rifle 
have been tried with surprising increase of range and ef- 
fectiveness, on account of the diminished air-resistance. 
Exclusive of repeating ritles or magazine-guns, the princi- 
pal differences between modern rifles are in their breech- 
actions and their firing-mechanism. Some of the more 
important of these arms are described below. 
2. A soldier armed with a rifle : so named at a 
time when the rifle was not the usual weapon of 
the infantry: as, the Royal Irish Rifles that 
is, the 83d and 86th regiments of British infan- 
try Albini-Braendlin rifle, the firearm of the Belgian 
government. The breech-block is opened in the manner 
explained for the Berdan rifle. In closing, after insertion 
of the cartridge, the block is fastened by a spring stud 
until the hammer strikes. The hammer in striking op- 
erates a locking-bolt, sliding it longitudinally into the 
breech-block, thus preventing the latter from rising under 
the stress at the instant of discharge. The spent cartridge 
is extracted as in the Berdan rifle, the extractor-claws be- 
ing attached to the breech-block, and engaging the car- 
tridge-case when the block is turned forward over the bar- 
rel. The cartridge is also exploded as described for the 
Berdan rifle. The hammer strikes and drives the locking- 
bolt forward against a striker or needle in the breech- 
block, which impinges against the base of the cartridge. 
Berdan rifle, a combination of the Albini-Braendlin 
and the Chassepot rifles (which see). It is named after 
its inventor, an American, General Berdan. It has a 
hinged breech-block, which, when turned forward over 
the barrel, extracts the spent cartridge. A new car- 
tridge having been inserted, the block is closed, and fas- 
tened by a bolt analogous to the cock of the Chassepot 
rifle. The lock has a spiral mainspring which drives the 
locking-bolt against a striker working in the center of the 
breech-block, instead of at the side as in the Albini- 
Braendlin gun. This rifle was used in the American civil 
war, and is still one of the United States arms. It has been 
adopted by the Russian government, which now manu- 
factures an improved pattern of the gun at its arsenal at 
Tula. The arm is hence called iu Europe the Berdan- 
Russian rifle. Breech-loading rifle, in distinction from 
muzzle-loadiny rifle, a rifle that is charged at the breech 
instead of at the muzzle. Chassepot rifle, a French 
modification of the Prussian needle-gun (which see). The 
barrel has four deep grooves with a left-handed instead of 
a right-handed spiral, this direction being chosen to coun- 
teract the disturbing effect of the pull-off on the aim. The 
self-consuming cartridge was originally used, but, this 
causing the gun to foul quickly, the arm (which is still re- 
tained by the French government) has been adapted to 
the use of metallic cartridges. Double rifle, a double- 
barreled rifle. Such rifles have hitherto been used only 
as sporting guns. Enfleld rifle, a muzzle-loading gun 
f ormerly manufactured by the English government at En- 
fleld. Several systems having been submitted by different 
gun-makers, the government, instead of using any one ex- 
clusively, adopted the best points of each, and combined 
them in this arm. The gun in its original form is ntill used 
by native regiments in India, but it has been converted 
into a breech-loader, and is called the "Snider Enfield" 
or " Snider rifle." It is, except in India, now superseded. 
Express-rifle. See express, n., 5. Francotte-Mar- 
tini rifle, a gun having the Martini breech-action with an 
important modification by M. Francotte of Liege, whereby 
the lock-mechanism may be, for cleaning, all removed at 
once from below, by taking out a single pin from the trig- 
ger-plate and guard to which the lock-work is wholly at- 
tached, and by which it is supported in the breech-action 
body. Henry repeating rifle, a gun in which a maga- 
zine for cartridges extends under the entire length of the 
barrel, and holds fifteen cartridges. It can be fired thirty 
times per minute, including the time necessary to supply 
the magazine. The Winchester rifle has superseded this 
arm, which was one of the weapons used in the United 
States army during the American civil war. High-pow- 
ered, low-powered rifles. See powered. Mannlicher 
repeating rifle, a name of two different guns, one of 
which is a revolving-magazine repeater, and the other a 
detachable-magazine repeater. The revolving magazine 
in the first-named consists of three joined parallel tubes, 
each holding a number of cartridges, the whole being au- 
tomatically revolved on a central axis as each tube is emp- 
tied, to bring one after another into the proper position 
for delivering the cartridges. The magazine is contained 
in a chamber formed in the butt of the stock, and it is 
loaded through an opening in front of the guard. The 
cartridges are successively fed forward by a spiral spring, 
and automatically thrown up into a horizontal position 
and forced into the breech of the barrel while placing the 
lock in the firing position. The cartridges are metallic 
and central-flre, but are necessarily of rather small cali- 
ber. The other Mannlicher rifle has a detachable maga- 
zine, but the breech-mechanism is the same. The maga- 
zine is fixed to the shoe of the breech-action, and, when 
detached, is used as a cartridge-pouch. Several maga- 
zines, each with eight or ten cartridges, can be loaded, and, 
when needed, successively and quickly attached. This 
arm has been adopted in the Austrian army. Martini- 
Henry rifle, a rifle adopted by the English government, 
rifled on the Henry principle described under rifling^, and 
having its breech-action that of Martini, in which the 
breech-block is hinged, and opened backward by pushing 
downward and forward a lever pivoted just back of the 
trigger-guard, which movement also automatically extracts 
the cartridge-case. The gun has been slightly improved 
since its adoption. It is now used with a coiled brass 
bottle-necked cartridge carrying a large charge of powder. 
