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supply of ammunition is reduced to this the gun would have been firing 
common shell, which he would remind his hearers would form a very 
poor substitute for shrapnel for use against troops. (Heap, hear.) 
Lieut. Jones, in reply, said that Captain Strange's observations as 
to the deterioration of the bronze guns having, according to his 
experience, been caused by scoring in the lands rather than in the 
grooves , was due to the fact that the windage over the body of the 
projectile is much greater than that over the studs. Therefore the gas, 
rushing over the shot, eats out the defective spots in the lands, while 
the studs prevent this occurring to the same extent in the grooves. 
This difficulty would be avoided if the metal could be cast sound, but, 
even if sound, the defect of expansion remained, causing a tendency of 
the studs to leave the grooves, as happened in the 20-pr. howitzer, 
a plaster cast of which he exhibited. The wear of the driving side of 
the grooves near the seat of the charge is also shewn to be considerable 
by the gutta-percha impressions of sound bronze guns laid on the table. 
On this account he considered that bronze, however sound, was inferior 
to steel for an inner barrel. Then, as to lining bronze with iron or 
steel; the subject had certainly been considered, but the proposition 
was really impracticable, owing to the variation in the expansion of the 
different metals when subjected to heat, which would soon render the 
tube loose and the gun unserviceable. (Hear, hear.) With regard to 
the proportion of ammunition to be carried, he must not be understood 
as attempting to lay down any law respecting the number of rounds 
necessary to be carried. He submitted the statements in his paper in 
order that those who were better capable of judging might recognise 
the advantages of the heavy projectile. 
Colonel Milward, C.B., B.A., said a good reason why the guttering 
was more over the lands than in the grooves was that the windage 
was much greater over the lands than over the studs. The practice 
now going on proved more clearly every day that the windage allowed 
over the studs of the 9-pr. muzzle-loading ammunition was too small, 
as the tendency of the projectile to jam was constantly experienced. 
Colonel Phillpotts. —This applies equally to the iron gun. 
Colonel Milward. — I spoke of either the steel or bronze. 
Lieut. Jones. —But was not the windage fixed in order to save the 
bronze gun ? 
Colonel Milward. —Certainly; that was so. 
Colonel Phillpotts said he differed from Captain Strange in one 
remark, and that was his proposed abolition of bell tents and camp* 
kettles. (Laughter.) He quite agreed with him as to the inutility of 
carrying twenty-four carbines, and the desirability of reducing the 
soldiers' kit, but rather than discontinue the use of bell tents and have 
recourse to tente d’abri , he would do even more if necessary to save the 
men from exposure on service. (Hear, hear.) It would take rather a 
large tente d } abri to cover a tall soldier like Captain Strange. (Laughter 
and applause.) 
Major-General Leeroy said, as a reduction of the equipment had 
been referred to, he would call attention to one way of getting rid of 
some of the surplus weight. They now carried their spare wheels on 
