December 7, 1916 
LAND & WATER 
39 
(Continued from page 36) 
Flemings armed with hand-guns. This is fifty years 
before tlie date usually assigned for their introduction, 
]\Ir. Anderson and other writers placing that event at the 
siege of Berwick in 1521, soon after which they wete 
generally adopted in England." 
, The matchlock in which a " serpentin " or cock forming 
part of the trigger was employed to hold the match was 
introduced towards the end of the 15th century. It was 
•followed by a new type with mechanical lockwork called 
the wheel lock which was first known in England in the 
time of Henry VIII. On pulling the trigger a wheel spun 
round in contact with pyrites, so producing a stream of 
sparks close to the touch hole. Flint-locks followed and 
these were first introduced into our army in the 17th 
century. The old " Brown Bess " was adopted generally 
About 1700, and was the British service pattern in various 
forms for 150 years. The Peninsular and Waterloo 
campaigns were fought and won with it. Hand cannon, 
matchlocks, and even flint-locks at first, were very un- 
wieldy and entailed the carriage on the person of the 
soldier of a quantity of accessories. The simple bow 
could be used with much greater ease, and it was conse- 
quently not finally discarded until many years after 
small arms were introduced. 
The flint-lock persisted in use until the advent of 
another great British invention in 1807 —that of the 
application of fulminates — sensitive and violent high 
explosive compounds — to the ignition of propelling 
charges by the Scottish clergyman Alexander Forsyth. 
Many methods of conveying the flash of the fulminate 
to the charge were at first in vogue, but they were finally 
centred in the copper percussion cap — a device that we 
find in the base of central fire cartridges of the present day. 
The percussion system was first used in the British Army 
in connection with the muzzle-loading Brunswick rifle 
in 1836. The value of rifling, long debated, haa already 
been admitted, for the Baker rifle had been served out 
to a few regiments in 1800 ; but it was not until breech 
loading was introduced with the Snider pattern .577 
bore rifle that its advantages were fully felt. The Snider 
was the reply to the Prussian Zundnadelgcwehr or needle 
gim which was used first in 1863 in the Danish war and 
later with extraordinary effect in the war against Austria 
in 1866. The'Fixnch were fortunately prepared in this 
respect for the war of 1870, having already served out 
and become familiar with their breech-loading Chassepot. 
Both German and French rifles had breech actions of the 
bold type, whereas the Snider, adapted from the older 
muzzle loader, had a breech block which swung over to 
the side on a hinge. The present-day German Mauser 
is a development of the old needle gun. The Austrians 
use a " straight pull " bolt action. In 1877 the Martini 
single loading rifle was served out, and it had the smaller 
.450 bore. Accuracy of fire was much improved, but this 
otherwise excellent weapon had eventually to be dropped 
because it could not be adapted for magazine loading. 
A Martini pattern automatic rifle has since been invented 
by the French. The Lee-Metford magazine rifle made 
its first appearance in the hands of some of the troops in 
1894, and in the present shortened Lee Enfield form we 
discover that the British have the best rifle in use in the 
present w-ar. Its action may be a trifle weak, but it is 
the most rapid in the world and its accuracy attains to 
the highest standard. 
Many other weapons have been used in the wars re- 
corded in history. With the dagger, the sw^ord and 
bayonet this article is not concerned, though each has 
played a prominent part in the settlement of many 
bloody combats. Grenades, stink pots, Greek fire and 
other explosive and incendiary devices have from time 
immemorial been employed in warfare. The destruction 
of the enemy is, the object of all war, and he who 
uses the most effective killing machines and material 
must ceteris paribus be the victor. Regrettable as the 
departure of chivalry may be from the conduct of war, 
we must be content to live with it in history and to bend 
our efforts now to the establishment of every conceivable 
means whereby the brutal enemy we are fighting may 
be crushed. 
British Service Rifles from muzzle-loader to present-day majazioe-loadinj small bore rifle 
..<( 
