214 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 10, 1884. 



Fig. 3. 



RIFLES OF TO-DAY. 



THE KENNEDY REPEATING RIFLE. 



THE Kennedy arm, or as the manufacturers now prefer to name it, 

 rhe Whitney-Kennedy repeating rifle, belongs to that class of re- 

 peaters where the magazine is arranged in a tube below the barrel 

 and the action is operated by a lever, the motion of which downward 

 and forward performs all tlie work of cocking the hammer, opening 

 the breech, throwing out the empty shell and bringing - a new cart- 

 ridge into the chamber of the arm ready for the next discharge. 

 The ritle is manufactured by the Whitney Arms Company, of Whit- 

 ney ville, near New Haven, Conn., U. S. A. Something was said of 

 this company and its history in the notice of the W T hirney single- 

 loader last week. The Kennedy rifle dates back to 1872 and 1875, 

 When ii was invented by Andrew Burgess, that prolific concocter of 

 small arms, who has had so much to do with bringing about the art 

 of small-arm shooting as it is known to-day. His devices were taken 

 up by the Whitney Arms Company in 1877, and further improve- 

 ments were made in 1870 by 8. V. Kennedy, superintendent of the 

 works. Eli Whitney, Jr., during 1882, made other changes and im- 

 provements, and the arm grew gradually to bear some resemblance 

 to its present form. Among the patents which cover the arm may 

 be mentioned: 



No. 184,589. Dated Jan. 7.1883, A. Burgess.— This patent covers the 

 shape of the lever and method of locking the breech-block. 



No. 213,805 ana No. 213,868. April 1, '1879, A. Burgess.— These 

 patents cover minor points. 



No. 215,237. May 13, 1879, S. V. Kennedy.— This patent is for the 

 carrier block, including the clamp for holding the cartridge in place 

 when the block is raised. The carrier is quite different from that 

 used in any other repeater, and contributes as much as any other 

 one part to the perfection of the same. 



No. 218,126. Aug. 12, 1879, to F. W. Tiesing and S. V. Kennedy.— 

 This patent is for the ejector, which throws the empty shell out of 

 the way when the breech is opened after discharge. 



After patenting his invention in 1873, and yet further in 1875, Mr. 

 Andrew Burgess made a few rifles by hand and exhibited them at 

 the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. It was not until 1879 that the tools 

 were completed and the rifles placed on the market. At that time it 

 was called the Burgess rifle, and the model first made was adapted 

 to the government service cartridge, .45-70-405. The rifle as then 

 made turned out to be a very unsatisfactory weapon, and it was evi- 

 dtnt that other changes were necessary to make the arm both safe 

 and handy. This led to the Kennedy improvements, and the re- 

 christening of the arm. At the same time the .45-70 government car- 

 tridge ivas discarded as being unsafe on account of its rounded bullet 

 Which, in a repeating rifle, where the magazine is in the form of a 

 tube, renders an explosion possible by the bullet of one cartridge im- 

 pringing forcibly upon the primer of another shell. Since 1880, when 

 the Kennedy arm was put before the public, other improvements 

 were made, the curved handle of the lever has been replaced by a 

 loop, and in the large calibers, .45 60, .45-75 and .50-95 express, the 

 carrier block has been so arranged that the cartridge does not jump 

 its whole length from the magazine, but instead enters gradually as 

 the breech block is moved back in opening the system. 



The arm is now turned out in large numbers, and thousands have 

 gone Into use. During the year 1BS3 about twelve thousand were 

 made to supply the retail demand. It has been adopted as a military 

 arm, and several foreign governments have sent orders for supplies 

 of this repeater. Upon its merits as a sporting arm for use against 

 game, readers of the Forest and Stream have been given the opinion 

 of hunters from time to time. The communication of "S. E. B." in 

 the issue of Jan. 17 last tells what the arm will do under hard usage, 

 and the correspondent, "Big lnjin,"has also given the arm a very 

 thorough comparative test. The manipulation of the Kennedy is 

 very simple, and scores have been made where rapidity of fire was 

 important without taking the rifle, from the shoulder. The magazine 

 is enargeel while the breech is open by pressing the cartridges, one 

 at a. time, through the spring cover, which is placed on the light 

 hand side of the receiver. Accidents from premature discharge- are 

 rendered iinpossiole. as far as may be, as the hammer cannot reach 

 the firing-pin until the breech is fully closed and locked. The re- 

 sistance to the discharge is in direct line with the bore of the barrel. 

 Its present builders claim that the qualities essentia] to a first-class 

 rifle of safely, accuracy, durability, strength, simplicity, rapidity 

 and car* of manipulation are all united in the Whitney-Kennedy. 



