THE RIFLE FOR OUR ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 35, 13 February 1901, Page 4

THE RIFLE FOR OUR ARMY.

THE>'-r.h !'()••> vfl« for the British army • •. ■ t .'.ti-iciu i;d, nnd ibc >epirt 't- I- .a ;: ittc-f! mt rusted with the (]«■:•..:. i. (■"-)'* the Daily Express) fom > "■' ;■•' i-< im ' peu seen t lhai Lifii' "(j'ti Hopton, thef >mous rifle f'i >■ ',r.i J-al charge cf the enqtii" i'.c■ tin*! h's '.pmion will htv? on?'': r -il »ith the Govern•nerv . '2 .. c-:!iimittcn sot t > work tr> iruf. . -- t'. e pvof-BLV service patter:), .ir t, : -. r f. 3 which wonld givo 03 » diit-.ic*- niKantan*' over oi e r Pjwpis. Tlif f "j t-i'he ii,v<:RM(;nnouß tenuis t) t f ',ll r c.;tir:i; rallitr lh:;D the uaoif sw( pin" chwj;>i iiiio'vcd by tt e coid.'iun.ti n if the Lir-MMfi-d. If t':«! cotr,mi:t'e's rcoir.im tid.nio'it are adoptee*, tbo present! weip'm ->il leio iinpri.vofi a.d altered as to iulicit iqa-il >o soy in the v».>rl<l. Th-liße-EnCeld burrel h rpcrmded ap th; j best in existence, and vti 1 lie retaitiP'', bat the m.tgtzino »i!l in f *vor e-f the cip system of loading. tide fights are bet thrordinary ones will be made of greater value, aftxr tha Mauser pa'tsrn, in order t) secure tho full advantage » f the excellence of the Lee-Enfield 1 arie 1 . The presi'iitDiKht dees not d 3 the barrel justice, fxng-renje firing will bprovided for with Ec:urate and there is also a suggestion, of pii ▼ate nature, that uprightness should be sf cured by means of an inserted spirit level on the rifle. The committee have had export ev.'deace before tbera. both military rni ii»il, and libeir recommendations are mr.de after the closest scrutiny of Lees and Lsbe's, Mannlicherj and Manser?, actions, hreejbe?, ujhts, s'ides, and barrels. The result will be a rifb cf long-range accuracy, delivering a bullet) of great penetrative power, and mote derd y as «*• man-sropper" than the Mauser caitridge. ' ; 'o get tlie full vaiue out ■of such a rifle, the soldiers' tisjht will Slave to be tr-'.iusd to ris-ingciih more -deadly as a " man-stopper" thin at present- The machine lite, such atMr. Atkinson has invented, is recognised aa a weapo ;of the future. The changed involved in the adopti n of sach a rifle in too dns'.ic to be qaickly a'lopted or summariiy difmis?ed. It is expected that there wiil b? extended trials with it.