234 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 20, 18«8. 



fifie mid 



^IwoUng. 



SELECTION OF MILITARY ARMS. 



THE examination of tho nsfe 

 small arms. looking towar 

 the use of the U. S. Ann v. is n 

 of officer- Tim order d.'tailini 



Secretary .-l War in the i 

 to he select-al liv a board 

 Of war." The board wa< 

 ttarner Houston and Me.r< 

 and consider all magazui 



Til- present board if 

 represented. 



The President oft 

 who entered the art 

 dier-General for me 

 and is now in cotom 

 Mil". 1 June 1879. 



0bL Frederick W. 

 is R Virginia- 



of repeating 

 ine rifle for 

 of a board 

 p the i»Mt.i 

 vision of the 



at national 



ard is GeD. John it. Brook, a Pennsylvanian 

 imWest Poiut in 181-11, was breveted Briga- 

 ous conduct at Spot t.syl van ia Court House, 

 f the Third Infantry, which post he has held 



Rontem represents the cavalry on the board. ] 

 ras of the class of 'fit from West Point. He w 

 itted; as Lieutenant-Colonel for conduct hefr. 

 Columbus. t;.a.. and as Qolonelfor bravery in an Indian fight on Sali 

 River. Kansas. Since Julv 'OB h" has filled the post of Captain wi 

 the Seventh Cavulry. and is thoroughly familiar with the needs of the 



l the pit 



ill r 



Major Ch 



o. Shork 



till! -lit v.- 



Wesl 



class of '61 



saw th. 



for condue 



t before 



Captain In 

 Col. Hon 



the Fifl 



•y Q [at 



Board or I 



ireotors 



a post on t 



ie stan' i 



themiperv 





1862, was h 



■evette ! 



entered Wi 



SSt Point 



arv is,i, hi 





Capt. Gr 





board. Hr 





May '7B, hi 





been statio 





Tier of Bhot 





The Bee 





soeiate on 





vate.<gomg 





into wesl i 





and since . 





The Aral 



art of tl 



Ingsmall I 



tin-, to s 



testa tvasd 



•auai up 



pons upon 



111!" II.lt 



Hipnsand 



tand by 



rtna 



Infantry. He is a New Yorker, 

 lilt from Pennsvlvania. and graduating in the 



■ill vi ■■. i f the war. H» was breveltod Major 



■ irt Si. lman. and since < h-lobcr 'C.7 lias been a 

 nth Infantry. 



Ifleld is known to all riflemen asn tnemher of the. 

 ' the National Rifie Association, and he also fills 

 vge& wil.h 



i for 



li- 



the army as a private it 

 Ohiokamntiga. He then 

 e armv, and since Janu- 

 $ Artillery. 



ng of the service on the 

 armv in 1867, and since 

 or a lone time' 

 ml is an expert on all man- 



i A. Day. who, like his as- 

 tered the army as a pri- 

 1851. He worked his way 

 ii ir,o. th- artillery service, 



H 



id of < 



M.n 



appropi 



'lilted. Thf 

 tentatjv 



eand 

 th" trial was rather experimental and preliminary than permanently 

 decisive of a new Bervi :e arm. The board at that time made a very 

 careful series of experiments. Tiiere were then twenlv-seven models 

 presented embracing sixteen distinct inventions. These were the 

 II otchkiss. Lewis-Rice, Olem-uons. Chaffee, and Miller, each having 

 tho masnzirio for the cartridges in the butt-stock, the Ward-Burton. 

 Hunt. Tie-inc. Bnrlinirlon. Burgess, Sharp, Winchester and Reming- 

 ton, having the magazine, in a long tuhe below the barrel, while the 

 Fr.aulin and Lee rifles had a separate cartridge chamber. 



The conclusion of that board was in favor of the Holclikiss model, 

 and 500 ritles and 500 carbines of that- model wi-y>' sent out. The onlv 

 officer who took kindly to the piece was Colonel Ma-ckensie of the Fourth 

 Cavalry, and be got all the cavalry carbines, and when the rifles were 

 afterward called in and converted into carbines lie secured a ma- 

 jority of the converted arms until now helms over fiiw of the weapons. 

