ANCIENT PISTOLS TO AUTOMATIC RIFLES 7 



and rebound of the sliding barrel on to an independent stock 

 grooved to carry the barrel, and fitted with a spring. 



3. To actuate the same movements by means of allowing 

 the whole weapon to recoil on to a false heel plate spring, 

 and rebound from it. 



4. By allowing a short sliding recoil of the barrel to 

 make the bolting action slide farther back on to the stock 

 and a spring, and to rebound from them. 



Several of these principles have been employed in conjunction 

 in this or other countries. The recoil is made to compress a 

 spring, which by re-expansion completes the work of closing 

 up the rifle, when it does not stick and fail, as in all specimens 

 of automatic rifles has occurred at intervals. 



All nations are now armed with magazine repeating rifles, 

 but none have yet adopted automatic loading for rifles. The 

 choice between the various magazine mechanisms is a mere 

 matter of taste, but the shortening of the British national 

 arm to 25 inches seems to have been done without regard 

 to the fact that no rifle of 25 inches can compete in accuracy 

 with an equally well-made and an equally well-loaded weapon 

 of 30 inches, although it may compete favourably with the 

 discarded Mark II. Lee-Enfield, which was improperly made 

 and also badly loaded. Unfortunately, our prospective enemies 

 are not embracing the faults of the Mark II., but are adhering 

 to a rifle instead of a carbine. That is the correct term to 

 employ to describe the new weapon. 



The carbine of any period has generally been equal to 

 the rifle of the preceding decade, but it has never yet been 

 equal to the rifle of its own decade, and never will be. 



Miniature rifles for amateur soldiers in the making are 

 very numerous. The best cheap one the author has handled 

 is the rifle with which Mr. W. W. Greener won the Navy and 

 Army competition, which was managed by the author. What 

 is here meant by a low price is 2, 2s., and under. The rifle 

 was used with peep sights. But better advice than naming 

 any maker is this. All the makers profess to put a group of 

 seven shots on to a postage stamp at 50 yards. They all 



