THE NEEDED RIFLES.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1900, Page 7

THE NEEDED RIFLES.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir — Your leader on thp needed riflea is, I think, unduly severe both on the military authorities and our rille. No doubt our supply of rifles} is inadequate, several corps still haying the M.H., and this should bo remedied at once. Apparently many .people consider the Leo magazine .303 to be vastly superior to our iu.E., yet the shooting of each as regards accuracy is identical, the only a dv ant-age of the Lee being rapidity with magazine filled, but in expending a large supply, say 100 rounds, the magazine would not be in it, owing mainly to loss of time in refilling. Probably the cost too, of the Lee would be at least 2£ times that of the M.E., not to mention the more complicated breach action, and this would mean more money in repairs, etc. Taking everything into consideration, our present rifle will be hard to beat for New Zealand. Both the.Mauser and U.S. Kuag-Jorgensen bolt actions are far stronger than our Lee ; only last Bisley meeting a Lee bolt was blown away from the breech, this leading to the withdrawal from service of mark 4 ammunition, which is now replaced by mark 5. Our field artillery at Home being in & transition state, it would probably be better to wait some time than adopt a field gun which would shortly be obsolete. — I am, etc., F. WHITLEY. Wellington, 11th January, 1900.