6 
THE SMALL-ARMS OF EUROPE. 
7' 11", while that of the English one. reaches 8' 49", which is the 
highest. 
When the velocities differ but little, the influence of sectional density 
is early felt, the angle of elevation increasing less in proportion as the 
latter is great. Thus the curve of elevation of the converted Austrian 
rifle cuts that of the French and Russian at about 100 paces,* the 
Prussian exactly at 600, and that of the English between 900 and 
1000 paces; lastly, the curves of the English and French arms only 
intersect between 1000 and 1200 paces. 
As regards angles of elevation, the two last systems may be taken 
as the most favorable—the French for mean and the English for long 
ranges. 
In the tables a system Y has been introduced, which, for each 
element, surpasses all the others. The system is purely ideal, but the 
shooting conditions on wffiich it is based must be adopted in every new 
type. Thanks to a reduction of calibre to 10 millimetres (0*3937 ins.), 
and to a lengthening of the bullet to 2f calibres (bullet 370*56 grs., 
charge 76*2 grs.), it combines the muzzle velocity of the Austrian with 
the sectional density of the English arm. These conditions are not in 
any way extreme, and would of necessity be adopted by any state now 
about to re-arm its infantry. 
Angle of Drop 6 .—The angle of drop gives a preliminary idea, gener¬ 
ally sufficient, of the form of .the path near the mark; and it is plain 
that the smaller the angle of drop for any one distance, and consequently 
the more sweeping the path, the more serviceable is the arm. Here, 
again, thanks to the great density of the section of its bullet, the 
English arm takes precedence, and at 2400 paces (2000 yds.) has the 
same angle of drop as the converted Austrian arm at about 1900 
(1590 yds.) The diagrams of the angles of drop of the different arms 
also intersect, but the points of intersection are not coincident with 
those of the angles of elevation; because, for a given distance, the 
difference between the angles of elevation and drop is less in proportion 
as the sectional density is great and the muzzle velocity is small. The 
double action of these two elements places the point of intersection of 
the curve of the English rifle with that of the others at between 
400 and 500 paces (333 and 414 yds.) for the Austrian, between 
600 and 800 paces (500 and 666 yds.) for the French, and between 
300 and 400 paces (250 and 330 yds.) for the Italian, and so on. 
From this it follows that at certain distances the angle of drop for a 
given arm may be less than for another, although the angle of elevation 
for the former may be greater than for the latter. This fact is notice¬ 
able for the whole interval between the point of intersection of the 
curves of the angles of drop and that of the curves of the angles of 
elevation of the systems under consideration—for instance, between 
about 700 and 1200 paces (583 and 1000 yds.) for the English and 
French arms. 
* The pace = § of a yard = f of a metre. 