 Ib-h'-i made, as have other officers, roporfs on the behavior of the 

 arms in the hands of troops, and these reports, though not published, 

 are now ia th- hands of Ibe present board for their guidance. The 

 majority of the models submitted to Ibe board of '78 have already 

 become antiquated, the only generally known ones now being the 

 Winchester, the Lee. the Remington (now called the Keen e) and the 

 HotohHss. There are several new devices, but many of them are 

 merely changes on old principles. There are some twenty rifles al- 

 ready entered for competition before the present, hoard; several more 

 are receiving finishing touches at private armories. 



During the summer the tests were earned on in the experimenting 

 range of the Springfield Armorv. and later the officers met daily in 

 the moat behind the fort on Governor's Island. Here was a heap of 

 sand in one angle of the fort, with a ritle rest before it; a big bellows 

 is used in the sand test; while upon a table, in a tent close at hand the 

 recorder kepi the figures of each several rest. The trials wore earned 

 on before the officers of The hoard and their assistants, the exhibitor 

 being the onlv outsider present. 



The order or tests established by the board of officers opens with 

 the firing of ten rounds by the exhibitor as a lesl of sat'etv This 

 person is supposed to be familiar with the arm, and is required to 



weapon is then taken It ehargebv the board and the further experi- 

 ii, ...is, and test- ; earned on by an expert from the Springfield Armory 

 nude.- their direction. The first test is for rapidity with accuracy. 

 This is determined bv the number of shots which, fired in two minutes 

 from the gun. both as a inagaziue gun and as a single shooter, strike 

 a target 6x8 feet at a range of 100 feet. The test is begun with the 

 magazine full, and the additional cartridges are laid handy on a table. 

 Mge fi '" 



id if 



punch. 

 charge 



which 



end II l.i 



eleanin 



Of sho 

 dition < 

 for def 



with a c 

 ridge Is 

 length o 

 paper. I 



and ma 

 face wo 

 The pie 

 placed i 



fir- I tw 

 again th 



greas 

 gun Is i 



iv n set up to 



The gun is tin- 

 to be, and afb 

 tired. Follow] 

 charge is iii'-n- 

 bullet: then t 

 used w itu two 



resisted all th 



through the si 

 I, To he. fire 

 five, minutes, t 

 closed, 



last two di fee 

 ppen and lire.) 

 pounding or w 





' The 



Tht 



tim 



fithou 



e of an 



red 5H. 



I until the full 



i fifty rounds the con- 



"he fourth test is that 



low great an escape of 



•foci cartridge should 



Bsof the 



i the rii 

 ait has 



lit li I 



carn- 

 al. The j 



the board is en 

 i like situation, 

 d to a blast of fi 

 the dust blown 



acb shot, and by th- 

 staled in judge how 

 The dust, Uwiis tht 

 u< dust for two mln 



applied. 



of the bl 



rd 



l 11 



.ithou 

 3. Vc 



pilla 



nipulation, us contemplated by the third supplementary test, each 

 gun to be fired twenty shots by throe men to be selected by the board, 

 loading from the cartridge-box and firing with aim at a target of suit- 

 able size 100 yards distant. The average of the three trials to be the re- 

 corded time of firing twenty rounds. The magazine to be loaded from 

 the cartridge-box before the start, the remainder of the cartridges to 

 bo fired away first, using the gun as a single shooter, and the maga- 

 zine to be emptied last. 



