INFANTRY FIRE POWER

Evening Star, Issue 19020, 15 August 1925, Page 10

INFANTRY FIRE POWER

SELF-LOADING RIFLES Colonel H. W. Schull, of the United States Ordnance Department, says that all nations recognised before the World War that tho fire power of the in lap fry could be greatly increased, perhaps doubled, if ;r satisfactory _ self-loading shoulder rifle could be designed to replace the present hand-operated rifle. Tho firearms designers of all countries have accordingly been busily engaged for a number of years endeavoring to overcome the difficulties 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 forei n army. The Ordnance Department of the United States army has been very active along these lines, and before the war several models of the self-loading riflo were designed and tested. These earlier types were for tho most part too complicated in their combustion and too heavy for adoption to replace the present shoulder rifle. Work to overcome these difficulties lias, however, been unremitting. Each year the specifications desired by the United States Ordnance Department for a self-loading typo of weapon, have been sent to all interested American designers, and competitive tests have befin held at the Springfield Armory from time to time. At the present time three models of the semi-automatic shoulder rifle are undo* development and tost; one dcsignd hy Brigadier-general John T. Thompson (U.S.A.), retired, formerly an oflii -r in the Ordnance Department, and now a brigadier-general in the Ordnance Reserve Corps; another designed by Mr John C. Garand, an omployeo_ of the Springfield Armory; tho third being dcs.gned and developed by Mr J. D. Petersen, formerly an engineer in the employ of the Remington Arms Company. noiv of the Springfield Armory. L. is quite expected at an early date tint there will be available for service tests, by the Infantry Board and the Cnbrnry Board, twenfcy-fonr of the Garand semi-automatic rifles and twenty of the Thompson seini-anfomatic rifles. The art of sniping with a riflo fitted with special telescopic sight, received a considerable impetus during the war, nnf in every battalion the sniper_ had Ins place, ft has now been decided, says the ‘ Marksman,’ to improve tho special service rifle used for this purpose Not only here, but both in France and America, tho 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 bo eoually as good if not bettor than tho German sniping rifle, which had a wonderful advantage over others hy 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 ho encouraged, and this will apply’not merely to the infantry, but also to’ Air Force units.