Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-08
AMERICAN GUNS
 REPORTED USELESS Twelve IDeh GuBs on Most oi Coast Fertflc,doas Would Not Last
 Two Hours
ORDNANCE CHIEFS REPORT
But Sixty Rounds Could Be Fired When Guns Would Become
 Worthless.

Washington, Nov S.-That the 12- inch gun now in use at most of the coast Notifications of the United States would not last through an en- gagement of two hours. the period that would elapse from the time the leading vessel of a fleet would come within the range until the last vessel would pass beyond the range of the guns, is the statement made by Brig adler general William Crozler, chief or ordnance, whose annual report was made public at the war department to-day.
 General CrozIer thinks that it Is of the utmost importance that some method be devised whereby the nec- essary gun power can be secured with less expense than that involved in using the very high velocity of pro 1ectiles now employed, with the ac- companying rapid wearing away of the rifiing. in such manner as to de- stroy the accuracy of the gun after q few rounds. The 12-inch gun will last for about sixty rounds and as the gun is capable of firing for q consid- erable interval at the rate of 45 pounds per hour, it can be seen that the limit of the life of this gun could he reached in less than an hour and hnlf
 Similar statements can be made with regard to guns of smaller cali bres. says the report, although as the callbre dim!nlshes the admissible ve- locity increases. By lowering the ve- loclty of the .12-inch projectile from 2.500 feet to 2.250 feet per second the life of the gun is increased to POO rounds. The penetration of armOr is reduced by the progress that of the 12-inch gun at 10000 yards coming down from 10 1-2 inches to about Q inches and the range at which Its projectile would penetrate F inches of nrmor plate being reduced from about S.CO0 yards to about COCO yards.
 The chief of ordnance states that it appears that by using in the situa- tiOns requiring the grentest power of the 14-inch gun with 2,J00 feet per second initial velocity. the army would secure better gun and a gun which would last four times as long General CrOzier states that the Taft board for the revision of the report of the Endicott board on coast do fences recommended this gun and that the department has decided to use if In place of the 12-lnch gun In situations where the highest power is required and the 12-inch gun as maximum calIbre has been abandon ed.
 General Crozier says that plans and specifications are in preparation for the army smokeless powder fac- tory. for which congress at Us sast session appropriated $l65,OOO.
 speaking of small arms the Sener- al states the magazine rife. l!n3 model was supplied to the regular troops fin the United States for their nae during the target practice and that the Improved rife of 1905 model with knife bayonet and rear sights, has been issued to the troops m ths Philippine Islands and will be issued fo the troops In the states anu the firvt issue recalled. As the result oI tests during the year. some changes have been made in auto-loading mag azine rides which may eventually render them satisfactory for service use The manufacture of small arms sm,nnnition is somewhat moro ex- non ,,ye than formerly. due to the in- crease in the cost of brass and ieau.
 General Crozier states that a mum her Inf militia batteries have been .',r,,,,s5 wlth the new three-ineh ea,d art,,lery material and others are he,ne rapIdiy furnished with It.