The ballistic properties of the gun are the same as those of the infantry rifle.[1]
In the machine gun an important factor in the dispersion of infantry fire—flinching and errors in aiming—is eliminated, while the heating of its barrel and the vibrations of its carriage in continuous fire do not produce a corresponding increase in dispersion. On this account the cone of dispersion of the machine gun is more compact than that of the infantry rifle and its accuracy at long ranges is therefore considerably greater than that of the latter.[2] Firing tests indicate that the accuracy of machine gun fire diminishes only very slightly with increasing range, provided the appropriate elevation is used.[3]
In war the influence of the compact cone of dispersion will be still more potent, for we will then have to reckon with a single, specially selected machine gun marksman who is well protected, while the excitement of battle will produce a far different impression upon an organization composed of men differing materially from each other. The compactness
- [Footnote: When the fire is well observed, it might be advantageous, in exceptional cases,
when firing against either stationary or moving targets, to direct the gun, without aiming, after the bullets have been seen to hit their mark, by properly manipulating the elevating and traversing apparatus while the firing is in progress.]
- ↑ The destructive power of the projectiles fired from a machine gun, as they strike within a small space, is, of course, much greater than that of the scattered projectiles of a body of infantry. Trees having a circumference of 30 cm. are felled by machine gun fire in about 15 seconds at a range of 450 m.
- ↑ According to Austrian experiments the depth of the beaten zone of a machine gun is only 1/3 to 1/2 that produced by the fire of a platoon of infantry.
- ↑ The following average results were obtained in experiments made at the
Musketry School, while firing on infantry targets advancing alternately at quick
and double time:
At ranges from 2000-1600 m. 1.72% hits
" " " 1500-1200 m. 2.53% "Firing against disappearing head targets placed at intervals of O.60-0.70 m.:
At 600-800 m. 1.89% hits
" 800-1100 m. 1.69% "In firing first with an elevation of 1800, then with one of 1750 m. (the range being 2000-1600 m. and 254 rounds being expended per gun), on 50 advancing, kneeling targets, placed at intervals of 1 m. 3.10% hits were obtained and 52% figures were placed out of action in 1-1/2 minutes.
In firing at the same targets for 2-1/3 minutes, with an elevation of 1900 m. (304 rounds expended), the result dropped to 0.3% hits and 8.3% figures placed out of action.
