THE EOYAL AETILLEEY INSTITUTION. 
61 
I. 
Proceedings of Foreign Artillery: translated from Russ Military Journal . 
No. 5 of 1863. 
“ The artillery department is now engaged chiefly on the subject of the 
introduction of rifled ordnance of large calibre. 
“ The field artillery is already equipped with twenty-seven rifled batteries 
of two hundred and sixteen brass rifled 4-pr. guns, and an extra number of 
12-pr. rifled guns besides is in course of preparation; and as steel is at last 
acknowledged to be the best metal for ordnance, 4-pr steel guns have been 
ordered at the Prince Michael Factory, on the understanding however, 
that their manufacture should not interrupt that of ordnance of a larger 
calibre. These 4-pr. guns are to constitute a reserve of the field artillery 
until they are substituted for the 4-pr. brass guns, when these latter become 
unserviceable. 
“Thus the question of supplying our field artillery with rifled ordnance may 
be said to be settled; but we have yet to equip our siege parks, our ships 
and forts, with guns of a large calibre. On this point it has been only 
decided that these guns should be made mostly of steel, and to load at the 
muzzle. Until now the labours of our ordnance department have been 
directed towards the perfection of ordnance on the muzzle-loading system, 
which must be principally adopted for our naval and siege artillery, as well 
as in our ports; but to meet fully the requirements of the sea service, it is 
intended also to arm our ships with breech-loaders, which are more easily 
worked in a narrow space; therefore, trials are now being made w T ith 
Wahrendorfs breech-loading 30-pr. guns ordered in Sweden, and with 6-pr. 
rifled steel guns with a contrivance for loading in the breech on Kramer's 
wedge principle. • ■ 
“As regards muzzle-loaders of a large calibre, it has in the meanwhile been 
resolved for the purpose of more speedily arming our forts with rifled guns, 
to convert the brass and cast-iron 12 and 24-prs. (about 600) into rifled 
ordnance. Special sums have been assigned for this work, and the rifling 
is to be done at St Petersburg, Keif, Brian sic, Novo Georgievsic, and Kerson, 
Yet these guns are to be only in temporary use until the one hundred and 
sixty 12-prs. and one hundred and fifty 24-pr. long range guns ordered at 
Prince Michael works are turned out. The last order for the 24-prs. has, 
however, been latterly rescinded, seeing that the means are wanting at these 
works to melt a sufficient quantity of metal for a 24-pr. long range gun; 
and even after the erection of thirty-two more furnaces, the want of a forging 
hammer will be found to be a great drawback. Owing to this, only one 
24-pr. long range gun for trial has been ordered at the Prince Michael 
works, it is to be made with a cast-iron coating like that of the 60-pr. steel 
guns already supplied by Krupp. Should this class of ordnance prove 
successful, it is intended to order their manufacture at the Prince Michael 
works, when every means will be afforded for casting and forging guns of a 
large calibre. The Committee are of opinion that these works should be 
improved and extended, as it is certainly very desirable to have a steel 
factory of our own within the empire. There is no doubt but that with 
all the essential means, and after a fair trial, in six years time the Prince 
[vol. v.] 9 
