Improved Rifles Carrying 3400 Yards.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5089, 9 May 1885, Page 1

Improved Rifles Carrying 3400 Yards.

Although the Martini-Henry rifle is now so perfect a weapon, the small-arm manufacturers ia England are still anxious to increase its power. Some time ago a specimen of a long range Martini was sent out from England to the Minister of Defence, Melbourne. The rifle used by the Victorian troop 3is ranged up to 1400 yards, but the new weapon has a range of 2800 yards. At present the elevation ia gained by raising the back sights, the small fore being stationary; but the long range is lilted with hanging sights from the muzzle, and a small fixed site close down to the lock. In order to hjring the sights level it is necessary to raise the muzzle considerably, so that the trajectory _..f .. Tin tl i-il«^X—•—i ,_, - ■ ? *, V? In England when experiments were being made with these long-ranged rifles, it was found that the ordinary Martini-Henry fired at the elevation most suitable for a long range would throw a bullet 3400yd5., but at that distance, the bullet, having lost its impetus, drops almost straight to earth. The objection to the use of the long-range rifle is that it would be almost impossible to judge the distance with sufficient accuracy for the bullet to have any effect. The same fault is manifest in a slighter degree with the Martini-Henry rifle, and one of the latest English, inventions is a rifle designed for the special object of rendering the matter of judging distance, a much, less important object in accurate shooting than it is at present. To attain this end the barrel of the rifle has been thickened considerably, and the charge of powder increased, while the bullet is lighter than that used in the Martini-Henry. The trajectory is thus reduced considerably in height, and there is less danger of the bullet passing over or falling short of the object fired at.