It shoots accurately at 800 yards, but has a range of 1,500 
yards. Match-rifle, a fine, well-made arm used for 
match-shooting. The grain of the barrel is generally 
parallel with the axis of the bore, which secures greater 
accuracy in rifling than is possible in a twist barrel. The 
grooves are also veiy shallow. For different English muz- 
zle-loading match-rifles (still somewhat used), the Whit- 
worth, Henry, and rectangular-grooved rifling (which see, 
under riflinffi) are variously employed. For breech-load- 
ers, either the Metford system or the American method 
(also described under rifling?) is more in vogue. The sights 
of match-rifles are usually a wind-gage fore-sight and an 
elevating vernier peep-sight. Mini6 rifle, a rifle using 
the Miiiie ball. Muzzle-loading rifle, a rifle which is 
5175 
charged or loaded at the muzzle, as distinguished from a 
breech-loading rifle. Peabody-Martini rifle, a breech- 
loading military firearm, made at Providence, Rhode 
Island. It is a modification of the English Martini- 
Henry rifle, and is adopted by the armies of Turkey and 
Rumania. Peabody rifle, the first breech-loader which 
used a dropping breech-block pivoted at the rear end 
above the axis of the bore. The operating lever is also 
the trigger-guard, and is connected with the block in 
such manner that pressing it forward pulls downward the 
front end of the block, thus rendering it impossible to jam 
the block by any expansion of the cartridge at the base, 
as sometimes has occurred in rifles wherein the whole 
block slides downward below the bore. This breech-ac- 
tion appears to have been the forerunner of the breech- 
actions of the Martini, Westley -Richards, Swinburne, Stahl, 
Field, and other arms that have appeared since 1862 (the 
year in which the Peabodyrifle was first submitted to mili- 
tary tests at the United States arsenal in Watertown). 
Photographic rifle, a fanciful form of camera arranged 
for taking instantaneous photographs of objects in motion. 
It is a camera fixed on a gun-stock, with sights to secure 
accuracy in bringing the desired object within the field of 
the lens, and a trigger for setting free the instantaneous 
shutter to make the exposure. It has no practical use, be- 
ing merely a very clumsy form of hand-camera or detective 
camera. Remington rifle, ;in arm extensively usedin the 
armies of the United States, France, Denmark, Austria, 
Italy, China, Egypt, and many South American govern- 
ments. The bore has been made either to take a bottle- 
necked cartridge, as do the Martini-Henry and some ex- 
Remington Single-shot Rifle. 
A A, receiver; B, breech-piece; C, hammer; D, locking lever, a, 
mainspring; bb, pins; f, trigger; rf, locking-lever spring ; e, trigger- 
spring ; /, firing-pin. In loading, C is drawn back till caught by c in 
second notch of C. This enables K to be drawn back, opening the 
cartridge-chamber. The pulling back of C extracts the cartridge by 
an extractor not shown in the cut. The shell is then taken out and a 
new cartridge inserted by hand. B is then closed against the loaded 
chamber, leaving the gun cocked. Pulling the trigger then releases C, 
which drives the firing-pin against the cartridge. 
press-rifles, or a Berdan cartridge. The breech-action of 
the earlier patterns has been criticized as lacking solid- 
ity, but no other military rifle has ever proved more gen- 
erally satisfactory in use. The construction is remarkably 
simple. The breech-action of earlier patterns consisted 
mainly of two pieces a combined breech-piece and ex- 
tractor, and a hammer breech-bolt. Each of these parts 
works upon a strong center-pin with a breech-bolt to back 
up the breech-piece, and a spring holds the latter till the 
hammer falls. The action has, however, been much im- 
proved In later models, and the earlier defects removed. 
