THE METROPOLITAN RIFLE RANGE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVI, Issue 927, 28 September 1861, Page 3

THE METROPOLITAN RIFLE RANGE.

(from the 'satttbday betiew.)

No one knows, till he is put to the proof, where his weak point is; and the observation is quite as true of bodies of men as of individuals. Two years ago, there were abundant predictions as to the form in which the weak point of the Volunteer movement would show itself, all of which have been singularly falsified by the result of experience. It was admitted on all hands that rifle-shooting might easily be naturalised as a national pastime; but the croakers insisted that, after the first burst of enthusiasm had passed away, the drudgery of drill would be found repulsive, and the Volunteers would become at last a mob of men who could perhaps hit a bull's-eye at three hundred yards, but who would be utterly wanting in the solidity and skill necessary to fit them for the evolutions of actual warfare. What has happened is exactly the reverse of these anticipations. There has, indeed, been no want of inclination on the part of the. volunteers to perfect themselves in both departments of their duty, and there are of course many among them who are excellent shots; but the general character of the force, in its present condition, is that it is composed of regiments which have attained surprising proficiency in manceuvering, and would be of immense value against an enemy if only they could shoot. Many regiments of the line, and even of the militia, can count 40 or 50 per cent, ot first-class shots, according to the Hythe standard. The full list of 100 marksmen allowed to each regular regiment is completed, and might be exceeded, in many instances, and the proportion of men who do not succeed in getting at least a second-class is generally very small.

The contrast between these performances of uneducated soldiers and the deficiencies of the volunteers is very striking. Instead of having half their number first-class shots, we believe that there is not a single volunteer battalion of which half the men can be said to be able to shoot tolerably well, and this certainly not from want of will to do

so. We doubt much whether any large corps has so many as even 20 or 25 per cent of first-class shots ; and if the " figure of merit" were taken, according to the regulations, from the shooting of all the members, it would probably place the best of the volunteer regiments near the bottom of the list furnished by the regular army. Here and there some country corps of a single company may have convenient opportunities for shooting, and whenever this happens, the result is to turn out crack shots whom it would be difficult to match in the regular army. But an army needs more than a few companies of real sharpshooters, and a regiment gains comparatively little by having half-a-dozen men who can hit a half-crown at a hundred yards, or even make sure of a six-foot target at a range of half a mile. The value of a battalion in this respect is to be measured by its average performances, and these are very far from satisfactory in the case, we believe, of all the large regiments, and certainly in the case of the principal London corps. It is not merely as reducing the efficiency of the force that this state of things is to be deplored, but it supplies the only ground for anxiety as to the permanence of the movement. Give to all volunteers the taste for and the habit of shooting, and shooting well, and the rifle will have as firm a hold as the long bow once had here, and as the rifle itself has already gained in Switzerland, and to some extent in America. There is proof enough that the taste exists, for nothing can exceed the keen competition among all those who have found the oportonities for practice. Nor is there any want of aptitude, for the volunteer classes at Hythe in-

variably beat the best performances of those drawn from the regular army, f lie reason for the defects which we have pointed is simple enough. The men as a body, don't shoot, !>f<:ause they have no means of .shooting. It is idle to tell a man to make rifleshooting his favourite pastime, if he can never get a chance of practice without without sacrificing half or more frequently the whole of the day, and if, as is often the case, he never has the day to sacrifice. If the volunteers are to be made adepts with their weapons,it must be rendered as easy for them to go to the butts, when so disposed, as to go to parade. In London, especially, it has been found impracticable for most corps to obtain ranges where the men can drop in and take a score of shots before going to work, or after-business hours are over. To do this, indeed, would be a*physical impossibility, except by the co-operation of all the different corps to secure a common practice-ground. The space for twenty or thirty distinct ranges does not exist within any reasonable distance of London; and besides this, the cost of separate butts on a proper scale, and in accessible situations, is found to be so far beyond the means of any single corps, that almost all metropolitan regiments have been forced to content themselves with the scantiest and moat incommodious arrangements. By union, this expense may be incalculably reduced, as there is no sort of proportion between the cost of a range sufficient for fifty battalions, and the expense of fifty separate practice-grounds. A plan has recently been brought before the public, supported by the authority of the commanders of the leading London corps, by which this pressing need of the Metropolitan Volunteers is proposed to be supplied. A single range, which, in extent and accessibility, will suffice for all possible requirements, is intended to be formed, to give to the corps in the neighbourhood of London a large amount of shooting accommodation in addition to that which they have been able to secure for themselves. The machinery by which this undertaking is being carried out is that of a Limited Liability Company. On the commercial prospects of the enterprise our readers must form ( their own judgment; but the vital importance to riflemen of obtaining facilities for practice makes the Metropolitan Rifle Range a matter of national concern, in the success of which every friend of the Volunteers must take an anxious interest. The outline of the plan, as we gather it from the pros« pectus, seems to promise all the facilities which the London Volunteers can desire. The first point which will be inquired into will be the means of access. Even an indifferent ground, close at hand, would be of more use than the most spacious area at an unapproachable distance. The spot selected is on the Harrow road, at Kensall green, in immediate proximity to the North-western suburbs, and in regular omnibus communication with the rest of London. What to many will be more important is, that a station is now in course of construction at the entrance of the ground, and that the City, the Pimlico terminus, and all the principal suburbs are, or shortly will be, in direct railway connection with the Range. This certainly leaves nothing to be desired as regards accessibility. The extent of the range will be 1000 yards, and the amount of accommodation promised is for forty-six squads, or upwards of 500 men, to practice at all the various ranges at once.

This, with the privilege of a life admission to volunteer shareholders, is substantially wkat the Company offers to the volunteers. The proposed charges are also announced, varying according to the size of the corps, from 3s. to ss. per man. The amount will, in most cases, be much less than

the ordinary cost of maintaining a private butt, including the pay of markers and .other incidental expenses, even after the first outlay is provided ior. This seems reasonable enough, and the volunteer element in the Company may probably be depended on to secure at all times liberal treatment for those who use the ground. The establishment of the proposed range will, we hope, be the means of enabling our London riflemen to become universally as worthy of the name as a small proportion of them have already shown themselves: and the fact that the one great obstacle that has presented itself will have been surmounted, as we have no

doubt it will be, by their own energies, without external aid, will be a further guarantee for the permanence of the Volunteer movement. The country may well be proud that its spontaneous efforts have, in less than two years, created a force of 150,000 soldiers. If the next year's work should convert these troops into 150,000 marksmen, nothing will remain to cast a doubt either on the efficiency of the Volunteers or on their continuing for generations to form an essential part of the defences of the country.