Gilpin observer., 1900-11-15
EEcHIAE GUN FOR ARMY
Tests Being Made Of the Maxim
Automatic.
FOB SERVICE BY TROOPS III TROPICS

Such Ordnance Would BE of Great
Value In the Philippine Campaign.
Automatic Gun better Than One
Operated With Crnnk-Why Colt
Gun Wns Chosen by the Navy.
Tests are now being conducted at
the Springfield arsenal of the Maxim
automatic machine gun with a view
to it's adoption for use by the army.
The ordnance department of the army
has had under consideration for sew
eral months the selection OF an auto
matte gun for service by troops in the
tropics. Different types of automatic
guns have been examined and tested.
In the navy, after an investigation of
nearly three years. the Colt automatic
gun was placed in competition with Il
number Of other inventions, among
them the Accles n French invention,
the Gardner, the Skoda and the Max
i'm.
OF these machine guns, the Colt,
Skoda and Maxim were operated auto
matically and the others We're fired by
the turning Of a crank. The automatic
nearly $50 rounds per minute, says the
New York Sun.
Machine guns use the small arm
metallic ammunition, which is of the
same caliber as the rifle ammunition.
Several satisfactory tests lave been
conducted by machine guns manipu-
lated by crank. but few automatic
guns have presented such advantages
us to recommend their adoption. The
advantages claimed by the Maxim in
ventors for their gun are its lightness
and consequent mobility. freedom
from damage due to "hang fires"
great directive facility. due to absence
of crank effort; small crew required.
continuity CT fire, facility OF packing
and stability of cartridges. due to the
design of tie feed belt. The navy de-
partment recognized some time ago
that the efficiency of the automatic
gun was much greater than that of
any gun worked by hand and decided
upon the adoption Of gun of this type
for landing parties.
The Maxim gun has been used in
several services since 1885 and less
than two years ago WAS adopted by
the German navy. The tests conduct
cd 1T Springfield have proved highly
satisfactory, but further tests will be
given the gun with the new rimless
cartridge. The points being consid-
cred by the board of officers at Spring
field are as follows: The certainty of
fire, simplicity Of the mechanism
and its liability to get out of order in
service, accuracy and facility of aimed
fire, rate of fire. weight of gun. method
of feed and ammunition supply, ease
and convenience OF manipulation and
crew required.
The Maxim gun Is operated by n
crew of two men, the cartridges being
fed into the gun ON long belt which
passes through the firing chamber from
left to right. This gun is constructed
for several kinds of service. 1t Is
built on parapet mounting for forti6ca-
ton, and when so constructed can be
drawn into position by one man. It's
total weight is less than 81 pounds,
and 1t can be so dissembled rs to pack
on mules or be carried on the shoulders
of soldiers, as would knapsack. The
Maxim gun was used with great effect
in the Matabelc and ChltraI campaigns
in 1898. 1894 and 1895. An Illustration
of their effectiveness is given in the
London Daily News describing their
use against the Matabele warriors. The
News says:
Most Of these men had probably
never seen Il machine gun in their
lives. Their trust was in their spears,
for In all their rude experience OF war
fare they have never known an enemy
to withstand them. In how many
European armies would men who had
survived one shower of hail from mod
ern artillery come forward to try their
luck again? These savagcs were equal
to the attempt. but once more the Max
i'm swept them down In the dense
masses Of their concentration"
1t is not improbable that the test of
the Maxim gun viii be hurrledly COM
pleted and that orders for this or some
other automatic gun. to be delivered to
the army as soon as possible. will be
given by the ordnance department.
That their use in the Philippine cam
paign, where they can be carried
through marshflclds and points inac-
cessible to heavy artillery. would be of
great advantage Is clearly recognized
by officers of the army, and General
Burlington will be urged to provide the
Maxim or some other automatic gun
for use In the tropics.
A Roller Bout on n Ferry.