INFANTRY FIRE POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 188, 11 August 1925, Page 5

INFANTRY FIRE POWER.

ACTIVITY IN AMERICA.

SELF-LOADING RIFLES.

Colonel H. W. Schull, of the United States Ordnance Department, says that all nations recognised before the World War that the fire power of the infantry could be greatly increased, perhaps doubled, if a satisfactory self-load-ing shoulder rifle could be, designed to replace the present hand-operated rifle. The firearms designers of all.'countries have accordingly been busily engagedfor a number- / of years endeavouring to overcome the diffilculties inherent in the design of a self-loading military rifle, but heretofore, so far as known, no entirely satisfactory model 'has been, developed and adopted in any foreign army. The Ordnance Department of the U.S.A. Army has been very active along these lines, and before the war several models of the self-loading rifle were designed and tested. These earlier types were for the most paTt too complicated in. their construction, and too heavy for adoption to replace the present shoulder rifle. Work to overcome these difficulties has, however, been unremitting. Each year the specifications .desired by the U.S.A. Ordnance Department for a self loading type of weapon, have been sent to all interested American designers ami competitive tests have been held' at the Springfield Aγmoury from time to time. Three Types. At the present time three models of the semi-automatic shoulder rifle are under development and test; one designed by Brigadier-General John I , - Thompson, U.S.A., retired, formerly an officer in the Ordnance Department and now a brigadier-general in the Ordnance Reserve Corps; another designed by Mr. John C. Garand, an employee of the Springfield Armoury; the third being designed and developed 'by Mr. J. D. Petersen, formerly an engineer in the employ of the Remington Arms Co., now of the Springfield Armoury. It is quite expected at an early date, that there will be available for service tests, by the Infantry Board and the Cavalry Board, 24 of the Garand rifles and 20 of the Thompson semiautomatic rifles. New Sniping Rifle. The art of sniping with a rifle fitted •*■ with special telescopic sight, received a considerable impetus during the war, and in every battalion the sniper had his place. It has now been decided, says the "Marksman," to improve the special service rifle used for this purpose. Not only tore, but both in Fiance and America, the matter has received considerable attention. In the latter country a new pattern of rifle and sighting has been evolved, and military authorities there consider it to be equally as good if not better than the German sniping rifle, which had a wonderful advantage over others by reason of its lighter weight. Ours erred on the side of clumsiness, and this defect is to be remedied and the telescopic sight brought up to a greater scientific accuracy. Moreover, more expert shots are to be encouraged, and this will apply not merely to the infantry, but also to aif force units.