Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-13
NEW ARMY RIFLE.
Has an Extreme Range of Nearly
Three Miles.

gun-making plant and begin to watch
closely to see II any extra shifts Of
men have been put on. The old vet
erans talk about the work done dur
ing the civil war. and the young Span
ish war veterans recall how 1t was
ION to its Job" in a like manner dur
ing the days Of warfare in Cuba. AS
a matter of fact, the United States ar
mory in Springfield Is doing business
at the old stand six days In the week
and is immensely important to the
government every day Of that six.
That the Japanese have a due regard
for its importance is evidenced by the
recent visit of Major K. Tanaka, mil
itary attache to the Japanese embassy
in Washington, and Captain Kondo
Of Toxic, Japan, both members Of the
imperial army Of the Mikado.
They were courteously shown
around by Commandant Phipps, for
there Is no secrecy in the manufac-
ture Of small arms but he was eager
to tell them just how completely the
United States army was equipped.
The Japanese probably learned what
sort Of arms this country deemed the
best, but II the information had been
refused them they could easily have
obtained a gun, pulled 1t to pieces,
and found out everything for them
selves. That Is what his government
does with foreign-made rifles.
Thousand Rifles q Day.
The main shops Of the United States
armory are located on hill in the
heart of the city. The grounds are
more like a park than anything else,
for they comprise twenty-five acres,
which stretch away into beautifully
kept green lawns, studded with hand
some elms.
In other brown buildings, big and
generous looking, are stored the arms,
no longer from floor to ceiling, like
huge organ" as in Longfellow's
day, but packed away in boxes which
have a significant resemblance to cof-
fms. In big red brick building To-
Gated a little outside Of the main
grounds the thousands Of rifles are
taking shape. In war or peace the
rifles are coming out steadily, for a
rifle out of style Is a rife useless, and
the government has to hustle con-
stantly to keep up with the new styles.
1t is considered good policy, too, to
get out a new arm every eight or ten
years, and the Krag-Jorgensen, which
reigned from 1892 to 1908. Is now
considered a back number, and the
new Springfield magazine rifle" Is
the very latest thing in guns.
Best Plant In the World.
The history Of over a century Of
the Springfield armory Is history OF
gun-making, for there is no place
which has taken as great a place In
the development Of small arms. 1t
holds the reputation Of being the best
plant of its kind in the world, and
two years ago Sir Charles Ross said
this Of it, after visiting every depart
ment: II have seen many armories
in my life, but the Springfield estab-
lishment Is the finest and best equip
ped I have ever seen." Sir Charles
Ross Is an English ordnance officer,
and made the visit before making his
plans for an armory at Quebec.
Features of New Rife.
This new gun embodies In itself all
the good features Of the guns which
have preceded 1t. 1t has been put to
the severest tests, and has proved
itself to be the best arm yet made for
hard service. 1t has been placed in
water so that the parts might become
rusty, and has been filled with sand,
but little cleaning up put 1t in good
shape once more.
1t Is shorter than the Krag, the bar
rel being "a inches, while the Krag is
80. 1t is a 30-calibre gun like the
Krag, but has much greater shooting
power. 1t has a velocity Of $500 feet
second, 800 feet more than the
Krag, the powder charge Of the rifle
having been increased from 37.6
grains of the Krag, to 43.3, though
the bullets for both rifles weigh the
same.
The new gun Is more dangerous to
the opposing force than the one just
now going out Of use, for the increas-
ed speed of the bullet causes 1t to
travel In a f1atter trajectory, the rise
above the ground at the highest point
being only 2O.67 feet in the new
Springfield, to 25.S feet in the Krag,
thus making the space covered by the
bullet at a height below that Of man
much greater.
The gun has a range Of 5000 yards.
It can be sighted up to 1000 yards.
At a distance of SO feet 1t will send
bullet through 54.7 inches Of pine
boards. Its barrel Is entirely incased
in wood, instead Of only part Of 1t,
the advantage in this wood covering
being that the barrel will not become
heated as quickly. Moreover. In rap
lu-llTe NOIh Will lilC fNio6b NhS
ton Of heat from the barrel so di-
turbs the air waves that 1t is practi-
cally impossible to get a clear sight
Of the object aimed at. When the
range of the civil war musket Of $50
yards Is compared with the range Of
this new rifle, the advance that has
been made in gun-making may be
realized to some extent.
Value of Pointed Bullet.
With this rifle will be used the new
pointed bullet, which is a sensation in
the ammunition line. This has an
unusually fiat trajectory and Is much
lighter than the old bullet. Its great
advantage Is that for a distance Of
100 yards out of 1000 it is capable
Of much damage, while the old-style
heavy bullet would pass completely
over the heads Of the enemy for
much greater proportion of the dis
tance.
Lest there be any imperfections,
every gun made in the Springfield ar
mory Is fired five times. A charge one
and half times the usual one Is used