NEW RIFLE SIGHT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5726, 23 October 1905, Page 6

NEW RIFLE SIGHT.

A NEW ZEALAND INVENTION. APERTURE FORESIGHT. Major L. O. Beal. Field Engineers. Dunedin, is at present in Wellington on bu-incss in connection with a riflesight lie has invented, and has patented in New Zealand, Great Britain and America. Tho sight is a range-finding rectangular one, the following advantages being claimed tor it: When firing at any object there is no taking the eye from the object to adjust tho sights for anv required distance; while aiming at i he object a marksman is judging Uio distance at the same time, tho toiesight being both a sight _ and range-finder; tho arrangement of sights keeps the weapon plumb, and no canting can occur when firing (canting the weapon causes a good deal of the inaccuracy in firing); the system of firing keeps the eye concentrated on the target, and gives au uninterrupted view all round tho object; a rifle fitted with these sights can bo fired accurately when tho light is so bad that the foresight cannot lie picked up by the ordinary system; tho back-sight never needs altering and nothing is required to bo adjusted when firing at. various distances; tho sight is good for firing at a moving object: a shot can bo fired in about one-third of tho time usually required; allowance can he made ter wind, both as regards tho fore and back sights; if, when firing, there is any error seen, either in elevation or windage, tho error can bo adjusted quickly and without any movement; everything is done at one and the same moment, with one movement, and the eye is never taken away from the object, and tho distance is estimated while the trigger is being pulled; those are the only sights that never require any touching or altering when firing at objects at various distances; it is also the only system of sights which combines sights and rango-findev at the same time. Major Beal, a civil and mining engineer by profession, was three years working on his invention. Three years ago ho applied for patent rights in New Zealand, Great Britain and America. The two first wore granted, hut the American patent has only just come to hand, Major Beal having fought the Y'ankecs three years before the patent was _ granted. Major Beal explained to a “Times” reporter that in America there lias been a tremendous number of inventions _of this sort. Recently, however, all objections were over-ruled and three American judges, forming a sort of High Patent Court, decided that the idea was entirely new and granted the patent rights. Major Boat did not “push” his invention during the turmoil. Now he has got these rights the Major is sending Homo the patent to the AA r ar Office for exaraxnation. The rifle was taken to Trentham on Saturday and several marksmen were allowed to try a shot. Tho day was very boisterous, and as was to ho expected, the results obtained were not good. Those who used the rifle—tho sights are attached to an ordinary service rifle—were not conversant with the new arrangement. But it is not for target shooting at fixed distances that the rifle fitted with those sights is intended—it is for shooting under service conditions. The front eight of an ordinary service rifle is a small fixed point, which is brought in line with a A T back-sight or straight -bar. Major Beal’s fore-sight acts as a fore-sight and range-finder simultaneously. There are two fixed points, with a rather wide gap between; and a little below the level of the surface or floor of the gap there are a pair of projecting shoulders. The hack-eight, which stands up like the leaf of the ordinary service rifle sight, is graduated up to 2000 yards, tho right-hand aide bearing even numbers, two four, etc., and the left-hand side odd numbers. Opposite each number is a small aperture, the even number apertures being smaller than those opposite Ino odd numbers. Eight hundred yards is trie standard distance for judging a range. At 800 yards an ordinary-sized man will just fill the fore-sight gap, and at the same distance a man on horseback will fill the space from the shoulder to the top of the foresight. A horse without a rider will fill tho gap at 600 yards. By this standard distances can be judged with a good deal of accuracy. For instances, a man. at 800 yards would not quite fill the gap, he being about tho space of a head (in proportion) below the top of tho eight. No other sight invented, explained Alajor Beal—and he claims to he an authority—can be used at different distances without adjustment. He said n lot of shooting with his sights had been done in the South with satisfactory results.

The major came to AVellington with a view to having a test of the sights made before Major-General Babington. which is expected to take place to-day. The test will not be a fixed distance target test; it will he a service-condition test, in which objects at unknown ranges will he fired at. The result of this test and the subsequent trial by the British AVar Office will bo awaited with interest, for such an invention should make service firing much more effective than it has been in the past.