CORRESPONDENCE.

HOW TO FORM A VILLAGE RIFLE CLUB.

[TO THE EDITOR OF TOR "SPROTATOR."]

SrE,—It may interest your reaqers to learn how I formed a village rifle club, for though the undertaking is not nearly so arduous a one as it sounds, one is always glad to know "how to set about it.". How I set about it was as follows. I felt con- vinced, to begin with, that it would be wise not- to aim too high or to try to set up an imitation Bisley. I determined, therefore, to establish a Morris tube range. The Morris tube, it may be remarked parenthetically, is an airingement patented by "the' Morris Tube_ 'Company, 11-Hayntstrket, by which a steel tube is placed in' the barrel of the Service rifle, and the rifle is thereby 'converted from- a-weapon carrying two res or more, to one with range of some 206 yards, and firing a small bullet like that in a rook rifle. No doubt a full range and regular Service ammunition is best, but yon can learn with the Morris tube arranaement W get a steady hand and accurate eye and ' to handle your weapon, and- when you come to fire at a long range' with regular ammunition you very soon accommodate yourself to the new con- ditions. Also by using the Morris tube you can be sure you will not kill your neighbours with stray shots. Accordingly; I bought from the Morris Tube Company two of their targets, each 7 ft.' by 3 ft.. which placed together made a' target- they are boiler-plate, faced with in. board—of 7 ft. by 6 ft.

I then arranged with a neighbouring farmer to let the place this double target in Uzi; middle of one of his fields. In front of the target there are 100 Yards of 'clear grass field, and behind another 100 yards of grass. Then comes a hedge, and then alxmt 400 yards or more of open arable. Thus even if a. novice were to fail to hit the target -the bullet could do no harm. I then bought two ordinary Lee-Enfield rifles fitted with :the Morris Tube and some ammunition, and -we were ready to begin. The enrolment of members was the simplest and easiest part of the whole business. I began with the male members of my household, and they brought their friends, and though I live on the top of a hill, nearly two miles from the nearest village, we had twenty or thirty appli- cations for membership at once, and since then we have had to consider not how to get members, but how to keep our numbers down to our very limited and primitive accommodation in the matter of butts, for only two men can shoot at once. We could at the most take eighty to a hundred members, and that number we shall get, I have no doubt, but if more than thirty turn up on any given evening we shall find it difficult to give each man his turn. The interest taken in the shooting is very great, though we have no great store of prizes to shoot for. Saturday afternoon is, of course, the time when the range most is used, though it is also open on Wednesdays, and can used for practice at other times. We are trying to get affiliated to the National Rifle Association, as if we are affiliated there will be no risk of men who have not got gun licenses being prosecuted. Members of affiliated clubs are excused the license. Though we applied some weeks ago, and deposited our rules, and asked to have our range inspected, we have not yet had our range visited. Our range seems to us absolutely safe for Morris tube ammunition, but we do not know whether it will seem so to the inspector. However, we have not waited for the slow-moving wheels of the National Rifle Association, but have begun our practice, feeling sure that those of our members who have not got licenses will not be prosecuted for firing a gun without a license. It is notorious that the officers of the Inland Revenue do not post men outside the saloons or rifle booths at a fair and prosecute all who shoot, and after the Prime Minister's appeal to the nation to form rifle clubs it is incredible that Somerset House would prosecute the members of a bond-fide rifle club. At any rate we mean to risk it, if the National Rifle Association will not allow us to be affiliated. I give our rules below, which are as simple as possible, and which, though they could be easily improved on, may serve as a model. Before I do so, however,