Under th- rum th supplementary test, in addition to the lest already 

 made of giving a jolting motion to a column of cartridges in a vert ical 

 the spiral magazine spring, a column of six cartridges to 

 he jolted in a tub.- without the spring, and if there bo no explosion, 

 then the lowest bullet in the column to be replaced by a pointed steel 

 plug, first using tle'.-priiiL' Ivd-.w the plug, and, in 'event Of its not 

 producing explosion, to be tried without the spring. Also, if there is 

 no explosion resulting from the jolting tests, the tube containing the 

 column )' cartridges heavilv weighted at the lower end bo insure its 

 viiii' il posh ion. and having the spring at the bottom of the tube, to 

 be dropped from a height of twenty feet upon a pavement; and, if 

 there Is no explosion, to be dropped as before without the spring in 

 the tube, afterward, a pointed steel plug to replace the lowest bul- 

 let in the column, and to be dropped with the spring in the tube, then 

 if there is no explosion, the dropping to be finally tried with the spring 



removed. Tl ompaxative convenience; of carrying the different 



guns and executing the manual of arms to be considered and tested. 

 flu board hopes to have its tests all completed and its report in the 

 hands of the Seerelan of War before Mas next 



Tlu necessiu of piacing magazine ritles ia I he hands of troops is 

 now recognized by every civilized government, and as far back as 1878, 



Reno. Captain l7o ingstoit. (funeral Terry, and 'Lieutenant Metcalfe, 

 which recommended the Springfield as the service arm of the United 

 States troops, reported in favor of that arm, thev added the following: 



• Resolved, Thai in the opinion of this board the adoption of maga- 

 zine guns for the military service by all nations is only a question of 

 time : that whenever an arm shall be devised which shall be as effect 

 ivc (as asingle breech loadori as the best existing single breech-loading 

 arms, and at the same time shall possess u safe and easily manipu- 

 lated magaziue, every consideration of public policy will require its 

 adoption." This idea has been steadily kept in view by officers of the 

 army. The soldiers on the frontier found that they wore illy armed 

 beside the cowboys and Indians, who had repeating Spencer rifles, and 

 to-day the Indian has a fine 10-shot Winchester, or an accurate long- 

 range Sharp, while the Springfield was not capable to cope with 

 either. 



Abroad the question of expense is gradually giving way before the 

 necessity of having such arms, and European ,1.1 any misters are fol- 

 lowing the example set them some years ago by Switzerland and 

 arming their infantries with some form of magazine weapon. In 

 France the Nun have adopted the Rropatschek, while the Norwegian 

 Navy has the Krag-Poterscn.and its army the Jahrmann gun. In Austria 

 the Kropalsehck. w hi h is a bolt gun having a magazine below the 

 barrel, has been successful in a s»nes of experiments, and a number 

 have been introduced that a series of field trials may be had. In Italy 



aflc 



vp-ri 



lit- 



with it and other ritles. been issued for trial 

 has adopted an American weapon, the. Lee. . 

 has beside ordered machinery for the making of the weapons a 

 In Russia a long series of experiments has been conducted, a 

 the Evans is considered the best type of those presented for ti 

 France it appears likely that the Kropatschek, which takes th 

 cartridge as the present Gras rifle, may be introduced into tl 

 as well as the navy. In Germany experiments looking to the .... 

 siou of the Mauser from a bolt breech loader into a magazine gun 

 almost if not quits completed, and in England Capt. W. H. James, of 

 the Royal Engineers, is at the head of a commission Tor the same task 

 of selecting a magazine gun. The Nordeufeldt model is a favorite one 

 in England. 



In South America there is a general desire to secure magazine rifles, 

 and many of the private American armories ha*e executed some very 

 profitable contracts with these powers. They buy, however, in a 

 somewhat reckless fashion, and one commissioner from a South 

 American republic was more favorably impressed with a certain arm 

 because it made more noise than another. In Europe the cost of fur- 

 nishing new weapons by the million for an army of the size of those 

 now kept on foot on the continent is so great, that various compro- 

 mises are aimed at, thus in Russia the Kruka quick -loader has been 

 introduced, though the adoption of the Evans is the ultimate inten- 

 tion. The authorities of Denmark anil Holland aro awaiting the ar- 

 rival of certain American models of arms before opening commissions 

 on the selection of magaziue guns, and Sweden has made siniiliar re- 

 quests. 



