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

FROM FLINTLocK TO KRAG.
Century Long Evolution Of the Army
Rife.

Century Long Evolution OF the Army
| Rife.
There is something fascinating
about a gun, especially II 1t is an army
gun, says a Springfield, Mass, letter.
Perhaps 1t has never killed a man.
Perhaps 1t will never kill one. Even
IL 1t does 1t isn't the only mankiller in
the world. The trolley car is a good
old reliable along that line. And then
there are cows, banana peel, yellow
fever mosquitoes and a raft Of evil
disposed microbes.
Almost anything can kill a man II
it can get just the right jiu-jitsu hold
on his life. But the fascinating thing
about an army gun Is that mankilling
Is not a mere incident in its career.
1t Is its whole end and aim. So when
one looks into its barrel or handles Its
cartridges there is what the poet calls
a horrid fascination about 1t.
| That being the case, even men who
have no notion Of getting in front Of
gun, or behind one either, may care
to know something about the army
rifles the country makes.
In the first place Uncle Sam makes
his own guns. II he should have a
big war on his hands he might be
driven to buying guns made by pri-
vate contractors. Otherwise every ri
fe used by the regular army or by the
militia is made here at Springfield or
at Rock Island. Ill.
The history of the Springfield rife
is the history Of cunning for the last
century. The armory was started here
in 1871 but the first records Of the
guns made here begin in 1894.
Though at that time we were rather
on the outer fringe Of the world we
| were up to date in our army guns.
The first recorded model made at
| Springfield was a French fiintlock,
| smooth bore musket, known as the
Charlville model.
So far as looks went 1t was rather
formidable. having a barrel about
three feet long and a bayonet almost
as big as sword. AS a matter of
fact, though, this musket-which was
essentially the same as the one with
which American independence was
gained-was less deadly than II look
ed.
No wonder the men of Bunker Hill
were told to hold their fire until
| they could see the whites Of the en-
my's eyes. Their guns couldn't be
depended on for a much longer range.
Peyond eighty yards the aim was hit
or miss: chiefly miss. At 200 yards
this type of gun couldn't be depended
on to hit anything even in a massed
company.
This model was in use for about
forty years, but 1t was gradually i'm
proved by the care and finish in max
ing. until in 1905 our remarkable gum
merry actually led the English to send
commission over here to try to learn
something from us, thing which
they have been doing ever since.
Lieut.. Warlen," they reported.
"having heard that good shooting
could be made at 200 yards with the
United States service musket and
knowing that the English musket was
useless at that distance as far as
accuracy was concerned. went to Gov
ernor's Island to find out II Major
Thornton could arrange a day for
some practice at that distance"
Imagine our pride at being able to
show off our long range shooting to
the hated British! However they got
ahead OF US in the first big stride
Of Improvement in the old musket.
1t seems rather queer that 1t was
an English clergyman who first pat
ented a percussion process for ex-
ploding gunpowder. His name was
Forsyth, and his patent. issued In
1907, was on the use Of a potassium
chlorate mixture.
From that time on for forty years
inventors all over the civilized world
were constantly experimenting with
percussion guns, but 1t was not until
1912 that this government accepted
model Of this type. The first percus-
sion guns manufactured by this gov
|rnmrnt were made in 1874 and were
followed by ten years Of gradual i'm
"rovement along that one line.
The next radical change was to the
rife musket.
Rifles were not new. They had been
used for years in this country and
| abroad for special military organiza-
tions. but they were not very sesis-
factory.
So far back as the end of the eigh-
teenth century this country had form
ed a corps of rifemen. But the French
| about this time gave up the whole
idea said the weapon was imprac-
ticable and suited only the phleg-
matte constitution Of an Englishman"
If anybody should attempt to ram
one of the old rifle bullets OF that day
down the barrel Of the gun he would see
the French point Of view. The rifles
being muzzle loading, the bullets had
| to be made perceptibly smaller than
the barrel and it took time and pa
tience to ram them home. 1t was not
till the introduction Of the metallic
cartridge that the rifle musket became
really serviceable.
That brings the story up to our war
model. the model Of 1855. 1t was
rified musket, .5S, firing an expanding
mimic bullet
AS the calibre of the musket grew
less the bullet became longer, thus
securing greater speed and range.
With this gun a destructive fire could
be delivered at a distance Of $50 yards.
and even at 1000 yards it would pen
citrate more than three inches of white
pine. so that 1t was not to be lightly
regarded inside that distance.
The next step in gun making was
the breechloader. Like the other rad
ical changes. 1t was long time in the
making.
So far back as 1919 an inventor
named John Hall was employed by
the government to set up his ma