THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
325 
The execution of this trial was spoilt by casual and unequal impediments. 
The breech-loader was delayed about two minutes by a mistake of one of 
the gunners, and the muzzle-loader suffered a considerable delay in the first 
round by the priming irons being mislaid. The Whitworth gun met with 
no check. 
The Committee, allowing for these drawbacks, consider that neither gun 
would be brought into action more quickly than the other after being upset 
under corresponding circumstances. 
(18,19) Durability of the ammunition . 
The main points of difference between breech-loading and muzzle-loading 
ammunition consists in two features; the means by which the projectile is 
made to “ take the rifling,” and the means by which time fuzes are ignited. 
The projectiles of the former system are coated with lead, which is forced 
closely into the finely grooved surface of the bore by the action of the 
discharge; those of the latter are furnished with studs, or some other pro¬ 
jections, adapted to the grooves but not completely filling them. The 
grooves and studs are few in number, and the projectile has a less diameter 
than the bore. 
The difference in the fuzes is entailed by the above peculiarity in the pro¬ 
jectiles, for when there is no windage the flame of the powder cannot be 
relied on for igniting a fuze with its surface exposed in the ordinary manner. 
Hence an interior arrangement is necessary, and it consists in a mechanical 
action on a small portion of detonating composition. The difference is 
highly important, as the detonating composition is so sensitive, and so liable 
to deteriorate by damp,* that however perfectly they may act when freshly 
made, there is no security for their continuing to do so. This was strongly 
urged in the late Meld Artillery Committee, but was not made the subject 
of experiment by the Armstrong and Whitworth Committee, as all the 
time fuzes submitted to them were originally intended for close fitting 
projectiles. 
The fuzes were submitted to a long course of travelling over moderately 
rough roads, which all except the Armstrong time fuze bore perfectly well. 
These suffered from the waterproof bags in which they were packed being, 
in nearly all cases, cut through. The needles in the igniting arrangement 
suffered very seriously from rust, but this has since been obviated by making 
them of brass instead of iron. In three out of thirty fuzes the priming was 
also partially shaken out.f 
The projectiles were also submitted to the same course of travelling 
(200 miles), packed in field limber boxes. The lead coating was generally 
scored, and the studs were slightly bruised, but not enough to make them 
unserviceable» It appeared however that the fittings of the limber boxes 
were apt to get out of repair, and that when the projectiles were loose, in 
consequence, the lead coated ones were more liable to injury than the 
others. 
They were further tested by ten projectiles of each nature, and of 
each kind, shot, shell, and segment shell, being placed in straw which was 
& Report, p; 41s 
f Ibids 
