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Show !! illnil I I li i ill ill itmm i ml i i i I ARMY EXPERTS HAVE NEW RAPID-FIRE GUN Seven-Millimeter Weapon An Improvement Washington. Army ordnance experts ex-perts are attempting to solve the shoulder semi-automatic rifle problem through development of a new type of reduced caliber weapon. This would Increase by one-third the amount of ammunition that can be provided In front lines for the gun without any Increase in weight. J. D. I'ederson, inventor and production produc-tion engineer, has been employed for some time at Springfield armory to turn out the new gun, known as the seven-millimeter gun, and War department depart-ment reports already show Important advantages claimed for the weapon as compared to the two types of standard stand-ard .30-ealiber shoulder automatics with which the experts are also experimenting. experi-menting. The new gun is a .276-calIber as compared to the .30 service ammunition ammuni-tion standard. Against New Ammunition Size. The practical disadvantages of adding add-ing a new caliber of ammunition to the supply line burdens are fully realized, real-ized, and may ultimately prevent adoption adop-tion of the seven-millimeter gun. As the army Is now equipped, only the regular .30-callber cartridges are needed for all rifles and machine guns, and troops can be restocked with ammunition am-munition from any depot or dump. This is a very high-power, long-range type of ammunition, and not suited to the probable short range use foreseen In war for shoulder semlautomatics. Furthermore, It has been found far better results In the way of sustained Are, economy of weight and other particulars par-ticulars can be obtained with the seven-millimeter caliber. .- One point already established Is that the design of the Pederson seven-millimeter affords the best yet attained by ordnance experts for quick quanllty production. "There is no reason to doubt,", the official report states, "but that It will be easier and cheaper to put Into production than any weapon hitherto designed." Range of 1,000 Yards. The new gun Is built for a range of 1,000 yards, the maximum distance at which rapid sustained fire would be required.: re-quired.: Beyond that range heavy machine-gun fire with regular .30 ammunition ammu-nition would .be resorted to, as the shoulder gun Is designed only for use against visible targets. . The gun Is the equivalent In weight and size of the present Springfield army rifle. It loads with a ten-cartridge clip, ejecting the clip automatically automat-ically with the last shot, and the gun and 340 rounds of ammunition have the same weight as the regular Springfield Spring-field rifle and 220 rounds of service ammunition. Because of the reduced powder charge' and consequent reduced heating heat-ing effect, It can be fired more rapidly and for a greater length of time without with-out heating than either the Thompson or Gerand .30-callber guns, and Is also Bald to be free of lubricating and other mechanical , difficulties which make the bigger guns subject to trouble under hard, .service conditions. |