OUR OLD RIFLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 7

OUR OLD RIFLES.

, » ONCE IN BUCKLE STREET STORES. i ' NOW OWNED BY AFGHANS. On Monday morning The Dominion announced that twenty-eight rifles, bearing the New Zealand stamp, had be«n recovered from the,rebel hill tribesmen on iho nortfy-west frontier of India, and it was ( thon pointed ont what an almost Gilbertian idea it' was to find that rifles,' disposed of as obsolete in this country, should bo discovered 'in 'Übo in the guerilla warfare, maintained in and out cf 1 season by, Mohmands) Afridis,' Bunorwals, IJathans, Swatis, nnd other hardy tribesmen, whose lone, reeky territories form a rudo and savage hinterland almost beyond the control of tho'long arm of the Government of India. The news that arrived stated that only twenty-eight New Zealand lifle? had been recovered, but it will be learned, not perhaps, , without a "little apprehension, that arms disposed of by the Detence Department in July, 1907, consisted of, the [following :— Snidor rifles , ... ~... ... . 7000 Snider carbine*) h, 'i'.! l " Martini-Houry rifles ... ~ ... 4500 * ■ Martini-Henry carbines ... COO •Loe-'Bomingtort'-rifles*!.. ' >%\. ■-340 In addition to these arms,' enough to equip'a small army, a very large quantity of ammunition was disposed' of at tho same time. It would be interesting to know if the' Now Zealand rifles now in use on the Afghanistan-Punjab boundary aro , supplied with tho ammunition that reposed peacefully for so many years at,the Defence Stoies in Buckle Street. The ammunition, which was sold by tender at the same time as the rifles, was as follows;— Rounds. ■r>.->■•;■.;...r Snider* ■:H.;'.| : ->Vm. >-- : * ~'..';' .150,000 ;. ■ -. : :!U : -*; JMartmi-Henry,'(ball). - ;.•-.i^ : '-200,000.V ■•.' (blank);;.VV..'i2oo,ooo ?f: : x;v V;jsi GardnerrGayingi;::.;]...:;^;^:-;' 105,000 ];^;~ ■/•fViA'iJliie 'j Snider.;; rifles .-.referred ';-, to: were/.ira- '■■',. '■■ : ■;-'ported into .the Dominion'in 1880; arid did ■ '■'. ;;::;-duty,;untile time, it !rnust ;,:,; ;':-;be.assumed, ; ithey ; Vwere'subjected to'.'a -good" .;■>.;;;:deal,pi. wear.': : -Inithe.'latter/year .they were '•" ;:■;;; superseded by.- the 'Martini-Henry rifle,., but, ■ : -X ■ ■■ :■ !^in.lß9Bi the ( : oivilised;:world',bccame alive to' cordite'.(smokeless ;powder) ..." ;';:..as an aid. toVconcealing/the : .locale .of- military. . i'..':: -.'■ .positions, .'.which discovery -brousht. aboufcthe 'y}.X; ; -of'..the 'Martini-Enfield rifle (J303), fa _ ■ *'■ number of which werei imported <and:Vdistri- ..' _ "J -Vbuted: to the -city'corps, -whilst. , the ■■Sniders .'. '.'" ;: ■of !;the' country wore called 'in aiid ' ~-\.':\ .;■!,.-replacedby. .the Martini-Henry. >./•;■->.:;;;' ;.;i.; : .-./;;The;next development was theLeerEnneld ■'■: ;:.-v Lee bolt action.',;A large cbn::la; !■;.'signmentvof 'arm'was;imported in 1901; ;"//Oi.-.They■!supersed_ed'..all;otherjrifles.then inVuse,. v,k; : "'•■■ :\iind:are still:in:fashion;, ;; ;:^^' -}r ;:.-,';■■/;'■ ■'>.■-:■ v: -vi/. f" The .340 referred "."to. ~ '■''. '-• >;" (the :American; arm),'were : for "the | '■•I. . : :Now : Zealand Rifle; Association ori tho'advico ■•;;:'/' ; of -Colonel. i.Someryille,'-; of AVanganui, .when : , '.the late -Miv John Ballance ,was Minister.for,. ■;;-.'■..-.v...:Defence. They never gave satisfaction, owing ~':■: ..;' to!j.a : difficulty, over'.- ammunition';, (imported ..;>., .from:Ainerica).' : .The,MartinirEnfield.rifles, al-. ■ - ;S -though called : in, we're not'disposed of.!-They: ; ';'-- are-'stillstored-.at. Buckle. Street.'^: , ', ■--:..• ; •-.v-!'>'.:.,i'The - 10e j \.: . ■ munition •were/ imported ■■; twenty-two.:, yoars ■•■;.;:;.•.'..ago."in ( connectiori;with a pin introduced ;to' :,:.'. the Dominion ..by General Strange,: an !Im--.'.;..,..pena1, officer. who '■■ was'.acting-.as agent- : for ;-v. v'A ,this: ; piece> ; at :the':-tirae.-:'. "Wellington' ; :: ;. : residents ;.will,;.jperhaps, Weme'mber jan; ,ex- .:.;•■, jhibition ;bf 'its '"effectivenees given on,:tho '■■■■y\- ' Thorndon Esplanade, under the ■ supervision: ■■. '' : ,; ; :Of : the General.; The Government bought, one w of the guns (and a yerg good pattern piece ■~/'v,;>; it.was), but.its usefulness departed.with the vy-'';;y''.:';exitv6r.^M^ :';. : ?'... : 'vThe 'Arms Act of .Now Zealand prohibits the /,: , .exportation;'of-arms in , ;bulk without'a pro- , ' .:':;..i;clamation. : ;to] : that eifect by tho Governor-iri-..;;,';:/Council.;.iAb fa-further -'precaution :agairiat ':J':ij'.; ■such arms' getting_ into;the possession: of: tho. ■ -, -V v.wrohg. parties; ;it is. speoifiod in the eale con- .'■;'■ itract, that the arms, when, bought, • Kavo to <; : i'': ; :go -to. England; ■ and: the Imperial authorities :'■ V ■;■; naye ■ tokbe mptified of-such :sale. .■'.' .-■■;,".. .. : :-/'