NEW ARM FOR U.S. ARMY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 744, 17 August 1929, Page 30

NEW ARM FOR U.S. ARMY

SMALLER CALIBRE RIFLE MAY BE INTRODUCED TENTATIVE EXPERIMENTS Apparently there are strong rumours iu the United States that a new rifle is shortly to replace the Springfield. The “American Rifleman” says that, while it is true that a great deal of experimental work has been conducted by the Orduauce Department, with the view of developing a rifle ot' approximately .276 calibre to be adopted for service use. yet it will be some years before a new type of rifle will be proi duced in sufficient quantities for rei placement, as shown by the follow- ; iug information received from the OrdI nance Department: j “Since the World War, the War ; Department, in collaboration with our 1 inventors, has been endeavouring to | develop a suitable semi automatic rifle I for the re armament of the army of l the United States, to take the place of the Springfield rifle. A great deal of experimental and developmental work has been necessary, but this has progressed to such an extent now that the Ordnance Department has felt justified in stating to inventors that, they will hold a competitive test in the summer of 1929 for the selection of the best type of semi-automatic rifle to replace the Springfield rifle. “It has been tentatively decided that the calibre will be reduced to .276, with a smaller and lighter cartridge, so that the soldier can carry more ammunition into battle, and the ammunition will not have such a heating effect ou the semi-automatic rifle. Accordingly, a small lot of a tentative .276 cartridge has been made for the use of inventors only, who will submit rifles for the test. None of these cartridges are available for the civilian riflemen, and neither are any barrels available. “If, as a result of the test, a suitable rifle is obtained, the Orduauce Department contemplates manufacturing sufficient of that rifle for a service test by one regiment of infantry, and one regiment of cavalry. It will depend upon the test whether the rifle will then be produced gradually in quantity, to take the place of the Springfield rifle. Iu any event, it will be at least five years before manufacture on this rifle can reach such a shape as will permit its gradual issue to the regular army and the National Guard.”