NEW GERMAN REPEATING RIFLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1731, 4 January 1888, Page 2

NEW GERMAN REPEATING RIFLE.

♦ > The infantry weapon, Vne fo-onlled magazine rifla now to b* thrown aaldo. was only perfected la&fc spring, and the Reeerve» have only been called In for the firot time to learn If. nae when U ha prao Ically, ta be already abandoned! The Inadequsoy of the magazine arrange, meat came to light daring these early trials of it m the army. The defects of the firat pattern are partly Inherent In the rifle itaelf, bat they only become, apparent when compared with the better patterns adopted, nit oaly by Franoe. bot by RussU, as well aa Anatrla, Bne« land and Hollond. The cheaf fault of the German repeater (a its too groat, calibre of eleven millimetres aa against eight In the French and moat othermodels. Germany ooald not adopt thfo small oalibre at first, because sha had not a suitable, powder and bullet. Itla only recently she had eaooaaJed In producing a powder of six times tho strength of the older description, and In Inventing a steel coating for the. ballots which will prevent the present rapid 11 leadening" of the barrel. The ohief advantage of the new powder In connection with the new amall oalibre ballets la it* superior penetrating effect: The ballet* will pierce, three horses one behind the* other. They will penetrate steel platea of thirty miUi-metrea m thiokness, whereas the present rifta only pierces a five mlUi metre eteel plate. The German military administration, therefore, considers It absolutely necessary to lntrodoc* the Improved weapon as soon as possible. The expense Is enormous as tho existing rlfl-?« cannot be adapted, as was the ease with the magaz; no rifle. Not only new frames, bat also now barrels, will bare to be made. The Government hopes, indeed, then to have a riflj superior to the new Frenoh, especially as the oallbro will probably be even a little less than eight milli-makreß.— '• Broad Arrow."