NEW ZEALAND'S AMMUNITION SUPPLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1773, 11 June 1913, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND'S AMMUNITION SUPPLY.

A VITAL QUESTION OF DEFENCE. CAN THE COLONIAL AMMUNITION COMPANY MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS? (By "Bulls-eyo" in the Christekurck Press.") Tho recent statement by Colonel Heard, Chief of General Staff and Director of. Stall 1 Duties and Military Training, that the output ot the Colonial Ammunition Company's works at Auckland -was practically limited to tho amount of ammunition now being taken from tho company by Government, caused considerable stir among those 'who had studied tho Delence question. Nearly everybody who has given tho matter thought recognises that tho small arms ammunition supply is, and must always be, a vital question. If our Territorials aro to bo of any use as defe;ico units they must learn to shoot, and this cannot bo done without n reasonable supply of ammunition, both lor Territorials and Cadets. At present wo have enrolled 23,322 Territorials, 22,955 Cadets, and 4718 men atInched to l'iilo clubs. This is not reckoning tlio present sworn-in members of r.ilo clubs, which at a moderate cstimato may bo put down at GOOO. In round ..umbers we have 57,000 enrolled members of the Defence Forces, for which the free ammunition required, taking it all round at 150 rounds per man, is 8,550,000 rounds. This would supply a reasonablo annual amount for practice purposes for every member of tlio forces. Being in Auckland recently, I took tho opportunity of calling u|>ou tho manager of the Colonel Ammunition Company to get his views on this important question. Mr. Whitney greeted mo courteously, and in reply to my first question as to tho capacity of production, suggested I should look around the works and judco for myself whether tho machinery was working up to its full capacity or not.

Since my last run through tho factory, some years ago, there havo been many improvements as well us additions to plant and machinery, and extensions of buildings. What impressed me principally was tho large number of idle .303 machines, and machines working half-time. In reply to a question as to why tho machines wero not working, 1 was told thpy wero not needed to supply the present demands of tho Defenco Department, but that all tho machines could be run at their full capacity if the call camo for them. I thought this did not look as though the company could not turn out tnoro than the present supply. Mr. Whitney was very reticent as to tho amount of tho supply required by tho Defenco Department. Ho simply stated that woruing ordinary hours the plant and machinery at tho factory ia capablo of turning ont moro llian double tho present amount of ammunition taken by tho Government. "Ono of tho questions wo havo in view at tho present time," said Mr. Whitney, "is reducing the working limo lo iivo days each week instead of six, as at present." Whilo on tho question of tho capacity of tho works and tho amount of ammunition required tor efficiency, Mr. Whitney was very cmphntic in his protest against thoso irresponsible people who write in tho papers advocating an abnormal freo supply of ammunition to t'no New Zealand Forces, which would necessitate tho Government taking, Buy, 10,000,000 rounds per annum, and ho considers they arc simply putting obstacles in tho way of tho forces obtaining a reasonable freo supply, and entirely deceiving tho public as to tho quantity required.

My own ideas on this subject uro that tho training of tho defenco units to become crack shots is no part ot tho work of the Defence Department, but tho training of them'to bocolno useful and reliable shots is.' To do this, it would tako at least 150 rounds per man per annum. After that amount was expended tho matter. of ammunition supply would be in the hauds of tho individual members of the Territorial Porces. It will therefore bo seen at a glauco that tho 10,000,000 rounds spoken of by some writers is entirely out of reason and misleading. Half that quantity would bo plenty, and from what 1 saw of tho working capacity bf tlie factory tkero can bo no doubt of tho ability of tho company to supply it at tho present time.

As Territorials ancl lliflo Club men will lilto to know something about the manufacture of their ammunition, I propose to refer to the most important part in a few words. Every part of tho cartridge case, bullet, etc., is examined and gauged at tho various stages of their manufacture. When tho caso is finished, and finally examined and gauged, tho important process of loading takes place. 1 watched this very closely, and was pleased to soo tho care taken with every movement; it is conducted under the strictest supervision. Tho Cordito is stored in an Expense Magazine, which is connccted to tho loading room by a small tube, with a cut-off which acts automatically in case of danger. The Cordito is fed through this opening to tho loading operative, and is automatically cut oil' to a charge laifl down by the Testing Officer to tho corrcct standard velocity. This charge may vary in weight according to tho ballistics obtained from the batch of cordito in use, but tho limits allowed at tho loading machine aro very narrow indeed. To ensure that every charge cut by tho niachino shall bo within tlicso limits an assaying balance is fixed in front, of each machine operator, and overy fifth chargo is weighed. A strand of Cordito short in tho cartridge seems impossible, that is to say, 59 instead of CO strands, seeing how tho weighing is carried out, and considering that each strand weighs almost half a grain, and that ouo chargo in every five cartridges is weighed. Moreover, tho total number of slrauds canto through from the Cordito reel intact, and the possibility ol' a straw! being broken is very remote, and if broken would bo detected at once, as it would fall away from the full cord. There are generally thrco Cordito cutting machines at work 'daily.

"What is tho procedure if a cartridge is discovered, on weighing, to lie light?" I asked Mr. Whitney. "The supervisor would go back and test every cartridge in tho fivo sineo tlio last weighing, until tho fault was found. These would be taken away and tho weight made up." I understand theso made-up-weight cartridges, after having been disced and bullettcd with tho Company's famous soft-nosed sporting bullet, becorno somo of tho Company's well-known sporting riflo cartridges, of which a largo number aro sold annually for big gamo shooting. Theso madc-up cartridges are, in my opinion, tho best loading possible. I bchevo it is tho method adopted at tho Koyal Arsenal ill making Standard It. L. Ammunition.

A vory important clicck is further made in what is termed nt tho Works a "drop gauge." An operative takes tho cartridge tray from tho loader, ami enters tho drop gauge into tho mouth of every cartridge. This drop guage is a small instrument which lias a centro pin that shows nt onco any short-cut charge that might havo passed tho weighing operative between each fifth eliargo weighed. As wo passed out of tho Loading Boom, which is detached from the main Factory, having seen the wholo ol' the operations of making tho .303 cartridge, my thoughts turned to the manufacture of Sorting Shot-gun cartridges. "Is thero any improvement in tho shotgun cartridge trade?" I asked. "No," replied Mr, 'Whitney, "we are making a dead loss on Iho manufacture annually, and tho Company'® Directors have decided that if this department cannot pay its way this year, the plant and machinery is to ho thrown on tho scrapheap. This would probably mean, immediately tho Company's sporting manufactory was .shut down, tho price of imported ammunition would increase abnormally, owing to there being no local opposition. The shooting public will havo this experience shortly, as tho Company is now quilting stocks with a view to ceasing tho manufacture, for under the present circumstances they must manufacture at a loss," I was much interested in the manufacture of the Company's inanimate or clay birds for trap throwing as used throughout New Zealand in 'pigeon matches. Tho sloreman said tho birds go out as quickly as they a-ro made; game throughout New Zealand is getting so scarce there will soon )x> nothing elso left to shoot at except clay birds. 1 thanked Mr. Whitney for his courteous information, and left the Factory, i after having spent a pleasant morning.