"Target" quiz

[klr]

... let me get back to you.

[Don't Panic]

Looks like the gun is a modified rifle.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Looks like the gun is a modified rifle.

This is pre-WWI, btw.

[Don't Panic]

Looks like the gun is a modified rifle.

This is pre-WWI, btw.

Hence my thought that this isn't a purpose built automatic weapon but a standard rifle modified with a bigger magazine and a pistol grip instead of a stock. The sights look like they were glued on as an afterthought.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Looks like the gun is a modified rifle.

This is pre-WWI, btw.

Hence my thought that this isn't a purpose built automatic weapon but a standard rifle modified with a bigger magazine and a pistol grip instead of a stock. The sights look like they were glued on as an afterthought.

The unique feature of this gun is that it is purportedly the first instance of a drum feed actually being used on a working weapon.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Boer War?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Boer War?

No.

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

It was chambered for the .30 cal. Krag-Jorgensen rifle cartridge.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

CARR MACHINE GUN

The Navy's Bureau of Ordnance on 14 April 1901 was requested by the Driggs-Seabury Gun and Ammunition Co., 43 Cedar Street, New York City, to arrange a test of a new machine gun at the Naval Proving Ground, Indian Head, Md. The inventor of the gun, produced by this company, was Howard Carr of San Francisco.

The Navy assured Driggs-Seabury that it would give the weapon a trial and consider it for adoption if it proved capable of meeting certain requirements. The date for the test was set for 16 July 1901, at which time the weapon would be given an official rating on rapidity of fire, efficiency, accuracy, durability, and simplicity of design.

Since the request did not originate with the Navy, it was specified that all ammunition used would be provided by the Government but paid for by the promoters of the weapon. This was agreed upon and Mr. Carr, the inventor, arrived at the appointed time with his gun, having elected to fire the weapon himself.

The following account is taken from official records of two trials. Lt. Francis Broughton, USN, Inspector of Ordnance, was officer in charge.

The gun, which was chambered for the caliber .30 Krag-Jorgensen rifle cartridge, was recoil operated and drum fed, having a single barrel. A fire regulator allowed both single-shot and automatic firing. The gun was mounted on a tripod, fitted with a seat for the operator. Changes in both train and elevation were obtained by gear and screw attachments, which could be thrown quickly out of action and the gun aimed by the pistol grip or shoulder stock.

The magazine was circular in shape, and slipped into position on top of the breech end of the receiver. The drum was divided into 62 radial compartments, each holding 4 cartridges, making it hold 248 in all. An even larger drum, holding 310 rounds, 5 to a compartment, was also brought with the gun.

Carr, in describing the weapon's action to the Navy Board, gave the following cycle of operation:

"Upon discharge, the barrel recoils about one inch, extending a heavy return spring fitted underneath the receiver. The barrel and bolt, at the moment of firing, are held securely locked by a jointed lever. The end of this lever engages a sear located in the pistol-grip. After unlocking, the barrel is returned to battery by the barrel return, while the lock continues to travel rearward.

"When about half of the recoil movement is accomplished, the empty cartridge case is extracted from the chamber and ejected downwards through a slot in the bottom of the receiver. A lug on the side of the receiver revolves the magazine and at the same time places a cartridge in position, forcing it down in line with the chamber. The driving spring then completely closes the breech, throwing the toggle lever into a straight line with the breech block, and, in case of automatic firing, releasing the firing pin.

"Automatic or single firing can be obtained by placing the fire regulator in the position desired. Fitted on the right side of the breech is a lever for charging the mechanism by hand. It is used to clear feed failures or any other malfunction that might arise, obviating any considerable delay in firing."

Mr. Carr, in order to demonstrate the general action of the gun to the assembled officers, fired 20 shots singly and 20 full automatic. It worked perfectly during this part of the test. To show how rapidly it was possible to assemble the weapon in the field, the gun, feeder, and tripod were brought in separately. In 40 seconds they were assembled and the first shot fired.

To prove the general efficiency of the mechanism, the Carr gun was tested under the following conditions:

(a) Twenty-five rounds were fired, with a

dummy cartridge every fifth round. It was

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--225--

Carr Machine Gun.

found that the "dud" was in every case quickly removed by means of the hand charger.

(b) Twenty-five rounds were fired with one vacant space at the end of the first five rounds, two at the end of the second five rounds, three at the end of the third five rounds, and four at the end of the fourth five rounds. The gun ceased functioning upon coming to the vacant spaces. To resume firing, it was necessary by means of the hand charger to revolve the magazine until the next cartridge was dropped. Ten rounds were then placed in the feeder, one of them being a cartridge that had been purposely deformed so that it would not enter the chamber. When fed into the gun, it jammed the mechanism, but was extracted manually without difficulty.

