A New Rifle For The British Army

'I he rcsults Vf the labors of t lio coiuiultteo appointed to próvido a new and improvod ritte for the army, which bave just boen published, show, saya lbo Loii'.lon Stn dard, thal the future weapon of tho Brifish army wil), 113 rogurds most oons derations, be far u atÁ'ance f tho service arm of auy othor nation. ín iho now weapon the Martini breeo . ,..'.tion lias boen rolained, the alteratton boing iu t lie borrel and tho wolghtof tho projectie, the combiuation beinir ealled the Martini-Eaücld. Taking tho Hunry as iv staiulard if conaparison, ihe ■ di;uieier of tho bore lias beoii reducod ! from .15 inch to .40, the weight of the i new bullet. being íi.Sl rr.iin.s, :is (.oiu pared with tho 480 srrain bullet of the oíd rille. Tho powde.r charge, however, ot eighty tt?o graina remains the Bame, with the ijDportant rcsult that ■ the ninzzlo velooity oí tne bullet is iucreasod from 1,315 feet per sec.ond to 1,570, tlius lowerinj? the trajectory to snch m extonl tbat whilst the Martini-Henry bullot In travelinj; ÖOO yards risos more thau 81 feet above i the I neof 8Íght, the iuipvoved projeetilií woultl gcarcely go over the hcad f au Inianlryman if lired from the grouuü lovel. 'This is au important ounsideratiOD, as il miniraizes any er roLs 11 olovations whieh may arise : either trom exeitement. or ruiscaleula; fcion. The system of groovin;idopted s tli" ratuhot, tho number of groovos l'CIlij n IU!, 118 r: -;i int t.liy SOTOD o{ tho Msrtini-Heury, allliough ttie latter ia, the largesl nuiubor employed n; any militafy riilo in tho woiid, while tlio i twist of tlie bnllet Htn boen ncroiised ' from ono ( urn In -i ncbes to ono turn I iu 15, the latter beiiii; in excesa ol ' thiug which has vet beeu usocl for sorviee purpose.s. Jn addltion to tbc important reductiun in Üw boight of tlio : lraj;ctory, trio higher velocïty of tho bnllet and the mproved ritting bnve show reinarkubly good target resulta the mean deviatlon of tho nciv bnllet beiug ouly 3 foct and .S)6 feet al and 1,000 yards, respectively, ai against.öü feet and 1.85 foei for the Martini-Ilenry. Aaother important feature is that tho reooil of the now weapon is considorably loss than lliat : of tho present service arm, which has j caused so mach adverso comment". Experimenta aro also beinr niailo to próvido tbe new wenpon with an aitAchable magazine, so lliat tlio soldier i wLll be ablo lo doliver a L'apid liro of; soveral shots without reloading in cases of emergency.