The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-05

Q1SdQVanIaR6 unQef WHICH tHt bHlteu States troops labored as a result or their obsolete small arms are too well known to the public to bear repetition, but it Is interesting to note that the Spanish American war, if 1t did noth- ing else. awoke the army authorities to the necessity for keeping abreast Of the times in ordinance construction. The United States magazine rifle which was being introduced in the army when the war begun was considered a good weapon, but the advance made in the
 last few years as a result of careful study and exhaustive experiments may be understood when it Is known that the rifle now in use and the arm which is to be introduced in December have no two points in common. The most not able difference between the old and the new arm apparent at first glance. is the fact that the barrel of the latter arm is entirely covered with wood This innovation was the result of practical suggestion made to the ordnance of ficers by enlisted men of the army. Following the campaign in Cuba and in the Philippines. many complaint were made to the ordnance officers by of f1cers in the field, who said that after a period of rapid discharge the rifle barrels became so hot that 1t was sometimes necessary to cease firing for a time to permit them to cool. In many cases men in the heat of battle had the skin burned from their hands by the hot barrels. The wood covered barrel is the result of these suggestions. the steel being entirely covered to within two inches of the muzzle of the gun. In almost every other particular, from stock to forward sight, theise is an im- portant difference between the old and - i., Afh which are not aparent to the ordinary observer. but which have the great est weight with ordnance experts, the new arm is far superior to the old. The bore of the new rifle is smaller. the calibre being about 80 inches while the initial velocity and penetrating pow CT are both greater. The new gun is also several inches shorter than the old arm-about the length in fact of the old Springfield carbine. with which the United States cavalary were armed af- ter the civil war. Indeed if 1t were not for the wooden covered barrel and the peculiar loading and ejecting mechan- ism the gun would be almost a counter part of the famous cavalary weapon.
 The "U. S.. Magazine Rifle, Model of 1903," as the new arm is technically known, will. 1t is believed. prove ex- ceptionally popular with the enlisted force of the regular establishment. In addition to the covered barrel feat ure, the ejecting lever. which on the rifle now in use projects at right an- gles from the piece and has been the cause of more profanity on the part of the enlisted men than any other portion of his entire equipment, projects down. ward in the new arm and can be fill ed with ease and quickness. The gun, fully assembled. weighs trifle over eight pounds and according to the ord- nance experts. Is exceptionally well balanced, making ease of discharge and accuracy of aim a feature of i'm portance.
 Some Idea of the efficiency of tho new arm can be gained when 1t Is known that twenty-three aimed shots have been fired in one minute with the rifle, used as a single loader and twen- ty-five shots in the same time, using magazine fire. Firing from the hip without aim. twenty-seven shots have been fired in one minute. using the rifle as single loader and thirty-f1ve shots in one minute from the magazine. With an ordinary service charge the powder pressure in the rifle chamber is about 49,000 pounds per square inch, the maximum effective fighting range 4,7Sl yards. The exceptionally pene- trating powers of the hifle were Illus trated in a test held some time ago With full service charge. the rifle. fired at a distance of fifty feet, drove it's steel missile 545 inches into white pine butts. and penetrated a steel plate near ly one half an inch thick. The bull let which will be used in the arm has Q core of lead and tin composition in a jacket of cupro- -nickle and when fir ed with a service charge has a mug gle velocity of 230O feet a second.
 The army officers on duty in Wash lngton say that it will be only a little while after the regular army is sup piled with the new guns before about half of them will be back in the arsen- als in need of repairs. The enlisted man. as it has been found from long experience, Is migthy set in his ways, and it takes him long time to get used to anything new in his fighting equipment Consequently. when new riflo is issued to him he proceeds to tako 1t to pieces to find out how 1t works. In the case of the modern rifle, this is rather formidable undertaking and the army regulations prohibit an enlisted man from experimenting in this manner. The new gun has ninety component parts &and is so complicated that it is freely predicted that if an enlisted man takes 1t to pieces he will land in the guard house and his rifle in the repair shop before it is ever got together again.
 One thing Is considered certain, how ever. and that Is that by January lst, 1905. the Tinted States Army will he provided with the best magazine rifle now in use in any country. big or little, and it will not be very long before the enlisted personnel will know how to use them. It is hoped by the ordinance experts that the new gun will prove to be not only abreast of small arm construction but somewhat in advance. so that it will be unnecessary to mako another change in the weapons of the United States army for a good many years to come. From present indica- tions their hopes bid far to be req lized
 REVIVAL SERVICES.