The tests applied at various times to the Kennedy action have been 

 very severe. 



It has been tested at the armory, by firing many hundreds of 

 rounds successively, by excessive charges, by defective cartridges, 

 etc., and has stood every test. The parts are of such size and form 

 that they are not extra liable to break or get out of order. Only the 

 best materials are used. The system is made of steel throughout. 

 The construction is simple, and the parts are few as in any other 

 magazine rifle operated by a lever. The mechanism can readily be 

 understood by any person who is at all familiar with fire arms, and 

 no difficulty should be experienced in taking apart and assembling 

 the system if the directions given below are followed. 



Ten shots have been fired from the Kennedy in two seconds, and it 

 can be fired as a single-loader (the charged magazine being held in 

 reserve) as rapidly as any gun in the market. 



The rifle has a general record of some fine shooting by selected ex- 

 perts. Captain E. E. Stubbs thinks much of the arm. and at Gaines- 

 ville, Ark., on Nov. 25 last, shooting at 1,000 glass balls thrown from 

 screened Bogardus traps, at a distance of 15yds., broke 993, and dur- 

 ing the feat made a run of 700 without a break. Speaking in Sep- 

 tember last, Captain Stubbs said: "I tried the Kennedy at Coney 

 Island, 200yds. range, and made 47 consecutive bullseyes." Again, 

 on Dec. 31, Captain Stubbs writes: "I subjected the Whitney-Ken- 

 nedy rifles on Christmas Day, just past, to a wonderful test of en- 

 durance, making a total of 500 shots in a fraction less than five 

 minutes. I used six guns, and all worked well." 



Mr. C. Wilkins, at Franklin, Pa., on May 4, 1880, broke 479 out o* 

 500 balls thrown from a trap. This feat was witnessed by tne Frank- 

 lin Sportsman's Club and many hundred visitors. 



The directions for taking apart the weapon should be closely fol- 

 lowed, and may then be employed without the necessity of a pro- 

 fessional gunsmith. 



To take apart, the breech being closed with the muzzle of the bar- 

 rel to the front: 



Take out the two side screws, on the left side of the receiver, that 

 are nearest the barrel. In the 45-caliber rifle take out also the largest 

 screw (carrier-block screw) on the right side of the receiver. Re- 

 move the bottom plate and carrier-block through the bottom of the 

 receiver. Full cock the hammer and take out the extractor screw 

 from the top cover, then depress the lever sufficiently to let the 

 cover pass over it, pull back the hammer as far as possible and slide 

 the cover out over it. Remove the breech-block and lever together 

 through the top of the receiver. To disengage the lever from the 

 breech-block: Take out first the firing pin screw; second, the fir- 

 ing pin; third, the ejector from the bottom of the breech-block; 

 fourth, the large pin from either side. 



To assemble: Put the parts together in the reverse order from 

 which they were taken out. 



If, from long use, the main spring should lose its force and the gun 

 miss fire, it may be stiff ened by turning up the set screw, placed 

 under it in the bottom tang. 



The accompanying cuts show the arm in its completed state, and by 

 the cross section display the mechanism of the action with the breech 

 closed and again when the breech is open. The parts in Fig. 2 cor- 

 respond with the numbers as follows: 1, Receiver; 2. bottom tang; 

 3, lever; 4, breech-block; 5, top cover, 6, ejector; 7, carrier-block; 8, 

 bottom plate; 10, hammer; 11, main spring; 13, sideloading spring 

 cover as seen from back; 14, trigger; 15, carrier-block clamps 16, car- 

 rier-block spring; 17, breech-block pin; 18, carrier-block screw; 19, 

 hammer screw; 20, extractor; 21, ejector catch; 22, bottom-plate 

 snap: 22, long flring pin; 24, short firing pin; 25, carrier block clamp 

 spring: 26, ejector spring: 27, bottom-plate snap spring; 28, long firing 

 pin spring; 20, short firing pin spring. 



There are now five different calibers or sizes made: .38-40, .44-40, 

 .45-00, .45 75 and .50-95, while a rifle is now under preparation to take 

 a .32-20 cartridge. The .38 40-160 arm, 24-inch octagon barrel, 13-shot 

 magazine costs $27, while the same with a round barrel costs $25. 

 The .44-40-200.;24-mch octagon barrel, 13-shot cartridge, also costs $27, 

 with a round barrel at $25. The .45-60-300 rifle, 28-inch, octagon 

 barrel, 11 shots, weighing 9J*jlbs.. costs $29, while the round barrel 

 comes at $27. The .45-75-350, otherwise similar to the last named, 

 comes at tne same prices. The .50-95-300 express rifle has a 26-inch 

 barrel, carries 10 shots and costs 838 in octagon barrel, while with 

 round barrel the cost is $35. All of these prices are for sporting 

 rifles, fitted with open buckhorn or clover-leaf sights. 



