TO ASSEMBLE THE RIFLE.
Replace the parts in the reverse order froin that given for dismounting, keep ing in mind the following points;—Replace the automatic cut-off and the spring. Replace the magazine carrier, the magazine spindle, and the maga zine spring together, and give tension to the magazine carrier by turning the spindle, with a screw-driver, from the right to left. Insert the spindle screw. Do not give too high a tension to the magazine spring, as it will make the loading of cartridges into the magazine unnecessarily hard. In replacing the retractor in the breech-bolt, besure that the retractor is in retracting posi tion, before repla.cing the hammer and breech-bolt. The model 1895 has a retractor spring. Owing to the increased pressure of smokeless powder, it has beed found impracticable to disconnect the barrel from the receiver to make a , take down. All the strength possible is required at this junction. Take ' do wns made on this principle vei7 soon become loose, making the rifle useless. By removing the butt stock from the Savage rifle, as shown in Figure 6, the arm can be packed in a trunk 33 inches long, inside measurement. To remove the butt stock, unscrew and remove the butt plate, loosen the stock screw, then quickly draw the stock back away from the receiver. By opening the lever, the rifle is made shorter. Fig-nre 7, illustrates a rear view of the zine, empty and full. showing the position of the cartridges in the magazine.
The Savage military rifle has the same action as the sporting rifle, but is fitted with the usual military fore stock, bands and bayonet. The butt plate and sights are also of a military design, while the barrel is twenty-eight inches in length. This rifle embodies the following essential points of excellence, viz.: Safety, certainty of action, ease of manipulation, simplicity arising from few parts, less conditions required to load and operate the mechanism than any other magazine rifle, and great durability. The breech-bolt is in one piece strongly supported at both ends ; the recoil is taken up directly in the rear and .not at the side of the chamber. There are no projecting knobs, hammer or bolt handles to become entangled in straps and clothing; the rifle has a remarkably clear, smooth appearance, free from all protuberances.
The firing mechanism cannot be operated until the rifle is safely breeched up and locked; the firing pin is cammed back from the fa,ce of the breech-bolt in the first movement of the lever in unbreeching the rifle. Double loading or jamming of cartridges is impossible; shells are positively ejected, however slowly the mechanism is operated.
In loading, either as Et single loader or magazine rifle, it is only necessary that the cartridges be placed down in the breech opening., heads to the rear. The act of placing- the cartridgre the breech opening presses the automatic cut-off into its recess, thereby "cutting off" the cartridges in the magazine beh W. TillS all tomli t ic rrat 'gement eliminates the necessity for a " cut-off '' operated by the soldier, thus reducing the conditions for reserving the maga zine cartridges.
If a soldier fails to place a cartridge in the breech opening., a cartridge will be fed up automatically from the magazine. The rifle can be alternately and automatically used as a single loading and as a magazine rifle. The extrac ting of empty shells is positive with the multiplied extracting power of over twelve to one; each empty shell is ejected from the ritle to the right before another cartridge can be loaded or fed up from the magazine.
A numerical indicator exposed through an opening. it) the frame always shows the number of cartridges contained in the magazine, and also shows when the magazine is empty. Two movements only are required to extract and eject the fired shell, load, breech up and cock the firing mechanism, ready to fire. No special tools are required to dismount and assemble the action. The working mechanism is exposed to view by removing the butt stock. Danger ous pressures from compressed powders are avoided by holding all the maga zine cartridges by their rims in a rotary sprocket, thus preventing the bullets from being pressed too far into the shells from the action of recoil.