n 



I 



shell. This shows that the shell has been forced 

 so hard that it has been upset or enlarged while in 

 the crimping head. 



Crimping shells that have been fired, is very un- 

 satisfactory on account of the muzzle of the shell 

 being left dry and without lubrication, which has 

 been extracted by the heat at the time. of dis- 

 charge. This deficiency may be supplied by dip- 

 ping the end of the shell about one-sixteenth of 

 an inch into hot beef tallow, which penetrates in- 

 to the fibres of the paper. This may be done af- 

 ter the shells are loaded, before being crimped; 

 anyone trying this will be surprised at the great 

 improvement. When old shells ate so treated the 

 crimping on them will be found equal to that on 

 new shells; in fact, it improves the work on many 

 new shells, as some of them have not as much lub- 

 rication in the woterproofing as others, and this 

 1 1 How treatment supplies the deficiency and in- 

 jures none. 



Shells that have been fired and the soft muzzle 

 not cut off, must be forced into the crimper vcrv 

 slowly, and the head revolved as rapidly as pos- 

 sible. 



