Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-09-27
MOST DEADLY BULLET
NOW BEING TESTED BY GOVERN.
MENT AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
IS Nearly Third Lighter Than One in
Present Use and Has Greater Muz-
zle velocity-More Deadly, !. h.,
But Less Accurate. r

; Springfield, Mass.-Earthworks and
trees will be slight protection to SOL
dierly arrayed against the United
States army when the infantry is
equipped with the new bullet which
has been undergoing tests at the ord
nance department of the United
States armory in this city.
The bullet, which scarcely is an
inch In length and is encased in a
jacket of nickel steel, will be nearly
a third lighter than any bullet now
used In the standard army rifles of
the world. 1t will have greater muz-
zle velocity than any other bullet and
will be the only sharp-pointed bullet
used in military service. ...... .-.'
At short range the new buf1et will
penetrate 80 inches of seasoned oak;
at 500 yards 81 inches of white pine,
and at 1000 yards IA and one-half
inches. If Is of the enemy's soldiers
standing one behind the other,
CHANGED to be within range of the bull
let a quarter of mile away, every
one Of them would be disabled by the
single bullet.
The bullet is estimated to be 100
per cent. more deadly than the pres
ent army bullet because of an al
most fat trajectory. A serious defect
in all army rifle bullets has been the
high degree Of curve resulting from
the necessary elevation of the muzzle
of the rifle in order to carry the bull
let long distance.
The bullet now in use, in firing at
a 1,000-yard range, is elevated 23
feet from the base line at 500 yards
In other words, a soldier standing in
direct range of bullet aimed at
target 1000 yards distant would be
entirely safe midway between the
sharpshooter and the target, as the
bullet would pass over his head with
more than II feet to spare. The
sharp pointed bullet shows rise Of
only ten feet at 500 yards in firing at
1000 yards range.
The difference in trajectory between
the two bullets means that with the
present bullet an advancing infantry
line would be safe for 700 yards on
1000 yard range and that the cavalry
would have safety zone of about
400 feet. With the fiat bullet in serv-
ice the participants in cavalry
charge Of 1000 yards would be in
the danger zone from beginning to end,
while the advancing infantry would
be in a safety zone for less than 400
Yards of the distance.
The possibilities Of the new bullet
are better appreciated when it is con-
sidered that the new army rifle has
an effective range of five miles. The
new bullet compares disadvantageous-
ly with the present bullet only in re-
spect to accuracy. Thus far the tests
have been decidedly in favor of the
old bullet from the sharpshoOter's
point of view.
Experts are confident the single OBJ
lection to the sharp-pointed bullet
can be overcome and that the final
test will favor the new bullet even in
respect to accuracy. In the opinion
of army officers the requirements of
sharpshooters sink into insignifcance
as compared with the advantages of
a bullet which will be effective in pro-
miscuous firing.
Brig. Gen. William Crozier, chief
of ordnance of the United States army
when in Springfield few days ago
expressed the opinion that the new
projectile was the best which had
ever come under the observation of
the ordnance department. 49,.
Unless further tests demonstrate
that the new bullet has disadvantages
which it's many superior points fail
to compensate the present bullet will
be replaced by the new one," Gen.
Crozier said.