MEASURING THE STRIKING FORCE OF SHOT. 323 



mark a tliree-ounce hammer with eight feet velocity, 

 and so on ; from which it is calculated that if similar 

 results are produced by lighter bodies (the pellets) 

 they simply indicate i^roportionally increased veloci- 

 ties. 



After each discharge the total number of force- 

 ounces was taken as registered on the scale, and 

 divided by the number of pellets which struck the 

 disk. This quotient was then taken as the average 

 force per pellet exhibited, and from the average of 

 these AVERAGES for twenty -five consecutive discharges, 

 comparisons with other guns were made. 



The results, which were pronounced highly satisfac- 

 tory, varied very considerably at difEerent discharges 

 from the same gun, especially at the sixty-yards trial, 

 and as examples I give the highest and lowest aver- 

 ages per pellet recorded by each barrel of the first 

 four sixteen gauges on the list at both distances. 



At Forty Yards. 



1st Gun, Left Barrel Highest 2-52, Lowest 1 -92 



" " Right " ., 



2d " Left " ' 



" " Right " ' 



Sd " Left " ' 



" " Right •' ' 



4th " Left " ' 



" " Right " ' 



