Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-12-05

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the different arsenals.
The breechloading idea was all
right in itself, but it did not get on
we'll with the old gun and the old
charge.
| 1t seems as II improvements are al
ways onelegged. Each one limps till
another comes to help 1t along. So
the breechloading gun had to have
a self-primed, expanding, metallic
cartridge before 1t could get into the
march Of progress.
The period before the outbreak of
| the civil war was one Of continual
experimenting with breechloaders
and even with magazine rifles. Be-
tween 1852 and 1860 the government
purchased 1913 breechloading arms
of various patterns besides the rights
to alter 1000 old arms upon two
plans and to manufacture 5000 car
bines and metallic case cartridges on
one of these plans.
But the war put a stop to the ex-
| pertinent. The need for immense
quantities Of arms taxed the govern
ment armories to their utmost and'in
addition thousands Of contract made
guns were purchased.
1t may surprise some people to
know that between 1861 and 1855 the
government purchased $4,000 maga-
zine rifles of one make alone. This
was the Spencer repeating rifle. firing
seven cartridges without reloading.
But the vast majority of guns used
during the war were the old 1855
model rifed musket, muzzle loading,
calibre .5S. Toward the end Of the
war the Springfield board recon-
mended the adoption Of the Peabody
breechloading rife, but the war de-
partment disapproved.
They did begin to make the Joslyn,
but the reports from the field were
unfavorable and only 5000 guns of
that model were turned out. Next
the government tried converting the
old muskets into breechloaders and
$4,000 were altered in this way. The
old rifling was bored out and tube
inserted in the barrel, a process
which naturally proved decidedly I'M
successful.
But with the war over and Its
lessons laid to heart, the Springfield
armory got busy with evolution Of
the modern rifle. A new model was
introduced every year or two. Ex-
perimen:s followed on one another's
failure or success.
The calibre was reduced from .58
to As. The gun became a breech-
loader, a repeater or magazine rifle.
The sights were continually improv-
ed.
This went on until in 1892 the gun
known to the public as the Krag te-
came the regular army rifle. The
calibre by this time was down to
80, where 1t still remains.
The latest model Is the last word
in military rifles. While the effective
range Of the civil war rife musket
was $50 yards, that Of this years gun
Is 1000 yards, with an extra range
Of 300 yards.
A lot Of interesting things have
happened to the bayonet while the
gun itself has been going through
these changes. At first 1t used to
have a hollow handle. which slipped
right over the muzzle Of the gun when
bayonets were fixed. AS a conse-
uuence the guns could not be fired
without taking off the bayonet, nor
could a charge be made after firing
without stopping to put the bayonet
on. 1t was natural that a manner
less inconvenient should be devised,
and 1t soon was.
Later the experiment was made Of
using a trowel shaped bayonet, so
that 1t could be employed in throwing
up trenches. But this was discarded
because of it's weight and shortness,
which placed men at a disadvantage
against troops equipped with longer
bayonets.
Fifteen years ago it was thought
that the long range modern rifles
would practically do away with close
encounters between opposing armies,
and the moral support which a SOL
dier gains from having a bayonet In
his possession could be given by less
burdensome variety Of the article.
A rod bayonet was therefore intro
duced. 1t had a pointed tip and was
carried in the same position which the
| ramrod used to ocupy on the gun
barrel.
But the Russo-Japanese war has
brought back the old bayonet with
it's deadly power in a hand to hand
e counter. The events around Port
Arthur demonstrated that 1t is i'm
possible for troops to advance In the
face of modern firing. They simply
cannot stand up against it.
AS a consequence, the advances
upon a fortified position must be
made at night The old knife bayo-
net is more effectual in the hand to
hand encounters which come either
in case of a sortie or in storming the
works to which these night advances
bring the troops.
It Is a matter of curiosity to the
outsider what becomes Of the old
guns.
In many cases certain parts OF
them can be used again in the manu-
facture of improved models. Others
are passed in from the regulars to the
militia. Some are sold to boys mill
tary schools. Hundreds of them are
sold to dealers and by them to collec-
tors Of souvenirs.
While the life Of a gun Is more
often cut short by its going out OF
fashion than in any other way, still
It grows feeble and useless just as
human beings do. Every time mod
ern rifle Is fired the explosion liber-
ates gases which have an enormous
pressure.
This produces a heat which Is in
tense. Firing many rounds is likely
to cause such erosion of the interior
of the barrel as will seriously impair