„!^5 T ^ NOE T SHOOTING.-IUoii,N. Y., April" Z.-EdMor For- 

 electr^Afw'"; * ta £ e th e liberty of forwarding you diagram and 

 uvhl h?JLl* g ?*i s mad ? on our ra nge. The weather conditions were 

 Rifle riuo ' 7 and poor %*>t.-A. Armstrong, Sec Ilion 



Fig- 1. Fm. 2. 



Fig. 1.— Ten consecutive shots, made from rest, by L. N. Walker 

 Illon,N. Y., March 3, 1884; distance, 100yds.; Remington rifle 32' 

 caliber, 35 grains powder, 150 grains lead. The above diagram is 

 actual size. Shot at lower right hand was the ninth fired 

 v. r ^->T~^ e S co nsecutiye shots, made from rest; 100yds. distance; 

 by t. N. Walker, Ilion, N. Y, March 20, 1884, with Remington special 

 M. B. L., military sights; without cleaning; 80 grains powder 550 

 grains bullet, Remington waterproof patch. Used Dolan's breathing 

 tube. Diagram, actual size. 



GARDNER, Mass., April 3.— To-day members of the Gardner Rifle 

 Club kept open house at Hackmatack Range and entertained a few 

 members of the Worcester Rifle Association, and a right good time 

 was the result. The American decimal target w-as used, shooting 

 off-hand at 200yds., with a possible score of 100. The best results 

 were es follows, in the face of one of the severest snow-storms- G F 

 Ellsworth 92, G. E. Fordyce 89, A. C. White 89, G. C. Goodale 88 I 

 N. Dodge 87, G. F. Emerson 87, Stedman Clark 82, A. Mathews 79, B.' 

 Williams 76, H. C. Knowlton 64, A. Williams 59. P. George 57, J L. 

 Thomas 57. 



At the last regular meet of the Garden Rifle Club the following 

 scores were made on the same target: 



WCLoveland 9 10 10 6 9 8 10 9 9 9-89 



AMathews 10 9 9 9 9 10 9 9 10 8-87 



LW Clark 8 10 8 10 6 9 10 9 6 10—86 



MAtherton 9 6 9 7 8 10 9 8 10 9—84 



GFEUsworth 8 8968988 10 9-«i 



GCGoodale. 5 10 9 9 9 6 10 9 6 9—82 



SHildreth 8 99995949 7-80 



B Williams 7 6 8 9 6 6 7 10 10 9—78 



J W Dickinson 4 10 7 7 6 7 6 8 9 9—73 



At the annual meeting, held this week, the club elected officers 

 as follows: President, I. N. Dodge; Vice-President, H. G. Kowlton- 

 Secretary and Treasurer, G. C. Goodale; Executive. Committee— F. E, 

 Nichols and W. C. Loveland. 



NEW YORK.— Regular weekly shooting of the Bulls head Rifle Club 

 Thursday, March 27, 12-ring target, possible 120: M. Dorrler 118. A 

 Lober 118. E. Holzman 117, C. Rein 115, V. Steinbach 114, H. Gunther 

 113. J. F. Schrorder 109, A. Stolzenberger 109, J. Schneider 110 H. A 

 Wasmuth 108, G. Wendelken 106, D. Holland 101, J. F. Campbell 93 

 S. F. C. Weber 94, H. Zubiller 95, D. Louitzki 86. 



THE TRAP. 



Correspondents who favor us with club scores are particularly re- 

 quested to icrite on one side of the paper only. 



BOSTON GUN CLUB TOURNAMENT.— A dull, wintry day at Well- 

 ington opened, and greeted a large number of shooters at the above- 

 tournament on the 2d inst. , nearly all of the surrounding clubs being 

 represented; later on the snow seemed likelv to interfere with the 

 day's sport. In spite of all such difficulties, however, the comfortable 

 quarters enabled the shooters to stand to their guns and exterminate 

 some 2,000 birds, with the results tabulated below. Leading scores 

 were as follows: 

 First sweep, 5 birds, 18yds. rise: 



J Williams : 01111—4 C F M Stark nil 3 — .*> 



J S Hart 10111—4 



Second sweep, 5 single birds, 18yds. rise. 5 traps: 



Sampson 10111—4 Eager 11111—5 



Jenkins 11111—5 



Third sweep, 2 pair double birds, from 5 traps, 16yds. rise- 



Perry 11 11—4 Hart 11 11—4 



Jenkins 10 11—3 Stark 11 10—3 



Evans 11 01-3 Cooper 10 11—3 



Fourth match, 7 single birds, 18yds. rise: 



