Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-18
NEW MAGAZINE RIFLE.
A Wonderful Weapon For the Army
Navy and Militia.
( Washington Special.


The army and navy. and eventually
the militia, of the United States, vii!
be equipped with the most effective
tirearm in the world. This is the re-
suit of exhaustive tests just completed
with the new experimental twenty
fcur-inch magazine ritlc, designed by
the ordnance department, embodying
the best features Of the slrny and navy
service weapons, with numerous I'M
provements over their mechanism. as
well as over the best points OF foreign
ordnance.
This rifle. which has just triumphed
lin the most ingenious tests that could
be devised by a board of infantry and
cavalry officers, uses a rimiess ear
fridge The weight of the bullet is go
grains, and that the pow der charge Is
44.5 grains. The powder pressure Is
$4,000 pounds to the square men, ana
the muzzle velocity is $500 feet sec
ond. The riting in the barrel makes
one turn in eight inches The maya
zine can be charged from clip by in
serting either end OF the clip in seat
in the rear of the receiver, and by
forcing the cartridges from 1T directly
into the magazine by pressure of the
right thumb on the top Of the cartridge.
The clip is elected by the forward mo-
ton of the bolt. The glla can be used
as a single loader with the magazine
empty, and if the magazine Is partly
empty it can be filled by the insertion
of single cartridges.
The experimental rife, with the
twenty -four-inch BARRE and rod bayo-
net, weighs two pounds less than the
United States magazine rifle. model of
1898, the present service arm, with its
bayonet ard bayonet scahbard. The
penetration in pine of The former, up
TO and including 100 yards is about so
per cent greater than that OF the lat
ter: and the accuracy OF the former is
IA per cent greater at 500 yards, 4.6 per
cent greater at 1000 yards, and also
greater at 1900 yards than that of the
latter The use of the clip and the
change in the cartridge increase the
weight of 100 rounds three quarters of
a pound.
A comparison of the twenty-four and
thirty-irch barrels shows that the for
mer is ~ pound lighter than the latter
and slight saving in weight is made
as a result of the shorter hand guard.
The twenty four-inch rifle is equally
accurate: it will have practically the
same penetration: 1t is better balanced
and more easily manipulated: is espe-
ciaqly available in brush or When used
as a club; its modified length makes
possible the equiprnent 81 all branches
of the service with precisely the same
weapon.
The variations in range tests of the
new and the present service rifles were
at 500 wards an average of $50 per cent
for the thirty-inch barrel and S.SS per
cent for the twenty -four-lnch; at loco
yards Ola for the thlrty-inch and 26.S
for the twenty fourincn BY using q
new type of cartridge muzzie4 velocity
of $500 feet can be obtained with the
new rifle. The receil with the new
weapon is not noticeab'y greater than
with the present service arm, NOR is
there any ma terial loss in penetration.
In an extensive test made of rapid
firing at 100 yards. marksmen kneeling
or prone, II general average of twelve
shots a minute gave ali advantage to