Mam- of the systems which were at first thought, very servicable, are 

 displaying faults when placed in the hands of troops. In pi. s u hi la- 

 the spare cartridges are stored in longitudinal receptacles, it has been 

 found that the bullet of one cartridge is apt to strike the primer of 

 the cartridges ahead of it, and with sufficient force to cause an explos- 

 ion. This accident has happened in eyery form of butt, slock and 

 supplementary barrel magazine, and the present testing officers are 

 very watchful of guns employing this means of stowing the cartridges. 

 Even in cases where no explosion results there is apt to be au "upset- 

 ting" of the bullets, aud irregularity in firing follows. In every case, 

 however handsomely a piece may act while under the tests of the 

 board of officers, it cannot be said to be an acceptable arm until it has 

 been placed In the hands of troops and subjected to the wear and tear 

 of cainplife, and the manipulations of the ordinary- soldier If he 

 caunot use the weapon, then il is indeed a waste of money m pur- 

 chase, If a grain of sand will impede tho working of the breech 

 action, it is too delicate a mechanism to be placed In the hands of 

 troops, or if there is a possibility of injury through carelessness, the 

 weapon will be heavily handicapped as a practical arm. The 2-.0OO 

 arms which will probably be made on the recommendation of the 

 present board, will be placed in the hands of some actively engaged 

 section of our army, and their verdict upon the choice will be re- 

 garded as a report .'supplementary to th3t of the board now in session. 



THE MILITARY MATCH. 



the subject Of Hie 



rlTE comments which are given belo 

 match are taken from the New Yo 

 iow th- interest which is tak-u in th. 

 le.rc is a growing feeling that the ma: 



this contest, since there are yet i 

 teams are not even chosen, still, so 

 from the characteristics of the two 



inst., and 

 by the press at large. 

 : the affair are depend- 

 ed to carry our colors 

 ul apparently iu times 

 i try it to a great deal 

 ler is now open sufll- 

 shori time we should 



j the selective competi- 

 i the probahle result of 



is, and then to be dusted 

 oath of the blowpipe, and 

 to be Bred six shots, the 

 be dusted with the brooch 



i- freed from dust only by 



the board. 



xplosious of cartridges in the magazine, 

 made by the board to char up doubts 



i. l.iahiliu p. accidental 

 Additional tests may b. 



To determine the comparative rapidity of fire aad facility of «na- 



rards and 

 can Uiite 



hand, and in thtesorl of practice the American military marksmen. 

 whether of the regular innv or the militia, as their record show, can 

 easily beat the average of their British brethren. 



As to the weapons, our Amercau military rifles are justly famous 

 the world over, and have made their way by hundreds of thousands 

 into armies in tho remotest parts of the globe. It is a little surprising, 



therefore, to learn that amid the active discussions now going on In 

 regard to rifles and ammunition some of our marksmen four that their 

 rifles arc not as well sighted nor as accurate as those of the best English 

 makers. Whether this is true or not will be better known after tho 

 contest is over, and the result can hardly fail to be a benefit to the In- 



focality. The 

 Association ht 

 the State troo- 

 benefits of the 

 It must be re 

 win a place up 

 the entire exp 

 entailed by the 





at mauy marksmen who may be able to 

 tional team are unable to pay personally 

 in to Creedmoor, in addition to the loss 

 business, The National Rifle Association 

 iters during the trials at Creedmoor, and 

 ;d. More than this it cannot be expected 

 on has called for public subscriptions to 

 mi, irrespective of expense. It rents with 

 i to be represented at Creedmoor to make 



Sev 



and 



nized as the founder, and until of late the leader, of military snooting 

 in this country, should thus far have made no adequate provision Eor 

 securing representatives in the competition. 



PROGRAMME FOR MAY AT CREEDMOOR. 



