REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ORDNANCE. WAR DEPARTMENT, ORDNANCE OFFICE, Washington, October 15, 1887. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the principal operations of the Ordnance Department during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1887, with such remarks and recommendations as the interests of this branch of the military service seem to require. The fiscal resources and expenditures of the Department during the year were as follows, viz: Amount in the Treasury to the credit of the appropriations on June 30, 1886.. Amount in the Treasury not reported to the credit of the appropriations on June 30, 1886 $542, 343. 12 4, 257.70 Amount in Government depositories to the credit of disbursing officers Amounts refunded to ordnance appropriations in settling accounts Total.... Amount of expenditures during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1887, in- Amount deposited in Treasury during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1887, 226, 835, 90 1,354, 300. 96 2,030.06 54, 291, 18 2, 184, 058.92 1,597, 652.51 34, 349. 35 17, 682.85 Amount turned into the "surplus fund" on June 30, 1887 .......... 81, 307.26 209, 356.34 Amount transferred from ordnance appropriations in settling accounts during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1887..... 4,979.78 Amount in the Treasury not reported to the credit of appropriations on Amount in the Treasury to the credit of appropriations on June 30, 1887. 4,761.50 233,969. 33 Total...... 2, 184, 058.92 STATIONS AND DUTIES. The stations and duties of the officers of the Ordnance Department are as follows: Four at the Ordnance Office; forty-one at the arsenals, armory, and powder depots; nine on the Ordnance Board and at the founderies; six at the several military headquarters and ordnance depots; four at the Military Academy; one under the orders of the Secretary of the Interior; one in the Life-Saving Service, under the Secretary of the Treasury. The Ordnance Department provides the armament for our sea-coast. defenses, and arms and other ordnance stores for the Army, the militia, the Marine Corps, all other Executive Departments to protect public money and property, and the forty colleges authorized by law to receive them for instruction. SMALL-ARMS. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1887, 41,106 rifles and carbines have been manufactured at the National Armory. Repairing arms, providing spare parts, making swords, sabers, and miscellaneous articles must be mentioned among its operations. The question of a reduced caliber for small-arms is now under consideration by the Department. There is a movement in that direction in military circles here and abroad, and while the present caliber .45 meets the demands of the service in a very satisfactory manner, and was adopted fifteen years ago, after extended tests involving combinations of charge of powder, weight of bullet, number and character of grooves and degree of twist, it is thought that a further examination and report will be of great interest to the service. An effective and simple magazine gun has become a necessity, and this Bureau has during many years endeavored through boards and trials in the field to settle on one that would be satisfactory to the Army, but thus far, and as stated in my last annual report, without success. The Department is, however, seeking to reach such a result, and from the little that can be learned of the magazine systems said to have been adopted abroad, I am persuaded that nothing is to be gained by haste at this juncture, but that the Springfield arm will continue to admirably serve our purpose and the best interests of the Army, long enough, to enable us to determine finally on a magazine gun that will do credit to the inventive genius of our people. METALLIC AMMUNITION. In my last annual report I referred to the manufacture of a number of the Morse movable base cartridge for trial in the field. The very thorough experimental tests of these cartridges at the Frankford Arse. nal had been so favorable that their trial in the hands of troops was deemed justified by the interest of the public service. Thus far the reports from only four companies of the Army have been received, but the favorable view held by the Department has been fully confirmed. RIFLE PRACTICE. The gold and silver medals offered as rewards for successful marksmanship in the various rifle contests, have been increased in numbers by the addition of a gold shield for distinguished marksmen, and by one gold and two silver medals for competition by them. The medals have all been issued for presentation to the fortunate winners in the several contests. Carrying out the orders and intentions of the War Department respecting rifle practice throughout the Army in a liberal spirit, has taxed to the full the resources of this Department in ammunition and target supplies. The reserve supply of rifle cartridges on hand on the 30th June last was exceedingly small. The Army and country have, however, been most amply repaid for this expenditure of ammunition at the military posts by the great success which accompany the several annual contests. To continue this liberal supply, with its most excellent results, demands larger appropriations for cartridges and target material than have been made for several years. Such an important matter, so necessary to the effectiveness of our small Army, deserves the favorable action of Congress. KELTON'S AUTOMATIC CHECK-REIN ATTACHMENT, ETC. This device by which the horse of the mounted cavalryman can be controlled while the hands of the rider are engaged with his fire weapon, a safety stop for the pistol by which the accidental discharge of the cocked revolver in ranks will be prevented, and an inexpensive cartridge pack by means of which the jointed revolver can be quickly reloaded, have each been tried this year by a troop of cavalry at Fort Leavenworth, and with highly satisfactory results. THE MILITIA. At the last session Congress passed an act to amend section 1661 Revised Statutes, making an annual appropriation to provide arms and equipments for the militia. It increases the annual appropriation made by the act of 1808 from two hundred thousand to four hundred thousand dollars, and adds quartermaster's stores and camp equipage to the issues authorized. The second, third, and fourth sections of the act provide for apportionments under certain conditions and rules, for the purchase or manufacture of the stores to be issued, and their accountability, and for the disposition of unserviceable and unsuitable stores in the hands of the militia. These provisious of law are wise, and will have a tendency to place the militia on a proper footing, and encourage an efficient organization throughout the country. PROCURING SUPPLIES. All ordnance supplies are to be procured, after due advertisement and competitive bidding, under section 3709, Revised Statutes. But there are cases constantly occurring at our manufacturing establishments where small supplies are required, and where the expense of advertising largely ex ceeds in some instances, the value of the purchases, to say nothing of the additional loss by the consequent delay in this mode of purchase. I refer now to the minor incidentals, the necessity for which can not be economically anticipated. To meet such cases, and in the interest of a true public economy I would recommend that section 3709, Revised Statutes, be amended by inserting after the word "services" on the first line the words "in excess of one hundred dollars," so that the section shall then read: SEC. 3709. All purchases and contracts for supplies or services in excess of one hundred dollars, in any of the Departments of the Government, except for personal services, shall be made by advertising a sufficient time previously for proposals respecting the same, when the public exigencies do not require the immediate delivery of the articles, or performance of the service. When immediate delivery or performance is required by the public exigency, the articles or service required may be procured by open purchase or contract, at the places and in the manner in which such articles are usually bought and sold, or such services engaged, between individuals. The Interior Department makes purchases in open market to the amount of $500, under existing law. THE ARMAMENT OF FORTIFICATIONS. As Congress again failed to pass the regular appropriation bill for the armament of fortifications at its last session, the Department has effected but little during the past year in the direction of providing guns, carriages, powders, etc., for coast defense. The limitations also that were imposed on the appropriation for ordnance service have hampered the Department in carrying on the tests of ordnance at the Proving Ground. The status of the work on the manufacture of the several experimental guns is about as follows: The 12-inch B. L. rifle, cast-iron, tubed with steel: the casting has been made and is ready to receive the tube; breech mechanism made but not fitted. No work has been done on this gun since the date of my last Annual Report. The 12-inch B. L. rifle, cast-iron, hooped and tubed with steel, which was nearly completed at the close of the last fiscal year, has since been completed. The contracts for these two guns, though extended for more than a year, expired by limitation June 30, 1886, and before the guns were completed. The manufacturers must now look to Congress for a special appropriation to reimburse them for any expenditures incurred by them, which were originally covered by their contracts with the Department. The two 10-inch B. L. wire-wrapped guns, one of steel and the other |