Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-05-22

the following:
American troops are armed with a
faster firing and more accurate rifle
than used by the Germans, according
to our expert designers, manufactur-
ers, and marksmen One military
critic and writer, Edward c. Cross
man, claims that the German Mauser
does not permit the most skilled user
to gte more than SO per cent of the fir
ing speed of the modified Enfield
adopted for the United States service.
Two Bullets to EnemY's One.
If the rapidity of fire of one arrays
rifle is twice that of the weapon used
by enemy riflemen, and the forces nu-
merically the same strength. the for
mer has in effect, other things being
equal, two riflemen to the enmey's one.
Hence to make two bullets fly where
one flew before has been one of the
main objects sought in gun design
since organized fighters found more
effective way to battle than the print
tive stage of throwing missiles at one
another.
The superiority claimed for Ameri-
can weapon is supported on three
counts: Cd Quicker firing as a result
of bolt handle design; (2) easier and
quicker sighting as result of sight
design; (3) greater accuracy of bullet
flight as result of bullet design, and
greater mechanical accuracy of cham
Der and bore Each of these points is
explained hereafter.
Points of Superiority.
l In both the attack and defense Of
trench positions the rifles are fired
without removing them from the
shoulder at a rate of called rapid
fire., which is the most rapid rate Of
magazine fire consistent with quick
accuracy
When the Mauser rifle with which
the German troops are now armed was
designed in 1898, no one could foresee
the development of rapid fire" from
the shoulder which followed, and the
necessity for which is emphasized by
present day trench warfare
In all modern rifles bolt handle"
is used to lock the cartridge in the
chamber for firing. After each shot
the right hand must leave the trigger,
grasp the bolt handle, unlock the bolt
eject the empty shell. thrust home an
other cartridge-all done by movement
of the bolt handle-and then push the
bolt handle into the position which
again locks the cartridge in the cham
Der Thus the position of this bolt
handle is reference to the trigger is of
great Importance to rapidity of fire.
The Mauser rifle has the bolt handle
projecting horizontally from the rifle
so that in locking the bolt for firing.
the index or trigger finger is left sew
eral inches above the trigger.
When the United States rifle (model
of 1903, popularity called the Spring
field) was designed, the length of the
barrel was reduced from 80 to "a
inches so that the rifle thus shorten
ed could be used by both infantry and
cavalry The carbine had been carried
by the cavalry for years in leather
scabbard attached to the side of the
saddle To allow the Springfield rifle
to go readily into a scabbard and to
protect it's rear sight the bolt handle
was bent down toward the trigger so
that ii locks a little in front of it, 1t
was little realized at the. time what
great advantage this design would Ill
timately result in
In the United States rifle (model of
1917 popularity called the modified
Enfield) the bolt handle is bent not
only down, but also about an inch to
the rear so that upon locking the bolt
for firing the index finger Is guided
naturally into position for firing This
feature was adopted from the British
Enfield rifle, model of 1914 as made
in America for Great Britain The
speed of firing thus gained is consid-
cradle.
Placing of Sights
(Z) Inc contrast in the position of
the sights in the two rifles is best il
Illustrated by simple example. If a
pencil is held between the eye and
door knob it may be seen that the far
Their the pencil from the eye the great
err the movement of the head neces-
sary to cause an equal amount of lat
eral displacement in the position of the
pencil Assume the pencil to be the
position of the rear sight of a gun and
the door knob the front sight, the
nearer the rear sight to the eye the
slighter movement of the head brings
the eye in position to sight the gun.
The rear sights on both the modified
Enfield and Springfield rifles are
placed nearer to the eye of the rear
than in the case of the Mauser rifle.
The rear sight on the Mauser is placed
we'll forward of the receiver on the
barrel. while the rear sight on the
Springfield is placed right against the
front end of the receiver. The modl-