Volunteer Items

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 101, 17 February 1891, Page 3

Volunteer Items

The members of the Manchestei Rifles are reminded of the parade t(. '<-he held next EViday, .when the names '•'" " will be taken of those willing to at- " tend the Easter Encampment to he '"'"' held at Palmerstbn. North. There is other important company business to transact. Captain Trimble has resigned the command' of the Hawera Rifles. This gentleman was one of the smartest Volunteer Officers in the service. The " Army and Navy Gazette" says : — " The magazine rifle, of wh'c'i about 120,000 have been manufactured has already been ■ considerably improved upon, and new issues, to be designated officially Mark 11., will _; t v possess the following advantages: — 1 ■ The magazine will contain ten instead . of seven cartridges, the ten lying in - •- two rows of five, lying on the top of each other, and coming to the action - alternately, one from each of the two rows or files of five The butt-plate -'■" ■/•• will be of brass instead of iron and is •without a trap. 3 Oil-bottle and pullthroughs are abolished. 4. Safetybolt and safety- bent in the cock ingpiece are done away with. 6. The foresight reverts to the " barley-corn" as in Martini- Henry, the Major Lewes eight being abandoned so far as the foresight is concerned. 7. A longer sword-bayonet is contemplated. To clean the rifle the soldier is to carry a pe;e of whipcord in his knapsack. The rifle will only be sighted to 1900 yards." Here is a good hint for riflemen. By covering bullets with vaseline they „ may be easily seen in their course from the rifle to the target. Their trajectory course is mark«d by a beautiful ring of smoke, caused by the vaseline being ignited on leaving ."_ the muzzle of the gun, the smoke ..-:. being suspended for some time in the air if not too windy. • ' ■:' The use of diamonds as sights for "firearms has recently been patented in Eugland. The diamonds are fixed in front and back sights, and, it is said, enable the user to take a quick and correct aim, even in hid Jight. The brilliants are so fixed that as soon as the piece is brought to the shoulder the rays in the gems assist alignment, and the eye takes aim ' "without the least hesitation. Great interest is taken by the INapier Volunteers in the proposed encampment to "be held at Palmerston at Easter, and this district is likely to be - well .represented. A large number of re<cruits have joined-ihe ranks of the various -; companies lately, 'bringing the roll state now tip to the regulation leqnireuienfcs. The roll number of the different corps has not been so large for many years. — Telegraph. '