250 
MINUTES OP PKOCEEDINGS OP 
PLAN OF MUZZLE-PIVOTING GUNS. 
BY LIEUT.-COLONEL SHAW, B.A. 
Prom the Journal of the Koyal United Service Institution, Yol. IX. 
Haying been invited bj tbe Lecture Committee of this Institution to 
read to you this evening a paper on my system of muzzle-pivoting, I confess 
I was at first disposed to decline, as I knew the subject to be very dry, and 
easily exhausted, and I doubted my ability to make it commonly interesting; 
however, on reflecting that I had introduced this particular system into the 
Service, I thought it would be churlish of me not to endeavour to impart 
any information I might have on the subject to my professional brethren; 
to that end I wrote this paper. 
Though this subject is one of great military importance, as far as attack 
and defence are concerned, it can hardly be deemed one of much general 
interest, consequently it is a difficult topic to enlarge upon; in fact, when 
I have told you the object of this system is to enable us to reduce the size 
of the ports and embrasures in armour-plated ships and forts to a minimum, 
without thereby affecting the efficiency of the range of their guns, I have 
told you nearly all that is to be said in its favour, provided it can be carried 
out in practice, and of this latter point I hope to convince you this evening 
before we separate. 
As far as I have been able to learn, Mr Bobert Mallet, C.E., has the 
merit of having been the first to bring this subject to the notice of the 
Inspector-General of Eortifications, who acknowledged its importance in a 
military point of view, and referred Mr Mallet to the Ordnance Select 
Committee, but for some cause or other they did not consider that his plans 
could be carried out in practice, and so the matter was suffered to drop for 
the time. 
I was first induced to take this subject up at the instigation of a gallant 
and talented officer of the Koyal Engineers, who, in a conversation I had 
with him on the subject of armour-plating for forts, convinced me that to 
ensure strength and security, it is absolutely necessary to reduce the size of 
our embrasures to a minimum, and that can only be accomplished by a 
