THE EOYAL AETILLEEY INSTITUTION, 
823 
(12) Boat Service .* 
For boat service the guns were mounted and worked in the bows of 
pinnaces; they were also thrown overboard, dragged ashore, remounted on 
travelling carriages, moved forward a few yards, and again brought into 
action. 
In both respects the breech-loader proved itself decidedly the quickest 
gun to handle. It fired one round per minute, whilst the muzzle-loader 
required 1| minute, and its detachment was also less exposed. In the 
landing operation it had fired a shot at the end of 3J minutes, the muzzle- 
loader requiring nearly 5J. The Whitworth required about the same time. 
The Committee consider that the difference in favour of the breech-loader is 
fairly due to its comparative lightness and handiness. Nevertheless the 
Admiralty has declared in favour of muzzle-loaders for boat service t (but 
made shorter than these pieces), because naval men fear that in similar 
operations there would be a serious risk of some separable part of the 
breech-screw apparatus being dropped and lost, and the gun thereby 
disabled. 
(13) Endurance.% 
The durability of both the guns proved very satisfactory, for 2800 rounds 
with full service charges -were fired from each, and they continued quite fit 
for service, though with some falling off in their shooting powers, as already 
noticed under the range experiments. 
Before describing the condition of each, it should be stated that the firing 
from the muzzle-loader began without any lubricators being used, and it 
was not till 867 rounds had been completed that wads were adopted. Had 
they been used throughout they would have much lessened the injury 
suffered from the gas, for the progress of the scoring in the bore and in the 
grooves was considerably reduced during the rest of the practice. 
The principal injuries reported on examination are as follow:— 
Breech-loader.-—Several fissures in the powder chamber, and considerable 
scoring in the slot from escape of gas round the vent-piece. The shot 
chamber expanded from *002" to ’003"; the bore in front of the shot 
chamber enlarged from •029" to *039", this enlargement extending for 4" 
and then decreasing until it disappeared at 80" from the bottom of the 
bore. 
Muzzle-loader.—The scoring began at about 8" and extended to 17" 
from the bottom of the bore. In the grooves it extended about 2" further, 
and was about *2" deep. A very slight enlargement, amounting at its 
maximum to only *003", began at 5" and ended at 9" from the bottom of 
the bore. In front of the vent there were slight fissures, and there was 
some wear round the edge of the vent copper. 
# Eeport, p. 26. 
f Proceedings of the Committee on Field Artillery, 
X Eeport, p. 28. 
