The times., 1899-05-10
IMPROVED Sight and
Wind GAUGE ON GUNS
The New Model for the Krag-
JOrgensen Rifles.
General Burlington Contemplates an
Investigation of the Invention.
1t Will Make the American Soldier
the Surest Shot in the
World.

Gen. A. r. Burlington, Chief Of the Blu
reau of Ordnance of the Army, returned
yesterday from an inspection trip to
Springfield General Burlington enquired
into several of the proposed improvements
Of the new small arm of the Army, and at
Sandy Hook he made special investigation
of the machine guns and the new machine
gun shields.
The new model improved sight and wind
gauge for the Krag -Jorgensen rifle oc-
cupied considerable of his time at Spring
field. When General Burlington was ap
pointed to succeed the late General Flag
Ter as Chief of Ordnance, he learned of
the proposed new sight. a model was pre-
sented to him for examination and met
with his approval, with the exception of its
weight. which he considered excessive.
At Springfield the question of reducing its
weight was discussed and it was finally
determined that it could be done without
affecting its usefulness. Accordingly the
new sight will be slightly smaller than
at first proposed and somewhat lighter.
With this new addition to the Krag-
Jorgensen rifle, 1t is believed that the
American troops will excel any others of
the world in craftsmanship. 1t is gradu
yards, but its construction permits adjust
ment for any elevation between these
limits. A report on this sight says:
Experimental firing and laboratory experiments
show that, all other conditions being identical,
the muzze velocity of ammunition loaded with
smokeless powder will be increased by exposure to
4 higher atmospheric temperature, and decreased
by lower. Consequently the elevation for any
range will vary slightly with the atmospheric
temperature. Moreover, the velocity may vary IN
velocity obtained in different rifles also varies
with the same ammunition
In sighting the gun the soldier is also
compelled to make allowance for the ef-
feet of differences in light the effect OF
mirage on the target, the effect OF heat
developed in firing, the personal equation
of the frer, and the peculiarities of indi-
viduaal guns.
To assist him the new sight has been de-
vised. Any lateral DETECTION of the bullet
during its flight can be compensated for by
moving the eyepiece to the right or left.
AS any elevation between 100 and 1000
yards can be obtained, and as the lateral
movement of the eyepiece provides ample
| correction for any deviation of the bullet,
the sight can be so adjusted as to enable
! the firer to hit the point aimed at.
| Ii is also so arranged as to enable the
sight to fulfill any conditions liable to
arise in service, such as its use by sharp
shooters when special firing at long ranges
is required in a high wind. This is done
| by means of notches on the piece. The
wind gauge has been set only after practi-
cal experiences with the sight in the field,
! as it was discovered by the Ordnance Bu-
| reau that no accurate adjustment could be
made theoretically. The adjustment of the
| sight now under construction was made by
a board of officers who experimental with
| ii in the field at San Antonio, Tex, and
| sent the result of their investigation to the
| War Department.
! Another important change to be made
! in the Krag- -Jorgensen rifle will be the
| adoption of clip by the use of which
| cartridges can be fed into the magazine of
the gun five or six at a time instead of cne
| by one. as is now done, the soldier taking
| them from his belt for that purpose. Sew
eral clips were presented to General Buff
| fington's attention while he was at SPRING
field but while it is considered perfectly
desirable to have a clip no design has yet
! been adopted.
General Burlington found that the ex-
| periments with the cannelure cartridge is
| continuing at the arsenal. This cartridge
| is used almost entirely in Europe. 1t is
different from that now in use in that the
projecting rim on the head is discarded
and In its place there is slight groove, 4
| short distance from the end. BY doing
away with the rim it has been found that
six cartridges can be put into the maya
zine of the krag -Jorgensen gun instead OF
| five. Its greatest advantage will be IN the
machine guns, as ii will enable an in
| crease in the number of cartridges to be
placed in the box from which they are FED
into the rapidly firing Calling