Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-08
WEAPON OF GREAT EFFICIENCY
New Automatic Rine Approved by
Branch of the
Army.

The new automatic rifle }whinhr the ord
nance department of the United States
army wants congress TO provide for with
an appropriation of $500, Co.,, and which
would in that case be manufactured at the
Springfield armory. is regarded BY ord
nance officers and others who have OBJ
served 1t in operation as a weapon of re-
markable efficiency because OF its light
ness. which permits OF a soldiers carrying
II anywhere; it's smoothness of operation.
which eliminates the danger of jamming
and otherwise getting out OF order. and its
rapidity of fire. Its particular value Hes
in the first two points. In rapidity of fire
1t is like other automatic weapons, but no
other weapon has been brought to the at
tention OF the ordnance department that
combines mobility and efficiency in such
high degree. Imagine a gun not very diff
ferent in size from the Springfield rifle OF
the latest model, though with various at
tachments that add weight, which will rain
a veritable shower of bullets with deadly
accuracy at the longest range attainable
by a military rifle, and yet so light that a
soldier could carry 1t on his shoulder any
where. That Is the automatic rifle. Armed
with 1t and with a helper to feed II the
ammunition that 1t devours so greedily, a
soldier could fire as many bullets as half
a company, without offering much OF "A
target himself, and when ne found hfs po-
sition too warm he could shoulder his gun
and make off. 81, a.:
There are automatic and. semi-a untomatic
pistols, rifles and machine guns almost
without number. Many OF them. along
with oddities OF all sorts in the way OF
weapons, have been tested from time to
time at the Springfield armory. The au-
tomato rifle that the ordnance department
has approved was tried out here last
spring and at that time impressed those
who saw 1t with its combination OF eff
cheney and mobility, which places II In ad-
vance of all others. This weapon is Off
cially known as the Hotchkiss portable
|, machine gun and 1t is manufactured by
the Hotchkiss company in Paris. but II is
more Familiarity called the Benet-Mercier
automatic rifle. from Its French inventors.
1t operates on the familiar principle that
Is found in the other automatics. The
explosion Of the cartridge projects the bll-
let and operates a mechanism at the
breech that elects the empty shell. re-
loads the chamber and fires the fresh cart
ridge. The operator pulls the trigger and
the gas does the rest, firing nine or ten
bullets a second. The ammunition used
a AAhbt - Nit
Springfield rifle, which gives great muzzle
velocity and a lower trajectory than any
other military rifle. The cartridges are
placed in long brass clips which run
across a steel box or receiver at the breech
OF the gun, being elected on the left-hand
side when empty.
The rifle is meant 10 be fired from the
shoulder, but r-ot in the usual way. or
dinarily II is meant 10 be used with the
marksmar prone, tho butt fitting his shout
der as he lies supported on his elbows.
Near the muzzle a support is provided BY a
pair Of spreading steel legs and the rear
end Of the stock rests on a stout steel rod
that terminates In two soiid feet that give
support from the ground. A pistol grip
Is provided for the right hand that controls
the firing apparatus and the rear support.
which Is grasped by the left hand. Is pro
vided with a screw so that by turning II
the elevation can be raised or lowered.
Springfield Republican. go .t,..
Bee Want Ads Are Business Boosters.