COLUMN FOR OUR VOLUNTEER RIFLEMEN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 193, 31 May 1860, Page 3

COLUMN FOR OUR VOLUNTEER RIFLEMEN.

Volunteer Regulations.

[_From the Government Gazette, 11th. May.] 1. The term of service for each Volunteer to he one year from the day his services are, or, in the case.of Volunteers already enrolled, were accepted. Provided always, that if any Volunteer shall go to reside out of the District, he shall, if he desire, be discharged from further service as a Volunteer. 2. Every Volunteer shall attend to be trained and exercised jit such times as shall be appointed by the Governor, or by su-ch person or persons as he may from time to time authorise in that behalf: Piovided always, that no Volunteer shall.be compelled to attend more than one hundred and 68 hours in any one year. 3. Every Volunteer who shall absent himself during any part of the time appointed for training or exercise,, and shall not account for such absence to the satisfaction of the Senior Officer of his company, shall forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding one pound for every day on which he shall so be absent, to be recovered in a summaiy way. 4. All Commissioned Officers of Companies will be appointed by the. Governor, and names

for that purpose are to be submitted to him for his approval by the Company to wnicli they are proposed to be appointed. 5. All Sergeants and Corporals must be examined.and passed as competent by the Senior Officer of the Company before they are appointed by the Commanding Officer. G. All orders and communications from the Governor or'Government of the Colony, shall be transmitted through, aucl given out by, the Commanding Officer. 7. If any aims, accoutrements, or other property, shall be injured or destroyed a| fine shall be paid by the Volunteer iii whose charge they were; such fine to be affixed by the Adjutant and the Captain of such Company, upon consideration of the circumstances, and if not paid to the Adjutant on demand, may be recovered by him on behalf of the Government in any Resident Magistrates Court in the Colony. 8; Volunteers enrolled under these Regulations shall be sulsect to. the provisions contained in-the following sections of the “ Minamely. „sections_l,.3, 5,6, 7, 9,18, 19, 20, 21 (except the proviso thereto), 22, 23, and 24.

Caution.—The Wilts and Gloster Standard of the 14th February, writes:— A n accident, fortunately unattended with serious conse guences, occurred on Wednesday last. Some members of the Cirencester Volunteer corps, provided with the short rifles of the 1859 pattern (their own property), were practising at a target near Stratton, when one of the piecesut the third round exploded, scattering the lock and stock in thousands of fragments. The gontleinan who fired it, strange to relate, escaped with only a few scratches on the left wrist. On consideration of the circumstances that may have caused the explosion, we believe it is certain that the accident arose by the incautious use of a ball without a pail. After the charge had been rammed home, and before the rifle was brought to the “ present,” the ball must have shifted forward, creating a slight vacuum, which would be sufficient, as all practical sportsmen are aware, to account for the accident. We strongly recommend that in all cases a properly made cartridge only should be used. The barrel of the rifle (which was purchased of Mr. Holland) bore two proof marks, signifying that it had been tested both before and after the rifling.

In Auckland lately, one man, in skirmishing, forgot to withdraw his ramrod in his hurry ; fortunately, it did not hit any one. Another, in firing at .the target, went back a few paces from the place from which the others were firing, and very narrowly missed a man, who bad stepped up,; supposing the proper place was unoccupied.

- .. V sl r ..KB [The following extracts from a book bearing the above title, by Lieut, llans Busk, Victoria Rifles, London, and some useful remarks, are 'published for the information of the Wanganui Rifles.—J. R. Cooper, Major Commanding ] “ 7’he wind must be attentively studied; when blowing from the right, it will blow the bullet towards the left' and vice versa. When from the front, it will slightly reduce the speed of t the bullet, and when frrom the rear increase it, causing in the first instance a reduction and in the latter an increase of the range.” “ If an object flred.at be in motion, whether it be a man walking or a horse galloping, it must necessarily pass over a certain distance between the moment of discharge and the time the bullet reaches it. If it be moving from left to right or from right to left, the aim must be taken a little to the front of the object in question, but how much, must depend on the rate at which it is moving, as ; well as the distance and the consequent time the bullet will take to travel.”

