AUTOMATIC RIFLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14065, 24 November 1909, Page 3

AUTOMATIC RIFLE.

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The British Government is calling, for compeuuvo ut-signs in auiomam. rines. -*. military couuibutur to Uk •'.fall Mail uazuue ' declared soiiiu montlis ago mat the autuinauo nIK was a certainty ol tue immediate luture, and tnat there coulu ol- no douln that we were on tlie eve ol a moiiientous innovation in mouoru warlaie. Dealing with a particular maKo ol rifle, wnich is reported to have passcu tests satisfactorily, he said: —"K possesses two great, advantages. The nrst —which from one point ol view is also a questionable one —is an iinmcnselj increased rapidity of fire. A recent test by Sergeant Wallinglord, of rlii. Hythe School of Musketry,, showed that of three consecutive clips of live cartridges each, the slowest time was six seconds per clip of aimed shots, or rather more than one second tor each shot; the fastest was four seconds, 01 rather less than one second per shot;. while for loading, the longest time taken was fourteen seconds, and th< shortest twelve seconds. The increased tire power thus obtained will, of course, be enormous. for it would | mean that, even.at_the slower time, the soldier could discharge five shots everj twenty seconds, or 900 per hour, and at the more rapid rate live shots every sixteen seconds, which is equal to 1126 per hour. In fact, the soldier could be armed with a miniature Maxim gun." He goes on to point out that employment of the full power of the rifle would be limited by the questions of ammunition supply and overlheating of the barrel. "Its second and greater advantage is that a soldier, after discharging a shot, would be able to retain his rifle in the firing position at the shoulder and keep his eye fixed on his objective. The relative disadvantage with all existing rifles is that the soldier is practically obliged to lower his rifle and lose his aim in order to extract the emptv cartridge case and reload, after which he has to find his aim njrain. It is evident, therefore, that the automatic rifle will immensely increase the accuracy ol infantry fire. and its effect noon both strategy and tactics is likely io be profouud.