The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-09-17
FIRST CALL
By
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Author OF
over THE TOP"
CHAPTER XIV.
Machine Guns and Suiners

+ know how TO operate a machine |
- gun in case of emergency. You |
can never tell when il will be needed |
II this need arises, and there is a gun |
on ths spot, it is w to you to know |
how to operate il, for you may save
many lives, including your own.
am not going into a long treatise
on machine gunncry, because the SOL
der who wants to become an efficient
machine gunner must take the course
prescribed in the army, but il followed,
the following hints will Serve in
pinch Most soldiers in the American
army have seen the Lewis gun, there
fore | will describe it first
Lewis Gun.
This weapon was invented by an
American officer, Col |. y. Lewis OF
the Coast artillery corps. now on the
retired list. II can hardly be classed
as a machine gun II is rather an
automatic rifle. This gun only weighs
twentySix pounds, is air cooled, gas
operated, and fed from a circular or
pie plate magazine, holding forty
seven rounds. The aih-cooling ssytem
is an important feature because il cools
the gun almost as effectively as a
water jacket, thus doing away with the
disadvantage OF extra weight diff
Guilty OF water supply and freezing,
and it docs not produce the tell-tale
steam which rises from water
cooled machine gun II is'very simple
in its mechanism and Is easy 20 s.
Sembie and diSassemble II can be
handled and transported by one man
in ease OF necessity
To load the gun, grasp the magazine
with both hands, the arrow pointing
to the front, and carefully place It on
the magazine post with the cooking
handle forward, moving it slightly to
the right or LEI, 10 he sure that it is
properly seated. II il is dark and the
arrow is invisible, the right thumb
may be placed lightly on the magazine
latch. thus inSuring the proper position.
In placing the magazine be sure that
the magazine latch is not pressed in,
as this will release the magazine cen
ter and may cause stoppage
After the magazine is properly ad-
usted, pull back the cooking handle
to its fullest extent To fire, press tlF
trigger With constant pressure oh
the trigger the gun will continue firing
until the magazine is empty To cease
firing, release pressure on trigger.
Stoppage Causes.
Usually a stoppage in the Lewis gun
is. caused by the rim OF the magazine
becoming worn or mutilated. The
magazine then refuses 10 feed There
fore il is necessary TO he very careful
in adjusting and caring for these mag
aIineS.
To determine the cause Of stoppage
II must be remembered that the cock
ing handle stops in three positions.
II tn, gun stops in the first position,
try 10 rotate the magazine 10 ihe lett
! II YOU cannot do this II is empty. The
remedy then is 10 change the empty
magazine for a loaded one II Il will
not rotate to the lett, pull back handle
and continue firing II the gun still
refuses 10 fire and you are not ma
chine gunner, stop II is useless to
| waste further time with H. II YOU are
a machine gunner YOU will know the
technical details OF remedyinS stop
| pages.
viekes Gun Best.
The Vickers light water cooled j0i
machine gun has proven to be the best
machine gun 50. far used IN this war
II is the standard Of the British army
The gun itself weighs about 2St
pounds without the water in the barre
casing; with the water il weighs 3SE
pounds II is fired from an adIustabl,
tripod weighing " pounds. II IS Zee
by a metal or canvas belt containing
80 rounds OF .JOj caliber cartridges.
To load the gun, pass the tag enC
OF the belt through the feed block from
right TO left Grasp the crank handl
with right hand, and pull back as Ia
as il will go Holding the crank han
die in this position, grasp the tag en-,
OF the belt with the left hand an
pull it as far as possible to the len
with a sharp tug forward. lie, go o
the crank handle Again pull back IN
crank handle, still pulling the belt I
the left and forward; release cram
handle
The Colt Automatic,
This type OF gun is also air oolle
and gas operated II IS mounted on
tripod and led from a belt II will t,r
, at the rate OF 400 or more shots pc
, minute The gun itself weighs abou
. ,hirty.iiye pounds, the tripod and mour
about fiity-six pounds The cartridg
, belt holds 80 rounds. A great adyant
E age OF the Colt gun is that there ar
. no adjustments TO he made BY so
- dler, and il a gun is in proper condi
ton II can be operated very easily a
. Il is only necessary for the operate
n 70 know how 20 load IL
? To load, insert the brass tip Of bel
through opening above the box and pu
l It ont on the ondosite side OF the gu
Z as far as It will 20. then let 90 @
/ helt, pull the gas lever downward I
the rear until It strikes the bottor
. nla,e do not pull the belt while ga
/ lever IS IN onefatonl release gas leyc
which viii then resume rs normal m
'ition The gun is now loaded an
a ready 10 be fired.
c Distinguish Guns BY Sound.
Nter having been up tbe line" e
G tour In the trenches. Il is easy
10 distinguish the German machine gu
S from the English Vickers by the sour
wade in firing The German gun III,