(c) Fifty rounds were successfully fired with the gun elevated 15°, and another 50 with the gun depressed the same amount.

(d) On two different occasions a handful of dust was thrown into the mechanism, the time taken to clean the lock and fire the first shot being 35 and 40 seconds, respectively. Carr did not deem it necessary to dismount any portion of the mechanism for cleaning, but charged the gun by the hand-operating lever until all parts worked freely.

Three targets were made at a range of 120 yards, using the Army B target. Seventeen rounds were fired single shot, using the elevating and training gear. Fifty rounds were fired full automatic, using the elevating and training gear. Twenty rounds were fired singly, with the elevating and training gear thrown out of action, the gun being held by means of the pistol grip.

Carr experienced considerable difficulty in holding on the target, so that only a few shots hit the bull's-eye. He attempted to account for this by stating that the sight had not yet been adjusted for drift. As the shoulder bar had not been sent with the gun, it was not deemed safe to endeavor to make a target with the gun firing

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Target Made by Carr Gun in 1901 Trials.

automatic, while the elevating and training gear was disconnected. A velocity check showed 1,966 feet per second 88 feet from the muzzle. The velocity obtained with this cartridge in the Army rifle is given as 1,954 feet per second 53 feet from the rifle.

The bolt was withdrawn by the inventor and entirely taken apart in 50 seconds without the use of any tools. It was reassembled in 3 minutes. There were very few screws, those in use being principally for the purpose of holding small springs. During the test a great many empty cartridge cases were pulled apart upon extraction, breaking at a point about one-half inch from the base. This part was extracted and ejected, the rest of the case remaining in the gun. It was not found difficult to remove it with an ordinary cleaning rod.

In order to ascertain whether the ammunition was defective, 100 rounds were fired in the Colt automatic gun. None of the cartridge cases pulled apart nor showed any signs of breaking. It was, therefore, considered that the defect lay with the gun, and was due either to a swelling of the rear portion of the chamber or to a failure of the breech-block in holding the cartridge home sufficiently secure. The ammunition used came from Frankford Arsenal. It was loaded with W. A. powder and primed with H-48 primer.

It had been intended to test the gun for durability by firing 1,000 rounds as rapidly as possible, observing afterwards the condition of the barrel, the rifling, and the mechanism, and obtaining velocities and targets. As the firing was interrupted frequently by reason of the splitting of the cartridge cases, it was considered impossible to carry out this test.

Another barrel fitted with a small water jacket was sent with the gun. This also would have been used in the durability test, had it not been postponed until the inventor thought his weapon could meet the required demands.

On 25 July 1901 the second and final phase of the trial began, Carr having declared his weapon ready for the endurance and rate of fire test.

It was found that 4 minutes and 45 seconds were required for one man to load a drum with 248 rounds. To test the extractor, six cartridges were coated with varnish, so as to stick in the chamber. They were extracted satisfactorily. In 35 seconds 192 cartridges were fired full automatic; in 40 seconds, 240 cartridges were fired in a single burst. This was at a rate of 360 rounds per minute.

The endurance test of 1,000 rounds of sustained fire was attempted, but interruptions were so frequent that it was not completed. The failures were due principally to: (1) A lack of operating power, the magazine gear not leaving enough force to close the breech; and (2) failure to extract, the extractor slipping from under the rim of the cartridge.

The splitting of the cartridge cases in the first trial was found to be due to the fact that the cartridge was not shoved completely home. This was remedied by screwing the barrel one thirty-second of an inch further into the breech casing, thus forming a more perfect head space. Why the weapon started to rupture cases during the latter part of the second trial was not determined by the board.

The test was then stopped by the officer in charge as the weapon had not shown a degree of reliability that warranted further consideration. Overheating was of such a nature as to cause the weapon's operating mechanism to seize and slow it until there was not enough energy to rotate the feeder and lock the bolt.

It was interesting that this machine gun em-

--227--

ployed the drum-type feed that was used so much at a later date. While Hiram Maxim was the originator of this method of feeding, Howard Carr was the first to attempt to put it to practical use. The unusually large number of rounds in the feeder made the weapon breech heavy and when this large mass rotated, it was found that unless the weapon was securely fastened to the front mount it was exceedingly hard to hold on the target. It also added greatly to the clumsy appearance of the gun.

These were the only official tests run on the Carr weapon. By this time the inventor no doubt realized it had fallen so far short of Navy requirements that to meet them would require complete redesign. On the whole, the weapon was quite inferior to many guns that had already been proved reliable.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

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