The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07

class of automatic firearms in which the
opening of the breech and reloading are
caused by the "kick" after the bullet
leaves the barrel. That there is consider
able energy developed by the "kick'' of a
gun any one knows who has acquired
sore shoulder while shooting, and this en-
ergy the inventor has utilized to operate
the repeating mechanism.
To fire the first shot the trigger must
of course be pulled, and then in one TWEEN
ty-ffth of a second the "ldck" drives back
a hinged lever, which is seen on top of
the pistol, and which draws back the
breech-blocks. Out flies the empty shell,
up comes a cartridge from the magazine,
and the fring-bolt is cooked. Meanwhile
the lever coming back, has pressed
against a strong spring and this pushes
the lever forward and down again. I'm
less a certain catch Is set, this operation
is repeated automatically until eight shots
are fired. But IL it Is desired to fire single
shots the catch is set, and the pistol used
like any other.
Every one who has handled a revolver
knows how difficult 1t is to keep the muz-
zle steady. The weapon Is not balanced
on one hand, and cannot be steadied with
both hands. Borchardt saw this defect
and. like the old gunmakers of the mid
zine under the center of the pistol, instead
of at the end of It, The consequence is
that the loaded pistol is balanced over the
hand, tremor or unSteadiness reduced 10 a
minimum and mere tyro can shoot well
at once. Mai. N. b. ThurSton made seven
bulls eyes and one center in eight shots
in fifteen seconds, shooting at 100 yards,
the first time he had the pistol In his hand.
But something more than the conStruc-
ton of the pistol stamps 1t as remarka-
BILE weapon. In rapidity OF hre II mas
never been equalled by any small arm.
once loaded, it fires eight shots in eight
twenty-hfths Of a second, If rapid tire is
desired, the eight reports being blended
in one "r-i-i-i-p," which sounds like SIM
gle shot In this marvellous rapidity or
fire is another tremendous advantage. The
great trouble with all modern smalI-call-
Der rifles Is that one shot from them Will
not disable a man. The bullet is too small,
the shock insufficient. And it is not with
in human power to put two or three shots
in exactly the same place. A rifle nxed
In a wise will not do that. The KICK
will destroy the aim.
But this terrible weapon fires so rapidly
that all the eight shots strike the same
place. And the successive blows will let
daylight not only through four or five men,
but through wood, stone or STEEL Moth
ing human could withstand a regiment OF
sharpshooters armed with these pistols
for the number of shots fired would eX-
coed immeasureably those fired by oppo-
nents using other weapons. Two hundred
shots a minute could be fired by an ex-
pert; 10000 shots a minute by company
OF 100 men, and 100000 shots minute by
| a regiment Of ten companies, provided the
ammunition was on hand.
Such fire Is almost inconceivable, and It
is only by comparison that we can under
stand it. 1t is equal to the fire OF 200 gat-
ling guns, of 10 regiments armed with
| Sprin ghelds, of s regiments armed with
| Krag-Jergensens, of 200 regiments of the
civil war era. While guardsman was
reloading an enemy with Borchardt
| could put between fifteen ana twenty
! shots into him. This kind Of fire knocks
| all modern tactics into "a cooked hat" for
It absolutely prevents all advances in the
! open, all charges all front attacks OF any
| kind
Fitted with the butt-stock, which comes
with It, and which is fastened to the pis-
| tol by inserting the small tenon into
the slot in the small end of the stock and
turning the roughed nut, the pistol
! becomes a rifle with an effective range OF
| 625 yards Attached to the butt is sling
with an arm rest In its center. Having
! fastened on the stock, the rifleman puts
his elbow in the rest winds the sling
| around his arm and has fine grip on the
piece and an excellent position. Rifiemen
| liked the weapon even better as rifle
than pistol
These exhibitions brought home to rifle
men the utter inadequacy of the rifles
| they We're themselves using. Against for
eigners armed with mannlichers, Mausers,
/ Lebels or such weapons as the Borchardt,
the experts said Americans would really
have no chance, no matter how great
| their bravery or how fine their drill. Lin
coin, after seeing Spencer's exhibitions in
| 1861, wanted a repeating rife adopted for
our army. Stanton and the hidebound
conservative regulars were aghast and
would not consent--and the war lasted five
years. A National Guardsman.