The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-11-27
e.
SELECTING THE
ARMY PISTOL
Officers Busy Choosing a
Good Short Range Weapon
for the Service.
SMALL ARMS DISCUSSED
CAPTAIN VIDMERTAKEs UP THE
HISTORY OF THE PISTOL AND
GIVES INTERESTING DATA.

| WASHINGTON, D. e., Nov. 25,
1905.-For some time a most interesting
discussion has been going on among
army officers regarding the most avail
able form and character Of service
pistol This discussion ON the part of
military experts is expected to ultimately
result in the adoption of short-range
weapon of the most effective type, and
the results thus accomplished are Of
equal Importance to the sportsman,
get ranges OF the country are becoming
experts in the useNof this war arm. As
it is 30 the civilian that the War Depart
ment looks for material with which to
increase the army in times of impending
war, or an actual condition Of hostiities,
that department is, naturally, keenly ap-
1 preciatiVe of the interest now being dis
played throughout the country in rife
and revolver practice. Captain George
Vidmer of the Eleventh Cavalry, dis
cusses the merits and demerits of the
small arms now in use, and makes many
valuable suggestions as to the require
ments essential to make the pistol per-
feet weapon at short distances.
| Captain Vidmer takes up the history Of
the pistol with especial reference to its
calibre, as upon that depends what is
called its stopping" power, the function
of the pistol at short distances being to
absolutely stop, or kill the enemy, as dis
tinguished from the manning purpose of
the long range and smaller calibred rifle.
1t is found that the calibre of the pistol
has not been a fixed quantity. It was
frequently changed since the formation
of the American army in ITO The old.
flint locks then used were .66 calibre, and
between that period and the Civil War
the size of the balls were at different
periods, 20, SO, .58. .547, .545, A, As
and .3S. The history of these firearms
shows that from the inception of their
manufacture the Colt and the Smith &
Wesson people have kept abreast Of the
needs of the service and the sportsman
in supplying weapons that would meet
existing conditions. Changes have been
required owing to the discovery of smoke
less powder, higher and more effective
explosive and great improvements in the
general character of the bullet. As early
as 1888, "A canbre Colt was put into
the field and experience has shown that
this was about the proper size for thor
oughly effective and reliable weapon or
this class. A new army model, but of
the same calibre. was brought out in
1860 and these were in general use by
the Northern troops during the war. The
Southern troops used both A and a
As. After the Civil War the department
adopted AS calibre pistol. 1t was in
the Civil War that the pistol developed
itself, proved it's efficiency and necessity
and made for itself place in the arnna-
ment of our cavalrymen. In recent years
the War Department adopted the present
double-action Colt IS. calibre pistol.
! In summing up the essential require
| ments Of the service pistol, Captain
yidmer finds them to be: First, the
shock from the bullet must be sufficient
to kill, and produce an instantaneous
stop. Second, it must be quick frer
and rapid reloader Third, it must be
simple and of few parts.
| The eSpreseut course in pistol practice
calls for firing at 80 yards, and the
competitions for seventy-fve yards. Tx
perience in the civil war and more re-
Gently in the Philippines, shows that
pistols were used almost entirely at the
very shortest range in the hand-to-hand
scrimmage. The close range fights IN
the Moro country have tested the
worth of the As calibre pistol thorough
| ". The English army officer in the
Zulu country, who is serving under prac-
| tically the same conditions. is using a
double action Colt Of .476 calibre.
| Owing to the interest aroused through
out the country in rife and revolver
practice by the National Board for the
i Promotion of Rifle Practice, acting
under authority of Congress, the discus
sion Of the respective merits of all kinds
of firearms is now being eagerly followed
by the young men who win be the future
soldiers of the Republic. To become eff
fcient not only as privates but as off,
GERS, they should become as expert as
possible in the use Of all sorts Of weap-
ons and the recent manifestations Of in
creased zeal IN this direction meets with
the approval Of the authorities IN Wash
9 inutan.