The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-25
Our New Small CaIibre Arms.

There are many new departures in fight
ing apparatus which win be put to the test
in the pending conflict; breech-loading
riled cannon. Harveyized armor plate,
smokeless powder. nickel-steel projectiles. |
pnuematic guns. and various sorts of cleo
trical appliances. Not the least important
Innovation which has been made in the
land and naval equipments, however, is
the adoption of small calibre rifles for
both the army and the navy. An encoun-
ter between the land troops OF the United
States and Spain, or between naval forces
at close quarters. would probably present
some striking Illustrations of the effec-
tiveness of the small arms practice. since
the Spanish troops and navy are also
equipped with small bore rifles. but Of
different pattern from the American,
The Spanish rife is the Mauser, which
is extensively used in Europe and by
many of the Spanish-American countries
Its calibre is .276 of an inch, and it's bullet
is copper covered. Smokeless powder is
burned, and the projectile is hurled from
the muzzle with an initial velocity of 2,2S5
feet per second. That it is a terrible
weapon has been demonstrated in various
campaigns in Asia and Africa, and indeed
In Cuba but there is nothing to indicate
that it is a better weapon than the Krag-
Jorgensen, with which the American reg
ulars are armed. Indeed, the American
board of small arms, which a few years
ago adopted this rifle for the army reach
ed the conclusion that It was superior to
the Mauser, in points of simplicity, dura-
bllity, rapidity and effectiveness. The CALI
ibre is approximately that of the Mauser
though not precisely the same. 1t also
burns smokeless powder. The bullets are
made of nickel-steel and are but little
larger than a lead pencil The point is
round and the projectile is polished. AT
the range of 1900 yards a bullet from the
Krag- JorgensenNwin penetrate a. piece of
boiler iron more than half an Inch thick
and It's effective range as something over
two miles. In tests at Chicago some time
ago, the rifle at 500 yards sent a bullet
through a cadaver and through four feet
of solid pine timber. There is no doubt
that 1t would send a shot through half a
dozen or more men standing close togeth-
er at the range of a half mile. The
wound made by the new weapon is a
clean-cut round hole through flesh and
bone alike. The claim is that it is more
| humane weapon than the old style Spring
| field, which burns ordinary black powder,
and projects a leaden bullet of consider
ably larger calibre, which tears through
the flesh and brushes the bones. Whether
the fire of the new gun will be as effec-
tive in stopping the enemy as the old one
is yet to be demonstrated.
The navy lis armed with a rifle which
is of a still smaller bore than the army
rifle. 1t Is called the Lee@Adetford, and its
bore is but .2S6 Of an inch. 1t is, indeed,
the smallest bore of any rife used by a
first rate power. 1t also burns smolseless
powder, and projects a nickel-steel bullet.
Its force may be judged from the state
ment that it sends the bullet through
three feet of seasoned oak at 400 yards.
1t is. like the Krag-Jorgensen, compare
lively simple arm, and can be fired all
most an indefinite number of times. There
has been some criticism to the effect that
the navy's rifle is of too small calibre;
that in order for man to be stopped by
its fire he must be killed outright = since
the bullet makes such a small and clean
wound that it must be instantly fatal OF
else comparatively harmless. This, how
ever, remains to be seen.s
1t is possibly to be regretted that the
army and navy and the volunteer troops
will not be armed with rifles of uniform
pattern. The latter must for a while fighi
with the old 40 calibre Springfields and
black powder. cartridges. We shall, there
fore, have, three distinct patterns, of small
arms each using a different kinasof am
munition, in the service. Ammunition will
not be interchangeable. A shortage O
ammunition in one branch of the servic'
: could not be supplied from the neares
depot of stores for another branch of th'
: service The variety of patterns of small
arms used in the Confederate army, an'
the want of interchangeability in the am
munition, was drawback which was Sc
riously felt. AT the same time, there |
no reason for experimenting that the &C
tual test of war win prove other tina
that the new arms were well chosen.