§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)asked the Secretary of State for War, How long the War Office Committees on the subject of a new rifle have been sitting, and when it is expected that a definite decision will be arrived at; whether any decision has yet been arrived at as to the bore; and, whether it has been decided that it will be in any case smaller than that of the Enfield Martini?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)My hon. Friend will find a full account of the Special Committees on the subject of the new rifle at page 22 of the Report of the Royal Commission. The bore of the new rifle will be smaller than that of the Enfield-Martini. Experiments are being tried with several barrels, and I am assured that we may hope for a decision on the whole subject before long; but I am not yet able to fix a date.
§ MR. HANBURYasked, how long these Committees had been sitting?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEsaid, that the Committee on a new magazine rifle had been sitting since last year, and no Committee on the new rifle since 1881.
§ MR. HANBURYasked, how many Enfield Martini rifles had been made, and what use they would be?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEsaid, that nearly 100,000 had been made, and that they had been of the greatest value for the use of the troops until the new magazine rifle was issued.