“ When the day’s practice is over, the rifle should always be cleaned as soon as practicable, and never put away loaded or foul. It should be washed well out with cold water first, and -then with hot, finally wiped out thoroughly with a clean rag, oiled inside and out.”

“At 100 yards, the sword bar covers a man six feet high from the feet to the shoulder; At 150 yards, it will cover him to the tuft of the shako; At 200 yards, the swivel screw-headwill cover a man to the shoulder; At 250 yards, to the tuft of the shako; It will also ~be remembered that at 50 yards, a man 6 feet high is diminshed to an inch; at 100 yards, to half an incli; at 200 yards, to a quarter of an inch ; at 400, to one-eighth of an incli.”

“7n letting the lock down from full to half cock, let it be an invariable rule to allow the cock to descend almost upon the nipple, and then to raise it to the half-cock till the click is heard. Never, under any circumstances, ccck a rifle until the moment before you intend to fire it; but remember that it is far safer, at all times, even to carry a loaded gun at full-cock than with the cock down upon the cap , a practice which is annually a more fertile cause of fatal accidents than any other.”

Target drill. —Ruler. 1. That ahe sights do not incline either to the right or left. 2. That the line of sight is taken along the centre of the notch of the back-sight and the top of the fore-sight, which is made to cover the centre of the target. 3. That the eye is fixed steadfastly on the mark, and not on the barrel or foresight, which.latter would be easliy-brought into the alignment if the . eye be fixed as directed. Particular attention is directed to this rule, for beginners are apt to fix the eye on the fore-sight instead of- the mark, 'Jn which case

the latter can never be distinctly seen, and the difficulty of aiming is greatly increased. 4. in aiming, the-left v cye is closed.

■ : ' ;r *i-:v : > ' V " 7; POSITUIN ’ CRILt,.' ” 1. Load. According to regulation. '2. Beady. Adjust the sight'and proceed according to'regulation.' /- . 3. Present At this word the firelock, is brought at once to the shouhter, ■ the centre part of the heel plate being pressed firmly into the hollow of it with the. left hand, which grasps the piece at the ‘ swell,’ th'e.right hand holding it at the ‘ small,’ the right elbow raised (but when firing in platoon, not so much as to impede the aim of the rear.'rank man), the muzzle inclining to the bottom of the object and the forefinger of the right extended along the side of the trigger guard, the left eye ; being at the same time shut. “ Two.”- Z’he recruit now raises the muzzle steadily till r the is aligned . -through-' the 4>a with- the object : on which ■ the : H'gh?fcye. is fixed, fthe second jfint of the forefinger being oil the trigger, and the breathing restrained. “ Three.”—The trigger is ‘ pinched’ rather than pulled with the second joint of the fore-ftiiger, by a steady pressure, without the slightest motion of hand or elbow, the eye being still fixed on the object, as in the preceeding motion. “ Four.”—The rifle ' is -brought . down to the capping position and the flap shut down at the same time the right foot is brought to the position iu which' it was placed before coming to. the ready; a pause of slow time is counted; and the fecrurit comes to the position of “ prepare' to load’’

4. The most minute attention-is now given to each man's position wherrat tbe “ present,” and itfore especially -that the fttelock is pressed firmly to'the .ShouMefr: with the left arm, and that the trigger is.dpullel without the slightest jerk, and with the motion of the forefinger only the eye being .fixed'upon the mark during and after snapping the lock. In this drill the instructor usually places himself in front of; the squad at five, or six paces distant, and causes each man successively to aim' at Ins right, eye, in order to ascertain; that hO obtaifls . the alignment quickly and correctly, and that his.aim is not disarranged by pulling the trigger ; this .is of the utmott importance. Useful Remarks— Ml words of Command should be given in a loud and distinct voice. When firing standing, the rear rank should be careful to lock weil up and “not to level too high.” - ~ When firing, kneeling* the : rear rank should “lock up,” tli.e .muzzie of the rear rank 'man's riff-*, cj) ill lid- project 1 tli». front rank man’s r body. When skirmishing, fire only at an object. Be careful of ammunition, avoid noise, and “obey all orders implicitly and without reply.”

Officers and N.C. Officers are reminded to avoid hursli and unbecoming language to their men.

Complaints against Officers or N.C: Officers should be made after Parade, to the Aenior Officer present. May 31,1860.