LEWIS GAS GUN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15482, 13 December 1913, Page 9

LEWIS GAS GUN.

COMMONWEALTH- MAY BUY. London, December 3. The War Office is making further tests of the Lewis gun, and tho Federal Government will probably be advised to make a purchaso of these weapons. The Lewis automatic machine gun was tested at Bisley last week, LieutenantColonel Buckley, of the Commonwealth military forces,. being • among those who were looking on. The new weapon acquitted itself exceedingly well, both for rapiditv and accuracy of fire. Used from an aeroplane, with a white sheet on the ground as a target, a high percentage of hits was recorded. It is undoubtedly a very simple gun, can bo taken to pieces , quite easily, the feeding arrangement works quite smoothly, and there is no reason to suppose that it would not survive tho strain of the knocking about" that it would get on active service. The new weapon is a gas gun manufactured by the B.S.A. Company. It is tho invention of a Mr. Lewis, of the United States Ordnance Department, weighs 26£lb, fires 500 rounds a minute, and costs £100. It is specially adapted for use from aeroplanes and motor-cycles, and has already been adopted by the War Departments of Russia, Austria, Italy, and Sweden.