14 23. Preparing Blank Ammunition.-a. The cartridge bags for muzzle-loading guns or breech-loading guns not using fixed ammunition will be of silk, chemically treated to make it as noninflammable as possible, and the cartridges will be made to measure in length at least one and one-half times the diameter. It has been found difficult in service to tie the open end of the cartridge bags heretofore used for blank charges in such a manner as to prevent that end opening and permitting powder grains to leak out. The cartridge bags now issued have both ends alike. There is an opening left between the circular disk forming the front end of the bag and the body, which should be closed by sewing after the charge has been inserted. b. The post ordnance officer before issuing cartridges for blank ammunition firing to organizations will see that the bags are in sound condition and that no powder can escape therefrom, and the bags will be inspected further as to their condition in this respect by the commissioned officer in charge of the firing before their use. Unless all the foregoing conditions be fulfilled blank ammunition will not be fired with breech-loading guns using nonmetallic ammunition or with muzzle-loading guns. c. Saluting cartridge cases for 6-pounder, 15-pounder, 4-inch, 4.72-inch, and 6-inch guns may be distinguished from service cartridge cases by the fact that they are considerably shorter than the service case. Service cases of the foregoing calibers will not be used under any consideration in the preparation of blank ammunition. For all other guns using metallic ammunition the service case and the saluting cartridge case are the same. d. Blank metallic ammunition for saluting and maneuver purposes will be assembled at posts. For this purpose there are issued saluting cartridge cases, saluting powder in bulk, tight-fitting felt wads, primers, adapters, etc.; also reloading, decapping, and cleaning outfits. The cartridge cases are issued unprimed, with primers in separate moisture-proof tin boxes, and should not be primed until just before inserting the powder charge and the wad. Cartridge cases should never be primed after the powder charge has been inserted. e. Primers will not be removed from the hermetically-sealed cases in which they are received until they are to be used. They are made a tight fit in the primer seat of the cartridge case, and should be pressed into place with the inserting press and not hammered in. 15 f. In preparing blank ammunition the following instructions will be observed in all cases: (1) Before assembling, the saluting case should be inspected to see that it is thoroughly clean and dry. The primer will then be inserted with the inserting press; after which the proper weight of loose powder will be poured into the case and shaken down. (2) A felt wad will next be inserted and pressed down hard until it rests squarely on the powder charge. (3) The wad will then be made fast to the cartridge case, to prevent its being dislodged in handling, in the following manner: Pour rubberine paint upon the surface of the wad and case until it forms a layer over the surface about one sixteenth of an inch thick. Allow the case to stand from ten to twenty minutes, until the paint has dried and been partly absorbed by the wad. Then pour in an additional amount of paint around the edges of the wad to entirely seal the joint between the wad and the cartridge case, and also to form a layer on the side of the cartridge case from .02 to .03 of an inch in thickness. g. The rubberine paint is very tough and strongly adhesive, and if used as directed will prevent danger of wads dropping out in handling or of powder leaking past the wads. The wads, when issued, are a tight fit in the cartridge case for which they are intended. If, after storage, it is found that any have shrunken so as to fit loosely they will not be used, but a report on their condition will be made to the proper authority in order that they may be replaced. If rubberine paint is not available, any other quick-drying paint issued by the Ordnance Department for coating cavities of projectiles may be used instead. h. Blank ammunition, not to exceed 50 cartridges, may be maintained on hand assembled in order to provide for salutes and for morning and evening gun. These should be made up in lots of 25, to agree with the number of primers in a box. The cartridges longest assembled should be fired first. i. Blank metallic ammunition will be assembled under the personal supervision of a commissioned officer, who will be held responsible that the ammunition is prepared and the wads secured as prescribed above, and who will mark each of the assembled rounds with his initials before issuing, to indicate that it has been properly assembled. j. The primer inserting press issued is made especially for the 15-pounder seacoast gun, bushings being provided for guns of less caliber using fixed ammunition. One of these presses 16 and such bushings as may be required, also decapping and cleaning outfits, will be furnished to each post. k. Metallic powder barrels of 50 pounds capacity or over will be returned to the depot or arsenal from which shipped; when emptied, care will be taken to store in a dry place. 24. Firing Blank Ammunition.-a. Guns using metallic ammunition will be employed whenever practicable in firing blank ammunition; in their absence breech-loading guns using loose ammunition should preferably be used. Muzzle-loaders will be used only when breech-loaders are not available. When using muzzle-loading guns a sufficient number should be employed to avoid the necessity of firing the same gun until a reasonable interval has elapsed. b. All firings with blank ammunition, other than morning and evening gun, whether with breech or muzzle-loading guns, will be under the personal supervision of a commissioned officer, who will be present at the firing and direct it. Whenever more than one round is fired from any gun or guns, he will see that the chamber of breech-loading guns or the bore of muzzle-loading guns is carefully sponged out with a damp sponge to extinguish sparks and remove powder residue after each round and before the insertion of another round. c. Before firing a salute with blank metallic ammunition each cartridge to be used will be inserted in the gun to ascertain whether it will fit. In preparing ammunition for salutes a few rounds in addition to the required number should be prepared for use in case of misfires. Lightly oiling the outside of cases just before use will facilitate their insertion and extraction. d. Care will be taken to see that the sponges are not worn and that they thoroughly fill the chamber or bore. The interval between rounds of blank ammunition should be sufficient to allow thorough sponging of the chamber or bore and examination to ascertain that all sparks have been extinguished. The same care must be exercised in sponging the chamber and bore with guns using metallic ammunition as with guns using nonmetallic ammunition. [1460140 C-A. G. O.] BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR: OFFICIAL: HENRY P. MCCAIN, LEONARD WOOD. Major General, Chief of Staff. GENERAL ORDERS, No. 23. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, February 4, 1911. I..General Orders, No. 129, War Department, August 13, 1908, is amended by adding the following clause to section (d), paragraph 1, of that order: The question of the issue of Philippine campaign badges for service in campaigns other than those designated herein will be decided in each case on its merits, upon individual application, except that when such service is identical for a number of individual officers and enlisted men, lists of such officers and men may be furnished as provided in paragraph 8 of this order. [1726784, A. G. O.] II.A new tariff of rates, effective February 1, 1911, covering charges for sleeping car accommodations, which tariff authorizes a charge for an upper berth of 80 per centum of the tariff rate charged for a lower berth in either standard or tourist sleeping cars, having been published by the Pullman Palace Car Company, the following instructions are promulgated for the information and guidance of all concerned: 1. All officers of the Army who issue transportation requests for sleeping car accommodations will specify thereon the actual number of officers and enlisted men, each separately, for which accommodations are required, showing the number of berths, standard and tourist separately and lower and upper separately. 2. All officers of the Army and others who receipt for sleeping car accommodations will state in the receipt the number of lower and upper berths separately, and standard and tourist berths separately, occupied. [1742164, A. G. O.] BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF War: LEONARD WOOD, Major General, Chief of Staff. OFFICIAL: HENRY P. MCCAIN, Adjutant General. |