FLASH SPOTTER.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 207, 16 August 1927, Page 9

FLASH SPOTTER.

• REAT AID TO SUN PRACTICE BRITISH OFFICER S INVENTION. Brig.-General J. W. F. Lamont, who retired recently from the British army, after having served thirty years, is now in Washington to place before American army officials the features of a flash-spotter, or attach, ment to revolvers and rifles, which le invented as a short cut to developing firing ability at small cost. General Lamont explained his invention as a combination electric lamp and reflector, which are fitted to the revolver or rifle and flash a spot of light on a target at the mark where a bullet would have struck when the trigger is pulled. NO AMMUNITION NEEDED. No ammunition is needed, but the light of the contrivance shows as clearly as the bullet hole would shoe where the gun was aimed. Attachments have been made to fit anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, artillery and tank armament, as well as the ordinary revolver and service rifle. General Lamont pointed out that the ordinary armory can be used as a practice field with the same results as a whole countryside would furnish, and the housing and food expense, as well as munitions cost is done away with. Several units of the British army have bought the equipment from private funds, although government appropriations were not sufficient last vear to allow the whole army to obtain it. General Lamont developed his idea in years spent in the training of reernits and in improving his personal firing ability. The equipment can be used in perfecting schoolboys amt cadet*. TRAINING ESSENTIAL. “We realize now," he sail, “that the ideal arrangement is a tmn'l, highly-trained permanent army and a large citizen army. But the citizen group must be well trained with rifles. They can not wait until wartime if they are to be effective. The expense of training them is too great in most cases and their value is greatly lessened. I think my plan wjll solve that problem.’’ General Lamont expressed the belief that every nation should manufacture its own equipment, and he therefore is willing to sell foreign rights to the United States and continue with his own company in producing the equipment for the army of Great Britain. Best results have been found at a distance of about twenty yards, and results are as good in daylight as in a darkened room, ♦ said the inventor. He is perfecting a toy on the same plan so that Children may become interested -nd be developed as riflemen.