The breech-block is actuated by a side-lever, and it is 
locked independently of the hammer. It is provided 
with a powerful and durable extractor, and the lock- 
mechanism is both simple and strong. In a slightly mod- 
ified form and reduced caliber it was adopted by Great 
rifle 
opened. A link connecting the lever and hammer cocks 
the gun. Schulhof repeating rifle, a gun having a 
striker of the bolt form, resembling that of the Chasse- 
pot and other guns of that class, a spacious and handy 
magazine in the stock-butt, a peculiar and efficient car- 
tridge-carrier, and a trigger unlike that in any other rifle. 
The trigger is on the top of the grip of the stock, and is 
pressed instead of pulled in firing. Turning over the 
breech-block and drawing it rearward cocks the gun, and 
at the same time brings a cartridge into position for inser- 
tion ; closing the block thrusts in the cartridge, leaving the 
gun cocked ; pressing the trigger fires it. This is one of 
the most simple and rapid of repeating arms. Twenty-five 
well-aimed shots can be fired with it by an expert in 30 
seconds. Sharp's rifle, a rifle having a nearly vertical 
breech-block sliding in a mortise behind the fixed chamber 
in the barrel, and operated from below by a lever, which 
forms the trigger-guard. This gun was used in the Ameri- 
can civil war, and was also used to a very limited extent 
in the British cavalry. It has now only historical im- 
portance. Snider rifle, an Enfleld rifle converted into 
a breech-loader. (Compare Enfiddrifie.) In the change, 
two inches in length of the breech was cut away at the 
top, and a slightly tapered chamber made for the reception 
of the cartridge. A breech-block hinged on the right- 
hand side was used to close the opening thus made. This 
block closes down behind the cartridge and receives the 
recoil. The block is opened, and the cartridge pushed in 
by the thumb. A striker passes through the breech-block, 
and transmits the blow of the hammer to the fulminate. 
The general principle of the breech-action is among the 
earliest known in the history of breech-loading arms 
Soper rifle, an arm having a side-hinged swinging block 
like the Wendl (Austrian) breech-loading rifle. The block 
is, however, operated by a lever situated on the side of 
the stock in a position where it can be depressed by the 
thumb of the right hand, while the gun is at the shoulder, 
without moving the hand from the grip of the stock. The 
movement of the lever simultaneously opens the breech- 
block, extracts the cartridge, carries back the striker in the 
breech-block, and places the hammer at full cock. The 
cartridge is then inserted with the left hand, and on releas- 
ing the lever from pressure the breech-block closes. The 
gun is then ready to fire. The possible rapidity of firing 
with this gun is probably greater than that of any other 
breech-loader not of the repeating class. Sporting rifle, 
in contradistinction to military rifle, one of a class of 
rifles specially designed for use in hunting. The class in- 
cludes the express-rifle, double rifle, large-bore rifles, rook 
and rabbit rifle, punt-gun, etc. Springfield rifle.a single 
breech-loader adopted and manufactured (at Springfield 
hi *' 
Remington Magazine-rifle. 
a, receiver; b, bolt; f, firing-pin; rf, mainspring ; e, thumb-piece ; 
/.key-sleeve; f, extractor ; A, sear; i, trigger; k, magazine-catch ; 
/, sear-spring; M, magazine; , magazine-spring; o, trigger -guard ; 
/, stock; r, tang-screw ; s, guard-screw. 
Britain in 1889. In the present United States govern- 
ment caliber (.45) the gun has been officially adopted by 
the United States Navy Department. Repeating rifle, 
a rifle which can be repeatedly fired without stopping to 
load. Such arms are constructed either on the revolving 
principle (see revolver) or the magazine principle, or, as in 
the Needham and the Mannlicher systems, they comprise 
both these principles. Rook and rabbit rifle, a small 
breech-loading sporting rifle, used only for short ranges. 
