In 1892 a small bore, smokeless powder, magazine rifle was adopted and manufactured at Springfield Armory. The breech ac tion was a modification of the Krag-Jorgensen, the magazine con taining 5 rounds. The cartridge was of .3o calibre containing a 220 grain bullet with cupro-nickel jacket and lead core, and a charge of nitro-glycerine smokeless powder sufficient to give a muzzle velocity of 1,96o feet per second. This rifle was improved several times, chiefly to facilitate production, the later models being known as the Model 1896 and the Model 1898.
The Spanish-American war demonstrated the need of a higher muzzle velocity to flatten trajectory, and of a quicker method of charging the magazine. Accordingly a new rifle, the Model 1903, was developed at Springfield Armory, being a modification of the Mauser, the magazine being charged with a clip of 5 cartridges. This rifle was first issued to troops in 19o5. The cartridge of the rimless type contained a 220 grain bullet, and gave a muzzle velocity of 2,300 feet per second. In 1906 the cartridge was changed to contain a 1 so grain sharp pointed bullet with muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second, known as the Model 1906 cart ridge, and all existing rifles were rechambered for the new cart ridge. Again in 1926 the bullet was changed to one of boat tail
or stream line form, weighing 172 grains and jacketed with a composition of copper 90 parts, zinc io parts, to avoid metallic fouling. The new cartridge, used in both rifles and machine guns, is known as the .3o calibre Mark I., and gives a muzzle velocity of 2,66o feet per second. The Model 1903 rifle remains the stand ard service rifle of all the United States military forces.
During the World War the facilities for the manufacture of the Model 1903 rifle were not sufficient to produce it in the quantities required. Several large factories had been manufacturing the En field Model 1914 rifle under contract for the British government. It was possible to slightly change the 1914 rifle so that it would use the United States .3o calibre Model of 1906 cartridge. The modified rifle, known as the U.S. Rifle Model of 1917, was manu factured in large quantities in these factories and about half of the United States troops in France were armed with it, the remainder using the Model 1903 rifle.