The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-14
NEW BRITISH RIFLE.
A stumpy Weapon TO Replace Lee
charlottesville Defects Alleged
In British Journals.

Stumpy Weapon to Replace Lee
EnfeId-PossibIe Defects Alleged
in British Journals.
From the London Express.
Some important and drastic altera-
lions are being made in the government
small arms factories consequent on the
arrangement made by the War Office
for the new pattern of rifle, the adop-
ton of which reused considerable COM
ments some months ago.
At Enfield Lock an extensive scheme
of reorganization has just been COM
menced.
In the first place. recent order for
$4,000 Lee Entitled rifles has been cam
celed.
The newly adopted weapon Is called
the Lee Enfield Modified" It's mech
anism, so IL is claimed. is much less
complex than that of the present Lee
Enfield; 1t is composed of a smaller
number of parts, and is therefore turn
ed out at less cost of time and material,
and finally the modified is stated to
possess greater velocity of discharge.
The weapon, exclusively described
some months ago In the columns of the
ments.
The new rife. 1t was urged, was
| stumpy In appearance, being the out
come of an idea to provide all branches
of our service with small arm of one
uniform pattern. 1t is, in fact. really
compromise between a rifle and a car
| bine.
1t is five inches shorter than the ex-
listing rifle, which would certainly sug-
gest that the full effectiveness of the
infantry arm is in danger of being sac
rificed to the hardly equal advantage
of uniformity.
For with diminished length Of bar
rel the backsight and foresight are
brought much closer together thereby
increasing the possible angle of error
in aiming and causing a most regretta-
BILE less of accuracy at the longer ranges
so common at the present day.
The loss of reach in a bayonet fight,
too, should be a consideration.
Another novelty about the new wea-
pom is provided by the barrel, which is
entirely covered by wood casing up
to about an inch of the muzzle-an inn
provement which will undoubtedly be
fully appreciated.
Some critics have dealt rather Sc
verely with the system of sighting. The
back-sight, compared with the exist
ing pattern, is somewhat clumsy to
look at. The flap is large, and pro-
vides for adjustment up to considera-
BILE range without being raised, this
only being necessary at extreme dis
tances from the objective. Despite APP
pearances, this arrangement is advan-
tageous.
The backsight is practically the only
portion of the barrel of the rifle which
energies from the wooden casing. This
so thoroughly envelopes the barrel that
heat radiation, which in the present
pattern is disseminated over the whole
exposed length, is likely to concentrate
itself at the only outlet to be found
at the backsight and Immediately in
front of the eye of the firer. This is
a positive defect which would mini
mize the accuracy of the arm.
The introduction of a hooded fore
sight is also open to objection as being
unsuited to rough and-ready conditions
of active service.
For loading the carrier system is
adopted.
In order to prepare the Enfield lock
factory for the manufacture of the new
rifle, II is necessary that much of the
machinery shall be altered and new
machines laid down.
Engineers have this week commence
stated at Enfield recently that the gov
eminent does not intend to start the
manufacture of the modified" arm I'M
til about June next.
The same process of reconstruction is,
1t is understood, being arranged for at
the government small-arms factory,
Sparkbrook. Birmingham; at the Small
Heath small-arms factory, and at the
works of the London Armory Company,
Old Ford, K.
Considerable dissatisfaction exists at
Enfield Lock that the government
should have chosen the winter for the
change.
Restrictions of employment in regard
to the machine-gun department are an
ticipated at Enfield and the Vickers-
Maxim Company's works at Sheffield