THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
263 
shoulder in the breech of the barrel with a close joint, by it the empty case 
is extracted after discharge. 
Up to the present time the “ base disc 33 has been made of sheet brass, 
but Colonel Boxer proposes to use tinned iron instead for economy. 
The advantage of attaching a solid disc in place of forcing the base cup 
into the beading common to metallic cartridges is very great, for the metal 
in forming a beading undergoes such distortion that the base is liable to be 
weak, and to give way on firing causing dangerous escape of gas at the 
breech. 
The solid disc is also more simple to manufacture. 
The detonator consists of a cap and an anvil, the former resembles a 
pistol cap, made of a disc of copper annealed after its formation to save it 
from splitting and to cause it to expand and bulge out to the exclusion of 
gas at the centre of the base of the cartridge. The anvil is stamped from 
sheet brass and inserted with its point towards the detonating composition 
in the cap. 
Keeping Qualities. 
The cartridge thus formed has the following keeping qualities :— 
It may be submerged in water without suffering. 
It will stand very rough usage without allowing any grains of powder to 
escape or without altering in form to an injurious extent. 
Packing. 
As to packing compared with the service Enfield,— 
A quarter-barrel contains 700 rounds of Enfield '53 including caps, and 
weighs 74| lbs., or 760 rounds of Boxer's ammunition, weight 86 lbs. 6 oz. 
Action . 
It combines a loose fit, giving easy entrance and extraction with prevention 
of escape of gas as follows. On the hammer striking the piston which 
ignites the cap on the anvil, the peculiar construction of the case enables 
the thin metal on the expansion of exploded gas to open or unwind till it 
presses against the sides of the chamber and receives sufficient support to 
prevent it from splitting and so allowing leakage or escape. 
After discharge the case so far returns to its former size as to be loose 
enough for easy withdrawal when it is found unsplit and cylindrical in form 
even though it may have been very much dented and out of shape when 
inserted. 
Price. 
The price of the Enfield '53 ammunition is about £2. 3s. and of the Boxer 
£3. 3s. 3d. per thousand rounds. 
