Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-14
INDOOR TARGET
RIFLE INVENTED
MAKES SHARPSHo0TERS WITH
LITTLE PRACTICE
Clever Device Indicates on oubtarget
Where Bullet Would Have
Pierced Had Shot Been
Fired

Los Angeles militiamen will become
sharpshooters to a man IL Fred W.
Pearce Of Boston is not mistaken in his
deductions.
Mr.. Pearce has an alchemy whereby
raw recruit who knows nothing OF
indoor, field or range shooting can be-
come qualified man with a few weeks
practice.
To get men to shoot well has been
the study of military leaders since the
invention Of firearms. Mr.. Pearce de-
clares the problem has been solved and
he backs his assertions with evidence
which seems indisputable.
For years vast sums of money have
been expended annually by the differ
ent governments of the world and
states of this country to supply ammu-
milton for range practice, yet only
comparatively small number of the men
ever become experts. The cost Of main-
tanning these ranges, erecting targets,
ranks with the cost Of providing am
munition, while great deal Of danger
exists by reason Of careless handling or
| rifles.
Drawbacks Overcome
| These drawbacks have been over
come by most ingenious device which
dispenses with cartridges altogether. 1t
has been invented by H. H. Cummings,
WllO pdSoCu 'llluily yCebio otuASAto stiS
device and at last perfected 1t until
today he has the study Of shooting
down to a scientific point.
The invention referred to is known as
| the sub target rifle, and In 1t the office
of the cartridge Is performed by SEN
sitive pointer which traces on dirninu-
tive paper target (called the sub-tar-
get) every motion of the rifle while 1t
is in the act of being aimed by the pu-
pill at an ordinary target.
When the trigger is pulled, the point
er, actuated by electricity, instan-
| taneously punches a small hole of
about the size of pin-point in the
| b-target and thus indicates the eX-
act spot where a bullet would have
struck the real target aimed at by the
pupil.
| The act of reloading readjusts the
machine for the next shot. Thus, from
| the moment the marksman takes the
| rifle into his hand until the trigger is
released each movement Is distinctly
reproduced by the pointer, and any
fault which might influence the flight
of the bullet is plainly visible.
Blank ammunition may sometimes be
used by beginners In order to accus-
tom themselves to the sound Of ex-
ploding powder, but, according to the
| inventor, even this is unnecessary, as
raw recruits who have never fired a
real cartridge have been known to go
the range after few weeks practice
with the sub-target and make better
scores than men with years training
in the service.
For Indoor Use
The sub-target is intended primarily
for use indoors, where 1t is assumed In
the majority of cases at least twenty
yards will be available, as the 200
yard target is reduced to one-tenth fol-
an objective target.
The machine has been introduced into
the army and navy of the United States
as we'll as into the military bodies of
England Numerous companies of the
National guard in eastern states have
taken up the machine, with the result
that great improvement has been noted
at once in the Workmanship of the
members.
Mr. Pearce is in Los Angeles on his
way to Monterey, where he will set up
q machine and instruct the members
of the regular army stationed there in
| it's uses. He has just returned from
Mexico, where he demonstrated the
efficiency of the machine to the officers
of the army.