The new Springfield Magacine Rifle now under construction and taking the place of the Krag-Jorgensen (see page 197), while possessing many improve ments on the latter, is far from what might be considered the best and most prac ticable arm for our troops. The principal points of its difference from the Krag Jorgensen are the use of two lugs instead of one for holding the bolt against rearward pressure of the powder, with resulting increase of strength sufficient to enable a velocity of 2,300 feet per second to he obtained: the housing of the maga zinc in the stock directly below the chamber instead of having it project to one side. In addition to these there are various changes of details which both im prove the rifle and cheapen and accelerate its production. The arm is supplied with a cleaning rod which can be partially pulled from its place below the barrel and held with a catch so as to form a bayonet. Its great advantage is that it lightens the weight made up of the gun, bayonet, and bayonet scabbard, and by dispensing with the latter two as separate articles to be carried permits the sol dier to carry with him an intrenching tool of sufficient size and weight to be ser viceable. There are differences of opinion as to the value of the rod bayonet ; although less effective as a bayonet alone than the one now in use in the service, it is undoubtedly of some value in converting; the musket into a pike, and in view of the increasing prominence of the intrenching tool and the decreasing occasion for the use of the bayonet its experimental substitution is in linc with apparent progress in subordinating the latter to the former.
The piece is centrally fed by means of clips, each of which holds five cart ridges. It has a caliber of .30 inch, and the rifling is made up of four grooves of a depth of o.004 inch. the twist being one turn in io inches. The bullet weighs 220 grains, which is the same as that of the Krag-Jorgensen, but the powder charge has been raised from 37.6 to 43.3 g-rains. In spite of the considerable in crease in its power the weapon has been greatly reduced in weight ; for while the Krag-Jor,gensen rifle weighs 10.64 pounds, the Mauser na.5 pounds, and the Ger
man military rifle 11.54 pounds, the new weapon wei, I on.y 9.47 pounds. It follows, as a matter of course, that, with such high velocity and fairly heavy bul let, the trajectory is correspondingly flat, the maximum ordinate of the i,000-yard trajectory being only 2o.67 feet as against 25.8 feet for the Krag-Jorgensen gun, a very material difference.
The cartridge for the .3o caliber arm consists of the case, bullet, primer and charge of smokeless powder. The case has a flanged head, prinzer seat, conical body, shouhler, cylindrical neck, and is made of brass. The bullet is lubricated, and has a core of lead and tin composition jacketed with cupro-nickel; it has three grooves, and the mouth of the case is crimped into the front groove to secure the bullet in place. The core is composed of ipart of tin and25 parts of lead by weight ; this proportion is varied slightly in order to keep the weight of the finished bullet constantly at 220 grains. The primer is composed of a cnp, made of cartridge copper and containing the composition, a water proofed paper disc, and a brass anvil. In plan, the anvil is a circle with two small semicircular portions removed from opposite sides; these two openings form vents for the passage of the flame from the composition to the powder. The powder is of the nitro 2,1ycerine type. Up to the present time three different American powders have been used (Peyton. Du Pont and Laflin & Rand W. A.). The charge varies with the powder used from 35 to 42 grains. The pruner composition is known as II-48, and consists of 8.63 per cent. sulphur. 25.12 per cent. antimony sulphide, 49.61 per cent. potas sium chlorate and 16.64 per cent. glass crystals. The weight of the cartridge complete varies from 435 to 442 grains.
The standard instrumental velocity, at 53 feet from the muzzle, of this am munition in the rifle, is 1,96o feet per second, with an allowed variation of but 15 feet per second on either side of the standard. This instrumental velocity at 53 feet corresponds to a muzzle velocity in the rifle of about 2,000 feet per second. The velocity in the carbine is 8o feet per second less than in the rifle.