I should like to say a word in answer to the objection sure to

be made What is the use of such childish proceedings as these you are describing, and they are obviously quite value- less from the point of view of national defence ? " My answer is, that though we are not teaching men to be marksmen in the highest sense, we are teaching them to handle the rifle, to understand its mechanism and the meaning of the sights and so forth, and are training in a certain degree both eye and hand. I do not want to put it higher than that, or to dwell upon the immense pleasure which the men get out of shooting at even such short ranges as twenty-five yards or fifty yards. We only claim to be a humble little infants' school, but we think that infants' schools are useful, nay, necessary, things. To say that we imagine we are making Ourselves a valuable military force, or deluding ourselves into thinking that we and our fellows could repel the invader, is nonsense. I find not a symptom of any such belief among our members. We have no imitation Cronjes and De- Wets. Again, the notion that rifle clubs like ours will injure volun- teering is a complete mistake. On the contrazy, we shall act as a recruiting ground for the Volunteers, though many of our members, by reason of .their employments, could not volunteer. I notice already a tendency among our members. to look . with great interest on. .the Volunteers. They are looked on, and very properly, as in every way our superiors.

I do not wish to labour the point unnecessarily, but I am most anxious 'to .say once more that people mast not imagine that it is a terrible undertaking to found a Morris tube rifle club. I am only a' humble villa- resident, and yet I was able to surmount the difficulties: -A country gentleman with a park and an estate would find it the easiest thing in the world. Every village in the country ought, in truth, to have its rifle club, and as near the centre of the village as possible. All that is wanted for a beginning is a big field, a target, and a couple of rifles with Morris tubes. These things will enable any village club to be the Means of teaching the lads and men of the village to handle the rifle: Let no one be afraid that they will not want to join, or will mind paying for their ammunition,—which, by the- way, can be retailed to them about three shots a penny. - In my opinion, the landlords of England have a great opportunity. If they will say "No village in England should be without its rifle club," and will take the lead in establishing them, they will confer a great benefit on the country. It is not necessary that they should incur any great expense. A couple of the Morris tube targets can be got -for £6, and two Lee-Enfields fitted with Morris tubes cost about 27 10s. each. That makes al in all, but no doubt a target as good as the Morris Tube Company's target could be made in the country with the wood provided by the estate timber yard, while the boiler-plates could be produced by the local blacksmith, at a lower figure. This 221 need not, again, be provided by the squire. It should be raised by subscrip. tion, and all the inhabitants should give in proportion to their means, except, perhaps, the innkeeper. -He could hardly be expected to do so, for when once a village rifle club is established many a sixpence which would have been expended in the bar goes in ammunition. But I must not be drawn into the social aspects of village rifle clubs, though much might be written on the subject, and all in their praise. Below. are the rules of our club, which, as I have said above, are by no means perfect, in fact they are very rude and imperfect,

but they may act as a rough model.—I am, Sir, &c., X.

RIFLE CLUB.

Rules.

(1) The Club shall be called the RIFLE CLUB, and its object shall be to encourage Rifle Shooting.

(2) The Members shall be elected by the Committee.

(3) The Officers of the Club, who must be Members, will be elected annually in the month of July, and will be Presi- dent, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, and three Committee Men.

(4) There will be an Annual General Meeting in the month of July in each year; five to form a quorum, and a Special General Meeting can be called at any time on the regula- tion of any four Members being made to the President.

(6) The Secretary, or the Treasurer, or one of the Committee appointed in his absence, shall have the entire charge of the Range during practice, and will be held responsible for the well-conducting of the same. Any Member disobeying the orders of the Officer in charge of the Range will be liable to a fine not exceeding Five Shillings (6s.), subject to the approval of the Committee. • '

(6) In case the Secretary or none of the Committee can be present; the Members on the Range will elect one of themsekes to • officiate in charge of the Range.

(7) The Subscription shall be per annum.

•

(8) The Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Club and. three Committee Men, the President having the casting

vote; three to form a quorum.. - -

(9) Only Morris Tube Animunition, or Ammunition of equiva- lent power, shall be used on the Range.

(10) The Committee shall make rules for the regulation, open- ing, and safe use of the Range.

(11) The Colours of the Club shall be •