During the campaign many varieties of rifle projecting bullets of widely differing calibre were employed by the Boers, many of whom as sportsmen preferred the rifle to which they were accustomed to a regulation weapon, and an illustration of a large variety of bullets from cartridges which I collected from arsenals and camps is given below (p. 96). The great majority of the men, however, were armed with small-calibre weapons of some sort, and as the wounds produced by these are of chief interest at the present day, I shall say little of any others, beyond an occasional reference to Martini-Henry rifle wounds which may be considered to represent approximately those made by large leaden sporting bullets.
Fig. 14.—Type Cartridges in common use during the war.
From left to right: Martini-Henry, Guedes, Lee-Metford, (Spanish) Mauser, Krag-Jörgensen
The most important, as the most frequently employed, rifles projecting small-calibre bullets were the Krag-Jörgensen, Mauser, Lee-Metford, and Guedes, given in the order of increase of calibre (from 6.5 to 8 millimetres, or .254-.314 in.) in the bullets. As to the seriousness of wounds produced by these there is little to choose, differences in character being only those of degree. Such differences depended on the area of tissue implicated, corresponding with the calibre of the particular bullet, the comparative weight of the bullet, and the degree of velocity of flight maintained at the moment of impact. When, however, any of these bullets have been exposed in their flight to influences capable of causing deformity of their outline and symmetry, peculiarities of construction and in the composition of the metals employed in their manufacture may materially alter the character of the wounds produced and revolutionise a classification founded purely on the relative weight, calibre, and degree of velocity with which each is endowed.
TABLE I
| Martini-Henry | Guedes | Lee-Metford | Lee-Enfield | Mauser | Krag-Jörgensen | |
| Calibre of rifle | .45 in. | .314 in. | .303 in. | .303 in. | .276 in. | .254 in. |
| Number of grooves | 7 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| One twist in | 22 in. to right | 9.85 in. to right | 10 in. to left | 10 in. to left | 8-11/16 in. to right | 8 in. to left |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,300 f.s. | 1,988 f.s. | 2,000 f.s. | 2,000 f.s. | 2,262 f.s. | 2,309 f.s. |
| Sighted to | 1,450 yds. | 2,600 paces | 2,800 yds. | 2,800 yds. | 2,187 yds. | 2,406 yds. |
| Weight of cartridge | 758 grains | 464.05 grains[6] | 416½ grains | 416½ grains | 384.5 grains | 372.1 grains |
| Weight of bullet | 480 grains | 244 grains | 215 grains | 215 grains | 173.3 grains | 156.4 grains |
| Length of bullet | 1.250 in. | 1.250 in. | 1.250 in. | 1.250 in. | 1 in. | 1.250 in. |
| Calibre of bullet | .450 in. | .315 in. | .309 in. | .309 in. | .280 in. | .260 in. |
| Charge of powder | 85 grains (black powder) | 20-23 (grains nitro-smokeless) | 31½ grains (cordite) | 31½ grains (cordite) | 38.0 grains (smokeless) | 36 grains (nitro-smokeless) |
| Nature of alloy used for mantle of bullet | — | Mantle: Mild steel, greased | Cupro-nickel | Cupro-nickel | Mantle: Steel with alloy of copper on surface | Mantle: Mild steel coated with copper nickel, the composition of the latter being that of the cupro-nickel of the Lee-Enfield bullet |
| Thickness of mantle | — | — | Mark II. bullet | Mark II. bullet | — | — |
| Tip | — | .031 | .036 | .036 | .031 | .022 |
| Sides .984 from tip | — | .011 | .015 | .015 | .015 | .015 |
Some particulars of the four rifles and their projectiles are collated in Table I., to which is added the corresponding information regarding the Martini-Henry for the purposes of comparison.