The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-16

equipped with the deadliest
firearm ever invented. Accord
ing to ordnance experts it has range
of five miles. will shoot a bullet through
the bodies of ffty-ive men with the
nearest man ffty-three feet away. and
at distance Of nearly a mile il will
huri its little projeetile through the
bodies of six men. II is six inches
shorter than the Krag-Jorgensen rife,
weighs nearly pound less. and It re,
quires. but second or two TO Elk bay
onets"
This frearm will be known as the
New Model Springfield" and prepare
lions are being made TO turn 1t out at
the Government arsenals at Springfield
Mass, and Rock Island. Ill The COM
bined capacities of the two plants is $50
rifles a day. but owing to the limited
appropriation available at present only
$50 will be turned out daily. Even with
this restricted output the regular army
will be supplied with the new weapons
III TESS lntin year, anu tdttI On Ahc
National Guard will be equipped.
The new rife is forty-three inches
long and weighs 9.47 pounds. The de-
crease in length is a feature after which
ordnance experts have striven for years.
The infantry used the long rifle because
of it's carrying power, while the cav
airy was equipped with the carbine.
The ammunition was different and there
was lack of uniformity in other re-
spects. This new frearm Will be used
by both cavalry and infantry. as the
shortness of the weapon will permit of
it's being carried without Inconvenience
In the saddle sling of the troopers. II
will be the shortest of all army rifles,
for the next In size is that of the jap
anese, which is forty eight inches in
length. It Will give a distinct advan-
tage to the American troops when they
fight in jungles in the Philippines or in
thick underground, where the enemy
will be hampered by longer and more
cumbersome rifles.
BY experiments made in shooting at
corpses il has been determined that the
feshy part of the human body, from front
to back. offers the same resistance as
pine plank one inch thick. In the tests
of this new firearm targets made of pine
were used, and alta distance OF fifty
three feet a bullet passed through 54.7
/ boards one inch thick.
Despite the fact that the new rifle will
hurl bullet FIVE miles, il is doubtful II
this test will be imposed in actual war
fare. The best sharpshooter. aided by a
telescope sight, can see a human target
at distance of only 1000 yards. and It
is doubtful il forces in which infantry
will be brought into play will oppose
one another at distance of much more
than a mile.
One of the most striking features in
| connection with the new Springfield is
the mob cartridge" to be used when
over troops are called out to suppress
riots. If soldiers were ordered to shoot
on such occasions IT would be dangerous
/ TO have bullets that travelled five miles.
as innocent persons a mile or mere dis
tant might be killed. To meet just such
emergencies the mob cartridge" has
been devised 1t has two round balls of
soft lead. instead of single steel-nosed
projectile, and it is not effective at q
distance of more than 200 yards. d.
In contrasting the new weapon with
| the Krag- Jorgensen, the rife now used
/ by the American troops. the following
points of superiority are claimed for
the former: The Krag can NOW dowa
only forty-six men, as against fifty-fiye
! the same for each. The new bullet is of