W T illiams ', 1011111—6 Jenkins 1110011—5 



Eager 1111101—6 Hart Ill nil— 7 



Cooper 1111111—7 Sampson 1011111—6 



Perry 1111111—6 Johnson 1111101—6 



Gerrisb 0111101—5 Sawyer 0110111—6 



Fifth sweep, 5 single birds, 18yds. rise: 



Sawver 01111—4 Cooper 11111—5 



Law 11110—4 Gerrish 01111-4 



Jenkins 11111—5 Johnson 11011—4 



Sixth sweep, 5 pair double birds, 16yds. rise: 



Jenkins 11 11 01—5 Eager 11 10 10—4 



Hart 11 11 00—4 Perry 11 10 11—5 



Law 11 10 10-4 Gerrish 11 10 10— 4 



Sawyer 00 11 11—4 Johnson 01 10 11 4 



Braley 11 11 11—6 



Seventh sweep, 7 single birds, 18yds. rise: 



Field 1111111—7 Sawyer 101 1011—5 



Stark 1011111-6 Gerrish 0111111—6 



Williams 0111111—6 Cooper 1111111—7 



Johnson 0111111—6 Perry 1111111—7 



Kirkwood 1111101—6 Eager 1111110—6 



Law 1100111—5 Jenkins 1111001—5 



Oilman 1011111—6 



Eighth sweep. 7 single, 18yds. rise: 



De Rochmont 1111010—5 Field 0101111—5 



Perry 0111110— 5 Eager 1111110—6 



Stark 0111011-5 Kirkwood 0011111-5 



Ninth sweep, 7 single birds, 18yds.: 



Sawver 1111111—7 Nichols 0111110-5 



Jenkins '. 1011111-6 Field 1100111—5 



Sampson 1101101—5 Williams 1011111-6 



Law 1110101—5 Johnson 0111101— 



Eager 1101111—6 Gerrish 1011101—5 



Cooper 1111011— 6 Parker 1111011— 6 



Tenth sweep, 7 single birds, 18yds. rise, 5 traps: 



Jenkins 1011110—5 Parker 1011011—5 



Cooper 1101011-5 Stark 1001111- 5 



Perry 1101101—5 Kirkwood 1111101-6 



Johnson 0111011-5 



Eleventh sweep, 3 pair doubles: 



Perry 10 II 11—5 



Law 11 11 01—5 



Sampson 10 11 11—5 Kirkwood 10 10 



Cooper 10 10 11—4 



Twelfth sweep, 7 single birds: 



Jenkins 1011111-6 Gerrish 1111111—7 



Eager 1111001—5 Sawver 1111100-5 



Cooper 1101110-5 Field 1111011-6 



Sampson 11111C0-5 Williams 1111010-5 



Perry 1111011-6 



Thirteenth sweep, 5 single birds: 



Eager 11111—5 Kirkwood llllO— 4 



De Rochmont 01111—4 Gerrish 11111-5 



Sampson 10111 — 4 Field 01111—4 



Perry 01111—4 



Fourteenth sweep, 5 single birds: 



Perry 11101—4 Law 11111-5 



Johnson 01111—4 De Rochmont 01111—4 



Stark 11110-^ 



THE LIGOWSKY SHOOT— Cincinnati, April 3.— The following ad- 

 ditional clubs have remitted $1 initial entrance fee, championship 

 match, first international clay -pigeon tournament, May 26, 1884. The 

 numbers indicate the respective order of choice as to time in being 

 called to the score: 

 14. Feb. 23— Knoxville Gun Club. Knoxville. Tenn. 

 15; March 6— Kirtland Gun Club, Cleveland, Ohio. 



16. March 6— Evanston Gun Club, Evanston, 111. 



17. March 10— Algona Sportsmen's Association. Algona. Iowa. 



18. March 14— Chippewa Falls Gun Club. Chippewa Falls, Wis. 



19. March 16— Farmington Sporting Club, Farmington, 111. 



20. March 19— Bradford Sporting Club, Bradford, Pa. 



21. March 20— Boston Gun Club, Boston. Mass. 



22. March 21— Franklin Gun Club, Benton, 111. 



Ligowsky Clay-Pigeon Co. 

 IOWA SHOOT.— The first annual tournament of the Winnesheik 

 Gun Club will be held at Decorah. la , on May 13, 14 and 15. 

 Glass balls, clay and live pigeon ' matches are provided in abun- 

 dance. • ....... 



Houghton 10 10 



Parker 10 01 



11-4 

 IT— 4 

 11—4 



