§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)asked the Secretary of State for War, What is the actual number of Enfield-Martini rifles which have been turned out at Enfield Lock and by private firms; what has been their actual cost; by the advice of what Committee or other skilled authority was the pattern of this arm sealed, and at what date did their manufacture finally cease; whether they are already being converted into the Martini-Henry, which they were designed to supersede; whether there is already a sufficient supply of the Martini-Henry arm now that a magazine rifle with a much smaller bore is about to be adopted; what will be the frosh cost of re-boring and re-rifling the barrel of the new Enfield-Martini to the calibre of the Martini-Henry rifle; whether any, and, if so, what, amount of ammunition has been manufactured for the use of the Enfield-Martini with its present bore; and, what other alterations, in addition to the re-boring of the barrel, will be necessary, and at what cost, to convert the Enfield -Martini rifle, as a whole, to the pattern of the older weapon?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)In answer to the first two Questions of my hon. Friend, I may say that 65,000 Enfield-Martini rifles have been completed, and others are in various stages of advancement. Their cost is estimated at £2 12s. per rifle. They have all been manufactured at Enfield. In answer to the third Question, the pattern was recommended by the Small Arms Committee, and it was adopted pending the introduction of a magazine rifle. In answer to the remaining Questions, I may say that as the bore of the new magazine rifle is to be less than 0.4, and as it was out of the question to have a third bore in the hands of the troops, it has now been decided to convert these rifles into Martini-Henrys, of which the supplies will not be sufficient to last until the magazine rifle can be issued. The total cost of adapting each rifle will be 6s. 6d., and as they have the same 911 external diameter the result will be a barrel of practically the same weight and strength as the present arm. Some ammunition has been manufactured for the Enfield-Martini rifle, but it can all be utilized without expense.
§ MR. HANBURYWhat other parts of the rifle besides the barrel will have to be altered?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEOnly a very few of them. Some of them of the earlier manufacture will have to be modified.