Sunday Sept. 10th 1916.
O/R in the morning, but not a hreat amout to be done.
Went over to Ghangla Gali again with Noad in the afternoon, we left G.D. about 2.15 and got there at 3.0. We found the Sergt. Instr who was to have given us our firing with it on the range with the Shool of Musketry Adjutant - Maude. However we found that they were testing ammunition and consequently were rather pleased than otherwise to have somebody to blaze it away for them.
The Arsenal are apparently up against this F.C.M. stuff that they are issuing now and want to get the whole lot condemned. They complain that they cannot get definite figures from regiments and consequently have sent up two boxes to the School of Musketry for them to test it and to lat them know the results. They had just finished the test with the Maxims when we arrive with heavy casualties (of ammunition). Maude and the sergeant then fired a couple of magazines with the Lewis and then Noad and I had to go.
There is no recoil such as one would at first sight expect, but we found that there were any amount of Stoppages. The chief cause seems to be the drums, which are easily knocked out of shape, and if they get out of shape at all it causes jams.
I had a surprise when I was firing because I cleared a Stoppage and away went the gun without my pulling the trigger. That is apparently quite a common occurence and seems to be caused as often as not by dust or grit getting into the mechanism. That rather detracts from its suitability for use in a sandy country like India!
I took "Nigger" over but he did not seem to like the guns at al. He was so scared that I ha to get a Gurkha Orderly to take him away.
After the Lewis they put through some rounds with rifles. They got 4 Gurkhas down and gave them 60 rounds each. one of them got his in 4 minutes which is very good work, particulerly with this ammunition, as the primary extraction is bad.
We had tea in the Musketry Mess and then rode back. People were all rolling in today for the course which starts to-morrow. They all looked pretty miserable, and lost!