Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-24
The Great Outdoors
How Rifles are Made

1t makes nc great difference what
particular model you happen to own
or have for use. there are some facts
tlRt will apply to any OF them. Did
you ever realize as you loo over
your pet rifle Just how much care and
workmanship las been required upon
1t before II was ready for your hands?
From the moment the iron ore has
been taken from the mines. transfer
red into metal. and the metal into
steel tubes, 1t has been continuously
passing through skilled hands that
have been modelling it into shape and
putting It together piece by piece
until it is a perfectly accurate and
safe rifle given into your possession
for use and keeping. After that it Is
up to you.
The rough steel tube is bored
straight through the center by means
of a long drill held in a very heavy
machine which is set in a cement
foundation to insure little or no vi
bration or wabbling during the oper-
alton. The tube is then turned down
on the outside to the required size of
the barrel and polished by machine
and by hand.
The barrel. as drilled. contains no
spiralS or grooves, but Is of the size
or diameter of the calibre. The bore
Is carefully measured and the barrel
is then taken to another machine for
rifing. Here is where the spirals or
grooves are cut in, n at a time. by
a cutter on the end of a rod which
takes off a very thin shaving of the
steel as it is drawn through the bar
rel. The cutter Is stationary n the
barrel Is drawn backward n for
ward by the machine and turned at
the same time to give the proper
pitch or witch. The steel Is shaved
away to exactly the same depth for
each groove and carefully measured
to less han .0001 of an inch varta-
ton in depth and bore.
What this means can scarcely be
imagined but take your ruler and
look at the incl measure, then try In
your mind to divide h inch into
1000 parts. BY this you Will see that
1t is only with the greatest of care
that the barrel can be made perfect
and you can appreciate how easily
the careless workman could ruin II.
After the barrel Is rifed 1t Is taken
to the leading process where the
rough cutting edges are polished
away which gives you the bright MIR
ror effect of the new clean barrel n
which insures the smooth and even
passage of the bullet through 1t Wnen
fred. The outside of the barrel Is
now polished and made ready for the
bluing or browning process. The
DaTTei 10 l1SllLA UNIV
to keep out the various acids used IN
working up the fine blue finish of the
outside. The purpose of this process
is to preserve the steel from rust ana
to Improve it's outward appearances.
While your barrel has been going
through the above operation tne
other parts Of your rife have also
been prepared in various other rooms
of the plant. The receiver Is cur anu
no,ished into proper size and shape.
All the little parts are made with the
same care, carefully measured, htted
and tested and the stock Is cut and
fitted.
1t finally reaches the assembling
room in as many different parts as
there are pieces in the entire rlne.
| Here it is put together and sent 70
the proving room where It Is nrea
with excessive loads after which IL is
carefully gagged and measured to see
hat it has successfully withstood the
| strain. It is shot for accuracy. slghus
lined up and again inspected before
it is finally packed as the hnisheo
product.