first of the
regiments last summer. The car
tridges are long, slim affairs, carrying
steel-hooded bullet an inch long.
The caliber has been reduced to so in
the carbine.
The new arm is supposed to combine
several quantities in larger degree
than possessed by the Springfield arm.
Among them are a greater initial vel
ocity and flatter trajectory. The
velocity of the present bullet is 1900
feet per second, and of the old arm
1900 feet in the same period. That
the new bullets will easily pierce II
inches of an oak tree has been repeat
edly illustrated here on the range.
Officers and men alike agree that the
new arm is superior to the old type,
and yet they say the sight adjustment
is not yet what it will be, and that a
change of arm ip consequence may be
expected in a comparatively short
time. The bullet of the new carbine
makes clean, small wound, as was
shown by shot fired through an old
horse yesterday on the range. 1t
pierced the animal through and
through, but he lived for some time,
walking about and showing no appar-
ent effects of the shot, until the exper-
iment was ended through humane mo-
tives by an officer. The theory OF the
new arm is for long-distance firing and
humane effect. 1t is the idea to catch
an enemy at great distance, and
MAIN him so that he will be unable to
advance, and yet not with bullet
which makes ragged, fatal wound,
but one which can easily be mended
by the surgeons skill. The reduced
caliber has this theory behind it.
The army revolver has also been re-
duced in caliber from 45 to 3S, on the
theory that greater accuracy is secured
in consequence. Most of the officers
fail to approve of the change In cali
Der, saying that the old 45 was accu-
rate enough at short range. They say
that when it comes to close quarters,
in which revolver is brought into
play and carbine abandoned, they need
weapon which can be relied upon to
effectually stop an advancing enemy,
and the larger the caliber the greater
the shock impaired by the bullet and
the more effectual its work. For long
ranges they say the small caliber, fiat
trajectory carbines are all right, be-
cause the enemy becomes exhausted
and feels the effect of his small ealiber
wound before he reacher the trooper,
but when he is close enough for the
trooper to use his revolver, then he
must receive a sufficient shock from
the bullet to stop him instanter.
There are many other questions dis
cussed nightly along the officers row.
One party contends that the second
finger should be used to pull triggers,
owing to its greater strength in exert
ing the 6-pound pressure necessary for
firing. Another party declares that
the use of the second finger is detri-
mental to the aim, as the accuracy OF
shot depends very much on the readi-
ness with which the fingers answer the
will. They say no other part of the
body responds as quickly and accurate
ly to the will as does the forefinger,
and hence it and it alone should be
used in handling the trigger.
The present squadron will remain
here for a month. The other squad
ron. under command of Capt. Chase,
had just finished its work before the
present squadron invaded the range.
Capt. Hunter will have the men at
work eight hours each day on the
range with carbine and revolver, the
only day rest being the Sabbath. The
ammunition tents now hold $4,000
rounds for the carbines and $4,000 for
the revolvers. It is not the intention
to bring back any OF this supply, ex-
cept in the form of empty cartridge
shells.
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