Rock Island Argus., 1899-11-27

The Club VIII Have REnSes Sulteu
to Practice with High Power Fire
arms Contests VIII De Held Be-
tween Visiting and Local Marks
men and Individual SharpshoOte-s.
4 novel shooting club. with rifle
ranges for practice with high power
firearms, a school of craftsmanship
and every facility 10 enable its mem
bers to perfect themselves in the
knowledge of handling and shooting
the modern high power rifle. Will soon
be organized in Chicago. The new club
will have Il capitalization of 100000
and Will be incorporated in few days.
says the Chicago Times-Herald. With
in the past few weeks similar clubs
have been organized in San Francisco.
Los Angeles and Pittsburg, but not on
the elaborate scale planned by the orig
inatorS of the Chicago club.
General interest in the modern de-
structive weapon has led the origi-
nators of the scheme to believe that
their efforts will be rewarded with
great success. Few people have the
opportunity TO learn how TO handle
rifles of the LeeMetford, kraG-JOrgen-
sen and Mauser type, and those inter-
heretofore TO content themselves with
the ordinary rifle practice on short
range.
The idea OF 4 shooting club on the
scale contemplated for the new or
ganization originated in the brain of a
former member of the Chicago Athletic
club. He spoke of the matter to few
friends. and they began considering
tho pnsSihiIitiaS Of SIrch Climb For
the last few weeks or more a commit
tee has been looking over the entire
field for a suitable place to erect a
range. Several places which might
prove acceptable have been found, but
no definite location has as yet been Sc
lected
The range, wherever erected, VIII be
thoroughly safeguarded with cemented
sides and sand bulkheads in the rear
of the targets. The shooting is to be
done through hole in the Dulkhead,
so that it will he impossible for mis-
siles to scatter. The hole is some yards
in front of the muzzle of the piece, so
that if the marksman should miss the
hole or the gun be accidentally dis
charged the projectilc would be imbed-
ded in the protected bulkhead. The
modern high power firearms. such as
the MauSer rifle and automatic pistol,
the latter shooting 120 shots Il minute,
or two a second; the Winchester, Lee
Metford. KraG- -Jorgensen and other
magazine rifles.
There are so many gun clubs now in
existence for the promotion of that
kind of shooting that the new club will
10 in
Ordinary gun clubs abound every
where and have existed from time i'm
memorial. but not until the month of
October of the present year was any
anywhere advanced for the
promotion of the establishment of n
range for the employment of the high
power firearm beyond the government
arsenals. Even in them they have
been far from perfect. so it has been
left TO private enterprise to accomplish
it along the proper lines, and Chicago
proposes to show them how To DO it
and do it right.
1t would astonish many persons to
know the entire programme of the
projectors Of the present organization,
which for many reasons cannot now
bc explained. owing To some obstacles
in the way Of securing Il suitable site
for their range.
From the favor with which the en-
tcrprise has been received by those ap-
preached SO far the promoters are de-
lighted 1T the progress made aud are
enthusiastic beyond measure. The com
pany viii be organized along well
known club lines and divided into per-
manent and transient membership.
Contests between visiting and local
marksmen and individual sharpshoot-
ers will he features, and the score will
be published in the newspapers as they
occur.
Parties who own high power fire
arms and maintain private arSenals at
their residences can have their guns
taken care of and kept in proper order
by the armorerS the club will employ
for that purpose. When il is taken into
account how many people own these
modern weapons who do not know
how to properly take care of them and
have neither the time nor inclination
to do so. il is expected Il considerable
revenue will accrue TO the club from
this source alone. besides having quite
4 number of such individuals join the
organization as subscribing stockhold-
ers and members.