Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-04
EVOLUTION OF BULLETS.
From the Blunt Nosed Springfield to
the Pointed krag.

Tie United States is becoming once
more a nation Of marksmcn. The war
department is determined to make uur
soldiers. individually ana collectively,
the best markslncn on earth.
Sine" Che Spanish war "" have out
stripped all other nations in the at
tention paid craftsmanship. and no
other country has made half our prog
re$s. Following the recommendations
of President Roosevelt and Secretary
Root, routine work OF the army and
militia has been subordinated to the
development 0f skilled rinemon. The
American soldier has lost the precise
nicely Of the drill. bat he can hit
two-foot bullseyr At 1000 yards,
nine times out Of ten. and in the
now tactics two men who can nil
the mark are accounted equal TO fifty
vino cannot
The first day at Santiago. with our
soldiers targ"tcd by their own black
powder smoke to unseen enemies
armed With the Mauscr, proved the
Old Springfield rifle as obsolete as the
cross bow. The government found IT.
self in ordnance 40 years behind even
the Sponiard and in the crisis sprang
at tn" chance to buy the rights 10 the
%-JorjcnScn. the invention OF
foreigner. In 0VerWccning confidence
the now weapon was taken to the
Philippines, and it cost 20oO Amer-
can lives before the government aWeke
to the fact that the Krae, improve
mont though it was over the Old
Springfield, was no match for the con
d"mned Mausers. Lee Metfords ana
Marnlichers which German and Jap
anoSc traders Snuggled BY the thou
sand To the Filipinos. Then our eE-
r"rtS went to work with a will, ana
the result is the Springfield cartridge
with pointed bullet. an all-American
Invention. and the new Springfield
rifle. the most powerful, accurate ana
humane instrument of death ever
cuntrivcd.
nh" krag. both on the range and
III the field. was weak, uncertain anu
irregular AS originally designed, us
powder charge was too light to MAXI
1t effective against the Mauser
heavier charge, sufficient to give the
required velocity, caused the bullet
to tumble end over end in its flight
q lault technically known as key
h"lin%, and destroyed its accuracy
striking its target sideways. it tore
gagged and irregular hole. and the
slightest obstacle, even a laterai
breeze. would hurl it out of it's course
at odd ana wholly unexpected angles
us tearing effect on bone and nes"
gave rise to the accusation that All
er'can troops We're using explosive
bullets. and in the international match
eS American teams We're twice defeated
DE misses" due to the key-hollng.
TWO Years ago an unknown genius
began filing his krag bullets Gown u
point, balancing the missiles ac-
cnrately. The key-hOlng and unex-
plalnable misses ceased at once. Inc
secret spread and last summer Brlga-
der General Crozier, chief of ora
nance. L. s. A. spent two weeks at
camp Perry experimenting scientll-
licaliy with the modified bullet. IL
flew straight, not only with the kras
charge, but also with the much heav-
Ter load used in the new Springfield
rife. The war department adopted IL
officially for the army and this year
our marksmen, equipped with the best
rifle and the most accurate and power
full cartridge on earth. will compete
on more than even terms with the
crack shots of European nations
Kansas City Journal.