THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
97 
favourably by the Ordnance Select Committee., who desired to make further 
experiments.* 
“The gun was re-bored up to a 5-pr., and in December, 1856, was tried 
near Newcastle in presence of Colonel Eardley-Wilmot, R.A., Superintendent 
Royal Gun Factories, who reported that at 1500 yards and 2000 yards the 
gun had made remarkably good practice.” 
A second gun, an 18-pr., of the same weight as the 9-pr. bronze field 
gun, was experimented with at Shoeburyness. This gun showed great 
strength, precision, and range power, and subsequent experiments with 
larger guns only confirmed the excellence of the system. 
“ At the same time extensive experiments were carried on to test whether 
any safe method of strengthening cast-iron guns could be found, or whether 
any better, speedier, or cheaper system of constructing rifled ordnance 
existed than that proposed by Sir Win Armstrong. None such having 
been found within the period for inquiry, the Armstrong system was com¬ 
pletely adopted and in order to obtain a supply of the guns and projectiles 
as soon as possible, so that we might not be behind other nations. Govern¬ 
ment not only entered into a contract in January, 1859,t with the newly- 
established Elswick Ordnance Company, but commenced their manufacture 
in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. 
In February, 1859, Sir Win Armstrong, who was connected with the 
Elswick firm, was appointed engineer of rifled ordnance (being knighted at 
the same time and created a C.B.), and in the following November he 
became also Superintendent R.G.F.f 
Our field artillery was soon furnished with the new guns, and a goodly 
number, especially of the larger natures, were at the urgent request of the 
Admiralty supplied to the fleet, and subsequently the whole series of Arm¬ 
strong guns as given in the annexed Table, was added to our armaments. 
* This and a few of the succeeding 1 paragraphs are abridged from the blue book, containing the 
Report of the Select Committee on Ordnance Expenditure, which were appointed by Government 
in 1862, and submitted their Report 23rd July, 1863. The members of this Committee were:— 
Sir John Hay 
Lord Robert Cecil 
Mr Laird 
Major O’Reilly 
Mr Beecroft 
Sir Morton Peto 
Mr Vivian. 
Mr Monsell 
Sir George Lewis 
General Peel 
Captain Jervis 
Mr T. G. Baring 
Sir Frederick Smith 
Mr Dodson 
f This agreement terminated in 1863, since which time all the Government guns have been 
made in the Royal Gun Factories. 
J Sir ¥m. Armstrong resigned these offices on the 6th February, 1863. He was succeeded as 
Superintendent R.G.F, by Col. F. A. Campbell, R.A, 
