Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-13
DEMONSTRATION OF BERTHFER
 RAPID FIRING GUN
Average Rate of Fire is Between 250
 to 400 Shots Per Minute.


 Plans for the testing out of the Ber- thier system rapid firing gun which have been under way for some time by the Hopkins & Allen Arms Co, who have obtained the rights to man. ufacture it, materialized Friday af- ternoon, when the deadly war weapon was very favorably demonstrated to General A. Gosselin, Lieut.. Michel and Lieut. Chenaud of the Commission Franchise who have headquarters in New York city.
 At noon the commission, President Alexander McGregor of the Hopkins & Allen Co, Herbert Wallace, Works Mander Brown, and Director Edwin W. Higgins dined at the Wauregan house.
 The Berthier gun weighs 16 pounds and is about three inches longer than the United States Springfield rifle and has a bore of 7.65 m. m. It can be Tsed resting on tripod or from the shoulder. It shoots at the rate of 10 shots per second and the magazine for the ammunition holds 20 shells The average rate of fire per minute is between 25O to 400, depending upon the size of the magazine used. The gun has less pieces than any other machine gun. Including all parts, | screws, pins etc, there are less than TO parts. The process of cleaning. the gun requires the removal of six pieces and it can be cleaned in seven sec onds.
 The gun is so mechanically con- l structed that there is practically no l eecoil and it is equipped with a 1 Gourd water bag cooling process which keeps the barrel perfectly cool. On an afternoon of continued firing about a half gallon of water is used in cool ing purposes.
 Bullets will penetrate at the dis tance of 1,500 yards and on the test Friday, which was conducted by Her l bert Wallace, accuracy and good aim was demonstrated when on four l lxneeling forms targets, the tester got ldead shots in the sfolloWing or1ers sone Fin the first form, two in the second, three in the third and four in the | fourth. When in ordinary field work 1 the gun rests on tWo-leg tripod | which is fastened near the muzzle of the rifle with the butt balanced by l the shoulder of the used, who is in a reclining position. The Berthier gun 1 is one of the simplest in construction is light and is very much improved in many respects. It takes only seven seconds to demount it and 20 to set il up for action.
 The gun used Friday was one se- cured from the trenches in Belgium by MT Wallace. It was manufactured at Liege previous to the attack or that city and the plant where these
 suns were manufactured was put ou1 of commission. There were only 2 few of the guns saved and this is one of the few which MT. Wallace, who has been at the front several times was fortunate in saving.
 At first on the trial Remington cart ridges were used, but owing to the thickness of the shell it was necessary to use the Belgian Mauser cartridges a 219 grain bullet, 765 m. m calibre
 At the demonstration besides tht commission were John Stacker, an en. gineer at the Hopkins & Allen plant and Captain Lewuillon, representing the Belgian government.
 At the first trial Friday the gun shot 10 shells in 1.2 seconds and ol
 the next it shot 10 in second or 6OI shots in a minute.