New Britain herald., 1916-08-14
COLT MACHINE GUN
 SUPERIOR IN TEST
Fires 16,OOO Rounds of Anlnluni- Y, tiOn in Fifty Minutes
REPUBLICAN FOR WILSON
Especial to The Herald.)

Washington, Aug. 14.-There is another chance for Connecticut ma chine gun manufacturers to have their products tested by the army with a, view to having the best type of this weapon purchased in large num- bers by the war department, for the regular army and the militia
 A board of officers headed by Ma for William H. Smedberg, U $. cavalry, has been ordered reconvened at. Springfield armory, Massa chusetts, to conduct additional tests Among ahe machine guns that it will test and examine 1t Is understood, are the Colt gun, a Hartford product; the Lewis gun which Is being used largely by ehe British army; and the Benet-M CT cie gun with which the army has been supplied partly for some years.
 The Vickers machine gun, also made by the Colts, a British weapon, which was adopted last year after eX- tenstve tests under army supervision, and orders for 125 of which are now outstanding for the war department, will not come before the present board, 1t is stated.
 Last month the board made some tests of the Colt and Lewis guns. 15,- coo rounds of ammunition being fired in an endurance test. The time of firing, excluding cooling, cleaning and repairing, was for the Colt fifty minutes and for the Lewis gun two hours. The Colt damned six times and the Lewis 314 times. The board has reported upon those tests that it found the Colt gun superior for gen. eral use to the Lewis gun and the former was more reliable The board however, found that flor the particu- lar case of use in aeroplanes the lighter Lewis gun, with it's self contained magazine, is superior to the Colt gun, in spite of the formers greater liability to ma1function .
 The Lewis gun that is to be fired in the forthcoming tests will fire British ammunition, as it is taken from stock of those manufactured in this coun- try for the Canadian government. None of the Lewis guns chambered for United States ammunition is ob- tainable at this time, 1t is stated
 The war department, being unable to obtain any Vickers machine rifles, which are the officially adopted type, et this time, and not having a suffi- cient supply of the Benet-Mercie guns, which type is still in use by regular organizations of the army, is buying the machine guns that are l obtainable It recently ordered a | number of Colt guns and some $50 i Lewis guns and sent them down to the Mexican border, for equipping the i National Guard.
 Military authorities claim that | largely the troubles with the Benet- ! Mercie and other machine guns that have been issued to troops have arisen from the inexperience and ignorance of those who have ham dled them. To remedy this condition three experts from the plant where the Lewis gun is made in this coun- try have been sent to the southwest and other experts from the Colt fac tory at Hartford, to aid in instruct ing the personnel of machine gun organizations in the proper handling of the weapons.
 The hoAse of representatives has passed a bill to donate many con- demned cannon and cannon balls to various cities and towns, patriotic and other orga nizations throughout the country, for use for decorative pur- near monuments or historic places. The bill contains a, provision for the dCna ton of one condemned brass or bronze cannon and a suitable outfit of cannon balls to the town of RoXbury, Conn