The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
THE BoER AND HIS RIFLE.
Differences Between tho Weapon Used Now
and That of Twenty Years Ago.

| anu IhAt OF twenty hearb ago.
| WAsHINGToN. Oct 28.-1n the war OF l879-SC
the Beers displayed deadly accuracy with The
rifle, but their weapon then was very different
from the arm used last week at Dundee. The
rife Of twenty years ago was built on the lines OF
| the British Martini II was a hammereSs arm
| of about nine pounds weight with 80 inch half
| octagOn barrel and q shotgun butt stock. The
calibre was 40. with a bullet weighing from 405
to $50 grains The powdct charge was 80 grains
In brass drawn cartridge case. Tho rifle was
sighted up TO 1000 yards. Besides the usual sta
tionary sight 1t had a reversible front-that Is.
sight capable Of being used as an ordinary front
sight, and, by single motion, 1t was changed
into fine pinhcad sight covered with ring 10
keep it from being knocked off. On an occasion
where particularly fine shooting was demanded
this front globe was further covered with thin
Bile shaped hood, shading it perfectly. The usual
standing rear or fixed sights on the barrel
while on the guns grip was rundown peep that
was regulated by side screw to an elevation Of
1000 yards The peep and globe were never used
under 700 or 800 yards
- Il was very much interested in the Bocr rfemen
and their weapons" said Archibald Forbes, VIII
was with Sir Evelyn Woods column in South
Africa in 1670S0 ''rhey are marvellous rife
shots They shoot their antelope and other game
from the saddle. not apparently caring to get
nearer to their quarry than 900 or 700 yards Then
they understand the currents Of nir their effect
upon the drift Of bullet and can Judge distance
as accurately as it could be measured by a skill ed
engineer They can hit an officer as far as they
can discern his insignia Of rank Sir George W.
Collcy, the commander in South Africa, was killed
lost terribly in officers at the fight mentioned,
and also at Iaings Mex and Rurkes Drift, from
the deadly rifles Of the shafpshooiins Beers"
1t is easy enough TO see how the Boer became
so expert with the rifle History Of one hundred
and more years ago in the Southwest and tho
South African vcldts Every old State of the
American Union. except Louisiana, WAS won
iESm its red owners by the 2nssT and his deadly
far-on South Africa and his descendants have
fought wild beasts and wild men for the country
producing fine wheat and corn crops is very fer
tile II has a native grass that live stock thriyes
try from southwestern Kansas to New Mexico.
But to obtain this country the Bocr had first to
CONQUER 1t. This made him sharpsshooter one
with his FIVE foot-barre rocr. smooth-borr gun.
Yves dead shot within the limitations Of his
weapon. Every, Bocr is q hunter He has to
70 $4,000 acres The country is sparscly settled
The lion and other smaller cats and the hycna
They had TO he kept down by the rocr and later
by the line. Kruger Is himself said 10 have killed
Then the ever-prescnt danger of a native outbreak
caused the solitary farmer or l}ocr to sre TO il
mat he mad the best arms available for defence
and offence.
The Bocr weapon that did such execution the
other day is the sporting model Of the Mann.
Ncher, German arm. perhaps tho most powerful
weapon of its calihre and weight in the world
The military Mannlicher Is used in tho armies
Of Austria Holland. Greece, Brazil Chill Peru
and Rnumana. The ideal Mannlicher ls a sport
ing nile known as the Haencl model II is beau
tfuly finished arm, weighing about eight pounds,
and costing n'South Africa POO German marks
The rifle barrel is 80 inches long. the carblnc pa
II has n pistol gnp and sling straps and Is hair
trgEcrcd. It's CGlibre Is 80 This rite has an
extreme range OF $500 yards, and a killing range
Of 1000. At that distance the bullet will go
of pine, quite enough force TO kill II the bullet
struck a vital part At 20 Yards II will shoot
through 80 inches Of pine. The bullet for war
is full mantled, with fine outer skin OF copper
or nickel That for game shooting is only half
mantled,. leaving the lead point exposed SO that
il opens back or mushrooms when il strikes For
deer. elk and bears there can he no better arm.
Though the bullet makes but small orince
where il enters, the cXpans. on causes II to tear
q hole as large as a mans finger when II makes
its exit Travelling at the rate Of 1000
tremendous. There has been much discussion
over the Dum-Dum bullet II Is a soft pointed
missile, but by no means so deadly or dcstrlic-
tive as Is this IIaenel Mannlicher bullet which
the Beers IRE using. II II strikes at close range,
or 1000 yards or under. and does not fatten
the Mannlicher bullet borcs a hole right through
q bone without splintcring. But when II upscs
the shock is terrible. The bullet literally smashes
the flesh and bone into fragments. 1t has been
charged that tho Beers are using the soft-ponted
bullet IN their deadly Observation-Disclosures