Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-13
FEATURES or ARM
Details of New Springfield Rifle
and its Possibilities in
Action.
LEAST WEIGHT. MOST POWER
illustrates Marvellous Improvement
in Fire Arms in Late
Years.

when the new Springfield rifle is
issued to our army, the United States
will be equipped with the most SER
viceable and powerful military rifle in
the world" says Charles j. Leach in
an article in the current number of
the Review of Reviews concerning the
weapon that will soon be manufac-
tured at Rock Island arsenal. 1T en-
bodies the best features of the present
Krag-J orgensen and the Mauser rifle,
and has been given the most eXhaus-
tive tests under conditions likely to be
met with in active service. These in
clude placing the rifle in water so
that some of its parts might rust, and
also throwing sand in the mechanism.
The new weapon is what is known
as the clip-loading magazine gun, be-
ing provided with a cutoff. which en-
abIes the irer to use it as single
loader, with the contents of the maya
zine Give cartridges in reserve.
AT present, only a few of these
guns have been issued to expert shots
in the army for firing tests; but about
December, 1908, their manufacture
for issue for the entire army will
commence. Sixty thousand will be re
quired, and they will be turned out at
the rate of about $50 per day. In case
of emergency, however, large num-
Der can be turned out, and private
manufacturers can be called upon to
make the rifles. The arming of the
militia with the new rifle will be com
pleted as soon as possible after the
army is equippedwith them.
The new Springfield weighs 9.47
pounds, against 1864 for the Krag
and its barrel is "a inches. while that
of the Krag is 80. Over all the new
piece measures 43 inches. against 40
inches for the Krag. Although the
calibre of both rifles is the same
namely, 3O-the shooting power of
the Springfield is vastly superior.
while the bullets of both rifles are
of the same weight. the smokeless
powder charge of the new rifle is in
creased to 1913 grains. that of the
Krag being 37.6 grains. The increased
charge gives the new Springfield
muzzle velocity of 1900 feet per sec
ond. which is just 300 feet per second
faster than the Krag. and increases
the muzzle energy from 1852 foot
pounds to 2,5S2.
Traj .ctOry Platter.
''This increased energy causes the
bullet to travel in a fiatter trajectory,
the rise above the ground at the high
est point of the trajectory being much
less. This increases what is known as
the danger space, or the space cover
cred by the bullet at height above
the ground not exceeding that of a
man. Thus, in shooting at 1000 yards.
the bullet at its greatest height, which
is at 500 yards, rises only 20.67 feet
in the new Springfield. whereas the
bullet in the Krag rises 25.s feet.
''As an example of the tremendous
decrease in the height of the raiec
tory Cf modern arms and The increase
Of the danger space by the flatter
trajectory, it is interesting TO note
that in shooting at 800 yards with the
muskets used before our
civil war the bullet rose at the turn
ing-point of the trajectory 129 feet in
the air. This turning-point was at
IT'S yards.
The new Springfield has range OF
five miles, although it is, of course,
impossible to see human target at
that distance. The piece will be sight
ed up to at least 5000 yards; but,
even this distance is too great for
actual aiming at man or horse. but
will aid at dropping shots at random.
At 1000 yards line of men resem-
bIes a broad line. the uniform width
of which is broken above the line of
heads and below the line of legs. At
200 yards. cavalry is distinguished
from infantry and movements can be
seen. At 1000 yards, bodies of troops
can be distinguished. and man or
horse appears like a dot. The whites
of a mans eyes can be seen at 80
yards"
Falls Down Stairs.