§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what is the weight of the Lee-Metford, the Männlicher, the Lebel, the Mauser, the Berdan, and the Martini-Henry rifles respectively; and what rifles are the British Army now supplied with?
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling, &c.)The weight of the Lee- 1564 Metford rifle is 9lb. 8oz.; that of the Martini-Henry 8lb. 12oz. The Männlicher rifle in use in the Austrian Army weighs 9lb. 10oz.; the pattern adopted by the German Army 8lb. 9¾oz.; and that adopted by Roumania 8lb. 8oz. The Lebel rifle weighs 9lb. 4oz.; the Mauser (Argentine pattern) 8lb. 14oz; Belgian pattern, 8lb. 2oz.; and Servian pattern, 9lb. 14½oz. The Berdan rifle weighs 9lb. 12oz. The troops on the British establishment are armed with the Lee-Metford rifle, with the exception of eight battalions in Ireland and eight in the Colonies, which have the Martini-Henry. The Lee-Metford rifle has been sent out to India in sufficient numbers to supply all British troops there; but it is not known whether the issue has been completed yet.