“Sir, the first sergeant directed me to report to the captain.”

(Question by an officer:) “To what company do you belong?”

(Answer:) “Company H, sir.”

(Question by an officer:) “Has first call for drill sounded?”

(Answer:) “No, sir;” or “Yes; sir.; it sounded about five minutes ago.”

(Question by an officer:) “Can you tell me, please, where Major
Smith’s tent is?”

(Answer:) “Yes; sir; I’ll take you to it.”

Use the third person in speaking to an officer.  Examples: 

“Does the Lieutenant wish,” etc.

“Did the Captain send for me?”

In delivering a message from one officer to another, always use the form similar to the following:  “Lieutenant A presents his compliments to Captain B and states,” etc.  This form is not used when the person sending or receiving the message is an enlisted man.

In all official conversation refer to other soldiers by their titles, thus:  Sergeant B, Private C.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER II.

ARMS, UNIFORMS, AND EQUIPMENT.

SECTION 1.  THE RIFLE.

The rifle now used by the Army of the United States is the United
States magazine rifle, model of 1903, caliber .30.

It is 43.212 inches long and weighs 8.69 pounds.

The bayonet weighs 1 pound and the blade is 16 inches long.

The rifle is sighted for ranges up to 2,850 yards.

The maximum range, when elevated at an angle of 45 degrees, is 4,891 yards (389 yards less than 3 miles).

The smooth bore of the rifle is 0.30 inch in diameter.  It is then rifled 0.004 inch deep, making the diameter from the bottom of one groove to the bottom of the opposite groove 0.308 inch.  The rifling makes one complete turn in each 10 inches of the barrel.

The accompanying plate shows the names of the principal parts of the rifle.

The only parts of a rifle that an enlisted man is permitted to take apart are the bolt mechanism and the magazine mechanism.  Learn how to do this from your squad leader, for you must know how in order to keep your rifle clean.  Never remove the hand guard or the trigger guard, nor take the sights apart unless you have special permission from a commissioned officer.

The cartridge used for the rifle is called the .30-caliber model 1906 cartridge.  There are four types of cartridges.

The BALL CARTRIDGE consists of the brass case or shell, the primer, the charge of smokeless powder, and the bullet.  The bullet has a sharp point, is composed of a lead core and a jacket of cupro nickel, and weighs 150 grains.  The bullet of this cartridge, when fired from the rifle, starts with an initial velocity at the muzzle of 2,700 feet per second.

The BLANK CARTRIDGE contains a paper cup instead of a bullet.  It is dangerous up to 100 feet.  Firing with blank cartridges at a represented enemy at ranges less than 100 yards is prohibited.