The weapon with which the British army was equipped in 1903 was a modification of the Lee Atetford weapon. Notwithstanding all that had been promised for the Lee-Metford magazine rifle, with which the troops were armed during the South African War, it was found to be sadly deficient in all the qualities that make a good service weapon. The new weapon is five inches shorter than the old one, thus securing an ap preciable reduction in weight. In the old weapon there was a small wooden grip to protect the hand from the heat of the barrel; in the new one the barrel is inclosed in a wooden easing throughout its entire length, to within an inch of the muzzle. This, of course, has necessitated a new method of fixing and securing the bayonet. A separate nose cap is fitted to the barrel, to which the bayonet is attached. A greater ve locity of the projectile is secured by slightly enlarging the bore from about ten inches from the muzzle, on the principle that where the bore commences to increase the force of the explosion of the cartridge has already been expended, so that by enlarging the bore a small fraction of an inch an increased velocity is obtained, because if the bore was in the same diameter throughout its entire length the tight barrel would cause friction and a consequent reduction of velocity. The disadvantage of the shortened barrel is that the back and fore sights are brought closer together, thus demanding a greater care in taking aim, since the possible angle of error is greatly increased. To obviate this the backsight has been made so as to be capable of adjustment up to a considerable range without raising the leaf. The magazine is concealed within the stock and carries ten cart ridges, as did the former rifle, but instead of load ing the magazine by hand a clip similar to that of the Abuser rifle is employed.
The Mannlieher automatic rifle is an improve ment on the ordinary Mannlicher model, is 0.7 kilograms (1.54 pounds) less in weight, and has a shorter barrel than the original weapon. It is an automatic firearm with a fixed barrel, the bolt mechanism being operated by powder gases from the barrel, which act on a piston moving in a gas cylinder parallel to the barrel and the bolt. The energy created by the gases is trans mitted from the piston to the breech mechanism. The gas piston is driven back a short stroke by the gas, upon which it unlocks the bolt and starts it toward the rear. The gas piston doe not accompany it the entire length of its move ments in either direetion, its functions being confined to giving it the impulse to continue its rearward movement. '1'lle advantage of this con struction is that it enables the breech mechanism to he operated with a very short and light brass cylinder and piston, at the same time leaving the greater part of the movement to the barrel independent of the gas mechanism, so that should the opening in the barrel for the escaping gas be closed the breech mechanism can still be op erated independent of the gas mechanism, as in the ordinary reneating rifle. The vent is bored in the barrel through which the powder gases enter the gas cylinder the moment the projectile has passed beyond the vent, the gas cylinder being fastened underneath the valve by means of a screw. The piston, which is situated in the gas
cylinder, is constantly pressed forward by a spiral spring, and is forged in one piece with an arm extending to the rear and to the side. This arm moves in a slit in the sleeve and en gages with the bolt by means of a lug. The mechanical process by which the rifle is operated is that of all automatic firearms; the bolt con tinues its rearward movement under the impulse received (as already described), the hammer is cocked and the empty shell is disengaged from the extractor by a blow against the ejector, after which the bolt-spring drives the bolt forward again. Several important advantages are claimed for this weapon, not the least of which is that the vent in the barrel leading to the gas cylinder can be sealed by the screw, making the weapon to all intents and purposes a non-automatic re peating rifle. Again, should the rifle be operated automatically and the bolt spring become use less or break, the breech mechanism may be locked by hand and the rifle still remain avail able as a repeater.
The construction of the Abuser automatic re peating rifle is closely similar to the automatic pistol of that name, in that the energy required for its operation is supplied through the recoil. After firing the barrel is moved backward by the breech. The same movement readjusts the spring and cocks the hammer. after which the barrel is disconnected from the breech action. The breech, however, continues its recoil movement by virtue of the velocity acquired, and besides extracting from the barrel and ejecting the shell from the breech causes the compression of a second re cuperating spring. The first spring then ex pands and reloads the chamber; the breech is closed, and the second spring expanding in its turn brings the barrel into a firing position. Thus all that is necessary is to press the trigger and the weapon continues to fire to the full extent of the magazine capacity.
The carbine employed by all the nations of the world is the cavalry firearm which uses the same cartridge as the infantry rifle and with most ,nations is constructed on the same prin ciple as the rifle. It is never, with one exception ( Italy), used with a bayonet. The different types of small arms in use in 1902 by the great Powers of the world will be found specified in the accom panying table. The following countries were at that time improving or replacing the weapons therein specified as follows: Japan, the Murata rifle, constructed on the unwieldy fixed maga zine tube system, having a range of 2000 meters, was found too heavy and was gradu ally being replaced by the Arisaka rifle, which has a range of 2500 meters. affords more con venience in loading, and contains 5 shots in the magazine. Portugal was gradually replacing the Kropatsehek rifle by the Steyr. which weighs 8.36 pounds, and has a calibre of 6.5 millimeters. The Mauser was rejected on account of its in ferior range and more complex mechanism. Switzerland reduced the weight of the Schmidt model of 1889-96 by shortening the breech block. The States, as already described, has adopted the new Springfield magazine rifle, while the English army had adopted a modified form of the Lee-Sletford.