Evening star., 1903-07-25
The New (Shorter) and Old Rife.

the wood mentioned from various distances
a queer target was arranged for the test
of the new rifle. Some twenty more
squares made of one-inch white pine We're
mounted vertically, one inch apart at the
end of field. Bullets shot from the i'm
proved cartridges of the new gun demon
Strated that from a distance Of fifty-three
feet from the nearest square the average
penetration was through 54.7 of the boards;
at 100 yards. through 63.
Only forty-siX men can be moved down
by one bullet of the armyS present krag
Jorgensen rifle, as against the fffty-five
which could be put to death at one trigger
pull of the new arm. both weapons being
discharged at tifty-three feet away.
Although this rifle will hurl bullet five
miles, 1900 yards is the greatest distance
with which the soldier with the sharpest
| eyes. even when aided by a telescope. can
see a human target with sufficient accu-
racy to aim.
Bullets Faster and Straighter
| The new bullet has the same weight as
| that Of the Krag -Jorgensen rifle but back
| of 1t Is 43.3 grains of powder whereas the
! charge of the present rifle Is but 376
| grains. The bullets leave the new wea-
pon's muzzle buzzins through space at
velocity OF 200 feet per second, or 800
feet per second faster than the muZzle We
| locity of the present rifles bullets At a
distance of 1000 yards the new weapons
| bullets are flying at a speed of g5S feet
| per second: those Of the old at 9Ol Strk-
| Ing soldier at that distance one of the
| new bullets would exert upon his tissues
| the same energy as would AS pounds of
lead dropped from a height of one foot
The striking energy Of the old rifles bull
| let's is that of BOG pounds dropped the
| same distance.
The heavier charge of the new rifes
| cartridges besides giving this greater veloc-
| ity and this greater striking energy causes
| Its bullets to travel In a much fiatter YER
| teal curve or Trajectory" To reach the
| soldier 1000 yards away, the old rifles
bullet must go five feet higher in the air
than must that of the new. The --LATEST
possible trajectory Is what ordnance ex-
perts the world over have been striving for
and we have beaten that of the German
military rifle hitherto the most nearly per
feet in this respect by more than three
feet. The fiatter the trajectory, the surer
the aim.
The bullet of the new arm is equal to
that of the old in diameter (0.3 in.) as well
as in weight. But its greater charge of
powder increases the weight of the entire
cartridge by more than twelve grains Yet
the total weight of the new rifle with bay
onet. scabbard and 100 cartridges is one
pound less than that of the old with the
same additions. This is the result of in
genious economy in arrangng the parts
of the new arm. 1t is six inches shorter
over all. than the old. With it's new SUBJ
stitute for bayonet and scabbard IT
weighs only 947 pounds against the 1904
pounds of the Krag- -Jorgensen with the
present bayonet and scabbard.
Converted Into Pike.
For the first time in history, the Ameri-
can soldier will now be armed with a pike
This little rifle can be converted into such
weapon by simply pressing a button un-
der the muzzle and pulling out the cleaning
rod beneath the barrel. This rod Of steel
terminates in a sort of threaded spear
point When pulled out to a distance OF
ten inches beyond the muZZle Of the rifle
the button catch gives click and holds
the rod fast. This steel pike will replace
the present bayonet. 1t Is in fact known
also as the rod bayonet." The bayonet
and its scabbard are thus dispensed with
as separate articles, such as would weigh
down the soldier The barbarous bayonet
as we know it. has rapidly decreased in
and its death knell in our army has now
been sounded for all time. Its place at the
soldiers belt will hereafter be filed by an
intrenching tool. now being designed. The
need of an intrenchng tool-a convenient
trowel with which the soldier can hurriedIy
ing in our army.
A change In the manual of arms will be
necessitated by the Introduction of the
new arm and the attention of the general
staff has been called to this problem. The
charge bayonets' and load of the in
fantry tactics will have to be modified
The new weapon Is a magazine gun, fir
ing five cartridges in succession, as does
the KFag-Jorgensen. The magazine Is in
the stock. directly below the chamber.
jects awkwardly at tho side.
The new load Of the manual will be
executed by means Of clips-little strips Of
brass-each holding five cartridges In
row. To dll the magasine. a clip 10 held
edgewise over the chamber and by pres
aura Nth fha rfRht fh0unh N tfA TON