THE KOYAL ARTILLEKY INSTITUTION. 
25 
The projectiles cast with sand bodies are superior in penetration to 
those entirely chilled; because, as may be seen, while the pressure round 
the head towards a centre does not test its tenacity, the base is in a 
very different condition. The metal there, having lent its force to some 
extent to the head, shivers away to the front, generally indenting the 
plate round the hole made by the head. Any increase of tenacity in the 
material at the base, is therefore clearly an advantage. 
Palliser shells are fired without any fuze by impact against armour; 
they would only act as shot against wooden vessels. Hence it was pro¬ 
posed by Lieutenant Boxer, R.N., to use percussion fuzes in them, in 
case of mistakes as to the character of an adversary in active service; 
but this has not been adopted. 
Penetration of plates at an angle, I will not attempt to discuss here; 
but I may notice the strong conviction that every one I meet who ought 
to understand the matter seems to feel, that the Palliser projectiles— 
on every theoretical and practical ground—are better for this and all 
purposes than the Whitworth, or any other that is known. 
Case Shot . 
It will be seen that, far from this being the simple subject many 
suppose it, it is a very difficult one, if we may judge by the imperfect 
state of development of case shot. The difficulties are—liability to 
injure the bore of the gun, and liability of soft metal to conglomerate 
into masses. 
Lieut. Reeves proposed the case first adopted in the service, in which 
the balls were packed, either in wood discs recessed to hold them, in 
sawdust, within a wood lining, or in an experimental case shot, in rosin, 
all interstices being first filled with buck-shot. 
General Boxer designed a case shot which carried closer and gave 
better results on targets, when fired by the Armstrong and Whitworth 
Committee; this had an iron casing. 
The present service case shot contains 8 oz. sand shot for Woolwich 
projectiles, packed in coal-dust, within a lining of iron segments or 
curved plates, which, laid inside an envelope of sheet iron, protect the 
bore. 
The Committee have laid down the weight of the case as follows :— 
For 7" and under, it is to be two-thirds the weight of any other service 
projectile; for guns over 7", it is to be the weight of a solid round shot 
of the same calibre. 
And here I cannot refrain from expressing an opinion—viz; that these 
case shot are far from being efficient. The sand shot are much too large. 
At one time they reached the ridiculous size of 2 lbs. weight a-piece in 
the 9" case. 
Lieut. Reeves, to the last, continually protested against their size; 
urging that for long ranges shrapnel were more effective, and for short 
ranges, small shot would both disable men and boats more effectually. 
General Boxer wrote that 6 oz. sand shot were as large as would 
ever be required for any penetration, and protested against the employ¬ 
ment of the large balls, 
