Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-09-16
THE NEW ARMY RIFLE.

Believed to Be Superior to Any Small
Arm Now In uss.
It is hoped, says Washington let
ter to issue the new magazine rifle to
the army in about three months. This
weapon Is believed to be superior to
any in use in foreign armies at this
time.
Forty thousand Of the rifles have al
ready been completed. None will be
issued to the troops Of the Regular es-
tablishment. however, until 10000
the number required to supply the
maximum strength Of the army on a
war footing-have been completed. At
the present rate Of progress this Will
probably be about December 1.
The old rifle, which has been in use
since just before the Spanish war, will
be returned to the arsenals and later
reissued to the various militia organ
izations now armed with the ancient
Springfield rife.
1t is interesting to note that the
Spanish war, II 1t did nothing else,
.awoke the army authorities to the nee
essity Of keeping abreast Of the times
In ordnance construction. The Unit
ed States magazine rifle, which was In
troduced just before the war began,
was considered e good weapon. but a
great advance has been made In the
last few years In the construction OF
small arms.
The most noticeable difference between
the old and the new arm is the fact
that the barrel Of the latter Is entire
ly covered with wood. This innovation
was the result of suggestions made to
the ordnance officers by enlisted men.
In the campaign in Cuba and in the
Philippines 1t was found that after q
period Of rapid discharges the rife
barrels became 80 hot that 1t was
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 barrels Is
tie result Of these experiences. 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, there is an I'M
portant difference between the old and
the new guns. The bore OF the new
rifle is smaller, the calibre being ABOUT
30 inch, while the initial velocity and
penetrating power 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
Cavalry were armed after the civil
war.
The "U. 8. Magazine Rife, Model OF
1903," as the new arm is technicaiiy
known, will, 1t Is believed, prove ex-
ceptionally popular with the enlisted
force. The magazine has a capacity
of five cartridges, and can be nied
with ease and quickness. Fully as
sembled, the rifle weighs a trihe more
than eight pounds.
Some idea of its efficiency can be
gained when It is known that twenty
three aimed shots have been fired IN
one minute with the rifle used as a
single loader, and twenty-five shots IN
the same time, using magazine fire.
Firing from the hip without aim' t"en-
ty-seven shots have been fired IN one
minute, using the rifle as single
loader, and thirty-five shots IN one
minute from the magazine.
With an ordinary charge the powder
pressure in the rifle chamber Is about
49, 900 pounds to the square Inch, ana
the maximum effective fighting range
4,7S1 yards.
The exceptional penetrating powers
of the rifle were illustrated IN the test
held some time ago. With full SER
vice charge, the rife, fired at q dis
tance of fifty feet, drove It's steel mis-
sile 54.5 inches into white pine butts. :
and penetrated steel plate nearly one
half inch thick.
The bullet which will be used IN the
arm has a core Of lead and tin COM
position in jacket Of cupro-nickel and
when fired with service charge mas
a muzzle velocity of $500 feet per Sec
ond.
It is hoped by the ordnance experts
that the new gun will prove to be
not only abreast of small arms con-
struction, but somewhat In advance,
so that It will be Unnecessary to make
another change in the weapons OF the
United States army for a good many
years to come.