WEDNESDAY, 8d, 8:45 P. M„ first competition, offhand match, 

 SOOyds., open to everybody. 7 shots each entry. Eutrias un- 

 limited at 50 cents each, but onlv the three highest to count. Any 

 rifle, military's to have four points on three scores; thirteen prizes— 

 $15, 810, six at $6, and five at $4 respectively. 



Saturday, 1'ith. 8s4S P. >[.. first competition. first stage of International 

 Military Practice Match; arranged to furnish practice to those desir- 

 ing to compete for place, upon the American Team to shoot against 

 the British volunteers in September next, though any person may 

 enter and shoot without competing for a place upon the team. 

 Open to everybody. First stage «00. 500 und (100yds., 7 shots at each 

 distance. Standing at 200, protio or sitting (head toward the target) 

 at 500 and 600yds. Cleaning of rifles not allowed, except between dis- 

 tances. Members of the >ational Guard entiling in this match u il 

 not he reipiired to appear in uniform. Entrance fee fm each Btage at 

 each competition SI. Re-entries at $1 each permitted. For this 

 month 7 prizes, cash, respectively 815, Sid, £.-,, $5, $5. $5, $5— $50, to 

 those competitors in order of merit who shall have made thi 

 complete scores, i. e., 7 shots at 200, 500, 600, 800, 000 and 1.000yds.: 

 Also, to be awarded at end of seosou, 3 medals offered by Gen. Robt. 

 Olyphant as follows: To the competitor making the highest aggre- 

 gate complete score in any three competitions (determined by mldiug 

 together the highest complete scores made in any three of the com- 

 petitions) a gold medal: lo the second highest, as above, a silver 

 medal, and to the third highest a bronze medal. 



Wednesday. 10th. International Practice Match. 8:15 P. M., first 

 competition, second stage, K0O. 900 and 1,000yds., any position, other 



Saturday, Pith. Off-hand' Match. 2:15 P. M„ second competition. 



Wednesday. 17lh, Remington Gold Match, at 11 A. M., conditions as 

 iu previous competitions siuce. 1878. At 2:46 P. M.. third competition. 

 Off-hand Match. 



Saturday. 20tb, Off-hand Match, fourth competition. 



Wednesday, 24th, International Practice Match, second competi- 

 tion, first stage. 



Saturday, 27th, International Practice Match, second competition, 

 .second stage. 



Wednesday, 31st, Off-hand Match, fifth competition. 



JERSEY SCHUETZEN CORPS. -At tho quarterly mooting of 

 the above named coi-ps, held at their headquarters, at 80 

 Hudson street, Hoboken, April the 5th, a resolution passed 

 to have practice-shooting during the summer months at 

 the Scbuetzen Park, Union Hill, for which there will be threo medals 



awarded to thi 

 classes. Tl 

 and will cot 

 son 1881, w 

 1st best, A. 

 ■1th best, Di 

 NHWAB1 

 Ass< 



tin 



-.- best, 



i the 



enters will be divided in throe 

 i 1st and 3d Thursday of every month, 

 jiith of May. The medals of the sea- 

 • meeting to the following members: 

 EL, .laeobi: 8d best, W. Struckmaon; 



.-lo: 



Tho pri 



cluhs,tbeir scores and learn. these being three sizes. 1 

 won: Essex, Frelinghtiyscn aud Celluloid. The E 

 teurs withdrew earlv in the sea.s.in. The April ton 

 as follows: Essex 459, Plymouth 450. Celluloid 

 Warren 417. Krelinghuysen 450, The associated chit 

 entertainment of some sort, such as will benefit thi 

 to be held during the summer. 



ALBANY, April 13.— Tl 

 fair, considering the cold 

 afternoon. The fifth coi 

 fraction, and good scor 



id. 



attendance at Rensselaerwyck was very 

 •at Inr and high winds which prevailed all 

 •tition in the Ma.viia.rd Matt-h was the al^ 



traction, and good scores were made. The majority of the men were 



in good form, though the. high wind was the cause of au occasional 



wild shot. Thi? scores were as follows: 



Mayimrd Match— 500 yards, off-hand. 



