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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
to any special facility for doing it. It would be interesting to know how 
often the spring spikes, issued for a similar purpose with smooth-bored 
guns, have been applied when a sudden emergency arose. It may also be 
held a moot point whether a gun captured in the field (especially now that 
every rifled system requires ammunition expressly adapted to it), is ever of 
practical use to its captors. The enemy's artillery can do better service by 
confining their attention to their own materiel , and other troops want the 
necessary knowledge for handling it. It is much more reasonable to 
assume that a captured piece will be guarded and sent to the rear as a 
trophy at the first opportunity. Little deduction would be made from its 
value in that respect by the vent-piece being saved. 
It may likewise be added that the means of detaching the vent-pieces 
makes them equally liable to be lost, or removed by treachery, as to be 
withdrawn for the service specified. 
(4) As a partial set off against the facility of replacing a worn out vent 
by changing the vent-piece, there is the necessity of occasionally refacing 
the copper rings on the vent-piece and powder chamber, and of replacing 
them after a time with new ones. If the trials of the Committee may be 
taken as a guide, a breech-loader with three vent-pieces would require the 
copper rings to be renewed as often as a muzzle-loader would require to be 
revented, and it would in addition need refacing three times.* The vent 
itself would at some time also have to be renewed. 
The other advantages may be admitted to be convenient on special occa¬ 
sions, but certainly do not fall within the ordinary requirements or application 
of field artillery. Moreover with muzzle-loading guns arrangements could 
be made for arriving at the same objects, though doubtless in a less quick 
and easy manner. 
Review of the disadvantages. 
Although there may be much difference of opinion as to how much weight 
should be attached to the disadvantages previously recapitulated, most of 
them are so self-evident that they need not be again noticed. A few of 
them may be disputed as matters of fact, from not having fallen within 
everybody's experience, but none have been inserted for which good 
authority could not be quoted. 
It may not for instance be generally known how numerous the cases of 
fractured vent-pieces are. In 1864 there were 45 thus spoilt; the number 
has been much less in the last two years, but the inconvenience has hitherto 
resisted all attempts to completely remedy it.f 
The blowing out of the vent-pieces has, apparently, been prevented by 
an alteration of the pattern. On one occasion a gun was purposely fired 
with the breech screw only partially screwed up, but the vent-piece was not 
thrown out.J It is stated that no accidents have occurred with the last 
pattern introduced. 
* Report, p. 30. 
f Records of Ordnance Select Committee; the number refers to 12-prs. only; 
% Proceedings of Field Artillery Committee* 
