The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-05-14
10 THOUSAND MEMBERS
IN RIFLE PRACTICE
NEW SPRINGFIELD RIFLES TO
BE USED BY U, S. MARINE
CORPS.

WASHINGTON, May l3, - I'm
usual arrangements have been per,
fected for instrueting the 10000 mem
bers OF the U S, Marine Corps il
the art Of handling the new Spring
, field rifle, which is now the standing
military arm OF the United States, II
is safe to say that when the work
now in progress is 6nally completed
: the Marine Corps win rank with the
best shooting organizations in the
world and will probably have more
expert shots in proportion to its
numbers than any other corps in the
world. A camp OF instruction has
been established on the New Jersey
range at Sea Girt, which was placed
at the disposal Of the Marine Corps
through the courtesy OF General Bird
w Spencer, Inspector of Rife Prac
tiee OF that State Capt. William c.
Harllee, U, S. NJ. c.. will be in charge
Of the camp assisted by the following
Marine Corps officers; Capt d, c.
McDougal and First Lieutenants c
B. Matthews, w D. Smith, Merriam.
Wirgman, Coyle and TORY Capt
Harllee was captain of the Marine
Corps team at Camp Perry last year,
which otok fourth place in the match
in which 50 state and regular service
teams competed He will also be
captai nof the Marine Corps team in
the national match 10 be shot at
Camp Perry in August Of this year.
Captain Harllee has assembled at
Sea Girt a number OF selected enlist
ed men of the Marine Corps who
viii be there practically all summer
in attendance on a school dealing
with the rife. The Marine Corps is
now armed with the Krag and it is
desired that before placing the new
Springfield in the hands Of the Marine
Corps the men should be instructed
as to the proper use and care OF the
new weapon, especially in regard to
metal fouling, The camp has been
laid out to accommodate 200 men and
their officers and in addition to those
attending the school detachmeuts OF
so men each will be ordered from
the Brooklyn and Philadelphia Navy
Yards and from various vessels a.
New York and Brooklyn to Sea Girt
for practice The camp will be com
pletely equipped with all appliances in
use for such practice and tests will ne
made of number of new devices in
connection with military rifles. Prom. /
Inent among these viii be the Maxim ,
yuh-silencer, which will be employed .
between the gallery practice and the /
-ange practice
The course OF instruction will be- /
gun with the subtarget gun machine
IN which the men will practice at
sighting and aiming without the ex.
of ammunition. They will
hen proceed to the gallery range Of
% feet where the ordinary govern
nent p calibre rifle will be used. At
his range practice will also be had
With the United States p calibre rife /.
itted with the new army telescope /.
lights as we'll as various Schutzen
'ifes, with and without telescope
lights. The Maxim gun-silencer will
hen be brought into play as with it
here is, Of course, much less noise
nd much less recoil than with the
ordinary new Springfield, and the
dea is to educate the recruits 10 tn.
Ise Of the new rife by easy stage+.
The men will then be put on the
ange and shot through the courses
Up to 1000 yards. 4
The special class will be instructed
n the use Of the Colt automatic re-
oliver, will be taught how to select
nd calibrate rifles, to take down and
ssemble rifles and instructed in all
hat pertains to their care and use.
Exhaustive tests will be made with
ifferent range devices including what
re known as the angle Of fire CON
rollers, invented by Ordnance Off.
ers Ely and Philips. AS is we'll
.nown, in the excitement Of battl,,
oldiers are prone to discharge their
Weapons at almost any angle, the ,
ullets frequently passing over the
eads of the opposing force, or to
trike the ground at some distance in
ront The angle of FIRE controller
f which two will be tested, is design
d to overcome this by locking the
iece so that it cannot be discharged :
kept when pointed at a certain
ngle. ,
Invitations will be issued TO exnert q,