CWhite.BalS 



James I Miles, fsal S 



G H Charles. Bal S 



Royal I Green, Bal S 



WmH Meek, RC 



Wm Hatz, Hep S 



•Handicap. 



1-onr competitors withdrew.. 



■WELLINGTON, April 14.— To-da 



visitors, held (heir weekly sin ' 



bints. laViis Milled well, and 

 stakes shot. Ou Weduesday n 

 including a clay pigeon and gl 

 at I'i o'chek, and the first evei 

 i.loyds. rise, to be Colli 



5 o 6 3 6 5 



2 5 5 S 4 5 



8 5 5 5 5 4 



4 4 3 4 4 4 



5 4 4 3 2 4 



8 2 4 5 4 2 



5 4 5 8 -45 

 5 5 5 5 1-45 

 5 8 4 4 -43 

 5 5 8 5 —11 

 8 5 4 5 -30 

 8 5 2 2 —32 



o-day the Raymonds, 



int. at Wellington, an. 

 Lt.he rule. The icgid.i 

 there were quite a u 



est the duo win hoi 



assballshoot. Shootii 



lithn number of 

 though the day 

 ■ shoot of twontv 

 tmher i ■ 



g will commence 



match of three i 



i per team, 



glass balls at 18yds. The following are the 

 •kly shoot: 



ingle matches at sev»n 

 s double birds, a team 

 ingle matches of seven 

 res made at the regular 



J B Valentine 18 J Harrold... 



F Loring 16 JT Brackett 



DKirkwood 1« A E Robiusot 



.1 SSawvcr 15 II X laiilbricl 



FA Johnson 15 UN Harris.. 



II Donovan 15 5 1. Loriug.. 



W HWithci-cll 14 J M Kendall 



(iMonk 13 JO Ooodall. 



.1 W farringloii . I- 



N1-: A' ARK. April 7. -The Celluloid Club team shot tl 



.11 



Zettlen 



.1 Mel'-V, 





STRCA3I Match The club I 

 and thev took third place in Ncwi 

 possible 2,500, 



' 5—11 



f 8,186 points out c 



.. ■! 4 4 5 I 5 

 '. i i 5 5 ., 



A Parsons 5 5 5 4 5 5 



W Baehellor 4 4 4 4 4 3 



CCoe 4 4 5 4 5 3 



WO Lyons 5 5 4 4 5 4 



F Jackson 3 4 4 1 l 4 



W Vrocland 4 5 5 4 4 5 



FParberry 4 5 4 4 4 4 



WASHINGTON D 0. The Capital City dm' 



shoot in the series of matches Of Iw.'mi Satoolai 



owing are the scores— id balls each. -J-'vds .card ro 



.'.. Mills li., Morhons in. Charles 1 1, Ku 



■' k 13. Stoddard la, II ' 



4 5 



l IS 



a'l'A 

 4-40 

 8 IJ 

 5—15 

 5-^9 

 5 4 5 4—15 

 15 5 5 -4-1 — 137 

 "lub held their first 

 Apiill... 'I i.. loll 



Sin 



I, Taylot 



- d. !-i:.' 



adlo 



.i i. il 



. Va 



Mc 



."IIC 



-.--.t-iih Indorse the demand Ol a n il " 

 page 196, [or pistol cat bridges 

 ■v liar 

 cartridges. 2Wm. "barrel revolver I ran 

 .i 

 tne much pleasure, but, 

 sad marksmanship and I 

 iket-pistdl '■'■■ ;.- to see soon an adver- 

 m in j out paper, v. ij. 



mSSOURI STATE TOURNAMENT — Sedalia. Mo. , April W.— Editor 

 !-\„,,,t and Stream: The fifth annual convention and toil di 

 . :. will be held : . 

 Itli and 16th days 

 of theSedaliaGuii Club. The m. nibership row numbers nearly one 



lib! 



tho 



and have made ample i 



cements tor their entertainment. 