The Remington, the Martini, and also top-lever and side- 
lever actions are variously used in such guns, and they 
generally have half or full pistol-hand stocks. When side- 
lever actions are used, they have rebounding locks (which 
see, under Zocfci). Saloon rifle, a small smooth-bore, 
breech-loading gun, incongruously named, having a strong 
heavy barrel, and used for ranges of from 50 to 100 feet. 
The cartridge is a small copper case charged with a ful- 
minate. Such guns are principally used in shooting-gal- 
leries or rifle-saloons. The best of these guns shoot 
with remarkable accuracy, and hence are called by the 
French "carabines de precision." Schneider repeat- 
ing rifle, a gun having a reciprocating block like the 
Sharp's rifle, the block moving down vertically, instead 
of being pivoted on hinges and turning downward as in 
actions of rifles of the Peabody type. It has a tubular 
magazine with a spring-coil feed extending under the bar- 
rel. The breech-block is depressed by moving an under 
lever downward and forward, and at the lowest position 
of the lever a cartridge is delivered rearward upon the 
top of the block. The lever is then moved back, which 
lifts the cartridge into line with the bore, on arriving at' 
which it is automatically thrust into the breech by a 
swinging cam on the left side of the breech-block. This 
cam also acts as the extractor when the breech is again 
f 
Springfield Rifle. 
a, bottom of receiver ; b, barrel to which the receiver is attached by 
a screw-thread ; c, breech-screw, having a circular recess for receiving 
the cam-latch./", which locks the breech-block ft in place; e, hinge-pin, 
around which the breech-block d turns; g t cam-latch spring which 
presses the cam-latch /"into the circular recess ; ft, firing-pin pointed 
at i, which transmits the blow of hammer to priming of cartridge (cen- 
tral-fire) ; /, extractor which turns on e and withdraws the spent car- 
tridge-shell after firing; k, the ejector-spring and spindle. When the 
breech-block is closed, the rear end of the ejector-spring spindle 
presses against the extractor. The drawing in full outline snows this 
position. When the breech-block is raised into the position shown in 
dotted outline, it presses against the lug tn of the extractor j and turns 
j rearward, withdrawing the shell, and the ejector-spring is com- 
pressed ; when the direction of the spindle and spring k passes to a 
point below the center of e, the extractor is thrown quickly and forci- 
bly backward, throwing out the shell, the latter being deflected up- 
ward by the ejector-stud I. 
in Massachusetts) by the United States government. The 
breech- fermeture consists of a rotating breech-block and a 
locking-cam. It is flred by means of a side-lock and firing- 
pin. See the cut with explanation. Vetterlin repeat- 
ing rifle, a Swiss arm, of which its inventor, Vetterlin, has 
produced several patterns. Its firing-mechanism acts on 
the same principle as that of the Chassepot, but it has a 
magazine placed longitudinally under the barrel. The car- 
tridges are respectively delivered rearward into a carriage 
which is moved upward into proper relation with the barrel 
by a bell-crank connected with the sliding-block when the 
latter is pulled backward, and descends again for another 
cartridge when the breech-block is closed. The extrac- 
tor is similar to that of the Winchester rifle (see cut be- 
low). A coiled mainspring drives the needle against the 
base of the cartridge. Winchester rifle, a rifle invented 
by B. B. Hotchkiss, an American, and first exhibited to the 
Winchester Rifle. 
a, rifled barrel ; b, stock ; c, c, receiver, which contains all the inter- 
nal lock -mechanism, and is attached to the barrel by a screw-thread 
as shown at e, and to the wooden stock b by the tangs a and if, through 
which screws pass, one passing entirely through and binding both 
tangs tightly against the stock ; f, the magazine, containing cartridges 
g, which are pressed toward the rear by the long coiled spring A into a 
recess in a vertically moving carrier-block i in the receiver c ; j, the 
carrier- lever, pivoted at k to the finger-lever m, m, m, tn, which is 
also pivoted to the receiver by the same pivot *; / and /' are abut- 
ments respectively on the earner-lever ana finger-lever, whose action 
is explained below ; n, the carrier-lever spring, which holds it down- 
ward when not lifted by the finger-lever ; o, one of the two links or tog- 
gles pivoted to the receiver at o\ to the breech-block / at o", and tog- 
gle-jointed at o'" ; q, a pin attached to the finger-lever and working 
m the slot rof the liuko ; /'.the firing-pin, which slides in the breech- 
